katy Perry, Gwen Stefani, Mariah Carey, Mary J.blige were all back up gals before going big. Luther and Elton were backup guys
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the 'extras"..LOL..love it, Marv... Happy New Year!
a lot of people can be back up singers..not everyone has the show biz bug to be an attention holding front person.. I love Miss Warwick for example but she was never exactly an electrifying performer..vocalist, absolutely..on stage dazzle? not so much..
Very true PMG. Call and response singing is an integral part of many R and b records and is one factor why they are so powerful! As is stated in 20 feet from stardom those singers are so integral to the music.
The sleeping with thing is over-rated anyway. Did anyone buy a record because s/he slept with, say, Tom Jones?
Then there are groups where all the singers are lead singers....
i.e. The Pointer Sisters....and did it damn well.
Speaking of 2018, how about a resolution to not go after each other personally? Good for you Marv...what did Michelle O say..you go high...
I never believed Martha's claims that she employed all of the Vandellas. It defies logic in my mind that Annette, Roz and Betty weren't signed to Motown. If that were the case, why did Annette, Roz and Betty sue Motown for royalties instead of Martha, if she were in fact their employer, not Motown? By the time Annette left the group, Martha and the Vandellas were one of the top acts at the label. I find it hard to believe that she left without Motown being involved in her exit and in her replacement, Betty. Knowing how serious Gordy was about his money makers at the time, as well as his obvious belief that the female groups he signed to his label were incapable of making executive decisions [[unlike the way he allowed his male groups to make decisions for themselves), he would have sanctioned every move, including dismissing the Vandellas altogether if he thought Martha could make it on her own. I'm sure that Martha wanting to be rid of Betty also was a company decision, as the group was still a hit making entity at the time. By the time Roz exited, its not a stretch for me to think that Lois and Sandy may very well have been employed by Martha rather than Motown.
Marv you have a point. A relationship with the boss- be it sexual or family or friend- can certainly aid in advancement in one way or another. But as already been pointed out, it doesn't work to everyone's advantage. Also in the case of Diana Ross, the myth that she slept with Gordy in order for the Supremes to reach the big time, just doesn't make sense. For one, by the time Diana and Gordy admit that they began a sexual relationship, and also in line with the timeline of people like Mary Wilson and Florence Ballard who recalled when it began, the Supremes were already the hottest American musical entity of the 60s. Weren't they five number one hits in already? I would have to go back and research but I think they began seeing each other somewhere around the first Copa appearance, no? It was definitely 1965 though. By that point Diana Ross, with the Supremes, had been recorded, released and promoted since 1961. Diana may have had a magical coochie, but I doubt it was powerful enough for Gordy to turn at least five songs into number one records just from the mere thought that he might get a piece of that action. The Supremes had numerous hit records because only an idiot would have failed to realize the goldmine that was the Supremes.
to get back on topic - i am a bit surprised that the Vandellas didn't, on occasion, have a trade off line or something in a song. Similar to how the Marvelettes did the chorus of Too Many Fish In the Sea. I too have read though that Martha really did view the girls as 1) basic, competent vocal backup and 2) companionship while on the road
Was Motown and Berry thinking MRATV where done when Martha had her breakdown in 68 or 69? with that, her other personal problems and then the baby, was wondering if motown figured she was out of the picture. but then she came back. seems like Nat Res and Black Magic were really more just sentimental efforts of motown reluctantly releasing things.
I’m more inclined to believe only Lois was employed by Martha since Sandra was already at Motown by the time she came on board. Plus I though Motown had to have a contract if they were to ever record. If Lois and Sandra never recorded then I would assume Martha just employed them. But who knows
I'm assuming that it's Annette that sings the "oh, oh, oh" parts by herself on "Tears On My Pillow". And while she wasn't acting as a Vandella during the session, Roz's studio Marvelette appearance on "Silly Boy", she can be heard doing one of the "lover's lane" lines.
I like this point . Unlike Martha and The Vs' , at first it was a group of girls equally called The Supremes. That's a different dynamic.
Also even after Diana went "solo" she always had back up singers supporting her in concert [[and on recordings) then and ever since . They just weren't any longer called "The Supremes". Any one pay any particular attention to these gals names over the years? :rolleyes::confused:
That's what I love about The Temptations. No man was larger or more important than the group.
someone should have told David Ruffin that info; I recall that he wanted the group re named David Ruffin & The Temptations
I wonder what would have happened if the guys had decided they didn't want Otis in the group any more?
the difference is that if Gordy wanted Ruffin's name out there, on records and marquees, it would have been..Ruffin, wanting it because of what had recently happened with Ross,was just not in a position to make that happen.. it was Gordy's company..
Didn’t Gordy want to put Levi Stubbs’s name out front of the Four Tops and Stubbs refused?
No, what he wanted to do was to pull Levi out of the group to portray the role of Louis McKay in the film "The Lady Sings the Blues". That would have meant the Four Tops would have to give up nearly a year of engagements. Levi declined the part and Billy Dee Williams was selected.
Well I am thankful for that threat, to read all the different opinions. In my opinion it´s very clear: Martha and The Vandellas, is a group to have Martha Reeves in the spotlight, The Vandellas were only the backround singers and a part of them are The Andantes, they mixed and changed. For me the Marvelettes and The Supremes were group acts, and later Diana Ross was promoted by Gordy as a solo artist. Personally in my opinion Martha Reeves and The Vandellas have there most lies in the vocals, that is only a Martha Reeves projekt !
Well Gloria was the original lead singer when they were The Vells before she left and Martha took her place and then it became Martha & The Vandellas... there are two recordings of There He Is, one with Gloria and one that Martha re-recorded a couple years later.
When the group started in 1957, it was Gloria, Roz and Annette. Martha didn't join them until 1960 and before then she was trying to become a soloist. When the group started doing background vocals for Marvin, Gloria was with 'em. Once they signed with Motown's Gordy imprint, Gloria left and it became Martha, Roz and Annette until 1964 when Betty Kelly replaced Annette.
The group only "revolved" because there was chaos behind the scenes, Circa. The "classic" Vandellas lineups were Annette and Roz [[and Betty after Annette left). Least to us Motown fans, they are. But to casual listeners, they only name Martha because her name was in front. But we're not gonna sit here and diminish the other Vandellas' roles. We're not doing that today in 2018.