Category: Martha & The Vandellas

From the MCRFB news archives:

Chicago Motown Stay Proves Huge Success For Berry Gordy’s Detroit Hit Makers

 

 

 

 

CHICAGO — These days mention personal appearance tours in the Windy City and the name of the Tamla-Motortown Review is sure to crop up. The 10-act bill opened in Chicago’s Regal Theater last week for the first of a series of appearances that will last into June. It’s been strictly SRO (standing room only) all week, so much so, if fact, that the Regal changed from a three to four-show-per-day policy. Tamla-Motown has so much success during the past year with its tour that in September the review will be broken into three separate shows, each featuring several of the tour’s top stars plus some new Tamla-Motown talent.

Meanwhile in other current Motown news, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas will break with their first album this week. It includes their big single hit, “Come And Get These Memories,” while the Miracles celebrate their fifth year together with an anniversary album that includes some of their early hits, many of which are nigh impossible to get: “Bad Girl,” “Get A Job” and “I Need Some Money,” they are three of the best.

May is birthday month at Tamla-Motown. Sandra Brown is first up on the third, Billie Jean Brown follows on the 12th. Mary Wells and Barney Ales, Tamla-Motown vice-president, both share the 13th., and Gladys Horton, lead singer of the Marvelettes, will wind up the month with one on the 30th.

Most of the Tamla-Motown group were in Chicago to catch the Regal opening. Berry Gordy, Jr., made it back just in time from his European tour which ended last month. . . . Billie Jean Brown and Sandra Edwards, together with Billie Jean’s mother, Mrs. Angie M. Brown, tours the city’s sights, stopping in for a fast hello and luncheon with a Billboard magazine reporter. Incidentally, Billie Jean and Sandra are the two girls who did “Camelwalk” by the Beljeans on Gordy last September. END.

 

(Information and news source: Billboard; May 4, 1963).

From the MCRFB news archives:

Martha Reeves & The Vandellas Rock (and Soul) It to ‘Em; Wows ‘Em in the Big Apple

 

 

 

 

NEW YORK — Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, three sparkling ambassadors from Motown country in Detroit, delivered soul music downtown to the Copacabana on Thursday, June 20, to weather a spell on prom-happy students and other scholars of the soul sound.

Martha Reeves, the tall beauty who delivers the major sock in the group’s soul, marshaled the Vandellas through an opening-night traffic jam of steps, fancy hand symbols and harmonies. They sang “Ready For Love,” “Come And Get These Memories” and “Heatwave,” a medley of the trio’s golden goodies, then jumped into “Nowhere To Run” and “Honey Chile,” a booming gospel chorus punched through and through with that Motown magic.

The Copa debut of the Gordy artists touched off an in-person sit-in by Motown dignitaries and artists who loyally ringed the first-level stage. Smokey Robinson, Diana Ross of the Supremes  and Berry Gordy presided over a crowd that also included Arthur Prysock and local deejay Hal Jackson. The Vandellas sand “I Can’t Help Myself,” originally by the Four Tops several years back, another stellar Motown act.

Martha Reeves and the Vandellas excited the Rhythm and Blues buffs with three encores with such materials as “Dancing In The Streets,” one of their best sellers, and “I Promise To Wait My Love,” their latest release off the Gordy label.

Miss Reeves, smooth and stylish on with her soulful renditions throughout the evening on stage, also sang a cover of the Ruby & The Romantics hit, “Our Day Will Come,” while accompanied by famed soul guitarist David T. Walker. The solo, which Miss Reeves strung along with vocal agility, suddenly turned into a rock revival as the Vandellas chipped in with the echo/reverb machine on, while drummer Melvin Jones turned up the beat laced with rapid rhythmic brushes and strokes.

“Nobody Knows The Trouble I’ve Seen” and “He Love Me, He Needs Me” also delighted the crowd into frenzied rippling applause and spontaneous standing ovations. END

(Information and news source: Billboard; June 22, 1968)