Martha & the Vandellas - What Am I Gonna Do Without Your Love

[theboyfromxtown]

[Philles/Motown Gary]

What a rare video this is! It's one of my favorite tracks [[and a single) from Martha & The Vandellas' "Watchout" album.

[midnight johnny]

John....thanks for this amazing clip! The Vandellas here are on location in Detroit at the Roostertail on Dick Clark's "Where The Action Is"....I can even remember viewing this in '66. WOW!

[theboyfromxtown]

John....thanks for this amazing clip! The Vandellas here are on location in Detroit at the Roostertail on Dick Clark's "Where The Action Is"....I can even remember viewing this in '66. WOW!

Is that possible John?

It was shown in the 60's and you're only 39!

[midnight johnny]

Is that possible John?

It was shown in the 60's and you're only 39!

Haaa...yes...and that makes you what....37? [[*grin)

[theboyfromxtown]

You're being kind today.....you could have said I was 40!!

[westgrandboulevard]

At this rate, you're both easily young enough to be my kids....

I've not seen this clip before, either.

Tbfxt, I wonder where this series of clips is going. I think you've been holding out on us all....LOL

[detmotownguy]

What a great way to start the week. Martha would be pleased!

[kenneth]

I always thought this was a very under appreciated song. To me, it's the same kind of vibe [[though obviously more melancholy) that Martha exudes to such great effect as in "My Baby Loves Me." Martha was phenomenal when she wailed but she could be just as effective in these slower, jazz like numbers. She should do an album of Dinah Washington or Ella Fitzgerald covers. I bet she'd be fantastic.

[Methuselah2]

What a beautiful and rare clip, and what a beautiful and rare treat it is to see it. Thank you Tbfxt. You bring a whole lot of enjoyment to the Forum.

[bradsupremes]

I've always liked this song, but it's a terrible choice for an A-side. It would have done better on the flip side. It lacks a hook and pales in comparison to the songs that preceded and followed it. I'm surprised with the wealth of quality songs in the Motown vault on the Vandellas that a better selection wasn't made.

[motony]

It was too soulful for Pop radio. I loved it and still do.Martha Reeves is the epitome of Soul.Martha & the Vandellas were a top box office attraction in the 60's.I loved the Stevenson/Hunter tracks.

[soulwally]

Made me shiver that. I too absolutely love the song, but it was nowhere near as direct as most from around that era. That's Ivy Hunter for you! Also, it missed out on more then one collection of Martha's releases.

[marv2]

I've only seen still photos of this performance. I missed it when it was on television. Thank you for this one.

[daviddesper]

I have mentioned this on here before over the years and never find anyone to agree with me, but I have always thought the truly great song on that album was "Tell Me I'll Never Be Alone." I just love it but to my knowledge it was never even a B side, much less considered for a single release. Different strokes I guess.

[midnightman]

This may sound nuts [[and Roberta might not agree with me either) but I felt Martha was the female Marvin: gritty and soulful mixed with sweetness you didn't quite get with Mary Wells or Diana...

It's a great song but I agree that it probably wasn't a good choice for pop radio. Guess Berry Gordy wasn't always "smart" with his pickings. I'm guessing this song came out after "My Baby Loves Me" so Berry figured they would have a similarly successful hit with this one.

[detmotownguy]

Thanks for posting! I like it.

[Philles/Motown Gary]

I have mentioned this on here before over the years and never find anyone to agree with me, but I have always thought the truly great song on that album was "Tell Me I'll Never Be Alone." I just love it but to my knowledge it was never even a B side, much less considered for a single release. Different strokes I guess.

David, I love that song, too, but I don't think that Betty's and Roz's back-up vocals were strong enough to warrant an A-side single release. If Motown had dubbed in The Andantes' back-up vocals -- in and around The Vandellas' back-up vocals [[as they did on "Jimmy Mack") -- it would have been a much stronger recording -- very possibly a single release. [[At least, that's my personal opinion.)

[soulballad]

David, I love that song, too, but I don't think that Betty's and Roz's back-up vocals were strong enough to warrant an A-side single release. If Motown had dubbed in The Andantes' back-up vocals -- in and around The Vandellas' back-up vocals [[as they did on "Jimmy Mack") -- it would have been a much stronger recording -- very possibly a single release. [[At least, that's my personal opinion.)

I actually liked "Tell Me" as well. I thought it has a very subtle sexy quality about it. The Andantes are actually on this song doing the oohs. But Betty and Especially Roz are handling the bulk of the response parts. The entire Watch Out album was great!

[motony]

I thought all the female Motown groups records were better before the Andante days.More personality.Thats not the fault of the Andantes.

[soulballad]

I thought all the female Motown groups records were better before the Andante days.More personality.Thats not the fault of the Andantes.

I agree. Each female group had an identifiable sound, sometimes raw but endearing at the same time as you said it they had "personality" The Andantes were perfect for the Tops though! That blend was stellar!

[Philles/Motown Gary]

Motony and soulballad, to each his own, I guess. Once Motown had developed its "sound" in 1964/65, The Andantes gave Motown's recordings a level of sophistication which wouldn't have been achieved otherwise. Motown's producers felt the same way which put "The Motown Sound" way ahead of the competition.

[soulballad]

Motony and soulballad, to each his own, I guess. Once Motown had developed its "sound" in 1964/65, The Andantes gave Motown's recordings a level of sophistication which wouldn't have been achieved otherwise. Motown's producers felt the same way which put "The Motown Sound" way ahead of the competition.

It's all a matter of opinon no biggie. To me If this sound was for kids [[the sound of young america), the kids who bought the records wanted to be able to emulate the sound easily. As an adult sophistication is good, but it also added a bland flavor because all the records sounded the same at some point. Those later sixties female albums all had the same background sound, the days of having a Roz or Flo were missed. Even in the 60's when I heard Sugar and Spice, In Full Bloom and Let The sunshine in etc.etc. I knew something was up. The real magic and excitement was gone imo.

[midnightman]

I thought all the female Motown groups records were better before the Andante days.More personality.Thats not the fault of the Andantes.

I agree. I guess at some point, Berry was rushing the acts and the lead singers were worked more than the background singers, which explains why the girl groups only featured the lead singers and Andantes singing at the latter half of the sixties. The Andantes came in around '62 or so and they were mainly singing background for solo acts until 1965 at least [["Don't Mess with Bill" was the first one where I noticed the Andantes singing heavily on the background of a song by a girl group).

Anyway back to the Vandellas, Roz, Annette [[and later Betty) helped Martha give those Vandellas songs an edge, I think.

[Philles/Motown Gary]

I agree. I guess at some point, Berry was rushing the acts and the lead singers were worked more than the background singers, which explains why the girl groups only featured the lead singers and Andantes singing at the latter half of the sixties. The Andantes came in around '62 or so and they were mainly singing background for solo acts until 1965 at least [["Don't Mess with Bill" was the first one where I noticed the Andantes singing heavily on the background of a song by a girl group).

Anyway back to the Vandellas, Roz, Annette [[and later Betty) helped Martha give those Vandellas songs an edge, I think.

For me, other than their backing up Kim Weston on "The Motortown Revue Live [[Vol. 2)", I became aware of The Andantes’ mature and exquisite back-up vocals on Mary Wells’ "My Guy" in the Summer of 1964 which, for the sake of nostalgia, was the very first Motown record I ever bought. It didn’t take long to see [[and hear) that bigger things were yet to come from this hot new sound called Motown!