Taking My Love And Leaving Me - Live!

I love it when TV stations give up their Motown treasures...! ..enjoy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3loco0vxQZg

Grape :)

Lois and Sandra carry this performance. Sandy is wearing the same outfit she wore to perform this on Mike Douglas, sans the belt. Glad we got a couple closeups on how pretty she and Lois are.

Martha seems medicated or otherwise not wanting to be there. Must have been a bad day for her. Sounds great but her energy level is down. She needed those Vandellas.

Lovely performance, thank you for sharing!

When I saw her for the first time performing live it was on the VHS of Ready Steady Go. I thought she had a migraine because she looked so angry and in pain.

This looks like she had the same expression.

Possibly during this performance she was using some substances, she wrote about it in her book.

Not to take anything away from her legacy. I love her to bits and the last time I saw in 2019 she was fantastic, she totally commanded the room and gave her all.

Love her to bits!

wow, great performance. I thought Martha was perfectly expressing the song.The Ready Steady Go performances from 1965 sure didn't look angry or in pain to me.

What a great clip! Really gives new life to this song to hear it performed live. Sandra and Lois are just lovely. Never saw Sandra in a live clip before, she was very dynamic. So sad how she died so young.

Thanks for finding this!

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Originally Posted by 1382hitsville

Lovely performance, thank you for sharing!

When I saw her for the first time performing live it was on the VHS of Ready Steady Go. I thought she had a migraine because she looked so angry and in pain.

This looks like she had the same expression.

Possibly during this performance she was using some substances, she wrote about it in her book.

Not to take anything away from her legacy. I love her to bits and the last time I saw in 2019 she was fantastic, she totally commanded the room and gave her all.

Love her to bits!

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1382, in one of the many Motown books -- very likely Martha's autobiography, "Dancing In The Street [[Confessions Of A Motown Diva)", it was reported that Martha was thrilled that she & The Vandellas had been personally invited by Dusty Springfield to appear on the British TV show, "Ready, Steady, Go", which Dusty hosted. When Berry found out, he managed to wangle an invitation to include the entire Motortown Revue artists including The Supremes who were already a bone of contention given the apparent friction between Martha & Diana. To add insult to injury, just before Martha & The Vandellas went onstage for their performance, Berry took Martha aside backstage and informed her that she & The Vandellas were no longer Motown's top girl-group priority. She had now slipped down a rung or two on the ladder, with top priority now reserved for Diana & The Supremes. If Martha looked hurt and angry, that may very well have been the reason why she looked so out of sorts. When I read that, such cruelty knocked the wind out of my sails right along with Martha's. It gets worse -- a photo of the Motown artists on the "Ready, Steady, Go" stage showed Martha far left in the back row, with her face half-chopped off. So sad.

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Originally Posted by Philles/Motown Gary

1382, in one of the many Motown books -- very likely Martha's autobiography, "Dancing In The Street [[Confessions Of A Motown Diva)", it was reported that Martha was thrilled that she & The Vandellas had been personally invited by Dusty Springfield to appear on the British TV show, "Ready, Steady, Go", which Dusty hosted. When Berry found out, he managed to wangle an invitation to include the entire Motortown Revue artists including The Supremes who were already a bone of contention given the apparent friction between Martha & Diana. To add insult to injury, just before Martha & The Vandellas went onstage for their performance, Berry took Martha aside backstage and informed her that she & The Vandellas were no longer Motown's top girl-group priority. She had now slipped down a rung or two on the ladder, with top priority now reserved for Diana & The Supremes. If Martha looked hurt and angry, that may very well have been the reason why she looked so out of sorts. When I read that, such cruelty knocked the wind out of my sails right along with Martha's. It gets worse -- a photo of the Motown artists on the "Ready, Steady, Go" stage showed Martha far left in the back row, with her face half-chopped off. So sad.

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Thanks for the addition Gary, you are correct. Remember the finale of RSG? Only Smokey and Diana had a microphone.

