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  1. #1
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    Why are Martha & the Vandellas given so little attention?

    I was doing a little internet research yesterday on Ed Aaronoff who was the Publicity Director for Motown Records. I came across an interesting JET magazine article dated 4/21/1966 which I unfortunately was unable to paste and copy into a thread.

    The article quoted him as saying Martha & the Vandellas, No. 2: It is so surprising that so little attention has been given to the #2 girls group, Martha & the Vandellas. . . . Martha readily admits the Supremes are her biggest competition.

    I personally like M&TV very much. I wish more interest were given on the Motown Forum to this fabulous group.

    How about it?

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    I agree Woodward. I have met all of them except Sandra Tilley and they are all great ladies.

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    This has always been my favorite performance clip of the group. I wished I had a copy of it in HQ condition:


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    Quote Originally Posted by woodward View Post
    I was doing a little internet research yesterday on Ed Aaronoff who was the Publicity Director for Motown Records. I came across an interesting JET magazine article dated 4/21/1966 which I unfortunately was unable to paste and copy into a thread.

    The article quoted him as saying Martha & the Vandellas, No. 2: It is so surprising that so little attention has been given to the #2 girls group, Martha & the Vandellas. . . . Martha readily admits the Supremes are her biggest competition.

    I personally like M&TV very much. I wish more interest were given on the Motown Forum to this fabulous group.

    How about it?
    Got It! Martha & the Vandellas are one of the flagship Motown acts from the '60s and I'm sure that members on this forum hold them in high regard.

  5. #5
    Unfortunately Berry Gordy gave all his attention to THE SUPREMES [[Diana to be specific.)

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    - Mary Wilson, "Dreamgirl: My Life As A Supreme", St Martin's Press / New York, page 166,

    "Just eight months after our first big hit, the Supremes were Motown's greatest commodity. But as great as the Motown machine was, it could work only on a couple acts at a time. As a result several other acts began receiving less attention than they deserved, especially since Berry was now spending so much time with us. Martha and the Vandellas, for example, saw their position erode at this time. Writers and producers still wanted to work with them, and they were still making great records. But Motown was still a small company, and our promotional efforts would be concentrated on one act while it was hot; several weeks later, someone else would be hot. It all balanced out over the long run. The Supremes' constant success, however, threw a wrench in the works. I could see that it was happening, and I felt very bad about it. But I was too young to know how to approach my friends and tell them how I felt. It was all beyond my control".

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    Quote Originally Posted by Ngroove View Post
    - Mary Wilson, "Dreamgirl: My Life As A Supreme", St Martin's Press / New York, page 166,

    "Just eight months after our first big hit, the Supremes were Motown's greatest commodity. But as great as the Motown machine was, it could work only on a couple acts at a time. As a result several other acts began receiving less attention than they deserved, especially since Berry was now spending so much time with us. Martha and the Vandellas, for example, saw their position erode at this time. Writers and producers still wanted to work with them, and they were still making great records. But Motown was still a small company, and our promotional efforts would be concentrated on one act while it was hot; several weeks later, someone else would be hot. It all balanced out over the long run. The Supremes' constant success, however, threw a wrench in the works. I could see that it was happening, and I felt very bad about it. But I was too young to know how to approach my friends and tell them how I felt. It was all beyond my control".
    That is pretty accurate. Mary knows what she is talking about.

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    Quote Originally Posted by woodward View Post
    I was doing a little internet research yesterday on Ed Aaronoff who was the Publicity Director for Motown Records. I came across an interesting JET magazine article dated 4/21/1966 which I unfortunately was unable to paste and copy into a thread.

    The article quoted him as saying Martha & the Vandellas, No. 2: It is so surprising that so little attention has been given to the #2 girls group, Martha & the Vandellas. . . . Martha readily admits the Supremes are her biggest competition.

    I personally like M&TV very much. I wish more interest were given on the Motown Forum to this fabulous group.

    How about it?
    Yes indeed... I love Martha & The Vandellas. Super soulful, super classy, just super!

