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Motown Junkies

~ because it's what's in the grooves that counts

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Category Archives: Martha Reeves & The Vandellas

686. Martha & the Vandellas: “Never Leave Your Baby’s Side”

January 27, 2015

The return to both the heavier beats and the heavier themes of the earlier Vandellas’ best material is a welcome one; this is a record at once ominous and impressively demanding of your attention, neatly illustrating not only where they’ve come from but also where they’re headed. Especially their superstar of a lead singer. (9)

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685. Martha & the Vandellas: “My Baby Loves Me”

December 22, 2014

I find it hard to put into words just what it is she does, but she does it here better than ever before. (9)

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617. Martha & the Vandellas: “Love (Makes Me Do Foolish Things)”

May 30, 2013

With these two sides, the group were reaching in the dark for something they couldn’t quite grasp, something entirely new, defying total understanding (theirs and ours). This one, strangely-punctuated title and all, is probably my favourite of the two, not least because – just like Martha – I feel its power is still only shakily understood, and not to be taken lightly. (8)

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616. Martha & the Vandellas: “You’ve Been In Love Too Long”

May 22, 2013

They were never going to be the Supremes, but instead, here they take possession of something new, something more dangerous and exciting and grown-up: from here on in, this is the Vandellas’ home turf, and they occupy it with panache. And with a super-catchy chorus to boot. (8)

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545. Martha & the Vandellas: “Motoring”

November 1, 2012

Having just scaled the highest heights, Martha and the Vandellas will hopefully forgive me if a good rhythm and two-fifths of a dirty joke doesn’t send me into raptures any more. (5)

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544. Martha & the Vandellas: “Nowhere To Run”

October 26, 2012

The feeling of hearing a Vandellas record and realising that once again, they’re the best group in the world. I’ve missed that feeling. Damn, this is a good record. (10)

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506. Martha & the Vandellas: “Dancing Slow”

July 24, 2012

Even for fans who prefer Martha in this lower-key mode, the mix still wasn’t right; there wouldn’t be another midtempo Vandellas A-side for over a year, by which time they’d really mastered the art. For now, this pretty little scribble would have to do. (5)

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505. Martha & the Vandellas: “Wild One”

July 22, 2012

A kind of half step in a new direction, while driving twenty miles down the same road as before. Sure, it’s inescapably very similar to (and rather less good than) Dancing In The Street. That can’t stop it being fun. (7)

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450. Martha & the Vandellas: “There He Is (At My Door)”

January 18, 2012

I can’t escape the feeling that the vocal and the track still don’t properly agree with each other, even here at the second time of asking. Still pretty, though. (6)

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449. Martha & the Vandellas: “Dancing In The Street”

January 11, 2012

Brilliant (if not in the way that’s generally accepted), but it isn’t the record Martha and the Vandellas deserve to be remembered for. That doesn’t stop it from being a classic, of course. (8)

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407. Martha & the Vandellas: “A Tear for the Girl”

September 3, 2011

Better than the Vandellas’ version of Darling, I Hum Our Song, but not quite as good as Eddie Holland’s original; and there’s not very much more I can say about it. (6)

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Motown Junkies

This is Motown Junkies, an unofficial guide to every Motown single ever released, or planned for release, on every US Motown label (or via Tamla Motown in the UK), featuring reviews of each A-side and B-side in chronological order. New reviews appear every couple of days.

Think of it as an unauthorised track-by-track companion to the magnificent The Complete Motown Singles CD box sets, and beyond, with marks out of ten.

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More info about the blog (and me) can be found here. If you want to leave a comment on any review, please feel free to do so - all feedback, corrections, disagreements and encouragements gratefully received. If you've something you'd rather not say in public, I can be contacted at fosse8 at gmail dot com.

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