Martha
Reeves & The Vandellas
Born
on the 18th July 1941 in Alabama, Reeves was schooled in both
gospel and classical music, but it was vocal group R & B that
caught her imagination. She began performing in the late 50's
under the name Martha Lavaille, briefly joining the Fascinations
and then the Del-Phis. In 1961 she joined the fledgling Motown
organization in Detroit, where she served as secretary to William
Stevenson in the A & R department. Her other duties included
supervising Little Stevie Wonder during office hours, and singing
occasional backing vocals on recording sessions. Impressed by
the power and flexibility of her voice, Berry Gordy offered her
the chance to record for the label. She re-assembled the Del-Phis
quartet as the Vels for a single in 1962, and later that year
she led the group on their debut release under a new name, Martha
And The Vandellas. From 1963 onwards, they became one of Motown's
most successful recording outfits, and Reeves' strident vocals
were showcased on classic hits such as 'Heat Wave', 'Dancing In
The Street' and 'Nowhere To Run'. She was given individual credit
in front of the group from 1967 onwards, but their career was
interrupted the following year when she was taken seriously ill,
and had to retire from performing.
Fully recovered,
Reeves emerged in 1970 with a new line-up of Vandellas. After
two years of episodic success, she reacted bitterly to Motown's
decision to relocate from Detroit to Hollywood, and fought a legal
battle to be released from her contract. The eventual settlement
entailed the loss of her use of the Vandellas' name, but left
her free to sign a solo contract with MCA in 1973. Her debut album
was the result of lengthy recording sessions with producer Richard
Perry. It earned much critical acclaim but was commercially disappointing,
failing to satisfy either rock or soul fans with its hybrid style.
Moving to Arista Records in 1977, she was submerged by the late
70's disco boom on a series of albums that allowed her little
room to display her talents. Her subsequent recording contracts
have proved unproductive, and since the early 80's she has found
consistent work on package tours featuring former Motown artists.
During the late 80's she toured with a 'fake' Vandellas before
being reunited with the original group (Annette Sterling and Rosalind
Holmes) on Ian Levine's Motor City label. They released 'Step
Into My Shoes' in 1989 while ex-Vandella Lois Reeves also recorded
for Levine's label.
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