Martha Reeves & The Vandellas - Third Finger Left Hand

[marv2]

Here's a popular local favorite in Philly.......

[bradsupremes]

I never understood why so many people love this song. It's an album filler at best.

[daviddesper]

I liked it too. While we are on that time frame, I will bring up a song from the same era that I always loved, and I mention it occasionally and no one ever seems to agree with me. So I will try again. Are there any other "Tell Me I'll Never Be Alone" fans out there? I think that is one of their best songs ever to have been ONLY an album cut and not even so much as a B side. That bridge where the girls sing "everybody needs somebody so they'll never be alone" is awesome!

[Bluebrock]

I never understood why so many people love this song. It's an album filler at best.

I love it and always have. It has always been a popular song in the UK, and indeed a tacky cover version became a hit over here in the early 70's when Motown missed the opportunity to make it an A side. Great song!

[rovereab]

In the UK the song has always been a popular choice at "hen parties".

[TomatoTom123]

I never understood why so many people love this song. It's an album filler at best.

Hmm, I have to admit I have never really liked that much. But it will probably grow on me [[I love it when songs do that)

[DWSheffer]

This among my top favorite songs from The Vandellas......it caught my attention years ago for some reason, and I still listen to it very regularly.

[reese]

TFLH was never one of my favorites, but it is pleasant enough. The first time I saw the group in concert, Martha started singing it acapella, and Annette and Rosalind joined in.

[midnightman]

I never understood why so many people love this song. It's an album filler at best.

I love it for the chorus. The extended stereo version on the "Gold" collection really fleshes it out especially concerning the Funk Bros.' musical backing. But it's a Northern Soul classic in the UK.

[midnightman]

TFLH was never one of my favorites, but it is pleasant enough. The first time I saw the group in concert, Martha started singing it acapella, and Annette and Rosalind joined in.

So this song was real vintage then? One of those "old" songs they threw in because I think by the time Motown issued it, Annette had left... interesting info, Reese.

[marv2]

Here Martha is singing it in 2013:

[snakepit]

I love it for the chorus. The extended stereo version on the "Gold" collection really fleshes it out especially concerning the Funk Bros.' musical backing. But it's a Northern Soul classic in the UK.

It was a very popular youth club/disco play in the 60s UK scene
But not a Northern Soul play at all.

[reese]

So this song was real vintage then? One of those "old" songs they threw in because I think by the time Motown issued it, Annette had left... interesting info, Reese.

The concert I saw was when the group reunited in 1988. There was a seemingly inpromptu section where they sang a bit of TFLH, as well as LOVE BUG.

[Sharpmoves]

It was a very popular youth club/disco play in the 60s UK scene
But not a Northern Soul play at all.

Interesting to learn that. Back in the day, [[the early '70s) it was often played in gay clubs, near the end of the evening, just before the final slow smoocher! I love it for that reason, and of course because it was the B-side of Jimmy Mack. Why it wasn't included on an album is strange. I guess it sounds an early-ish recording, so might have sounded odd on a later album. In which case, why not put a track from Watchout! on the B-side? No More Tearstained Makeup would have been an excellent choice, or He Doesn't Love Her Anymore...

[BigAl]

I hadn't thought about this in years, but this thread brought it back to me and I had to laugh.

When I first saw the Jimmy Mack single in the store of course I flipped it over to see what was on the B-side, assuming it would be something from the Watchout album, in which case I would just skip getting the single because I already had the album. When I saw that title of the flip side, "Third Finger, Left Hand," I was counting the thumb as a finger and remember thinking, as I stood in G.C. Murphy's looking at the record, "Could this possibly be a song about flipping someone off?" It didn't seem plausible but that was the way my teenage mind was working.

I bought the single and of course when I got the record home and played it, it made sense. I wasn't impressed by the song a bit, however. It's very formulaic and just sounded to me like filler pulled from HDH's backlog, which it quite possibly was. It still surprises me how popular it continues to be.

Later I discovered that it was also the title of a 1940 rom-com starring Myrna Loy and Melvyn Douglas, and perhaps that's where HDH got the title.

[arr&bee]

Always loved it,very cute.

[westgrandboulevard]

True, Arr&bee, 'Third Finger, Left Hand' is indeed very cute and sentimental, and less soulful than most songs in Martha's repertoire.

In its favour, it does have a simple, rolling chorus, almost a chant, each time prefaced by those blasting brass notes. The chorus is made even more effective by being sung by the ladies in strong unison, delivering an upbeat message with which very many people, especially women, could identify in the mid sixties.

[BigAl]

Stylistically, it reminds me a bit of "The Only Time I'm Happy" [[Supremes).

HDH-bouncy and airy, but without much musical substance.

Both, however, are very pleasant to listen to and have fairly infectious hooks, but, still, they've always sounded to me like like Hitsville-formula girl-group filler. And that's not a bad thing at all.