Being the owner of a company doesn't make you the best boss / manager

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Originally Posted by Philles/Motown Gary

1382, in one of the many Motown books -- very likely Martha's autobiography, "Dancing In The Street [[Confessions Of A Motown Diva)", it was reported that Martha was thrilled that she & The Vandellas had been personally invited by Dusty Springfield to appear on the British TV show, "Ready, Steady, Go", which Dusty hosted. When Berry found out, he managed to wangle an invitation to include the entire Motortown Revue artists including The Supremes who were already a bone of contention given the apparent friction between Martha & Diana. To add insult to injury, just before Martha & The Vandellas went onstage for their performance, Berry took Martha aside backstage and informed her that she & The Vandellas were no longer Motown's top girl-group priority. She had now slipped down a rung or two on the ladder, with top priority now reserved for Diana & The Supremes. If Martha looked hurt and angry, that may very well have been the reason why she looked so out of sorts. When I read that, such cruelty knocked the wind out of my sails right along with Martha's. It gets worse -- a photo of the Motown artists on the "Ready, Steady, Go" stage showed Martha far left in the back row, with her face half-chopped off. So sad.

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Hmmm. I wonder if Berry actually said those words to Martha, prior to her going out on the set of "Ready, Steady, Go" OR if this is actually someone's blown-up interpretation of what he might have said. Think about it, what purpose would it have served to mention this at that particular time? "Hey, Martha, I know you're about to go on stage. Come here a moment...here's the deal....." Naw, I'm not buying it. Maybe Martha had been sulking and complaining about her group was not being elevated and prioritized as much as she thought they would be being this was on one of her besties' [[Dusty) program.

Wasn't this "Ready Steady Go" the one where Dusty wanted to duet with Martha, but Berry wanted her to duet with Diana, and Dusty stood her ground? Perhaps that back-and-forth made Martha a bit peeved...

I really can't imagine Mr. Gordy talking like that to Martha before she went onstage. I know that everyone on that 1965 tour of England were made to feel that the Supremes [[Diana) were the priority.

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Originally Posted by jobucats

Hmmm. I wonder if Berry actually said those words to Martha, prior to her going out on the set of "Ready, Steady, Go" OR if this is actually someone's blown-up interpretation of what he might have said. Think about it, what purpose would it have served to mention this at that particular time? "Hey, Martha, I know you're about to go on stage. Come here a moment...here's the deal....." Naw, I'm not buying it. Maybe Martha had been sulking and complaining about her group was not being elevated and prioritized as much as she thought they would be being this was on one of her besties' [[Dusty) program.

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Good point, Job. There was a point where Martha started questioning Berry about her royalties, which Berry took as a personal insult and betrayal. Being human, as he was, Berry took the occasional dig right back at her. [[If you'll recall, at the recording session for Martha/Vandellas' "The Hurt Is Over [[Since I Found You)" from The Vandellas' "Natural Resources" album, Berry dropped in long enough to suggest that Martha "Sing It Like Diana would sing it!" If the accusation was indeed true that he took Martha aside just before her "Ready, Steady, Go" performane, it was indeed cruel for the sake of being cruel. However, I don't think the royalty issue occurred until three or four years later. Why Berry would treat Martha so coldly at the time of her performance with Dusty is beyond me. But, then, I can't imagine Martha lying about it, either. If she said it happened, I tend to believe her.

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Originally Posted by stingbeelee

Wasn't this "Ready Steady Go" the one where Dusty wanted to duet with Martha, but Berry wanted her to duet with Diana, and Dusty stood her ground? Perhaps that back-and-forth made Martha a bit peeved...

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Sting, I don't recall ever hearing that Berry had wanted Martha to duet with Diana. Good God, that would be just beggng for trouble!

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Originally Posted by motony

I really can't imagine Mr. Gordy talking like that to Martha before she went onstage. I know that everyone on that 1965 tour of England were made to feel that the Supremes [[Diana) were the priority.

