Martha-the-Vandellas-and-the-one-that-got-away

[jack020]

http://www.udiscovermusic.com/martha-the-vandellas-and-the-one-that-got-away

[144man]

It's always been a puzzle to me why it didn't fare better. Maybe the title was too long.

[theboyfromxtown]

It just didn't happen on the radio and never got played. I loved the intro but I felt it kind of lacked that Motown Magic after the first 45 seconds.

[144man]

I thought it built well, and the bass was excellent.

[westgrandboulevard]

Martha's vocal is great...... but, to me, even the intro lacks impact, and the rhythm patterns of the vocals and instruments are out of balance with each other.

It becomes a bit of a noisy mess....LOL

[144man]

I wasn't conscious at the time of it being particularly different in kind to any of her other output. On the contrary, it was "My Baby Loves Me", which I thought was an average record, though my view on this has changed over the years.

[theboyfromxtown]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIKVGgVbNuw

[westgrandboulevard]

Everything works so much better here, not only because of the visual appeal and also the audience handclaps on every beat. Gives it much more punch.

Might not have done so much on the charts, but I just bet it was popular in the Detroit area....:D

[detmotownguy]

What a gem! Thanks for posting!

[stingbeelee]

Hi westgrandboulevard; I was a child when this record came out; but I was an everyday-listen-to-the-radio child in Detroit. I don't remember this record being played on Detroit radio. Perhaps it came and went?

[marybrewster]

Do you all think Motown had focus elsewhere in 1966? The Vandellas only released 3 singles that year: "My Baby Loves Me" in January, "WAIGTDWYL" in May, and "I'm Ready For Love" in October.

The Supremes also released only 3 singles in 1966, compared to 6 the year before.

[westgrandboulevard]

stingbeelee....

WAIGTDWYL was released here in the UK.

I remember hearing it played on the radio for a while, until it became obvious it was not going to make the charts.

While it didn't sound like a hit to me, it was always good to hear a new release on Martha.

Rightly or wrongly, I've always assumed that most Motown new releases, especially from known artists, would have been heavily featured on local radio stations around Detroit.

However, it did not attract the record buying public on both sides of the Atlantic, and so it indeed 'came and went'.

A wasted opportunity, as there were tracks held in the can with greater potential of success.

[Motown Eddie]

I first heard 'What Am I Gonna Do Without You Love' on the "Watchout" LP and didn't know it came out as a single in 1966 until much seeing it listed in a Motown discography [[in the book "the Motown Story" by Don Waller). It's got a great performance from Martha Reeves but the song lacks the strong hooks that it needed to get played a lot on radio and become a major hit. I think that the flip of the single, "Go Ahead And Laugh", might have been a better choice for the A-side.

[RossHolloway]

Wasn't it just after this release that Martha complained to Berry about the quality of their releases, which helped to pave the way for IRFL and JM?

[Motown Eddie]

Wasn't it just after this release that Martha complained to Berry about the quality of their releases, which helped to pave the way for IRFL and JM?

Martha's always been fond of 'What Am I Gonna Do Without Your Love' citing it the closest she came to singing Jazz at Motown. However, she complained about all of attention that The Supremes had been getting and this led to B.G. getting all of the songs on Martha "out of the can" [[according to the notes for 'Jimmy Mack' on "TCMS-1967"). This directly led to the release of "Jimmy Mack" in 1967 [[and had nothing to do with the earlier release of "I'm Ready For Love" in 1966).

[RossHolloway]

Martha's always been fond of 'What Am I Gonna Do Without Your Love' citing it the closest she came to singing Jazz at Motown. However, she complained about all of attention that The Supremes had been getting and this led to B.G. getting all of the songs on Martha "out of the can" [[according to the notes for 'Jimmy Mack' on "TCMS-1967"). This directly led to the release of "Jimmy Mack" in 1967 [[and had nothing to do with the earlier release of "I'm Ready For Love" in 1966).
It wasn't just the attention that Martha had an issue with, I'm almost certain it was the material. Prior to I'm Ready for Love released in October '66, the groups last big hit was Nowhere To Run in the early part of '65, a song written and produced by.... HDH. I don't think the group would have complained to BG about material after the release of IRFL, it was a top 10 hit! But after NTR, they hit a patch where their songs were barely cracking the top 40. The group favored the material of HDH, and hence after You've Been in Love Too Long, My Baby Loves Me and WAIGDWYL, their next two releases-after Martha complained to BG- were HDH productions.

[daviddesper]

I have brought this up for discussion a time or two before in the past but nobody ever agrees with me. So I may as well try again.......I think that "Tell Me I'll Never Be Alone" would have been the best single choice from this album, after IRFL and JM. I think it is a sensational song. Anyone agree this time around????