    Quote Originally Posted by marv2 View Post
    This has always been my favorite performance clip of the group.
    Here's mine...


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    Quote Originally Posted by Motown Eddie View Post
    Got It! Martha & the Vandellas are one of the flagship Motown acts from the '60s and I'm sure that members on this forum hold them in high regard.
    Absolutely, motowneddie. I've been hooked on Motown since 1964. Martha & The Vandellas have always been -- and still remain -- among my top 5 Motown acts. From what I've read here on the Motown Forum since I joined in 2014, I think a lot of the forum members hold Martha & The Vandellas in high esteem. I mean, who wouldn't? Just look at their track record -- Heat Wave, Dancing In The Street, Nowhere To Run, My Baby Loves Me, Jimmy Mack, I'm Ready For Love, etc., etc., etc. Those records represent some of Motown's finest.

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    Speaking only currently...There are only a few of us on here who have agitated for M&V Expanded Editions of Heatwave or Watchout! Or the Tops Reach Out! Its our fault as much as anyone else's for not more vocally demanding more M&V or Tops or Jr. Walker or others. I myself have been going batsh*t crazy posting for A Go Go but should be more vocal about Watchout! Part of me suspects, however, that even were we very vocal, that because the mass market isn't there, we wouldn't get very far.

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    Quote Originally Posted by thanxal View Post
    Speaking only currently...There are only a few of us on here who have agitated for M&V Expanded Editions of Heatwave or Watchout! Or the Tops Reach Out! Its our fault as much as anyone else's for not more vocally demanding more M&V or Tops or Jr. Walker or others. I myself have been going batsh*t crazy posting for A Go Go but should be more vocal about Watchout! Part of me suspects, however, that even were we very vocal, that because the mass market isn't there, we wouldn't get very far.
    Unfortunately, I don't think it works for us to ask for expanded/deluxe editions of Martha & the Vandellas albums [[look all the grumbling going on for a 50th Anniversary edition of Supremes A Go-Go). If UME still had the Hip-O Select label, they could've done deluxe editions of Dance Party, Watchout! or Heat Wave. At least we do have the great 2CD set, Spellbound: Lost And Found and the 50th Anniversary Singles Collection.
    Last edited by Motown Eddie; 02-24-2017 at 09:52 AM.

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    I too have a very high regard for Martha and the girls. Thankfully, all their albums have been available on CD and we have had a good amount of unreleased material see the light of day, as well as some excellent re-masters on certain collections and compilations. Love the stereo version of TFLH and always enjoy "Wild One", "Quicksand", "In My Lonely Room" and so on. Legacy to enjoy for generations and their place in Motown and music history secured. Come and get it.

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    It would be nice if their live album could be released on cd.

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    Quote Originally Posted by marv2 View Post
    That is pretty accurate. Mary knows what she is talking about.
    That's kind of how Cal Street explained it to me but she was fully understanding of being on the other side.

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    Quote Originally Posted by theboyfromxtown View Post
    That's kind of how Cal Street explained it to me but she was fully understanding of being on the other side.
    As a testament to all of their good natures and maturity, they have all remained friends till this very day!

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    Martha & The Vandellas are a terrific group, I agree completely. For me, just slightly behind The Supremes in my preference of Motown girl groups.

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    Quote Originally Posted by marv2 View Post
    As a testament to all of their good natures and maturity, they have all remained friends till this very day!
    That is very true.

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    Martha an the vandellas are the most soulful of the girl motown groups and are a classic classy group.

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    Their Copa performance needs to finally see the light of day! I've heard it's fantastic.

