Last edited by reese; 06-23-2021 at 07:45 PM.
Thanks reese. They also performed My Baby Loves Me" and "Heat Wave"
Nice it’s the first time we get to hear Roz and Betty sing a line
Great clip. Can someone please identify the musicians behind them?
Last edited by robb_k; 06-24-2021 at 02:38 PM.
Thanks for the info. I do think it's David T. Walker on guitar, judging by a couple of photos I found online of him. Here's one taken just a few years later [dated 3 October 1970], he's still young but the clothing and hair styles have changed. Looks like he was still using the same guitar as in the videos above.
https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail...photo/85340349
Last edited by calvin; 06-24-2021 at 01:45 PM.
The host is Mike Douglas. He had an afternoon talk show out of Philadelphia, PA. His show was a bit different than most because he usually had a co-host, a performer that stayed with him for the full week. His guests also usually did more than just one song. They sang, then talked, then sang again. Martha and the Vandellas appeared twice in 1968 and once in 1969 [[according to IMDB). I'm guessing this would have been from 1968.
The poster on youtube says it aired on October 5, 1966 - and I see that some other sources state that Martha and The Vandellas were guests on that show.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8380408/?ref_=ttep_ep23
I'm pretty sure it was '66 since "My Baby Loves Me" was a hit that year. Thanks for posting..Mike Douglas Show came on in the afternoons so I missed it alot being at school.
Which is the most exciting to me. Loved hearing them sing!
The Mike Douglas Show was a great showcase for Motown artists as around 20 of them appeared during the classic years.
Thanks for posting this gem.
I used to watch the Mike Douglas show a lot after arriving home from school back in the '60s. Over the years, I remember seeing The Supremes singing "I Hear A Symphony", Edwin Starr singing "25 Miles", and Martha & The Vandellas singing "Lovebug Leave My Heart Alone".
Here's a clip from 1969 in which Martha, Lois, & Sandy [[the final version of Martha Reeves & The Vandellas) were promoting their new "Sugar & Spice" album for which they lip-synched "Taking My Love [[And Leaving Me)" and "Soul Appeal". [[The picture and sound quality aren't the best, but for historical purposes, they're indispensable):
https://youtu.be/VM3pOr1eQgE
Last edited by Philles/Motown Gary; 06-25-2021 at 03:54 AM.
And here's a 1968 performance from Martha, Lois, & Sandy on the Mike Douglas Show. Motown had glammed up The Vandellas BIG TIME. Martha looks and sounds fantastic -- especially on her solo version of "Didn't We".
https://youtu.be/JJ_9Lfo_sjQ
And, if memory serves correctly, Mike Douglas was on every day -- Monday through Friday. There was often-times something to look forward to Motown-wise.
Glad to see this footage of this line up singing live. I admit the vocal blend [[so to speak) sounds sharp to my ears. An alto was needed.
Someone at Motown must have loved Canadian Sunset. Beyond using it as the "inspiration" for My Guy's instrumental introduction, having Diana Ross record it and most likely suggesting it for Martha Reeves & The Vandellas' appearance here, did Motown have any of its other performers include it in concert or on television?
Having never heard The Vandellas featured to the extent they were here, I thought that they did better than expected, but Martha seemed to be under-rehearsed and under-amplified, relative to the other two. Perhaps the group included this arrangement in their concerts for a time, to allow Martha to rest her voice a bit between the more demanding songs they performed, but her contributions, at least in this version, seemed too impromptu and insincere.
Martha was WAY under-mic'd. The sound man should have caught and corrected that during sound check.
It kept thinking, "Martha take a step towards the mic! Just a step! One Step! Please!
It maybe wishful thinking but I'll bet there's a studio recording of this by Martha & the Vandellas buried in the vaults.
P/M Gary do you recall which date "Lovebug Leave My Heart Alone" appeared. Was it Aug. 12. 1968 or Oct. 15. 1968?
