Martha's scorching Motown Medley live in Liverpool

[Sharpmoves]

A scorching version of Dancing in the Street, and the Motown Medley recorded live in Liverpool on 14th July. Martha and the Vandellas are really on fire here and clearly blew away the audience. Martha relaxed and funny as always, and with a terrific band too. Long live Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, Motown's ambassadresses of soul to the United Kingdom!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mBKsKM5g2c

[westgrandboulevard]

Another great post, together with an excellent clip, Sharpmoves [[keep it all going; any time now, I think you'll be seeing 'senior member' under your name when you post...).

That's what I call 'MOTOWN' !

I bet very many people after the show were, as usual, queuing up to say hello to the ladies, and take photos.

Martha is one of those performers who is particularly lifted and inspired by her audience, and always has been. Being 'soulful', it's in the blood.

If the audience response is really with her, and the band too [[as it is here) she will effortlessly shift gear from good, through very good, to great crowd pleaser, within a couple of songs. It must help her, the audience and her sisters Lois & Delphine to have them with her, sharing old memories, but also making new family memories for themselves. I feel as if I'm seeing old friends on that stage.

On the subject of 'scorching', those outfits worn by Lois and Delphine look as if they may be hot to work in [[!) - and I think Martha's fringed dress is particularly flattering.

I hope Martha Reeves & The Vandellas can be available for a lot of attention and more shows when 'Motown: The Musical' opens in London next year.

[Sharpmoves]

So glad you like this too. Lois is "hot" whatever she wears! They were singing at a slightly faster tempo here I think, as well. I imagine Martha will grace the opening of the Motown Musical with her personal presence, if she can. What a trouper she is.

[BigAl]

It's nice to see that Martha tones things down a bit, vocally, from time to time, and in this clip isn't adding all those superfluous trills and flourishes as she so often tends to do, to show off her range. In this case, the old adage holds true, at least for me: "Less is more."

I really do have to question Lois & Delphy's "fashion risk," however. Really not too flattering on "ladies of a certain age." Nonetheless, I also have admire the spunkiness of sixty-something gals wearing outfits which many twenty-somethings would shy away from.

[Roberta75]

A scorching version of Dancing in the Street, and the Motown Medley recorded live in Liverpool on 14th July. Martha and the Vandellas are really on fire here and clearly blew away the audience. Martha relaxed and funny as always, and with a terrific band too. Long live Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, Motown's ambassadresses of soul to the United Kingdom!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mBKsKM5g2c

That Liverpool audience just love love love The First Lady of Motown Recirds DrMartha Reeves. Miss Martha was on fire and she is loved by the UK. What a fantastic clip. thank you thank you thank you dear sharpmoves for sharing this us on this here forum.

have a blessed Sunday dear.

Yours, with every good wish,

Roberta

[Sharpmoves]

We all love her, Roberta, and it's always a pleasure to post things about our very own Dr Feelgood Reeves. So glad you enjoyed it [[I had a sneaking feeling that you might!).

Sharpmoves

[Roberta75]

We all love her, Roberta, and it's always a pleasure to post things about our very own Dr Feelgood Reeves. So glad you enjoyed it [[I had a sneaking feeling that you might!).

Sharpmoves

Bless you my dear and she sure does make us all feelgood Lol.

fondly,

Roberta

[theboyfromxtown]

Great performance. Wish I had been able to be there too.

[arr&bee]

Beautiful,wow martha and the vandellas still doin it!!

[Sharpmoves]

And Martha is 74 years young too! Her appearance on The One Show will certainly have caused a stir, which bodes very well indeed for her various upcoming festival appearances in the UK.

• Saturday, July 25, Tramline Music Festival, UK
• Sunday, July 26, The Nozstock Festival, Herefordshire, UK
• Saturday, August 8, The Belladrum Tartan Festival, Inverness, UK
• Friday, August 14, Tippecanoe County Amphitheatre
• Thursday, September 3, The Brooklyn Bowl, London
• Friday, September 4, The Gorilla, Manchester, UK
• Saturday, September 5, Trinity, Bristol, UK
• Sunday, September 6, Together The People Festival, Brighton, UK

Summer's here and the time is right!

[RobertZ]

Wow wow wow! Dr. Reeves and the ladies sound superb, look great, perform with elegant energy, and just DO IT RIGHT! What a great performance - thanks so much. Truly, this is how it's done.