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    Actually, I usualy post quite a bit about Martha and the Vandellas, as they are my favourite all-female Motown group. It's been clear for ages that The Supremes were commercially more successful, and reached a wider audience. That was Berry Gordy's plan, and it paid off in that The Supremes made a lot of money for Motown, and that helped the company expand capacity to support a wider rosta of artists. It did hit Martha hard when BG decided to deploy H-D-H exclusively on The Supremes, and no other acts, but I can see why he would want to milk a succecssful formula for all he could get. Martha understands this now, and has said as much. She is also clear that there has never been any personal animosity between herself and Diane Ross, and she is close friends with Mary Wilson to this day. Martha is also a fantastic ambassador for the legacy of classic Motown, and all the acts that blossomed at that time. I don't really care about "de-luxe" editions, but do feel very strongly that Martha and the Vandellas' great legacy as a live act should be released in digital format, including especially the two live recordings made in 1966, and her live recording at the Copa. A box-set of CDs of all these would be what I would like to have! Finally, history tells us that sometimes the most popular music at the time is not always what lasts. In Mozart's lifetime, his rival composer Salieri was far, far more popular and successful, but it is Mozart that is now acknowleged as the genius.
    Last edited by Sharpmoves; 02-25-2017 at 11:30 AM.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Sharpmoves View Post
    Actually, I usualy post quite a bit about Martha and the Vandellas, as they are my favourite all-female Motown group. It's been clear for ages that The Supremes were commercially more successful, and reached a wider audience. That was Berry Gordy's plan, and it paid off in that The Supremes made a lot of money for Motown, and that helped the company expand capacity to support a wider rosta of artists. It did hit Martha hard when BG decided to deploy H-D-H exclusively on The Supremes, and no other acts, but I can see why he would want to milk a succecssful formula for all he could get. Martha understands this now, and has said as much. She is also clear that there has never been any personal animosity between herself and Diane Ross, and she is close friends with Mary Wilson to this day. Martha is also a fantastic ambassador for the legacy of classic Motown, and all the acts that blossomed at that time. I don't really care about "de-luxe" editions, but do feel very strongly that Martha and the Vandellas' great legacy as a live act should be released in digital format, including especially the two live recordings made in 1966, and her live recording at the Copa. A box-set of CDs of all these would be what I would like to have! Finally, history tells us that sometimes the most popular music at the time is not always what lasts. In Mozart's lifetime, his rival composer Salieri was far, far more popular and successful, but it is Mozart that is now acknowleged as the genius.
    While it's true that Motown focused more attention on The Supremes when they started their run on #1 hits in the mid sixties, Gordy did not use the writing & production of HDH solely on them . They still wrote "Nowhere To Run", "I'm Ready For Love" & "Jimmy Mack" for Martha & Co. during this period [[not to mention the songs they wrote for the Four Tops and others at this time). Martha & Co. were hit hard after HDH [[along with William Stevenson) left Motown in late 67 and unlike The Supremes, never had those big 'crossover hits' going forward [[they would however make the middle to lower regions of the Billboard charts with most of their recordings until they broke up in 1972).
    Last edited by Motown Eddie; 02-25-2017 at 02:10 PM.

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    My personal analysis of the Vandellas vs. the Supremes. It is not intended to be a put-down. Both had much appeal.

    Diana Ross was the representation of the Supremes. She started her career being just one foot away from the Sherry Netherland, Greenwich CT, Beverly Hills and Aspen, and quickly "moved in" as part of that crowd. Her look, beauty, and voice were elegant, glamorous, and high class.

    Martha Reeves was and still is Detroit.

    The world preferred the first one.
    Last edited by Circa 1824; 02-25-2017 at 07:27 PM.

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    Hey circa...martha could sing rings around diana back in the day!

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    M &Vandellas Have had the 2fers released and L& F and 50th anniversary Plus a few collections and Martha is still a great live attraction when she performs in the UK Martha still has the honour of recording Motown national anthem Dancing in the Streets

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    Quote Originally Posted by arr&bee View Post
    Hey circa...martha could sing rings around diana back in the day!
    That may or may not be true, but I loved Diana's voice and not Martha's.

    I did own one Vandella single, No Where To Run, but never purchased one of their albums. I did buy all the Supremes albums and many of their singles. I also listened to the radio endlessly just to hear Diana sing. I would listen to AM stations all around the midwest, including CKLW, even though I did not live in Michigan. The signal was often very scratchy and faint, but Diana's sound was still fabulous. Oh how I enjoyed those years.
    Last edited by Circa 1824; 02-25-2017 at 10:22 PM.