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Motony, I know, I agree with you, too. But after hearing some of the stories that Flo claimed happened behind the scenes, it's hard to know who or what to believe. Thank Heaven, despite what may have happened, Motown kept churning out the hits without missing a beat. That's all that really matters.

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Originally Posted by Philles/Motown Gary

Sting, I don't recall ever hearing that Berry had wanted Martha to duet with Diana. Good God, that would be just beggng for trouble!

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Aside from his personal interest in Diana, by the time this show was taped and the ensuing ghost tour, the Supremes were white hot in the USA with four consecutive No. 1 hits and they were easily his biggest act. Martha and the Vandellas were doing well in the UK and USA but not as well as the Supremes. So, from a business standpoint, Gordy surmised that any duets Dusty should have would have been with the Supremes.

Also remember it was during this tour in Paris when Berry and Diana consumated their love affair.

Dusty was a great admirer and champion of the Motown Sound and she was especially taken with Martha, so she wasn't having anyone second-guessing her decision. Martha did the duet.

As I recall, it was during this tour when Martha said Berry told her that his primary interest would now be with the Supremes. I don't recall her saying this conversation happened before she went onstage. I think it was at a rehearsal when she approached him about her standing with the company.

It wasn't that Gordy turned her back completely on Martha. She had hit records for another three years, sizeable hits too. Her career took a dive when she started having breakdowns and standing up to his dictatorial management of her and her group. Both Betty and Rosalind were fired by Martha over petty jealousies. Likewise, the Marvelettes started a downward spiral when Wanda got hooked on drugs and became difficult. Neither group failed solely because of Gordy's interest in Diana Ross. That was just a piece of the puzzle.

Diana Ross just had star quality. She got on national television and sang duets with legends like Bing Crosby and Bob Hope like she was born to do it. I just don't see Martha or Wanda pulling this same thing off. They had the pipes but not the polish. The Vandellas and the Marvelettes were far more soulful than the Supremes, but this also pigeon-holed them to a certain audience and not beyond it.

It's called show "business" for a reason.

I'm sorry, my writing of my comment was confusing. For RSG, Dusty wanted to duet with Martha. Berry asked Dusty that instead of a Martha duet, could Dusty duet with Diana. Dusty stood her ground and said no, I'll duet with Martha, so Dusty sang with Martha.
Regarding Martha "firing" Betty and Rosalind, she could not on her own fire any Vandella, the Vandellas were contracted to Motown, not to Martha. More than likely, Martha went to Motown and said she couldn't work with Betty and Rosalind, so Motown let them go.

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Originally Posted by stingbeelee

I'm sorry, my writing of my comment was confusing. For RSG, Dusty wanted to duet with Martha. Berry asked Dusty that instead of a Martha duet, could Dusty duet with Diana. Dusty stood her ground and said no, I'll duet with Martha, so Dusty sang with Martha.
Regarding Martha "firing" Betty and Rosalind, she could not on her own fire any Vandella, the Vandellas were contracted to Motown, not to Martha. More than likely, Martha went to Motown and said she couldn't work with Betty and Rosalind, so Motown let them go.

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Martha owns the name Vandellas which is why she has been able to use it without lawsuits. Vandellas answered to Martha

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Originally Posted by BayouMotownMan

Martha owns the name Vandellas which is why she has been able to use it without lawsuits. Vandellas answered to Martha

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But did she own the name in 1967 and did they answer to her then? Its a different story now but I have a hard time believing Martha having that kind of power to fire Betty and Roz, two ladies signed to Motown, not her, without Berry having some input. He may not have cared what she did but I feel he would have had the final say, not Martha. It was his label after all. The buck stopped with him.

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Originally Posted by bradsupremes

But did she own the name in 1967 and did they answer to her then? Its a different story now but I have a hard time believing Martha having that kind of power to fire Betty and Roz, two ladies signed to Motown, not her, without Berry having some input. He may not have cared what she did but I feel he would have had the final say, not Martha. It was his label after all. The buck stopped with him.