[theboyfromxtown]

The Brooklyn Bowl London gig on 3 September doesnt seem to be listed on their site yet

[blueskies]

The Happenings [[Dates)

• Saturday, July 11, Cornbury Music Festival, Oxfordshire, UK
• Sunday, July 12, Mouth of the Tyne Festival, Tyne and Wear, UK
• Monday, July 13, The Duchess, York, UK
• Tuesday, July 14, The Arts Club, Liverpool
• Friday, July 17, Blues Kitchen, London, UK [[SOLD OUT)
• Saturday, July 18,Beat-Herder Festival, Lancashire, UK
• Saturday, July 25, Tramline Music Festival, UK
• Sunday, July 26, The Nozstock Festival, Herefordshire, UK
• Saturday, August 8, The Belladrum Tartan Festival, Inverness, UK
• Friday, August 14, Tippecanoe County Amphitheatre
• Thursday, September 3, The Brooklyn Bowl, London
• Friday, September 4, The Gorilla, Manchester, UK [[the last show sold out, so get your tickets early!)
• Saturday, September 5, Trinity, Bristol, UK
• Sunday, September 6, Together The People Festival, Brighton, UK
• Saturday, September 12, Private date, Detroit, MI
• Friday, September 25, Oyster Music Festival, Newcastle, UK
• Saturday, September 26, William Aston Hall, Wrexham, UK
• Sunday, September 27, The Robin 2, Bilston

I noticed a couple of her shows have SOLD OUT. You go, Martha!

[marv2]

A scorching version of Dancing in the Street, and the Motown Medley recorded live in Liverpool on 14th July. Martha and the Vandellas are really on fire here and clearly blew away the audience. Martha relaxed and funny as always, and with a terrific band too. Long live Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, Motown's ambassadresses of soul to the United Kingdom!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mBKsKM5g2c

I am not surprised but I am happy to see that Martha and the sisters are still putting on high quality, fun, soulful shows after all these years. Lois looks amazing still. Martha was made to sing and for the stage.

[Sharpmoves]

And now here's the Liverpool Echo review of this gig:
http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/whats...arebar_twitter

"Martha and her two leather-clad sisters, who now make up the Vandellas, have as much energy, passion, and yes, sex appeal, as if they were just starting out in the business."

Burnin', burnin', burnin, like a heatwave.....

[westgrandboulevard]

I hope some of the people who book acts in the US are reading these reviews. I get the impression that Martha's dates throughout the whole country can be sporadic?

[Bluebrock]

Martha seems to have got a whole new lease of life. She looks and sounds better than she has in years. Go girl!!

[Sharpmoves]

I hope some of the people who book acts in the US are reading these reviews. I get the impression that Martha's dates throughout the whole country can be sporadic?

Yes, so do I WGB. Martha has always said that she feels more appreciated here, than back home. Perhaps its a cultural thing - we are used to the idea of heritage, and respect the legendary a bit more. I also think that younger people in the UK are more at home with "older" artists and performers than they used to be - eg on Jools Holland etc. Can you imagine The Old Grey Whistle Test including performers like Sarah Vaughan alongside the contemporary acts? But, had she lived, Sarah would certainly have been welcome on Jools Holland....

[westgrandboulevard]

Jools Holland is a national treasure, in my own estimation. Slightly quirky, but enormously talented. It's only in the last two years that I've started to attend his live concerts. More than that, he does such a lot to showcase live performances from a great variety of artists. Looks like a good show coming up from him on BBC4 in the near future.....

Can you imagine a Motown concert [[recorded, of course...!) featuring all the working Motown stars, and the full Jools Holland band and singers......

[Sharpmoves]

Actually, I can imagine that. It would be a 21st Century version of the Dusty Springfield Motown Special. He is sure to know them all. It might include the current line-ups of the following acts:

MR@TVs [[perhaps Roz and Nettie could be tempted!)
The Four Tops
The Temptations
Smokey
The Velvelettes
Brenda Holloway
Mary Wilson, plus whichever members of the 70s Supremes are willing
Gladys Knight
Kim Weston [[does she still perform?)
The Elgins
The Isley Brothers

[midnightman]

Go 'head, MR&TV's!