Music Blog, Sixties

Monday Motown Magic 4.29

The Sicilian Storyteller

The Motown Sound has something extra-special about it. Berry Gordy, Jr. knew people would be listening on their car stereos and transistor radios and he was going to do what it took to make songs sound good and memorable. Even if you couldn’t put your finger on it, when a Motown song came on, baby, you knew it. Still do.

“Heat Wave” was written by the songwriting team of Holland-Dozier-Holland and was first made popular by the group “Martha and the Vandellas”. Released as a single on the Motown subsidiary Gordy label, this song garnered a Grammy Award nomination, the first Motown group to ever do so.

Founded in 1957 by friends Annette Beard, Rosaline Ashford and Gloria Williams, the group eventually included Martha Reeves who moved up in ranks as lead vocalist after Williams’ departure in ’61. During their nine-year run from 1963-1972, â€œMartha and the Vandellas” charted over 26 hits recorded in the styles of doo-wop, R&B, pop, blues, rock and roll and soul. In 1995 the group was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

“Heat Wave” was one of the first songs to exemplify the style of music later termed as the “Motown Sound”.

Here are Martha and the Vandellas performing their 1963 hit, “Heat Wave”.

And this is what was on the B Side: A Love Like Yours (Don’t Come Knocking Everyday)

Thanks for joining me today for a dose of Monday Motown Magic.

See you on the flip side. 😎

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