Martha and the Vandellas would go on to vie with the Supremes as Motown’s premier girl group, amassing twenty-six chart hits in a nine-year run, including two R&B number ones. Similarly to the Supremes, their journey to Hitsville wasn’t straightforward, but a mixture of good timing and the group’s undisputed talent saw them establish themselves as Motown’s newest hit makers.
The group’s origins can be traced back to Detroit in 1957 when teenagers Rosalind Ashford and Annette Beard were hired as members of a girl group called the Del-Phis by a local music manager. Joining lead vocalist Gloria Williamson, the group would play at local clubs, private events, and church benefits. They were coached by Maxine Powell, an etiquette instructor and talent agent who would go on to work for Motown, helping artists develop their stage presence.
Of course, the group would become synonymous with its lead singer, Martha Reeves. Born in Alabama but raised in Detroit, Reeves grew up as one of eleven children and was forced to undertake shift work as a teenager to support her family financially. Having shown early prowess as a singer performing in church, Reeves joined the Sabre-Ettes in 1960, who would go on to become the Fascinations and achieve some minor success under the guidance of Curtis Mayfield. Reeves’ days in the group were short-lived, and she soon joined the Del-Phis at the invitation of Ashford, having long been an admirer of the group.
The group’s recording debut was providing backing vocals for Mike Hanks, but the group’s early singles, ‘I’ll Let You Know’ and ‘There He Is (At My Door)’, released through subsidiaries of Chess Records, were flops. The lack of group success led to Reeves performing solo in local talent contests under the moniker Martha Laville, and she managed to catch the eye of Motown’s A&R guru Mickey Stevenson, who invited her for an audition. To Stevenson’s surprise, Reeves arrived at Hitsville studios the next day! Reeves ended up serving as Stevenson’s impromptu secretary while occasionally providing backing vocals for Motown’s performers.
Reeves was in the perfect place when Berry Gordy needed a group of girls to provide backing vocals for Marvin Gaye with the Adantes out of town. The Del-Phis were reunited (now entitled the Vels) and performed on Gaye’s breakthrough hit ‘Stubborn Kind of Fellow’, greatly impressing Gordy. Their timing was similarly apt when Mary Wells failed to appear for a scheduled recording session, and the group recorded the single ‘I’ll Have to Let Him Go’. Although the single failed to chart, the group’s career with Motown was underway.
Gloria Williamson subsequently left the group, taking up a full-time job with Detroit City Council, and the group transitioned from the Vels to Martha and the Vandellas. It wasn’t long before they had their first hit with the brilliant ‘Come and Get These Memories’, the group’s first foray into the charts, cracking the top ten of the R&B charts. The single is a landmark in Motown’s history as it was the first hit recording written and produced by the iconic Holland-Dozier-Holland trio, who would become Motown’s creative powerhouse in the following years. Having tasted early success, the group were quickly recording their debut album, Come and Get These Memories, released in June 1963.
A mixture of covers, songs from Holland-Dozier-Holland and other Motown writers, including Smokey Robinson, Come and Get These Memories holds its own pretty well. The record opens with its stellar title track, which featured some of Motown’s best writing to date, with some evocative imagery as the narrator throws out anything that reminds her of her past lover. Reeves’s performance is excellent, a mix of feisty nonchalance and vulnerability: “There’s some old lingering love/It’s in my heart, and it’s tearing it apart”. The heartbreaking lyrics are countered by the upbeat music, with its syncopated drumbeat, bouncing horn breaks, and some tight backing vocals.
Their cover of Andy Williams’s ‘Can’t Get Used to Losing You’ is less successful. The horns and the drums give it a nice rhythm, though removing the original’s plucked strings is a shame, and the song doesn’t suit Reeves’s voice. The Beat would go on to record a more successful version, with Dave Wakeling’s voice in a similar register to Williams’s. ‘Moments To Remember’ is a light and airy albeit forgettable take on Richard Berry’s original, but ‘This Is When I Need You Most’ is much better, with its dainty keys and bouncing rhythm. There are shades of ‘Jimmy Mack’ in its framework, without the sharpness.
‘A Love Like Yours (Don’t Come Knocking)’ is a classic romantic pop record with some neat backing vocals from Brian Holland. A slow ballad, the song suffers from its slightly clunky albeit catchy chorus and surprisingly would go on to serve as the b-side of ‘Heatwave’. ‘Tears on My Pillow’ is a decent take on Little Anthony and the Imperials’ doo-wop classic, catching the song’s languid rhythm nicely. Kylie Minogue would turn the song into a Uk No. 1 in 1990. ‘To Think You Would Hurt Me’ provides an understated high point thanks to its lovely piano line and nice bass harmony. The re-recorded ‘There He Is At My Door’, with Reeves overdubbing Williamsno’s original lead, is a tidy bongo-driven effort and features some of the record’s best backing vocals.
Reeves does a brilliant job on ‘I’ll Have to Let Him Go’, especially considering the song was designed for Mary Wells, hauling some life out of it after its strange semi-acapella opening. The Stevenson-penned ‘Give Him Up’ is another highlight, Reeves’s pained falsetto embodying the song’s tender tone. The subtle rhythm of the bongos and the calypso-tinged keys combine nicely, while there’s a nice punchy baritone saxophone solo. The slow ballad, ‘Jealous Lover’, is less effective, suffering from some weak writing that forces Reeves to carry words through several beats, while the backing vocals feel misplaced. However, the lovely soft ending hints at what could’ve been. The closer, ‘Old Love (Let’s Try It Again)’ is similarly messy, with an off-kilter rhythm that doesn’t allow the song to settle.
Come and Get These Memories may have its patchy moments, but overall it fares well against other Motown releases of the era and is a strong debut. Martha Reeves marks herself as a future star with excellent performance, showcasing her impressive vocal dexterity, while the rest of the group provides strong support. Motown’s newest girl group had landed, and the best was just around the corner.