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    It's all a matter of taste and style. And each to his own. When Martha and the Vandellas did get attention, they usually scored. For example, the UK re-release of Dancing in the Street was plugged extensively by Alan Freeman, and went to No 2. I also loved the early string of hit singles by DRATS, [[except Baby Love, and The Happening both of which I loathe, and feel don't do them justice) but for me Diane's voice in those days was not very interesting, and her flashing smile and coquettish demeanour on TV looked contrived. But that's just my personal reaction. Her success is unassailable, and as Circa implies, that is what history will remember.

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    Quote Originally Posted by arr&bee View Post
    Hey circa...martha could sing rings around diana back in the day!
    He's probably too young to know that.

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    What I remember is Motown just had too much talent in one place. Sometimes I wonder had Mary Wells stayed with Motown if we would have ever heard from the Supremes again. Truly just speculation but, the demand was higher than the product so the concentration was centralized. When HDH left it was a scramble for some of the stars. I loved the Vandellas, The Marvelettes, The Velvelettes and the Supremes as far as the girl groups.

    I think when Gladys Knight came along [[to some) she could out sing the H off Hittsville but Gordy didn't have enough resources to handle everyone. However, that is not the crust of it. There were things going on in the groups that made some things difficult.

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    Quote Originally Posted by captainjames View Post
    What I remember is Motown just had too much talent in one place. Sometimes I wonder had Mary Wells stayed with Motown if we would have ever heard from the Supremes again. Truly just speculation but, the demand was higher than the product so the concentration was centralized. When HDH left it was a scramble for some of the stars. I loved the Vandellas, The Marvelettes, The Velvelettes and the Supremes as far as the girl groups.

    I think when Gladys Knight came along [[to some) she could out sing the H off Hittsville but Gordy didn't have enough resources to handle everyone. However, that is not the crust of it. There were things going on in the groups that made some things difficult.
    Motown would have to be the size of a major label in the '60s for them to push all the talent that they had [[and even the majors have their share of untapped talent). Anyway, let's remember all the heights that Martha & the Vandellas did reach during their heyday in the '60s [[and let's be thankful that they still with us today).

  30. #30
    I love Martha Reeves & The Vandellas! The good thing about them paying more attention to Diana Ross & The Supremes, was that at least Martha's discography ended up being more streamlined to just 8 solid R&B albums and bonus single sides, instead of having her record a bunch of weird offshoot albums, like the Supremes liverpool album, country & western album, standards albums, funny girl album, etc...

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    Quote Originally Posted by Circa 1824 View Post
    My personal analysis of the Vandellas vs. the Supremes. It is not intended to be a put-down. Both had much appeal.

    Diana Ross was the representation of the Supremes. She started her career being just one foot away from the Sherry Netherland, Greenwich CT, Beverly Hills and Aspen, and quickly "moved in" as part of that crowd. Her look, beauty, and voice were elegant, glamorous, and high class.

    Martha Reeves was and still is Detroit.

    The world preferred the first one.
    That is the most astute comparison of the two groups I have ever read. In fact, it's brilliant. There are people who think success has something to do with how strong and powerful Voice is should have something to do with how successful that voice is and of course we know in 99% of the cases it doesn't have to do with that at all.

    this weekend I went to Las Vegas for a diva trifecta: Cher, Mary Wilson, Diana Ross. Cher was just plain sheet was sleepwalking through her show and lipping all of it it seemed it was a poor in fact it was an embarrassment to her. I guess for all the outrageousness of the costumes and sets and dancers and everything that were not supposed to pay attention to the fact that share is just literally walking through her show… I've never been more disappointed.

    Mary was fantastic, everyone here knows what a great voice she has and she poured it on… She was Great at 72 or for any age.

    Diana Ross not get so far out of the park that it never came back. She was a little horse and her voice cracked a few times and she was quite mindful of her vocal limitations yet still, by far, absolutely the best show of the three. Halfway through the show her voice improved, and by the end, she did an encore of the best years of my life and nailed all the notes with such distinction and power that she was getting gigantic applause before the song ended. It was an electric moment that she often delivers.

