Martha and the Vandellas



horizontal bar

JANICE'S BLUES ALLEY PRESENTS



Martha and the Vandellas



horizontal bar

Martha and the Vandellas



WEB PAGES

History of Rock and RollHistory of Rock and Roll
WikipediaWikipedia
Martha Reeves Official WebsiteMartha Reeves Official Website
U.K. Soul WalkU.K. Soul Walk
horizontal bar


Along with the Supremes, Martha & the Vandellas defined the distaff side of the Motown sound in the 1960s; their biggest hits, including "Heat Wave," "Dancing in the Street," and "Nowhere to Run," remain among the most potent and enduring dance records of the era. The vocal group was led by Martha Reeves who, along with fellow Detroit natives Annette Sterling Beard, Gloria Williams, and Rosalind Ashford, founded the Del-Phis in 1960. After Reeves landed a secretarial position at the offices of Motown Records, the Del-Phis were tapped to record a one-off single for the label's Melody imprint, which they cut under the name the Vels.

The single fizzled, and Williams exited, reducing the group to a trio. After backing Marvin Gaye on the superb 1962 record "Stubborn Kind of Fellow," they were renamed Martha & the Vandellas, taking inspiration from Detroit's Van Dyke Street and Reeves' heroine Della Reese. When singer Mary Wells failed to show up for a recording date, musicians' union rules demanded that a vocalist be found to fulfill contractual obligations; as a result, Reeves was yanked from the secretarial pool and laid down what would become Martha & the Vandellas' first record, 1963's "I'll Have to Let Him Go."

The Top 30 success of the ballad "Come and Get These Memories" brought the group the attention of Motown's hit-making production team Holland-Dozier-Holland, who crafted their next smash, the galvanizing Top Five classic "Heat Wave," which perfected the mix of impassioned call-and-response vocals, pulsing rhythms, and full-bodied horns that became the trio's trademark. Following another Top Ten hit, "Quicksand," Beard retired, and was replaced by former Velvelette Betty Kelly. After singer Kim Weston turned down the Marvin Gaye/Ivy Jo Hunter/Mickey Stevenson composition "Dancing in the Street," the song was shuttled to Martha & the Vandellas; refashioned by Holland-Dozier-Holland to fit the group's formula, the anthem became their biggest hit and definitive statement, reaching number two in the summer of 1964. A year later, they returned with another smash, the savage "Nowhere to Run," followed by "I'm Ready for Love."

In 1967, Kelly exited, and was replaced by Reeves' younger sister Lois; on subsequent releases, the group was billed as Martha Reeves & the Vandellas. 1967's "Jimmy Mack" and "Honey Chile" were the last records overseen by the Holland-Dozier-Holland team before their defection from Motown, and were also the final significant Vandellas hits; in 1968, Martha Reeves fell seriously ill, and in 1969 Ashford departed, with another former Velvelette, Sandra Tilley, assuming her position. The trio continued unsuccessfully for a few more years before breaking up in the wake of a December, 1972, farewell performance at Detroit's Cobo Hall. After Motown relocated its corporate offices to Los Angeles (a move Reeves denied she was privy to), the singer, who had begun a solo career, sued to have her contract with the label annulled; in her 1994 autobiography, Dancing in the Street, she charged that the Vandellas' career, though highly successful in its own right, could have been even greater had Motown founder Berry Gordy, Jr. given their music the same obsessive attention he afforded to Diana Ross & the Supremes.

Reeves recorded her debut solo effort, Martha Reeves: Produced by Richard Perry, for MCA in 1974; though a few more LPs followed, including 1976's The Rest of My Life and 1978's We Meet Again, she received little notice on her own, and eventually suffered a pair of nervous breakdowns that led to a brief period of institutionalization. Lois Reeves, meanwhile, went on to work with Al Green, while Sandra Tilley retired from music; she died in 1982 following surgery on a brain tumor. In 1989, Martha Reeves, Annette Beard, and Rosalind Ashford successfully sued Motown for back royalties, and occasionally reunited for performances in the 1990s. Reeves also continued as a solo artist, and in addition performed with a Vandellas unit consisting of Lois and a third sister, Delphine.

--- Jason Ankeny of All Music Guide

BACK TO THE TOP


horizontal bar



LINKSYEARTITLE
1963Heat Wave
1963Come And Get These Memories
1965Dance Party
1966Watchout!
1966Martha & The Vandellas: Greatest Hits
1967Martha & The Vandellas Live!
1968Ridin' High
1969Sugar N' Spice
1970Natural Resources
1972Black Magic
1974Martha Reeves & The Vandellas
1999The Best Of Martha Reeves & The Vandellas


BACK TO THE TOP


horizontal bar

1963 Heat Wave

01. (love is like a) Heat Wave
02. Then He Kissed Me
03. Hey There Lonely Boy
04. More
05. Danke Schoen
06. If I Had A Hammer
07. Hello Stranger
08. Just One Look
09. Wait Till My Baby Gets Home
10. My Boyfriend's Back
11. Mockingbird



