Biography of Martha Reeves

Perhaps the perfect product of the Motown machine, Martha Reeves was working as a secretary at the label, occasionally doubling as a demo singer, when she was called upon to do some background vocals for Marvin Gaye. That chance was parlayed into a recording deal for Motown's Gordy subsidiary, and her breakthrough came with her second record, "Come and Get These Memories." There were the inevitable comparisons with The Supremes, but Martha was an incomparably earthier singer than the slinky Ms. Ross, as witnessed by her storming leads on "Heatwave" and, especially, "Dancing in the Street." It was, as the Motown brass well knew, perfect party music, and it was a vein they mined successfully for several more years. The Vandellas came and went, and chart success grew increasingly elusive as the '60s closed, with the result that Martha left the label in 1972 to sign with MCA. Despite the fact that her Martha Reeves set was the most expensive album released to that point (1974), it failed to recharge her career, which has been largely confined to reprising her old hits -- where the magic transcends mere nostalgia. ~ Colin Escott