Have the any of the vandellas or other marvelettes sang lead?

[motown_anthony]

Does anyone know if Roz, Annette, Katherine, or Georgeanna sang lead?
I was listening to too many fish in the sea and georgeanna’s voice especially i liked.

[copley]

Ann Bogan sang lead on a few tracks but apart from Wanda & Gladys none of the other Marvelettes did. Martha sang lead on everything.

[paul_nixon]

Ann Bogan sang lead on a few tracks but apart from Wanda & Gladys none of the other Marvelettes did. Martha sang lead on everything.

Didn't Gloria Williams do a few leads for the Vandellas?

[jobucats]

I was always under the impression that concept of the group, Martha >Reeves< and the Vandellas, was quite different than the other female groups of that time in that her group was about a soloist and her two employed background singers who were the actual Vandellas. For that reason, I don't recall experiencing anyone else singing lead. Even other groups who began to bill themselves with the primary lead singer's name up front still had occasional recordings where the 'background singers' might sing lead.

[Starguard4]

Didn't Gloria Williams do a few leads for the Vandellas?

Ah. I sort of recollect that Gloria Williamson did the leads on the tracks released on The Vells, rather than with The Vandellas. She was also known as Gloria Williams, but not in the short time while at Motown.

[stingbeelee]

All of the members of Martha and the Vandellas were employed by Motown at the time they were with Motown. In their very early days, I don't know if they took turns singing leads or if Gloria Williamson sang lead on everything. It would be easy to think, after listening to their background singing, especially on the Marvin Gaye singles, that anyone of them were capable of singing leads. It was a big rumor in Detroit that they got the name "Vandellas" from the word vandals because they 'stole' - i.e. 'outperformed' Marvin on his own records.

[paul_nixon]

Ah. I sort of recollect that Gloria Williamson did the leads on the tracks released on The Vells, rather than with The Vandellas. She was also known as Gloria Williams, but not in the short time while at Motown.

That was surely just a group name change to avoid clashing with Martha's current songs and her leads. Martha was in the group but not singing lead so potenitially the group had recordings with someone else on lead other than Martha.

[Boogiedown]

All of the members of Martha and the Vandellas were employed by Motown at the time they were with Motown. In their very early days, I don't know if they took turns singing leads or if Gloria Williamson sang lead on everything. It would be easy to think, after listening to their background singing, especially on the Marvin Gaye singles, that anyone of them were capable of singing leads. It was a big rumor in Detroit that they got the name "Vandellas" from the word vandals because they 'stole' - i.e. 'outperformed' Marvin on his own records.

Never thought about it, assumed it was random.
That is a most clever name derivative!!

[Starguard4]

...potenitially the group had recordings with someone else on lead other than Martha.

Potentially, as you say, but if anyone could ever name any of them, I for one, would be real interested. Perhaps even really really interested LOL.

[blackguy69]

The closest I ever heard Roz or Betty do a lead was when they sang Canadian Sunset. Both of the girls had a line apiece. And of course there’s Sandy doing we got a honey love for the velvettes before coming to the Vandellas

[copley]

Paul, yes I know that Gloria Williams sang lead in the first variation of the Vandellas when they were called The Del-Phis but they not Martha & The Vandellas so I don't count them.

[robb_k]

Paul, yes I know that Gloria Williams sang lead in the first variation of the Vandellas when they were called The Del-Phis but they not Martha & The Vandellas so I don't count them.

Correct. I believe that all the vinyl-released cuts by Gloria Williamson leading while they were with Motown, were issued on The Vells' Mel-o-dy record. As far as their non-issued on vinyl Motown recordings, I can't remember any led by Gloria, offhand. But, while they were The Del-Fi's/Del-Phi's, before Motown, Gloria was their only lead singer, at first, and soon after Martha joined, they split leading, almost half and half. As far as I remember, there were a few of their group's recordings in The Motown Vault that were led by Gloria, that were later re-recorded with Martha on lead, AFTER Gloria left the group, which later were issued as LP filler cuts, or back side cuts on Martha & Vandellas early 45 releases. I can't remember their titles, offhand, but I do remember acetates of those Gloria-led cuts existing inside Motown when we were looking for unreleased recordings to issue on The "From The Vaults" project. They must have all been from early 1962.

