Vandellas Vegas review from October 1971

[Sharpmoves]

There are a few surprises here. Has anyone ever heard of MR&TVs singing "I Just Want To Celebrate" or "Smiling Faces" before? Not I...but a warm and appreciative review of the great final line-up before they disbanded a year later. It sounds as though they were truly in their element. Was this performance recorded, I wonder? https://scontent-lhr3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xft1/v/t1.0-9/12235057_10207000504363990_3792119378767748637_n.j pg?oh=d6c6c9c76aaed20b28083e065021868f&oe=56DB90CF

[motony]

Thanks for posting this.They always put on a great show. We all thought "Bless You" was gonna be a big hit.It was on the Soul stations in Florida, lots of airplay.

[Bluebrock]

Great group, and good old Martha is still going strong here in the UK and Europe. Hope she continues to entertain us for many years to come.

[johnny_raven]

10886

This pic is from "Hot Wax, City Cool & Solid Gold" page 19 ...

[BigAl]

The group really hit its stride in concert around 1969-72. I saw them in '68 [[when I got a big surprise, not knowing that Roz had been fired and Sandy hired, and wondering if she was pinch-hitting or was a permanent replacement). Their set was strong but didn't exactly blow me away. I believe, at that time, Martha was somewhat fragile, having recently fought her way back from a breakdown, and Sandy was new to the act, so this might have explained it. Then I saw them a little over a year later in '69 and was mightily impressed. In the intervening year they REALLY polished things up.

I, too, thought "Bless You" would chart better, having been written and produced by "The Corporation" who had scored so big with the J5. But of course by that time Gordy was pretty much finished with his "second-tier" acts, and we know the story of Martha's seeing Diana Ross' name X'ed out on the demos for the Black Magic album and thus getting the sense that they were being fed rejected material. If the company had plugged "Bless You" as they should have, it almost certainly could have been a monster.

I was also surprised to see that Redd Foxx opened for therm. While opening shows with stand-up comedians was pretty much standard procedure in the Vegas rooms in those days, at that time Foxx was known primarily for his risqué party records and not an act I would have associated with Vegas. Many of the Hitsville musical acts would tour with Willie Tyler & Lester opening the shows. [[I had to sit through Tyler's same routine more times than I can count!) Thus, I would have imagined it more likely for Tyler to have opened this show.

[johnny_raven]

Vegas was known for it's risqué acts. Buddy Hackett used to play there regularly too. Things lightened up a bit after Lenny Bruce's arrests in the early 60's.

[luke]

Looking at marquee I assumed they opened for Redd.

[Roberta75]

Looking at marquee I assumed they opened for Redd.

Well you assume wrong Mr Red Foxx open for the First Ladsy of Motown Dr Martha Reeves.

Roberta

[johnny_raven]

Comedians usually perform BEFORE musical acts.

[BigAl]

Looking at marquee I assumed they opened for Redd.
Yep, I noticed that after I posted. Foxx had not yet found his biggest success with Sanford and Son so I just sort of assumed that Martha/Vandellas were the bigger draw, but as Luke pointed out, Foxx does have top billing here. The Vegas hierarchy was ordered differently from the rest of the entertainment world, and Foxx could have been sufficiently well-connected there to get top billing. In any event, the acts are displayed in the same sized type.

[reese]

Yep, I noticed that after I posted. Foxx had not yet found his biggest success with Sanford and Son so I just sort of assumed that Martha/Vandellas were the bigger draw, but as Luke pointed out, Foxx does have top billing here. The Vegas hierarchy was ordered differently from the rest of the entertainment world, and Foxx could have been sufficiently well-connected there to get top billing. In any event, the acts are displayed in the same sized type.

The photo above might be from a different engagement than the one in the review. I noticed on the other marquee that the Sylvers were opening for Ann-Margret. Would they have been doing that in 1971, as opposed to after they hit really big with BOOGIE FEVER?

[johnny_raven]

https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1242&dat=19711104&id=lUZTAAAAIBAJ&sjid=X4YDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5604,3095706&hl=en

This article from Nov. 1971 mentions that Ann-Marget had recently performed at the Las Vegas Hilton with the Sylvers!

[reese]

https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1242&dat=19711104&id=lUZTAAAAIBAJ&sjid=X4YDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5604,3095706&hl=en

This article from Nov. 1971 mentions that Ann-Marget had recently performed at the Las Vegas Hilton with the Sylvers!

Thanks. Very cool. A nice little story on Labelle as well.