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Dance Party (1965):
Dance Party is a 1965 album released by American Motown and soul girl group Martha and the Vandellas on the Gordy (Motown) label. The album was the group's third and much like The Miracles' Mickey's Monkey album mainly consisted of dance tunes. Among the singles featured on the album include their 1964 landmark single, "Dancing in the Street", their follow-up smash, "Nowhere to Run", the hit, "Wild One", and the famous b-side, "Motoring". The album was mostly produced by William "Mickey" Stevenson with several nods from Holland-Dozier-Holland.
One of the great party albums of the 1960s, Dance Party was, oddly enough, the work of a Motown act that wasn't known for delivering great albums. Martha & the Vandellas had enjoyed some serious hits from 1964 onward, but hadn't quite measured up in the LP department until the release of Dance Party in the spring of 1965. Made up of material from singles that went back to the previous summer, the album benefited from the presence of the group's biggest single, "Dancing in the Street," its follow-up, the hypnotically pounding, driving, soaring "Wild One," and the classic "Nowhere to Run," surrounded by a trio of well-above-average B-sides and covers of such Motown dance standards as "Mickey's Monkey" and "Hitch Hike." Even the rest was hardly filler, however, with Martha Reeves turning in a gloriously impassioned performance on the ballad "There He Is (At My Door)" and the group acquitting itself beautifully on "Motoring." Each side was always good for at least two plays at any self-respecting teen party of the '60s, and it all still holds up today.
Heat Wave (1963):
Heat Wave is the second album released by American Motown girl group Martha and the Vandellas. Released in 1963 on Motown's Gordy imprint, intended to capitialize on the success of the title track, which rose to number four on the pop singles chart and number-one on the R&B singles chart. The album was produced by the likes of Holland-Dozier-Holland (who composed the group's first five hit singles) and Mickey Stevenson. This was the last album to feature original Vandella Annette Beard.
The material is composed almost entirely of cover versions of songs that were popular at the time. These range from pop tunes like "Then He Kissed Me" and "My Boyfriend's Back" to mainstream standards such as "More" (the theme from the 1962 film Mondo Cane) and "Danke Schoen." The folk song "If I Had a Hammer" is also included as the Peter, Paul, and Mary version was big at the time. On its original release Heat Wave charted lowly at 125 on the U.S. albums chart.
Martha & the Vandellas began making their first noise on the pop and soul charts with this 1963 album. The title song was a classic, while there were also decent remakes of such vintage tunes as "Mocking Bird" and "My Boyfriend's Back." These proved that the group was a singles rather than an album act, and that a little more effort needed to be extended toward finding more material (they even put "Danke Schoen" on this album). But no one really cared, since "Heat Wave" was such a triumph.
Biography:
Martha and the Vandellas (known from 1967 to 1972 as Martha Reeves and the Vandellas) were an American vocal group who found fame in the 1960s with a string of hit singles on Motown's Gordy label. Founded in 1960 by friends Annette Beard, Rosalind Ashford and Gloria Williams, the band eventually included Martha Reeves, who moved up in ranks as lead vocalist of the group after Williams' departure in 1962. The group signed with and eventually recorded all of their singles for Motown's Gordy imprint.
The group's string of hits included "(Love Is Like a) Heat Wave", "Nowhere to Run", "Jimmy Mack" and "Dancing in the Street", the latter song becoming their signature single. During their nine-year run on the charts from 1963 to 1972, Martha and the Vandellas charted over twenty-six hits and recorded in the styles of doo-wop, R&B, pop, blues, rock and roll and soul. Ten Vandellas songs reached the top ten of the Billboard R&B singles chart, including two R&B number ones.
Early years (1957–1962)
Teenagers Rosalind Ashford and Annette Beard first became acquainted after a local music manager hired them to be members of a girl group he named "The Del-Phis". Ashford & Beard, along with then-lead vocalist Gloria Williams, performed at local clubs, private events, church benefits, YMCA events and school functions. They were also being coached by Maxine Powell at Detroit's Ferris Center. One of the group's first professional engagements was singing background for singer Mike Hanks. The group originally had up to six members, shortened to four. After another member left the group, she was replaced by Alabama-born vocalist Martha Reeves, who had been a member of a rival group, the Fascinations and had also been a member of another group, the Sabre-Ettes. In 1960, the group signed their first recording contract with Checker Records, releasing the Reeves-led "I'll Let You Know". The record flopped. The group then recorded for Checkmate Records, a subsidiary of Chess Records, recording their first take of "There He Is (At My Door)". That record, featuring Williams on lead vocals, also flopped.
