The final two albums in the current series of 2 on 1’s from Motown and a cracking pair they are as well. This is Martha and the girls at their very best and ‘Dance Party’ issued in 1965 was the album that spawned the massive hit single ‘Dancing In The Street’ a year earlier, which whilst being her most notable hit song, it was by far her best song from her vast repertoire. Please click the link at the bottom of this page to see Martha and the girls performing this song in 1965.

By 1965 the Motown Sound was in full swing and the next four years were to see some of the greatest black music ever to emerge out of Detroit and Martha Reeves and the Vandellas were right in the thick of it. Having already made their mark on the music scene via hit songs a year earlier with ‘Heatwave’ (for example) it was time for Gordy to showcase the girls alongside the hugely popular Supremes who were the main group at Motown clocking up endless chart hits, but Martha was never to enjoy the same commercial success that the Supremes did even though many Motown fans and collectors would argue she was a better act all-round than Diana’s group.

After the success of ‘Dancing In The Street’ (issued originally on Stateside in the UK 1964) the Tamla Motown label was born into the UK in 1965 and the third release was ‘Nowhere To Run’ a hard hitting, uptempo tambourine led, piece of Motown dance magic and a track that remains a classic to this day. The publicity film to accompany the release of this single was shot in the Ford motor company in Detroit where the girls were allowed to sit on a Ford Mustang early one morning as it travelled along the production line whilst singing this song. You can see a preview of that video by clicking on the link at the bottom of this page.

Whilst this song wasn’t a massive hit as such it did become a favourite within the sixties beat clubs and especially amongst the mod movement in the UK who took the Motown sound under their wing, before the scene evolved into the northern soul scene as we know it today. If you want to experience sixties Motown at its most potent then ‘Wild One’ is the ultimate example and this uptempo rocker rates as one of her best from that era. Martha talks about this track in my on-line interview with her, and can be accessed by clicking on the link at the bottom of this page.

As with so many of Martha’s albums during the sixties they contain cover versions of well know Motown songs and it is hard to get to the bottom of who actually sang the original version as so many acts on the label were given an opportunity to record the song, before a decision was made who would get their version issued as a ‘45’. I often felt that she recorded the best version of many songs that were eventually put out on other artists, and her version of Marvin Gaye’s ‘Hitch Hike’ must have been an easy song to cover as it was they who recorded the original backing vocals for Marvin two years earlier. ‘Mickey’s Monkey’ will need no introduction, as the original by Smokey and the Miracles is an all-time classic and Martha’s personal interpretation of this fine song makes pleasant listening.

One other track of note is ‘Motoring’ which appeared on the flip of ‘Nowhere To Run’ which eventually resulted in many DJ’s using the record as a double sider, further confirming that many of the ‘B’ sides on the label were often as strong as the ‘A’ sides.

‘Watchout’

Issued in 1967 and this album contains many of the favourite songs that helped Martha become a household name. This album contains the hits ‘Jimmy Mack’ ‘I’m Ready For Love’ and ‘One Way Out’ the latter being relegated to the flip of ‘Love Bug’ and again a song that is very much part of the northern soul scene in the UK. Martha talks during our interview on the recording session's for ‘I’m Ready’ and ‘Jimmy Mack’ and can be accessed by clicking on the relevant link below.

The album boasts three bonus tracks in the form of ‘Third Finger Left Hand’ (stereo mix) plus a similar mix of ‘Can’t Break The Habit’ and an alternative take of ‘No More Tearstained Make Up’. My particular favourite from this album has to be the gorgeous mid tempo 'I'll Never Be Alone' which is one of those album cuts from the mid sixties that has a memorable hook line that has the listener continuously reaching for the replay button and has Martha at her irresistible best and a song that really should have been an 'A' side in its own right. Visit our audio links page to hear a snippet of this fabulous song. Another favourite for the dancers is the perky 'Happiness Is Guaranteed' in the usual associated with that sixties Motown Sound.

Martha Reeves has been a great ambassador for the Motown Corporation over the last forty years and her music legacy will live on amongst the faithful for ever more. Whilst her line up has changed from time to time, and her record companies too (for which she recorded some fine material) it will be her work at Motown for which she will be best remembered for. Martha is still touring to this very day and if you have had the opportunity to see the Dancing In The Streets UK tour at the moment with Edwin Starr and Freda Payne, you will appreciate that she still has a magical presence.

I feel very proud and privileged that Martha gave me an hour of her time back in December 1994 for what I consider to have been an interview of a lifetime.

This final 2 on 1 issue makes an essential addition to the other three sets.

Related links;

Video footage  - www.sixtiesmotown.co.uk
On Line interview – www.solidgoldproms.freeserve.co.uk
Motown Audio  - www.sixtiesmotown.co.uk
Motown’s Web Site – www.motown.com