Beryl Marsden: Vandella??

[pj1]

http://theseconddisc.com/2012/02/01/when-the-lovelight-starts-shining-lost-brit-girl-pop-of-beryl-marsden-returns/#more-11492

" Despite a lack of visibility, Marsden continued to record as a session vocalist, and even toured with a latter-day incarnation of Martha Reeves and the Vandellas."

When & where? Who served as the other Vandella?

[copley]

Pick anyone of these:

Question:

Who are the Vandellas?

Answer:

Vandella is a word formed after Berry Gordy demanded a name, so that a newly recorded single could be released, and as we were formerly known as "THE DEL-PHI'S", we took the Del, and one of my idols is DELLA REESE who also hails from Detroit, a street named VAN DYKE and we formed VANDELLA'S. It's a name given to the back-ground singers that i have employed over the years. ROSALIND ASHFORD, ANNETTE HELTON, and GLORIA WILLLIAMSON, were the DEL-PHIS. Because of former contractual
stipulations, we had to come up with a new name for a song entitled "I'LL HAVE TO LET HIM GO", released in 1961. BETTY KELLEY, SANDRA JACKSON, SANDRA TILLEY, ALPHANETTE SILAS, VONCIELLE FAGGETT, PATTY HOWARD, CLYDIE KING, BARBARA KING, JANICE SINGLETON, LISA McCALL, DEBRA STEVERSON, JAISON EPPS, JAQUE SHELBY, EUDORA REEVES, REGINA CARGHILL, JEAN TRIMBLE, SALLI ALEXANDER, BERYL MARSDEN, CHERYL DANIELS, SANDY BOMAR, KRISTIE WOODARD, ROCHELLE YOUNG, MARION JOHNSON, DELPHINE REEVES, CAROLYN CRAWFORD, KAREN MCMURRAY, are just a small number of ladies who have graced my stage, and "DANCED IN THE STREET.


http://marthareeves.tripod.com/QnA.html

[144man]

...and there's been at least one gentleman Vandella!

[reese]

...and there's been at least one gentleman Vandella!

There was a guy who used to dance on Soul Train who became one of the Vandellas. His first name was Glenn, I think. When he and another male appeared with Martha, I believe they were called the Vandals.

[144man]

Didn't Martha's brother Benny appear as a Vandella?

[Calv1971]

I remember seeing the wonderful Beryl Marsden as a Vandella on 2 of Martha's UK tours, the first time she was a Vandella on her own, Martha was appearing with Scott McKenzie, Lou Christie, Gary US Bonds and the Mamas and the Papas, this was 1986 if my memory serves me correctly. Secondly she was a Vandella with another lady a couple of years or so later when Martha toured with Marv John and The Velvelettes.
In 1979 Martha had a lady called Patricia Mitchell and a guy called Harry Tee as Vandellas, yet again if my memory serves me correctly, i was told Patricia Mitchell had done backing vocals on Martha's "The rest of my life" album.
Roberta Sweed was another lady who was a Vandella in 1982, she told me me she had worked with Byron Lee & the Dragonaires.
Through the years l can picture many a lady appearing a Vandella.

[luke]

There is a very long "dissertation" on youtube which is kind of bizarre about how the name Vandella came about. Roz and Annette basically dispute Martha's tale of it's origins.

[mysterysinger]

I remember the tour with Martha Reeves & Vandellas, Velvelettes and Marv Johnson because I never got to see it. Although I went to the local club Warren/Quaffers in Bredbury Stockport on the night, the thing was sold out. To this day I've still not seen The Velvelettes live!

[BigAl]

It's been well established that pretty much whenever Martha does not appear solo she calls her backup singers Vandellas. "Purists" will insist that the only bona fide Vandellas are those who sang with her during her years at Hitsville but I think Martha would dispute that. In one interview many years ago she stated that she employed Vandellas primarily in order to have company on the road. She further stated that, if her group had been configured like The Supremes, which comprised three leads before Diane got the nod, she would be less surprised at all the attention paid to Vandellas.

[luke]

Ego. Roz and Annette have disputed this. The original Vandellas provided amazing vocals. Any lead singer could say what Martha has.

[motown_david]

Couldn't have put it better myself, Luke. Martha & the Vandellas were a group just like the Supremes. Marvelettes and Velvelettes and in a group each member has a specific, important role to play. Roz and Annette provided superb vocal backgrounds for Martha's fantastic leads and as such deserve to be recognised as important, significant parts of the machine.

[luke]

Thanks motown david. Martha goes insists on all the ladies being inducted into RRHOF and also makes these statements. I think it depends on her mood and how well she is getting along with the Vandellas.

[motony]

think about this: for many many years mid 70's to mid 80's it was a financial struggle, not only for Martha but for most of her contemporaries as the LIVE gigs had dried up[[Disco).Roz & Annette enjoyed their "public" lives with good paying stable jobs. It was a struggle for Martha to keep "Martha & the Vandellas" alive.....she paid the dues.

[stingbeelee]

Hi motony; yes it was a struggle for Martha in the 70's; but what were the Vandellas supposed to do? How can you struggle with Martha when you have been terminated? Regarding the RRHOF; the grouping of "Martha and the Vandellas" going in initially were Martha, Roz, Annette and Betty. Martha insisted that Lois also be inducted, as she was a 60's Vandella and sang on the records, and she too was inducted. I have seen Martha with Roz and Annette; with Lois and Delphine; and with ALL FOUR at the same show. I also saw Martha sing without the Vandellas in Detroit, and she was nearly booed off the stage; the audience were screaming "we want Vandellas!". Right now, from what I understand, she is not singing with Lois and Delphine?

[motony]

don't get me wrong , I love Roz & Annette but if Martha hadn't struggled & fought for the name they sure wouln't be able to use it today. I know Delphine & Lois did some shows with her this past summer.

[stingbeelee]

I agree Motony; it was a struggle for Martha to keep the name out there. It seemed to get better for some of the groups after the Motown 25 special; after that aired on TV, Martha said she could not keep up with the demands! I saw that Lois and Delphine did do shows with Martha, and I recently heard that they were no longer with her for the present.

[motony]

I'm sure the available gigs are not paying what they use to so maybe its financial for all concerned, as I know Lois & Delphine both had "regular" jobs.

[TMSG]

http://i.imgur.com/HtZKR.png

Some more Vandellas - This is Voncielle Fagget and Patty Howard who I met with Martha in 1978 in Manchester, England.

[motown_david]

I saw Voncielle int he 90s on bv duty with Gladys Knight in Brimingham, UK. She couldn't believe that nanyone would have remembered that she was an erstwhile Vandella.

[reese]

I saw Voncielle int he 90s on bv duty with Gladys Knight in Brimingham, UK. She couldn't believe that nanyone would have remembered that she was an erstwhile Vandella.

There's a clip on YouTube of Martha and the Vandellas [[Voncielle and Alfie Silas) singing DANCING IN THE STREET on the SHA NA NA television show.

[luke]

Martha pleaded with Roz and Annette to come out of retirement. They did NOT jump at the chance. But once again Martha gets inconsistent.

[motony]

no for along time Martha did a balancing act workin Roz & Annette around their jobs & Lois & Delphine around theirs. Remember, there is always 3 sides to a story.