Gee, Roger, I really don't remember. That detail is a blur to me. Motown released Martha & The Vandellas' "Lovebug Leave My Heart Alone" 45 on August 3, 1967. In fact, I remember taking the new 45 along with me to our aunt & uncle's cottage on the lake so that I could play it for my cousin. But when they performed it on Mike Douglas is beyond me. You would think they would have appeared on Mike's show to promote it in late summer to coincide with the release date, but it wasn't always that cut and dry.
There were times when groups would appear on Mike Douglas-type shows [[i.e., Merv Griffin) and perform songs that were a year or more older . Martha & The Vandellas might very well have performed "Lovebug...." the following year in August or October of 1968. Or, there's a chance that they may have performed it on Merv Griffin, not Mike Douglas. But I'm still leaning heavily toward the Mike Douglas show, as I didn't watch Merv that often. I much preferred Mike and his guests.
Last edited by Philles/Motown Gary; 06-25-2021 at 08:08 PM.
Many thanks P/M Gary, you are so lucky to have been around when all of those shows were playing.I`m trying to collect compile a list of all Motown Artists performances on TV and the movies. Martha did appear on the Merv Griffin Show around those times but I don`t know what she performed.
You're very welcome, Roger. I'm sorry I couldn't help to fill in the remaining missing gaps. Yes, we've been very lucky here in the U.S. -- especially where Motown was concerned. Back in the day, our favorite artists were all over TV. Not only were they featured heavily on Mike Douglas and Merv Griffin, but also on the Ed Sullivan show every Sunday night where music-loving Americans were glued to our TVs week after week, waiting for our favorite artists to appear. Diana Ross & The Supremes alone were on Ed Sullivan at least 12 times [[or was it 14?). We also had weekly shows like Shindig and Hullabaloo which also featured various recording artists every week. And we can't forget Dick Clark's American Banstand which was on for years and years. One thing is for sure -- we've loved our music here in America and we always will.
I remember Martha, Roz & Lois doing "Honey Chile" on the late night Joey Bishop Show. ""Canadian Sunset" was part of their 'supper club" act, I don't think they would have done it on a Rock/Soul concert.
Thank you motony that must have been 5th. December 1967. I had no idea of what they sang.Really appreciated.
You know, Roger -- the more I think about it, it was Martha.& The Vandellas' "I Promise To Wait My Love" that they performed on Mike Douglas or Merv Griffin -- not "Lovebug Leave My Heart Alone". I remember being embarrassed because, at the time, I didn't like "IPTWML" at all. It was too raw and raucous-y, and didn't even sound Iike Motown to me. I would have mich preferred the girls promoting "Leave It In The Hands Of Love" which was pure HDH and, IMO, should have been released as a single instead of "IPTWML". Now, 54 years later, "IPTWML" has grown on me a lot, but I still think it was a poor choice as a single.
Thank`s M/P Gary for your appreciated input.I`ll adjust my records! Mike Douglas and Merv Griffin were very similar in looks in my view.The "Riding High" album has always been a favourite of mine. I`m looking forward to "This Love I`ve Got" on the forthcoming "Good Good Feeling"
Roger, are you aware of the series of DVDs that Motown released back in 2011 -- all of which contained Motown artists' TV performances? Some were devoted to performances on the Ed Sullivan show, and some were not. Some DVD's were all of one artist, while some were Various Artists compilations. The picture and sound quality on all of the DVDs are excellent. Unfortunately, the Ed Sullivan DVDs do NOT contain a booklet listing the date of each performance, but the non-Sullivan-related DVDs DO have the informational booklets containing the name of the TV show and the date of the performance. I have all of the DVDs and I can provide you with that information, if you need it.
Many thanks P/ Gary For your help. Yes I have all the videos that have been released and many more that haven`t. I have downloaded everything on youtube as well. I`ve researched the Internet and have most of the shows and dates of artists appearances but haven`t had so much luck with the songs performed. Thanks again for your expertise.
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