"Live Wire' MARTHA AND THE VANDELLAS

[franjoy56]

In late 1963 through the spring of 1964 Motown had some of the funkiest records with lots of pop snackle and pop records that jumped out at you with in your face rhythms these include "When the lovelites, "can i get a witness" 'can you do it' "Mickey's Monkey" "he's a good guy [[yes he is) run, run run, and "Live Wire". Of all these songs "Live Wire" defintelty had the most bite to make it up the charts it was a bolt of lightening and like Martha said on the complet motown singles collection "when i heard the track i thought hdh had lost their mind" because the track was sped up so fast and martha let loose as never before. It is proobably one of the most underated songs in Martha and The Vandellas catalog. why did motown not get behind this record it should have soared up the charts yet it stalled at #42. the promotional push had not yet begun for the Supremes in Feb of 64 or had it.

[supremester]

What possibly would The Supremes have to do with the failure of Live Wire? Does EVERY record people like that doesn't hit, not hit because of lack of promotion? I dig Live Wire, but it's not a Top 40 pop record at all. No amount of promotion would get that song on in white America in 1964. Ditto, Run, Run, Run - a song I sweat and play religiously. Those two tracks are frantic, noisy and not very commercial - especially Run, Run, Run. I STILL can't believe that went out as a single. we are Motown freaks and dig this stuff, normal people heard run Run Run on DR&TS Greatest Hits and hated it.
Remember: promotion can only get a record played - it can't make people go out and buy a stinker just cuz it was on the radio. Think of all the records you heard on the radio and never bought. Promotion doesn't make a record a hit at all - it only helps get it heard.
Martha's most underrated? I Should Be Proud, Bless You, Tear It On Down, Wild One, Honey Love

[BayouMotownMan]

Live Wire is just entirely TOO frenetic. Actually I'm surprised it charted as well as it did. It was the third single for Martha that capitalized on the Charleston groove used in Heat Wave. But this one, Live Wire, just seemed aimless in its rhythm. It was time for a change and Dancing In The Street was in the process...

[BigAl]

Even Martha has mentioned that "Live Wire" was rather highly derivative of "Heat Wave," as was "Quicksand." It was another case of writers and producers hoping to cash in on the success of an earlier single, and that rarely yields a big hit. I agree that HDH were trying out a more frenetic sound and it did work, but not in a huge way. In an interview, Martha once said that after "Live Wire" charted poorly her thinking was, "Well, that'll be enough of that."

[kenneth]

Even Martha has mentioned that "Live Wire" was rather highly derivative of "Heat Wave," as was "Quicksand." It was another case of writers and producers hoping to cash in on the success of an earlier single, and that rarely yields a big hit. I agree that HDH were trying out a more frenetic sound and it did work, but not in a huge way. In an interview, Martha once said that after "Live Wire" charted poorly her thinking was, "Well, that'll be enough of that."

It seems she was right, except for "Earthquake" which until the Lost & Found set went unreleased. I guess the Vandellas were responsible for all the songs with natural disaster themes. Maybe if "Live Wire" had hit, we'd eventually have heard "[[You're All Over Me) Like an Invasion of Locusts" or something!

[marv2]

What possibly would The Supremes have to do with the failure of Live Wire? Does EVERY record people like that doesn't hit, not hit because of lack of promotion? I dig Live Wire, but it's not a Top 40 pop record at all. No amount of promotion would get that song on in white America in 1964. Ditto, Run, Run, Run - a song I sweat and play religiously. Those two tracks are frantic, noisy and not very commercial - especially Run, Run, Run. I STILL can't believe that went out as a single. we are Motown freaks and dig this stuff, normal people heard run Run Run on DR&TS Greatest Hits and hated it.
Remember: promotion can only get a record played - it can't make people go out and buy a stinker just cuz it was on the radio. Think of all the records you heard on the radio and never bought. Promotion doesn't make a record a hit at all - it only helps get it heard.
Martha's most underrated? I Should Be Proud, Bless You, Tear It On Down, Wild One, Honey Love

Can you get anymore insulting? I loved Live Wire and all the other songs that Fran mention. It proved that Motown had not at that point forgotten it's Gospel roots. In the black community we loved it! Danced to it at house parties, block parties and rent parties [[remember those? LOL!) and did not give a thought to whether or not white America was digging it. It was good music all the same and charts be damned! Interestingly, I believe the Soul or R&B or Black Music charts were suspended during 1963-64 for Billboard Magazine. I cannot remember the reason for that at the moment, but normal people like me and everyone I knew loved "Live Wire". It was an excellent party single!

[thommg]

The thing I loved most about Live Wire was the frenetic sound of it. The record sounded like there was already a party in progress. I believe it wouldn't have hit the top of the charts because of that frenetic sound. It was a sound that was great at parties [[someone mentioned Run, Run, Run which was always a great party track) but not so much for repeated listening on your radio back in the 60s. I think its chart success was about right.

[supremester]

Like I said, I dig Live Wire too, but it's a crazy record. But for it to hit well in the top 40, white radio had to play it and just weren't gonna do it. So, what is the first line of Live Wire?

Can you get anymore insulting? I loved Live Wire and all the other songs that Fran mention. It proved that Motown had not at that point forgotten it's Gospel roots. In the black community we loved it! Danced to it at house parties, block parties and rent parties [[remember those? LOL!) and did not give a thought to whether or not white America was digging it. It was good music all the same and charts be damned! Interestingly, I believe the Soul or R&B or Black Music charts were suspended during 1963-64 for Billboard Magazine. I cannot remember the reason for that at the moment, but normal people like me and everyone I knew loved "Live Wire". It was an excellent party single!