[Sharpmoves]

True, Arr&bee, 'Third Finger, Left Hand' is indeed very cute and sentimental, and less soulful than most songs in Martha's repertoire.

In its favour, it does have a simple, rolling chorus, almost a chant, each time prefaced by those blasting brass notes. The chorus is made even more effective by being sung by the ladies in strong unison, delivering an upbeat message with which very many people, especially women, could identify in the mid sixties.

And some men! Nicely put WGB. Not all music can be Beethoven's 5th, but it can still be highly enjoyable.

[midnightman]

It was a very popular youth club/disco play in the 60s UK scene
But not a Northern Soul play at all.

Thanks for the correction.

[midnightman]

Interesting to learn that. Back in the day, [[the early '70s) it was often played in gay clubs, near the end of the evening, just before the final slow smoocher! I love it for that reason, and of course because it was the B-side of Jimmy Mack. Why it wasn't included on an album is strange. I guess it sounds an early-ish recording, so might have sounded odd on a later album. In which case, why not put a track from Watchout! on the B-side? No More Tearstained Makeup would have been an excellent choice, or He Doesn't Love Her Anymore...

I stopped short of saying the song was heavily played in gay clubs... that's definitely true in England [[not sure about here lol).

[marv2]

All I know is Butterball and other Philly DJ's would play it every weekend on their Oldies shows.

[Philles/Motown Gary]

Sign me up as a fan of both "Third Finger, Left Hand" and "Tell Me I'll Never Be Alone". Loved them both from the day of release! When The Vandellas were with Motown, Martha could do no wrong, in my book.

[Philles/Motown Gary]

When I saw that title of the flip side, "Third Finger, Left Hand," I was counting the thumb as a finger and remember thinking, as I stood in G.C. Murphy's looking at the record, "Could this possibly be a song about flipping someone off?" It didn't seem plausible but that was the way my teenage mind was working.

Hahahahahaha! Good one, BigAl!!! You'll be glad to know you weren't alone!

[daviddesper]

Thanks Motown Gary for telling me that I am not alone. LOL.

[Philles/Motown Gary]

Thanks Motown Gary for telling me that I am not alone. LOL.

Yessireee, Sir!

[mysterysinger]

Yes this was a regular play at the local discos and a sure fire play at weddings. Instantly recognisable and IMHO would have been a great A side in the UK. The stereo version is wonderful.

[kenneth]

Thanks Motown Gary for telling me that I am not alone. LOL.

I like its simplicity and innocent sounding vocals. It's no powerhouse number but it has charm and a nice melody. I think it was a bit of a change for Martha from the harder driving numbers she was doing. [[Kind of like "Love Makes Me Do Foolish Things," which I think is one of her masterpieces.

Of course Gary has excellent taste! Anyway, I always think that whenever someone likes what I like!

[Philles/Motown Gary]

I like its simplicity and innocent sounding vocals. It's no powerhouse number but it has charm and a nice melody. I think it was a bit of a change for Martha from the harder driving numbers she was doing. [[Kind of like "Love Makes Me Do Foolish Things," which I think is one of her masterpieces.

Of course Gary has excellent taste! Anyway, I always think that whenever someone likes what I like!

Aw, shucks, Kenny! You're much too kind! HaHa!

[144man]

Wedding rings make good subject material for songs such as James Gilreath's "Little Band of Gold" and of course Freda Payne's "Band of Gold".

[kenneth]

Wedding rings make good subject material for songs such as James Gilreath's "Little Band of Gold" and of course Freda Payne's "Band of Gold".

There's the makings of a new thread in that...!

[huntergettingcaptured]

I liked it too. While we are on that time frame, I will bring up a song from the same era that I always loved, and I mention it occasionally and no one ever seems to agree with me. So I will try again. Are there any other "Tell Me I'll Never Be Alone" fans out there? I think that is one of their best songs ever to have been ONLY an album cut and not even so much as a B side. That bridge where the girls sing "everybody needs somebody so they'll never be alone" is awesome!

I'm with you on this song; it's another fantastic Dean/Weatherspoon production where the structure is sheer perfection. I always love how their songs are so seamlessly structured so that lyrics and chorus flow from one to the other so well. My first thought was how "BIG" this sounded. A full-on, grand-scale affair with a swelling music track and the wonderful mix of actual group vocals and the Andantes 2nd-level backgrounds working almost subliminally in the mix.

Like you said, the bridge is awesome because it really allows Betty and Rosalind to have sort of "solo" spot of their own and shine in their own right. To me, this was a cousin to the Dean/Weatherspoon production of "When You're Young And In Love" for The Marvelettes; big-scale music bed, ample vocals that put the original group members voices out front.

I always wished there were more of these Dean/Weatherspoon songs done with Martha Reeves and The Vandellas. This one definitely is special.

By the way, have you heard the mono mix on this song?