    So when I hear people say someone else has a stronger voice, or the Supremes got all the attention… And you know why wink wink… I think, Motown got behind the supremes because they were paying off bigger than anyone else instantly with their first hit… their album sales obliterated the other acts… When the temps hit, their first album again to sell they got attention… Ditto the tops and groups, fine wonderful groups like Martha, the Marvelettes, Junior Walker, develop a lat and groups, fine wonderful groups like Martha, the Marvelettes, Junior walker, had to accept the second best… Because in the bank, they were second-best and Motown was only looking to make money just like every other Record company. There was nothing unfair or undeserving about it… And every act was free to leave and go to another company if they felt they could do better… As eventually, everyone but Stevie did.

    I bought all of Martha's albums and saw them at least once or twice a year in St. Louis but they were Detroit and Ross was Shangri-La...
    Last edited by TheMotownManiac; 02-27-2017 at 12:58 AM.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Circa 1824 View Post
    My personal analysis of the Vandellas vs. the Supremes. It is not intended to be a put-down. Both had much appeal.

    Diana Ross was the representation of the Supremes. She started her career being just one foot away from the Sherry Netherland, Greenwich CT, Beverly Hills and Aspen, and quickly "moved in" as part of that crowd. Her look, beauty, and voice were elegant, glamorous, and high class.

    Martha Reeves was and still is Detroit.

    The world preferred the first one.
    That is the most astute comparison of the two groups I have ever read. In fact, it's brilliant. There are people who think success has something to do with how strong and powerful Voice is should have something to do with how successful that voice is and of course we know in 99% of the cases it doesn't have to do with that at all.

    this weekend I went to Las Vegas for a diva trifecta: Cher, Mary Wilson, Diana Ross. Cher was just plain sheet was sleepwalking through her show and whipping all of it it seemed it was a poor in fact it was an embarrassment to her. I guess for all the outrageousness of the costumes and sets and dancers and everything that were not supposed to pay attention to the fact that share is just literally walking through her show… I've never been more disappointed.

    Mary was fantastic, everyone here knows what a great voice she has and she poured it on… She was Great at 72 or for any age.

    Diana Ross not get so far out of the park that it never came back. She was a little horse and her voice cracked a few times and she was quite mindful of her vocal limitations yet still, by far, absolutely the best show of the three. Halfway through the show her voice improved, and by the end, she did an encore of the best years of my life and nailed all the notes with such distinction and power that she was getting gigantic applause before the song ended. It was an electric moment that she often delivers.

    So when I hear people say someone else has a stronger voice, or the Supremes got all the attention… And you know why wink wink… I think, Motown got behind the supremes because they were paying off bigger than anyone else instantly with their first hit… their album sales obliterated the other acts… When the temps hit, their first album again to sell they got attention… Ditto the tops and groups, fine wonderful groups like Martha, the Marvelettes, Junior Walker, develop a lat and groups, fine wonderful groups like Martha, the Marvelettes, Junior walker, had to accept the second best… Because in the bank, they were second-best and Motown was only looking to make money just like every other Record company. There was nothing unfair or undeserving about it… And every act was free to leave and go to another company if they felt they could do better… As eventually, everyone but Stevie did.

    I bought all of Martha's albums and saw them at least once or twice a year in St. Louis but they were Detroit and Ross was Shangri-La...

  33. #33
    huntergettingcaptured Guest
    This thread pretty much is all about a realization I've had over the years: the more years that pass, the fewer "important" Motown artists are remembered, at least here in the U.S. In the late 70's, when I was a kid collecting Motown, the names "The Temptations," "The Supremes," "Four Tops," "Stevie Wonder," "Mary Wells," "The Marvelettes," "Martha & The Vandellas," "Marvin Gaye," "Smokey Robinson & The Miracles," "Jr. Walker & The All-Stars" still carried some weight. You could say any of those names and it would register with music fans. To me, "Martha & The Vandellas" were just as big of a name as "The Supremes."