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I recall reading in J. Randy's book on Motown that when Martha wanted to leave Motown for MCA, she reportedly had to repay $200,000 and give up the name Vandellas. If this is true, she must have owned the name at some point.

In the 1984 book NOWHERE TO RUN, Martha said she didn't own the name and went on to say something like if Motown wanted to, they could ship out another group.

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Originally Posted by BayouMotownMan

Aside from his personal interest in Diana, by the time this show was taped and the ensuing ghost tour, the Supremes were white hot in the USA with four consecutive No. 1 hits and they were easily his biggest act. Martha and the Vandellas were doing well in the UK and USA but not as well as the Supremes. So, from a business standpoint, Gordy surmised that any duets Dusty should have would have been with the Supremes.

Also remember it was during this tour in Paris when Berry and Diana consumated their love affair.

Dusty was a great admirer and champion of the Motown Sound and she was especially taken with Martha, so she wasn't having anyone second-guessing her decision. Martha did the duet.

As I recall, it was during this tour when Martha said Berry told her that his primary interest would now be with the Supremes. I don't recall her saying this conversation happened before she went onstage. I think it was at a rehearsal when she approached him about her standing with the company.

It wasn't that Gordy turned her back completely on Martha. She had hit records for another three years, sizeable hits too. Her career took a dive when she started having breakdowns and standing up to his dictatorial management of her and her group. Both Betty and Rosalind were fired by Martha over petty jealousies. Likewise, the Marvelettes started a downward spiral when Wanda got hooked on drugs and became difficult. Neither group failed solely because of Gordy's interest in Diana Ross. That was just a piece of the puzzle.

Diana Ross just had star quality. She got on national television and sang duets with legends like Bing Crosby and Bob Hope like she was born to do it. I just don't see Martha or Wanda pulling this same thing off. They had the pipes but not the polish. The Vandellas and the Marvelettes were far more soulful than the Supremes, but this also pigeon-holed them to a certain audience and not beyond it.

It's called show "business" for a reason.

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Bayou, I agree with all of your points.

Attachment 20025

This image can be used on many topics and discussions we have.

Berry had a dream, to cross over in a multi media landscape. Diana was the perfect vehicle for this. She had her own ambitions too.

Lots of drama, lots of hurt and lots of succes and fame.

And....years later we still talk about it.

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Originally Posted by bradsupremes

But did she own the name in 1967 and did they answer to her then? Its a different story now but I have a hard time believing Martha having that kind of power to fire Betty and Roz, two ladies signed to Motown, not her, without Berry having some input. He may not have cared what she did but I feel he would have had the final say, not Martha. It was his label after all. The buck stopped with him.

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Berry usually deferred to a group's lead singer. He wanted to replace Florence with Barbara Randolph. Diana nixed it. Likewise, Miracles usually answered to Smokey but the only issue they had with Smokey was royalty disputes which wound up being one of the reasons Smokey left. It's always been a mystery about the Vandellas name but Martha has said that she decided who was or was not a Vandella, that she only wanted a group situation for travel purposes. She has always been able to use the name Vandellas, a name she created. It would make sense that she did since Gordy was so controlling of the name Supremes and even Marvelettes until he somehow lost that name, likely as a gambling debt. The Four Tops and Pips never had issues but they were family or close like family. In the 70s he gave Mary Wilson control over who was in the Supremes; indeed the last two ladies in that group were purely chosen by Mary. In The Supremes case Gordy just placated Mary, he didn't care if there were Supremes or not. The Temptations all had equal say in the beginning but going into the 80s Otis became manager and decided who was or was not in the group.

Roz and Annette seem also to own the name as they tour as the Original Vandellas.

Here on The Mike Douglas Show they perform "Taking My Love" and also "Soul Appeal"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VM3pOr1eQgE

I had assumed that "Soul Appeal" would be their next 45, although I wasn't thrilled with the track. It did not have that MOTOWN SOUND. I was an original fan since 1961.