Martha & The Vandellas Stereo Singles

[aarondillon2011@gmail.com]

I was wondering if anyone knows if the following singles have ever been released in stereo?

"In My Lonely Room"
"A Tear For The Girl"
"You've Been In Love Too Long"
"Love [[Makes Me Do Foolish Things)"
"Never Leave Your Baby's Side"
"I Tried"
"Sweet Darlin"

[George Solomon]

To the best of my knowledge, A Tear For The Girl, Never Leave Your Baby's Side and I Tried are still only available in mono. The others have been issued in stereo. Love [[Makes Me Do Foolish Things) in stereo doesn't have the edit at the fade that the mono mix has. And Sweet Darlin' in stereo has an alternate Martha vocal.

[nathanj06]

Good subject. I always wondered why "I Can't Dance" was never done in stereo. I also love the alternate version on Motown Singles Collection. Such a great song. Surprisingly it does pop up on Song Pop on FB. Any info? George if you're there?

[George Solomon]

I Can't Dance was mixed in the 60's in stereo and I'm pretty sure it was used in the UK on Martha's Greatest Hits Volume 2 and definitely on their Anthology [[but not in the US). It is an inferior mix and doesn't have that great blend of Martha's voice with the sax in the instrumental break. Discovering those alternate versions made us very happy and I agree. I really enjoy the alternates on Martha's singles collection.

[aarondillon2011@gmail.com]

Thanks for the info George :-) Where can I find stereo versions of "In My Lonely Room", "You've Been In Love Too Long", and "Love"? I am assuming the alternate Martha vocal on "Sweet Darlin" is from Ridin' High/Sugar nd Spice 2fer released in the UK several years back?

[mysterysinger]

"In My Lonely Room", "You've Been In Love Too Long" and "Love [[Makes Me Do Foolish Things)" are widely available in stereo on CDs such as "Greatest Hits" an "Compact Command Performances" - Room and Love are stereo in the 16 Big Hits CDs [[4 and 5 respectively). Have a look on DFTMC as well under Vandellas
http://www.dftmc.info/artists/av.htm

"I Can't Dance To That Music You're Playin' " is also widely available in stereo, for example on Compact Command Performances and also that UK CD you mention above which holds the albums "Ridin' High" and "Sugar n' Spice" plus 3 bonus tracks - "Sweet Darlin' ", "I Can't Dance To That Music You're Playin'" [[both stereo) and "I Promise To Wait My Love" as an unedited and alternate version [[mono).

"I Can't Dance" sounds great in stereo on the Vandellas Motown Master Series CD which also contains "I Tried" which sounds like a different maybe brighter mix [[still mono I believe but I'm not 100% sure - I like it though).

[nathanj06]

I Can't Dance was mixed in the 60's in stereo and I'm pretty sure it was used in the UK on Martha's Greatest Hits Volume 2 and definitely on their Anthology [[but not in the US). It is an inferior mix and doesn't have that great blend of Martha's voice with the sax in the instrumental break. Discovering those alternate versions made us very happy and I agree. I really enjoy the alternates on Martha's singles collection.

Thanks so much George! I love both the mono and alternate either way but would love to get my hands on a stereo copy just to hear it. That Martha vocal going into the sax was just pure perfection! Just a great record no matter what it did on the charts.