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Briefly separated, Reeves returned to a solo career performing under the name Martha LaVaille, in hopes of getting a contract with emerging Detroit label Motown. After Motown staffer Mickey Stevenson noticed Reeves singing at a prominent Detroit club, he offered her his business card for an audition. Reeves showed up at Motown on a wrong date (Motown auditions were held at Thursdays, while Reeves showed up to Motown's Hitsville USA studios on a Tuesday). Stevenson, initially upset, told Reeves to look out for clients and other matters. Soon Reeves became Stevenson's secretary and later was responsible for helping acts audition for the label. By 1961, the group, now known as The Vels, were recording background vocals for Motown acts. Prior to her success as lead singer of The Elgins, Sandra Edwards (then going by her surname Maulett) recorded the song "Camel Walk", in 1962, which featured the Vels in background vocals. That year, the quartet began applying background vocals for emerging Motown star Marvin Gaye, singing on Gaye's first hit single, "Stubborn Kind of Fellow"[9] After Mary Wells failed to make a scheduled recording session feigning a short illness, the Vels recorded what was initially a demo recording of "I'll Have to Let Him Go". Motown was so impressed by the group's vocals – and Martha's lead vocals in the song – that the label CEO Berry Gordy offered to give the group a contract. Figuring that being in show business was too rigorous, Williams opted out of the group. With Williams out, the remaining trio of Ashford, Beard and Reeves renamed themselves The Vandellas, Barry Gordy phoning down and telling the girls what their name would be after giving them a chance to name themselves.
Motown success years (1962–1967)
Following their signing to Motown's Gordy imprint in 1962, The Vandellas struck gold with their second release, the first composition and production from the famed writing team, Holland–Dozier–Holland, titled "Come and Get These Memories". It became The Vandellas' first Top 40 recording, reaching number twenty-nine on the Billboard Hot 100 and peaking at number six on the R&B chart. Their second hit, "(Love Is Like a) Heat Wave", became a phenomenal record for the group, reaching number four on the Hot 100 and hitting number one on the R&B singles chart for five weeks. It became their first million-seller and eventually won the group their only Grammy Award nomination for Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group.
The group's success continued with their second Top Ten single and third Top 40 single, "Quicksand", which was another composition with Holland-Dozier-Holland and reached number eight pop in the late fall of 1963. Around that time, Beard, who was pregnant with her first child and set to get married, chose to leave her singing career behind by 1964. Betty Kelly, formerly of The Velvelettes, was brought in shortly afterward to continue the Vandellas' rise.
The next two singles, "Live Wire" and "In My Lonely Room"(#6 R&B Cashbox) were less successful singles, failing to reach the Top 40. However, their next single, "Dancing in the Street", rose up to #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and also found global success, peaking at #21 on the UK Singles Chart in 1964. In 1969, "Dancing in the Street" was re-issued and it was plugged heavily on radio stations. It did not take long for the song to peak at #4 in the UK, thus making the song one of the all time favourite Motown single releases ever. The song became a million-seller, and one of the most played singles in history.
Between 1964 and 1967, singles like "Wild One" (US #34), "Nowhere to Run" (US #8; UK #26), "You've Been in Love Too Long" (US #36), "My Baby Loves Me" (US #22; R&B #3), "I'm Ready for Love" (US #9; R&B #2; UK #29) and "Jimmy Mack" (US #10; R&B #1; UK #21) kept The Vandellas on the map as one of the label's top acts. The Vandellas' popularity helped the group get spots on The Ed Sullivan Show, The Mike Douglas Show, American Bandstand and Shindig!. Throughout this period, The Vandellas had also become one of the label's most popular performing acts.