    Gradually, I started noticing that fewer and fewer people recalled Mary Wells and she wasn't listed among the Motown Greats as often as she had been. I thought that was odd I thought, because I felt she was such a star even if only for "My Guy." Then, as the years went by, when anyone wrote about Motown, the number of names got smaller until it was boiled down to Diana Ross & The Supremes, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson [[but not The Miracles), Marvin Gaye and The Temptations.

    I always got bugged that so many others have faded in recognition in the U.S. To some extent, I guess it surprised me to find that Martha & The Vandellas too don't get nearly as much recognition. To me, it was a given that Martha Reeves was as much as star as Diana Ross, but just in a different way, as much as Aretha Franklin and Patti Labelle were big stars in different ways.

    I wish that wasn't the case, but I think it's mainly a case that in general, we don't really respect our musical past here in the U.S. With that, we just sort of discard these heroes that made all of these amazing hits. I'm fortunate though to live in Chicago where we have a radio station, MeTV FM that is actually playing this music again BUT the amazing part is, they try to play things that have been ignored for years. They play Martha Reeves & The Vandellas and in a pretty healthy rotation. It blew my mind when they even played The Velvelettes' "He Was Really Sayin' Something."

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    Blows my mind too when I hear the Velvelettes on the radio! It also blows my mind when someone mentions them here on Soulful Detroit.....too often they are ignored, yet they are the only original group performing with their original 60's line up

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    Quote Originally Posted by huntergettingcaptured View Post
    This thread pretty much is all about a realization I've had over the years: the more years that pass, the fewer "important" Motown artists are remembered, at least here in the U.S. In the late 70's, when I was a kid collecting Motown, the names "The Temptations," "The Supremes," "Four Tops," "Stevie Wonder," "Mary Wells," "The Marvelettes," "Martha & The Vandellas," "Marvin Gaye," "Smokey Robinson & The Miracles," "Jr. Walker & The All-Stars" still carried some weight. You could say any of those names and it would register with music fans. To me, "Martha & The Vandellas" were just as big of a name as "The Supremes."

    Gradually, I started noticing that fewer and fewer people recalled Mary Wells and she wasn't listed among the Motown Greats as often as she had been. I thought that was odd I thought, because I felt she was such a star even if only for "My Guy." Then, as the years went by, when anyone wrote about Motown, the number of names got smaller until it was boiled down to Diana Ross & The Supremes, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson [[but not The Miracles), Marvin Gaye and The Temptations.

    I always got bugged that so many others have faded in recognition in the U.S. To some extent, I guess it surprised me to find that Martha & The Vandellas too don't get nearly as much recognition. To me, it was a given that Martha Reeves was as much as star as Diana Ross, but just in a different way, as much as Aretha Franklin and Patti Labelle were big stars in different ways.

    I wish that wasn't the case, but I think it's mainly a case that in general, we don't really respect our musical past here in the U.S. With that, we just sort of discard these heroes that made all of these amazing hits. I'm fortunate though to live in Chicago where we have a radio station, MeTV FM that is actually playing this music again BUT the amazing part is, they try to play things that have been ignored for years. They play Martha Reeves & The Vandellas and in a pretty healthy rotation. It blew my mind when they even played The Velvelettes' "He Was Really Sayin' Something."
    My online radio show concentrates on underplayed, overlooked soul music...why not give it a try?
    Www.mixcloud.com/snakepit2648/
    Online/anytime

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    excluding the hard-core fans, most people and general fans pretty much follow what's given to them. Motown built up the Sups and not MRATV. but it wasn't the Sups so much as Diana Ross. Once she went solo, the general public lost track of the Sups just like they did the Vandellas. Everywhere you looked, there was Diana.