[luke]

It's a live wire ooooooooooooo!

[Motown4Ever518]

It seems she was right, except for "Earthquake" which until the Lost & Found set went unreleased. I guess the Vandellas were responsible for all the songs with natural disaster themes. Maybe if "Live Wire" had hit, we'd eventually have heard "[[You're All Over Me) Like an Invasion of Locusts" or something!

Those crafty folks on West Grand Blvd were always thinking of an angle. I agree, Martha and the young ladies did appear to have a niche with natural disasters.

[motony]

"Live Wire" was played & was a hit on Miami POP radio. It was NOT a big R & B hit either. loved the lyrics & they are great, the track needed slowing down to be really danceable. It is an exciting record to me.

[franjoy56]

I don't ask stupid questions "Live Wire" was an exciting record, and I wondered why it hadn't charted higher on the pop & r&b chart as well as they both registered the song at #42, and it probably could have went higher on the r& b chart and didn't, yet it did better than the Marvelettes "He's A Good Guy" #55 both ways which was not as fast as Live Wire I could understand the song not registering as high on the pop chart. but we are talking about Soul Dance records. and yes the Supremes were just getting their footing act together around this time so I was wondering if that might have had s-g to do but apparently not.

Its understandable that white radio was not ready for holly roller records that we loved, at this time
but by 1968 it would be another story as I recall a record by Shorty Long called "Here Comes the Judge" which was almost as fast hit #8 on the pop chart, but white radio had to get ready because "Were A Winner" by the Impressions did some good business as did "Say It Loud" but we are talking about Motown records. In my opinion "Live Wire" is still the most underated soul record by The Vandellas, as well as "I Can't Dance to that Music". "Bless You" sounded more like a Supremes record and definetely a pop sound that didn't fly either crashing at #53 #29 r&b, i don't think "I Should Be Proud" charted at all, so at least "Live Wire" had great potential at 42.

[stephanie]

Bless You sounded more like a Jackson Five track to my ears Fran but we dont have to agree on everything. I LOVE Live wire but I can tell that it would not have gone top ten it was wayyyy to frenetic like Martha was trying to catch up with the track while she was singing. I Should be Proud is ok for the times and Martha has a great vocal but I dont like the interlude when she starts talking its not convincing to me. Here Comes the Judge was a hit because novelty records could make it in the sixties and the saying was on Laugh-In as well. Novelty even held up in the 70s remember Convoy by CW MCall? Martha and the Vandellas made some great records and to this day I will never understand how Easily Persuaded was not a big hit now that was a top 40 loss.

[franjoy56]

and the first line to live wire is "its my birthday and he forgot my gift" i party record if i ever heard one, that i played twice on the motown singles collection 1964 last night along with Can you do it, He's a good guy and Your a wonderful one featuring the andantes and one supreme on backup all songs with a sped up rhythm.

[franjoy56]

yes stephanie you are right it did have a J5 formula to it being produced by the Corporation. Steph r u going to the Supremes covention in August.

[arrr&bee]

Umm,live wire...yeah it's frantic alright but not one of my favs from martha and the girls!

[soulster]

In late 1963 through the spring of 1964 Motown had some of the funkiest records with lots of pop snackle and pop records that jumped out at you with in your face rhythms these include "When the lovelites, "can i get a witness" 'can you do it' "Mickey's Monkey" "he's a good guy [[yes he is) run, run run, and "Live Wire". Of all these songs "Live Wire" defintelty had the most bite to make it up the charts it was a bolt of lightening and like Martha said on the complet motown singles collection "when i heard the track i thought hdh had lost their mind" because the track was sped up so fast and martha let loose as never before. It is proobably one of the most underated songs in Martha and The Vandellas catalog. why did motown not get behind this record it should have soared up the charts yet it stalled at #42. the promotional push had not yet begun for the Supremes in Feb of 64 or had it.

No record company can control how an audience receives a recording. No amount of promotion or money can make people like a song enough for it to race up the charts. I also suggest to you that The Sensations' "Let Me In" went to the top 10, and was even faster, and came right from the gospel church.

[franjoy56]

" Let me in"was a great record, but I like Live Wire better, and I cannot control who likes what i Love "Live Wire" because it gets into the soulful expression and feeling of the early 60's even though it was a ripoff of Heat Wave and Martha and the Vandellas delivered a great perforamnce

[soulster]

I have the "Livewire" 2-CD set from the early 90s, and the first disc is a fun listen, but I will always like the mono single mix of "My Baby Loves Me".

[loveblind]

"Live Wire" charted #11 R&B in Cashbox magazine, #42 pop in Billboard...Not a bad showing. For some odd reason, Motown was off to a slow a slow start in 1964. They finally hit it big with Mary Wells Monster hit "My guy" Then came the Supremes with Where Did Our Love Go. Then Dancing In the Street"Baby I Need Your Loving [[ Four Tops) of course the sups ended up with three no. 1 that year, but after "Live Wire"........People were still liking "Quicksand"...Motown was sort of spitting the records out fast on the Vandellas for a minute~

[captainjames]

I have to say I let this one slip by me, I need to see if I can find it.