1963 Come And Get These Memories

01. Come And Get These Memories
02. Can't Get Used To Losing You
03. Moments (to remember)
04. This Is When I Need You Most
05. A Love Like Yours (don't come knocking everyday)
06. Tears On My Pillow
07. To Think You Would Hurt Me
08. There He Is (at my door)
09. I'll Have To Let Him Go
10. Give Him Up
11. Jealous Lover
12. Old Love (let's try it again)


1965 Dance Party

01. Dancing In The Street
02. Dancing Slow
03. Wild One
04. Nowhere To Run
05. Nobody'll Care
06. There He Is (at my door)
07. Mobile Lil The Dancing Witch
08. Dance Party
09. Motoring
10. The Jerk
11. Mickey's Monkey
12. Hitch Hike


1966 Watchout!

01. I'm Ready For Love
02. One Way Out
03. Jimmy Mack
04. Let This Day Be
05. Keep It Up
06. Happiness Is Guaranteed
07. I'll Follow You
08. No More Tearstained Makeup
09. Go Ahead And Laugh
10. What Am I Going To Do Without Your Love
11. Tell Me I'll Never Be Alone
12. He Doesn't Love Her Anymore


1966 Martha & The Vandellas: Greatest Hits

01. My Baby Loves Me
02. Come And Get These Memories
03. Love Is Like A Heat Wave
04. Dancing In The Street
05. Quicksand
06. Live Wire
07. You've Been In Love Too Long
08. In My Lonely Room
09. Love Makes Me Do Foolish Things
10. A Love Like Yours (don't come knocking everyday)
11. Nowhere To Run
12. Wild One




horizontal bar

BACK TO THE TOP


1967 Martha & The Vandellas Live!

01. You'll Never Cherish A Love So True
02. There He Is (at my door)
03. I'll Have To Let Him Go
04. My Baby Won't Come Back
05. Come And Get These Memories
06. (love is like a) Heat Wave
07. Quicksand
08. Darling, I Hum Our Song
09. Live Wire
10. In My Lonely Room
11. A Tear For The Girl
12. Dancing In The Street
13. Wild One
14. Nowhere To Run
15. Motoring
16. You've Been In Love Too Long
17. Love (makes me do foolish things)
18. My Baby Loves Me
19. Never Leave Your Baby's Side
20. What Am I Going To Do Without Your Love
21. I'm Ready For Love
22. Third Finger, Left Hand
23. Jimmy Mack
24. Love Bug Leave My Heart Alone
25. One Way Out
26. Honey Chile
27. Show Me The Way
28. I Promise To Wait My Love
29. Forget Me Not
30. I Can't Dance To That Music You're Playin'
31. I Tried
32. Sweet Darlin'
33. (we've got) Honey Love
34. Taking My Love (and leaving me)
35. I Should Be Proud
36. Love, Guess Who
37. I Gotta Let You Go
38. Bless You
39. In And Out Of My Life
40. Your Love Makes It All Worthwhile
41. Tear It On Down
42. I Won't Be The Fool I've Been Again
43. Baby (don't you leave me)





horizontal bar

BACK TO THE TOP


1968 Ridin' High

01. I Promise To Wait My Love
02. Honey Chile
03. There's Always Something There To Remind Me
04. Leave It In The Hands Of Love
05. Love Bug Leave My Heart Alone
06. I'm In Love (and I know it)
07. To Sir With Love
08. Forget Me Not
09. (we've got) Honey Love
10. I Say A Little Prayer
11. Show Me The Way



1969 Sugar N' Spice

01. Taking My Love (and leaving me)
02. Shoe Leather Expressway
03. You're The Loser Now
04. I'm A Winner
05. What Now My Love
06. Soul Appeal
07. Loneliness Is A Lonely Feelin'
08. I Love The Man
09. It Ain't Like That
10. I Can't Get Along Without You
11. Heartless
12. I Hope That You Have Better Luck Than I Did


1970 Natural Resources

01. Something
02. Easily Persuaded
03. Didn't We
04. I'm In Love (and I know it)
05. Love, Guess Who
06. Everybody's Talkin'
07. Put A Little Love In Your Heart
08. The Hurt Is Over (since I've found you)
09. Take A Look Around
10. Won't It Be So Wonderful




horizontal bar

BACK TO THE TOP


1972 Black Magic



1974 Martha Reeves & The Vandellas



1999 The Best Of Martha Reeves & The Vandellas

01. Dancing In The Street
02. Nowhere To Run
03. Jimmy Mack
04. My Baby Loves Me
05. In My Lonely Room
06. I'm Ready For Love
07. Love Is Like A Heat Wave
08. Come And Get These Memories
09. Love (makes me do foolish things)
10. Quicksand
11. Honey Chile



horizontal bar

BACK TO THE TOP


MAIN PAGE GOLDEN VOICES OLD SCHOOL FUNK PAGE
SILKY SOUL SINGERS ROCK AND ROLL JAZZ
GREAT GROUPS RHYTHM AND BLUES E-MAIL JANICE

graphics by YSM

horizontal bar