    Another reason Motown didn't push the Vandellas as much was because Martha had some issues. She had some of her own ideas about how she should be presented and she was opinioned. in addition, she had some real problems by the late 60s with drugs and inter-group turmoil. Berry pretty much had 0 patience for that. He wanted to direct and control is star. He wanted that star to be more pop and easily fit into all genres of entertainment. frankly no one at Motown [[and frankly few outside of Motown) fit that to the T as much as Diana Ross. She was willing to sacrifice and work for that goal and that perfectly aligned with his plan.

    Martha simply wasn't an entertainer along the lines of Diana. look the videos that have been put out there. Diana has a stage presence unlike any other Motown performer.

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    Yes it is true to say Martha had her fair share of personal problems most of which Berry had little time for. She was a free spirit and admitted she could be difficult. She had her own vision of how her career should progress and when this collided with Berry 's vision he began to neglect her. Having said that she recorded so many durable classics and can be justifiably proud of her career. I love Martha and these days she and Diana are on good terms and occasionally attend each other's shows.

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    Martha has that slew of great songs - Heat Wave, Dancing in the Street, My Baby Loves Me, I'm Ready For Love, Nowhere to Run to name a few.

    I think one of the reasons they are overlooked is that there were few albums and very few that charted and none that charted significantly. They are somewhere in the range of Lesley Gore who had some amazing singles but little presence in the album market.

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    M&TV's had a very great run on Motown between 1963 and 1967. I don't know why anyone would put them at the bottom of the totem pole. Just the second girl group [[after the Supremes) to be inducted to the R&R HOF, a great run of classic hits. HDH and Mickey Stevenson made sure the hits continued for them after the Supremes became Motown's top priority. Only after HDH left did they really fell off, which is still unfortunate that it happened that way. Then of course Gladys Knight's entrance also had something to do with why Martha was no longer really considered but so were a majority of many of Motown's flagship artists [[Marvin, Smokey, Stevie & the Temptations being the big, glaring exceptions since they kept on evolving).

    But M&TV's are just as iconic as the Supremes.

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    Another reason they may seem ignored is that they happened more than 50 years back and they really have had no large public presence In decades

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    Bluebrock and jobeteRob both give cogent answers. For me the question depends on what you think is 'enough' recognition. After all, MR&TV have had their catalogue reissued as 2-fers in the UK, they had the revised singles set 'Live Wire" done in first-rate cd fashion, the 'Spellbound' Lost and Found set, and their music is frequently heard on oldies stations. It's more common for groups with lots of hits to personally fade from memory as their music lives on. Dr. Reeves since leaving Motown has occasionally dropped out of showbiz, she has mentioned addiction issues, and has notably done government work, all which lend to being out of the 'biz' limelight. think the level of acclaim for MR&TV is pretty much acceptable and I'm always happy to hear good news about her current activities.

  42. #42
    huntergettingcaptured Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by theboyfromxtown View Post
    Blows my mind too when I hear the Velvelettes on the radio! It also blows my mind when someone mentions them here on Soulful Detroit.....too often they are ignored, yet they are the only original group performing with their original 60's line up
    Sorry I'm so late in doing this, I keep forgetting! Yes, The Velvelettes are CRIMINALLY overlooked and that's why I was completely amazed to hear this station playing one of their songs. The guy who is the program director is really something refreshing in radio. He tries to go for things that will make you pull off the road because you're so shocked someone has the guts to play things we haven't heard a million times. And there are two videos I did for The Velvelettes because I thought it was so cool that they knew French! I don't know if you ever saw them, but I'll put it in a thread of its own.

  43. #43
    huntergettingcaptured Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by snakepit View Post
    My online radio show concentrates on underplayed, overlooked soul music...why not give it a try?
    Www.mixcloud.com/snakepit2648/
    Online/anytime
    Hi Snakepit! I will definitely listen to your show! Thank you!

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    I love Martha Reeves. She is a great lady, very cool, very smart and very tough! LOL!!!

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    Quote Originally Posted by huntergettingcaptured View Post
    Hi Snakepit! I will definitely listen to your show! Thank you!
    Thanks..hope you enjoy the show

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    [QUOTE=TheMotownManiac;373693]That is the most astute comparison of the two groups I have ever read. In fact, it's brilliant.

    Thanks !

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