[Motown Eddie]

As far as I remember, there were a few of their group's recordings in The Motown Vault that were led by Gloria, that were later re-recorded with Martha on lead,

Yes; One of these recordings was "There He Is [At My Door]" which was released with Gloria Williamson on lead [under the name The Vells on Melody in Oct. 1962]. The same track was used [with Martha Reeves on lead] on the flip side of "Dancing In The Street" and included on both the Come And Get These Memories and Dance Party albums.

[mysterysinger]

Rosalind and Annette [[billed as such) sang duets on "Running & Hiding" and "Not Gonna Be Ready" for Ian Levine's Motorcity Records.

[mysterysinger]

Katherine has some song writing credits to her name. I'd be interested to read the story of how she came to write Marv Johnson's b-side "Tell Me That You Love Me" [[with "Merry Go Round" as the a-side released in 1961) along with Johnson, Holland and Bateman.

[Starguard4]

I've just done some digging around. From DFTMC...

>>> http://www.dftmc.info/titles/tw-01.htm

Watch Him Now [William Stevenson] Published Jobete
The Vandellas; recorded Hitsville, completed 31-Jul-62 ; produced by William Stevenson ; [lead Gloria Williamson]

[soulwally]

On Too Many Fish In The Sea [[Marvelettes) Katherine sings ‘tall ones’ on the chorus. Well she would, she was the tallest

[motony]

Katherine has some song writing credits to her name. I'd be interested to read the story of how she came to write Marv Johnson's b-side "Tell Me That You Love Me" [[with "Merry Go Round" as the a-side released in 1961) along with Johnson, Holland and Bateman.

You do know that Katherine wrote "I Don't Wanna Be Wrong" by Gladys Knight & the Pips, my fave of their Motown days.

[copley]

You do know that Katherine wrote "I Don't Wanna Be Wrong" by Gladys Knight & the Pips, my fave of their Motown days.

Yes I did thanks.

[mysterysinger]

You do know that Katherine wrote "I Don't Wanna Be Wrong" by Gladys Knight & the Pips, my fave of their Motown days.

I know Katherine had a hand in writing "I Don't Want To Do Wrong" [[correct title) but I'm more interested in how she came to have a hand in "Tell Me That You Love Me" for Marv Johnson.

Bearing in mind that "Tell Me That You Love Me" was published by Jobete on 5th January 1961 and that The Marvelettes supposedly didn't sign for Tamla until July 1961 it seems a bit odd. Seems they signed her as a song writer before they signed her as a member of The Marvelettes.

[mysterysinger]

I know Katherine had a hand in writing "I Don't Want To Do Wrong" [[correct title) but I'm more interested in how she came to have a hand in "Tell Me That You Love Me" for Marv Johnson.

Bearing in mind that "Tell Me That You Love Me" was published by Jobete on 5th January 1961 and that The Marvelettes supposedly didn't sign for Tamla until July 1961 it seems a bit odd. Seems they signed her as a song writer before they signed her as a member of The Marvelettes.

I think the answer to my own question is that it wasn't Katherine who wrote "Tell Me That You Love Me" but Joe Schaffner who in 1961 was a tour manager / roadie for Marv Johnson. At that time Katherine wouldn't have been a Schaffner for she only married Joe in 1965. Discogs and YouTube must have it wrong.

That, then, leaves her with one song writing credit on "I Don't Want To Do Wrong" - which is probably just as odd.

[motony]

Katherine wrote "I Don't Want To Do Wrong" but became discouraged because other peoples names showed up on the writing credits.