Personnel changes
Motown struggled to find good material for many of their acts after the exit of Motown contributor and Reeves' mentor William "Mickey" Stevenson in 1967 and Holland–Dozier–Holland in early 1968, but after their former collaborators left the label, the Vandellas initially continued to find success with the Richard Morris produced singles "Love Bug Leave My Heart Alone" (US #25; R&B #14) and "Honey Chile" (US #11; UK #30; R&B #5) added to their already extended list of charted singles. In the summer of 1968, the group joined The Supremes, The Temptations, The Four Tops and Marvin Gaye in performing at the Copacabana though much like albums from the Four Tops and Gaye, a live album of their performance there was shelved indefinitely.
That same year, label changes had started to take effect, and Gordy focused much of his attention on building the Supremes' as well as Diana Ross' burgeoning upcoming solo career that would follow in 1970. The Vandellas' sound (and the sound of many Motown acts with the exceptions of Marvin Gaye, The Temptations and Stevie Wonder) suffered as a result.
However it was the infighting amongst the members of the Vandellas that led to their problems. Kelly was the first to be let go after reportedly missing shows, and as well as getting into altercations with Reeves. There were many instances where these "fights" happened on stage. Kelley was fired in 1967 and was replaced by Martha Reeves' sister Lois. Simultaneously, the group's name was officially changed to Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, to conform with the company's recent changes of The Supremes' and The Miracles' names to reflect their featured lead singers. During this time, Vandellas records including "(We've Got) Honey Love", "Sweet Darlin'" and "Taking My Love and Leaving Me" were issued as singles with diminishing results.
Impact
Regarded for their early and mid 1960s work, some of the Vandellas' popular recordings have become part of American culture with their 1964 standard, "Dancing in the Street", being the obvious example. One of the most covered and popular songs in rock and roll history, the song was revamped several times including a 1982 live recording by rock band Van Halen and a 1985 duet by rockers David Bowie and Mick Jagger, it is considered by many as the "Motown Anthem". Their smash 1963 hit, "(Love Is Like a) Heat Wave", has been said to have been the first song to signify the Motown sound or "Sound of Young America" with its backbeat and bouncing rhythms. Another song, 1965's "Nowhere to Run" has been featured during sports events, while 1967's "Jimmy Mack" has been said to inspire what Reeves later called a "virtual legend" of the name of the song. [Wikipedia]
Dance Party Album (1965)
01. "Dancing in the Street" Marvin Gaye, Ivy Jo Hunter, William "Mickey" Stevenson
02. "Dancing Slow" Hunter, Stevenson, William Weatherspoon
03. "Wild One" Hunter, Stevenson
04. "Nowhere to Run" Holland–Dozier–Holland
05. "Nobody'll Care" Hunter, Stevenson, Stevie Wonder
06. "There He Is (At My Door)" Lamont Dozier, Edward Holland, Jr., Freddie Gorman
07. "Mobile Lil the Dancing Witch" Hunter, Stevenson
08. "Dance Party" Hunter, Stevenson
09. "Motoring" Hunter, Stevenson, Phil Jones
10. "Jerk" Hunter, Stevenson
11. "Mickey's Monkey" Holland–Dozier–Holland
12. "Hitch Hike" Gaye, Stevenson, Clarence Paul
Heat Wave Album (1963)
13."(Love Is Like a) Heat Wave" – 2:44 (Lamont Dozier, Brian Holland, Edward Holland, Jr)
14."Then He Kissed Me" – 2:32 (Phil Spector, Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich)
15."Hey There Lonely Boy" – 2:33
16."More" – 2:14 (Riz Ortolani)
17."Danke Schoen" – 3:04 (Kurt Schwaback, Bert Kaempfert)
18."If I Had a Hammer" – 2:16 (Pete Seeger, Lee Hays)
19."Hello Stranger" – 2:40 (Barbara Lewis)
20."Just One Look" – 2:33 (Gregory Carroll, Doris Payne)
21."Wait Till My Bobby Gets Home" – 2:17 (Barry, Greenwich,Spector)
22."My Boyfriend's Back" – 2:08 (Bob Feldman, Jerry Goldstein, Richard Gottehrer)
23."Mockingbird" – 2:32 (Inez Foxx, Charlie Foxx)
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