[sup_fan]

i think much of it has to do with the song structure. hard to follow where this one is going. so many classic motown songs are structured as Chorus-Verse-Chorus-Verse-Chorus-Bridge-Chorus

this one seems to just ramble.

[stingbeelee]

Hi Westgrandboulevard; you assume correctly; Motown releases were heavily featured on Detroit radio, you could hear a Motown tune everytime if you skipped from WJLB to WCHB to CLKW to WKNR! They also played a LOT of other local records from Ric-Tic, Revelot, Westbound Invictus, and etc. I would assume too, that What Am I Going To Do would have been played on Detroit stations, but I just don't remember it. Perhaps Marv or Stubass or Gary remember it being played on the radio.

[reese]

I have brought this up for discussion a time or two before in the past but nobody ever agrees with me. So I may as well try again.......I think that "Tell Me I'll Never Be Alone" would have been the best single choice from this album, after IRFL and JM. I think it is a sensational song. Anyone agree this time around????

I like TELL ME..., but IMO, it is only a strong album track. It doesn't strike me as single material. The only other possible single, to my ears, is ONE WAY OUT.

[RossHolloway]

One of my favorite cuts from the Watchout album is the track No More Tearstained Makeup. I think I like the alternate version just as much as the released version.

[144man]

i think much of it has to do with the song structure. hard to follow where this one is going. so many classic motown songs are structured as Chorus-Verse-Chorus-Verse-Chorus-Bridge-Chorus

this one seems to just ramble.

I don't think the structure of some of HDH songs were in this form. especially early tracks like "Heat Wave" and "Baby Don't You Do It". Also in a lot of their hits, the conventionally sang bridge was replaced by a sax break.

[Motown Eddie]

I like TELL ME..., but IMO, it is only a strong album track. It doesn't strike me as single material. The only other possible single, to my ears, is ONE WAY OUT.

I agree! I've always felt that "One Way Out" would've made a great A-side for Martha & the Vandellas.

[Motown Eddie]

I don't think the structure of some of HDH songs were in this form. especially early tracks like "Heat Wave" and "Baby Don't You Do It". Also in a lot of their hits, the conventionally sang bridge was replaced by a sax break.

Even when the structure of H-D-H songs differed from standard song forms, their classic songs always had strong & memorable hooks. The lack of a strong hook on "What Am I Gonna Do.." should have killed the possibility of making it an A-side for Martha & the Vandellas in 1966.

[Motown Eddie]

One of my favorite cuts from the Watchout album is the track No More Tearstained Makeup. I think I like the alternate version just as much as the released version.

Same here! I love "No More Tearstained Make Up". That song [[as well as "Let This Day Be" & "He Doesn't Love Her Anymore") really shows off Martha & Co. softer side.

[McMotown]

Hi first time I've done this, what about Spellbound I personally love it and that intro

[detmotownguy]

Hi first time I've done this, what about Spellbound I personally love it and that intro

Yes! Good pick. I also like Hold On I'm Coming as she cuts through that song with a hot knife.

[Motown Eddie]

Hi first time I've done this, what about Spellbound I personally love it and that intro

Good one; "Spellbound" is one of the many songs from the Motown Vault that would've made a good single [[or B-side, or LP cut). One of my favorite cuts from the Vault by Martha & Co. is "Hooked Real Good on A Bad Thing" [[on the "50th Anniversary" collection).

[soulwally]

http://www.udiscovermusic.com/martha-the-vandellas-and-the-one-that-got-away
When I was a lot, lot younger, Martha's Hittin' EP was among my small collection of records, so it got played a lot. WAIGTDWYL was one of the tracks.. and I loved it then and still do. It's out of kilter with what was typical of what was coming out of Hitsville at the time, and probably missed because of that. It's always been hard to find on Martha compilations too.

[reese]

Good one; "Spellbound" is one of the many songs from the Motown Vault that would've made a good single [[or B-side, or LP cut). One of my favorite cuts from the Vault by Martha & Co. is "Hooked Real Good on A Bad Thing" [[on the "50th Anniversary" collection).

I really loved SPELLBOUND, as I first heard it on a bootleg cd made from a stratchy acetate. But when I heard a legitimate version on the Lost and Found set, I didn't like it as much. For me, it lost some of its impact played at a normal speed. I actually prefer the sped up bootleg.

[RossHolloway]

I really loved SPELLBOUND, as I first heard it on a bootleg cd made from a stratchy acetate. But when I heard a legitimate version on the Lost and Found set, I didn't like it as much. For me, it lost some of its impact played at a normal speed. I actually prefer the sped up bootleg.

I had a bootleg version too, the background vocals were kinda rough [[to put it mildly), but I thought the sped up version was better too.