Martha and the Vandellas

Induction Year: 1995

Induction Category: Performer

Inductees: Martha Reeves (vocals; born July 18, 1941), Rosalyn Ashford (vocals; born September 2, 1943), Betty Kelly (vocals; born September 16, 1944), Lois Reeves (birth date unknown), Annette Sterling (vocals; birth date unknown, 1942).

From the outset, Martha Reeves’ voice possessed an earthy, direct quality that distinguished her from other female singers - such as sultry Mary Wells or demure Diana Ross - at Motown. Her voice bore the righteous fervor of gospel and the flinty edginess of rhythm & blues, which, combined with Motown’s stylized pop-soul approach, made for a compelling package. Together with her backup singers, the Vandellas, Reeves recorded a classic run of singles in the mid-Sixties, most of them composed by the songwriting team of Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier and Eddie Holland. The Vandellas’ hit streak included what may be the definitive Motown anthem, “Dancing in the Street,” as well as such danceable blockbusters as “(Love Is Like a) Heat Wave,” “Nowhere to Run” and “Jimmy Mack.”

The eldest of eleven children, Reeves began singing with the Del-Phis in 1960. She was discovered in 1961 at Detroit’s fabled Twenty Grand Club, where Motown A&R man Mickey Stevenson heard her perform – Reeves’ prize for having won a talent contest. She was invited to drop by the Motown “Hitsville” compound the next day. Initially, she did secretarial work in the A&R department and sang background vocals on records by the likes of (most audibly on “Pride and Joy” and “Hitchhike”). However, Motown founder Berry Gordy soon offered Reeves’ group a recording contract of their own. The Vandellas – named by combining Detroit’s Van Dyke Street with the first name of a favorite singer, Della Reese - were Rosalind Ashford and Annette Beard (later Sterling), who’d also been in the Del-Phis. Betty Kelly replaced Sterling in 1964, and Lois Reeves (Martha’s younger sister) replaced Kelly in 1967.

The trio had their first hit with Holland-Dozier-Holland’s “Come and Get These Memories,” but it was the irresistibly upbeat “Heat Wave” that made Martha and the Vandellas one of Motown’s vanguard acts in the summer of 1963. Another summertime anthem, “Dancing in the Street” – cowritten by Mickey Stevenson, and Ivy Joe Hunter – arrived in 1964, charging to #2 in the midst of the British Invasion. Reeves’ insistent alto cut through the punchy horns, driving bass line and funky rhythms to deliver a timeless message to the youth of America: “Summer’s here and the time is right for dancing in the street.” The song’s anthemic qualities have much to do with its call for youthful solidarity, with “music, sweet music” bringing a generation together. The song has acquired folkloric status, having been covered by , , and Mick Jagger, and others.

Martha and the Vandellas recorded throughout the Sixties for Motown’s Gordy label, charting 24 R&B hits, and became one of the company’s most successful touring acts. As female artists at Motown, they were outshone only by Diana Ross and , with whom they competed for resources and attention. When the company moved west in 1971, Martha and the Vandellas parted ways with Motown. They performed a farewell concert in Detroit, and Reeves embarked on a solo career with the big-budget album Martha Reeves in 1974. Martha and the Vandellas regrouped toward the end of the Seventies, and the group received a boost when the Motown 25th anniversary TV special aired in 1983. Martha and the Vandellas continue to perform, enduring as one of the most visible reminders of Motown’s glory days.

TIMELINE

July 18, 1941: Martha Reeves, lead vocalist for Martha and the Vandellas, is born in Eufaula, AL.

September 2, 1943: Rosalyn Asford was born.

September 16, 1944: Betty Kelley was born.

September 21, 1962: Martha and the Vandellas, led by Motown secretary Martha Reeves, are signed to Motown’s Gordy label.

April 27, 1963: Martha and the Vandellas make the charts with “Come and Get These Memories” (#6 R&B, #29, pop).

September 21, 1963: Martha and the Vandellas’ million-selling “Heat Wave” tops the R&B chart for five weeks and reaches #4 on the pop chart.

January 4, 1964: “Quicksand” by Martha and the Vandellas reaches #8.

October 6, 1964: “Dancing In the Street,” by Martha and the Vandellas, is #2 for two weeks, edged out from the top spot by Manfred Mann’s “Do Wah Diddy Diddy.”

October 17, 1964: “Dancing in the Streets” by Martha and the Vandellas goes to #2 on the charts.

January 9, 1965: “Wild One” by Martha and the Vandellas charts at #34.

April 10, 1965: “Nowhere to Run,” another blockbuster Motown single from Martha and the Vandellas, reaches the Top Ten.

September 18, 1965: “You’ve Been In Love Too Long” by the Martha and the Vandellas charts at #36.

March 19, 1966: “My Baby Loves Me” by Martha and the Vandellas charts at #22.

December 10, 1966: “I’m Ready For Love” by Martha and the Vandellas charts at #9.

April 15, 1967: “Jimmy Mack,” by Martha and the Vandellas, tops the R&B chart and becomes the girl group’s sixth Top Ten pop hit.

September 23, 1967: “Love Bug Leave My Heart Alone” by Martha and the Vandellas peaks at #25.

December 2, 1967: Martha Reeves and the Vandellas’ twelfth and last pop hit for Motown, “Honey Chile,” enter the Top Forty. They will, however, place nine more singles on the R&B chart over the next five years.

December 2, 1971: Martha and the Vandellas perform their farewell concert in Detroit. Martha Reeves thereupon embarks on a solo career.

July 19, 1978: The original members of Martha and the Vandellas reunite onstage for the first time in ten years and perform periodically thereafter.

February 25, 1993: Martha and the Vandellas are inducted into the Rhythm and Blues Foundation at the organization’s annual Pioneer Awards.

January 12, 1995: Martha and the Vandellas are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at the tenth annual induction dinner. Fred Schneider and Kate Pierson of the B-52’s are their presenters.

September 2, 1995: Martha Reeves sings “Dancing in the Street” with John Mellencamp at the Concert for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

September 18, 2003: Martha and the Vandellas are inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame.

September 21, 2003: Martha Reeves performs “Heat Wave” with fellow inductee at Detroit’s Comercia Park.

Essential Recordings

Dancing in the Streets
Heat Wave
Jimmy Mack
Nowhere to Run
I’m Ready for Love
Quicksand
Come and Get These Memories
My Baby Loves My
Honey Chile
Live Wire

Recommended Reading

“The Recordings of Martha Reeves and the Vandellas.”
Emily Gaul. Goldmine (March 3, 1995): 50, 64-68.

Nowhere to Run: The Story of Soul Music
Gerri Hirshey. New York: Times Books, 1984.

Dancing in the Streets: Confessions of a Pop Diva
Martha Reeves and Mark Bego. New York: Hyperion Books, 1994.

“Martha Reeves and the Vandellas: The Motown Years.”
Richard Skelly. Goldmine (March 3, 1995), 34-50.