Talk:Martha and the Vandellas

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Reeves' illness

There is a section entitled: Personnel changes and Reeves' illness. Yet unless I'm missing something, this article never mentions that Martha Reeves got ill. Her return is mentioned in the section that follows this one. Jwhester (talk) 16:06, 17 November 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Reeves became addicted to prescription medication during the late sixties. Hence, The Vandellas existed only in memory. She bounced back in 1969 and reestablished The Vandellas...peaking with "Bless You: in 1971. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.122.209.54 (talk) 16:37, 12 July 2020 (UTC)[reply]

Untitled

They actually released "Honey Chile" late in 1967 but I figured it would still be correct if I said "By 1968". Mike H 14:50, Jul 24, 2004 (UTC)

The Vells

I've been reading a book about Motown and it says that the group was named "The Vels" with only one "l." Anybody see anything different? 68.106.224.37 04:57, 13 March 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Hmm, I could've sworn "The Vells" with two l's were the name but I'll edit it to include one 'l'. The Vells do seem closer since the Vandellas' name has two l's too, lol. - BrothaTimothy, 03:50, 7 Sept 2007 (UTC)

Their 1962 single on Motown's Mel-O-dy label has The Vells. - Lyn50 (talk) 02:15, 29 October 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Annette

Not being trusted with the non-lean singers, I was puzzled when at some point reading under "success" I see someone called "Annette Beard" and there is no reference of who this is before the article starts mentioning her. The intro calls for an Annette Sterling. If she got married and changed her name (it says she got pregnant and left the group) it shoudl be noted, it makes absolutely no sense switching to the married name (or other way around) without an explanation. Dollvalley 13:43, 27 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]

Nothing is known about the names of Annette's husbands. Her birth name is Annette Beard but appearently she left the Vandellas in 1964 (not sure when in the year but I think it was after the group did "Dancing in the Street", that she left before she was replaced by Betty Kelley, whose name is a mystery, it's either Kelly or Kelley, lol), to get married to someone whose last name was Sterling. However, nowadays, she now goes by the name of Annette Sterling-Helton. - BrothaTimothy 03:54, 7 Sept 2007 (UTC)

Critics views and cultural impact of their music

I'd like to see more details about music critics' response to the music, also, their impact on pop culture, and American culture like the African-American community and even as female role models/icons, where they fit in with the "girl group" phenomenon. OttawaAC (talk) 02:50, 21 October 2011 (UTC) Whom was it who wrote that "Bless You" signaled the end of The Motown Sound? No one record did it. It certainly wasn't "Bless You" written by The Corporation. If any one record was a harbinger of the end of The Motown Sound, it might be "Floy Joy" by The Supremes? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 172.164.11.48 (talk) 21:05, 17 July 2017 (UTC)[reply]

"Bless You" was a "Harbinger" of the demise of the quintessential Motown Sound. By 1971, The Vandellas had absolutely, positively no commercial value left. It sold as it did but it did not make any impact, either on the chars or through the ears. Also, by 1971, The Supremes were already in a perceptible decline, too. Thus, it can be reasonably attained, that "Floy Joy" may actually have been the end of "The Motown Sound" as it came to be known? Spenser - The Unknown (talk) 16:56, 29 July 2023 (UTC)[reply]

What I posted in 2017 was referring to "The Sound Of Young America" which, quite frankly, began with Smokey and took off with Holland-Dozier and Holland" and sustained with Ashford & Simpson, Norman Whitfield and Frank Wilson. Once 1973 came about, "The Sound" diminished until it was a memory. As proof: "Touch Me In The Morning" as it was reminisce of "The Sound" but not quite. However, I still stand that the last perfect example of "The Sound Of Young America" was "Floy Joy" and perhaps, "Automatically Sunshine." — Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.122.209.54 (talk) 16:45, 12 July 2020 (UTC)[reply]

The Motown Sound as we "Baby Boomers" came to understand began with "Come And Get These Memories" in 1963 as penned by H-D-H. "Heat Wave" was the next example of the "MS." Then, "When The Lovelight Starts Shinning Trough His Eyes" in October of '63. "My Guy" exploded the SOYA" in April of '64 and then, the door widened to tis extremes with "Where Did Our Love Go" in June of 1964. By 1973, The Sound Of Young America was basically no more. Truly, it ended with "Floy Joy" and "Automatically Sunshine" in 1972. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Spenser - The Unknown (talk • contribs) 01:20, 29 December 2022 (UTC)[reply]

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Links to inappropriate website

I removed references that had the title of “The Original Vandellas” and because that reason is because they had inappropriate adult content in the website and the website was marked dead on Rosalind Ashford and Annette Beard's page. Also, another reason is that people might find the reference unsuitable, even if they click on it. I also instead added the archive link to avoid people seeing the previous one. TheGreatestLuvofAll ( chat with me ) 15:31, 17 December 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Camel Walk

The name Vandellas was first used when Saundra Mallett Edwards of the Elgins recorded "Camel Walk" with background singers that were NOT the Vandellas. On the single, it was credited as "Saundra Mallett and the Vandellas" on it and was released on Tamla. Reeves brought in background singers and they were named "the Vandellas", so Gordy gave them the name possibly by the end of 1962 just because Camel Walk was released in July 1962. Their second single, "There He Is" came out credited as "The Vels" in October 1962 as a quartet. "I'll Have to Let Him Go" was actually the first song to credit the ladies with the name, released in September.TheGreatestLuvofAll (talk) 00:00, 12 February 2024 (UTC)[reply]

It is also with the same background singers with the cover version under the name "LaBrenda Ben and the Beljeans". TheGreatestLuvofAll (talk) 01:23, 18 February 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Never mind, I was incorrect. TheGreatestLuvofAll (talk) 16:53, 21 February 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Contractly, there was never a Group called Martha And The Vandellas... .

Interestingly enough, Martha Reeves, was contracted as a soloist and it was she who culled the other Members who became The Vandellas. Martha did fire many of The Vandellas but would not have been able to if all three of The Vandellas were contracted, by Motown, as a group. Hence, Martha, like Mary Wells, and eventually, Diana Ross were either contracted as soloists or left to become a soloist. Contractually, there never was a group called, "Martha (Reeves) and The Vandellas". Spenser - The Unknown (talk) 21:55, 16 December 2024 (UTC)[reply]