Martha Reeves And The Vandellas: Martha Reeves, Rosalyn Ashford, Annette Sterling, Betty Kelley, Lois Reeves, Sandra Tilley (vocals).
Additional personnel includes: Joe Messina (guitar); Hank Cosby (saxophone); Marcus Belgrave, Russell Conway, Maurice Davis, Billy Horner (trumpet); George Bohanon, Bob Cousar, Bill Johnson, Patrick Lanier (trombone); Earl Van Dyke, Joe Hunter, Johnny Griffith (keyboards); Jack Ashford (vibraphone, percussion); James Jamerson (bass); Benny Benjamin, Marvin Gaye, Uriel Jones (drums); Eddie Brown (percussion); Syreeta Wright (background vocals).
The Four Tops: Levi Stubbs, Renaldo "Obie" Benson, Lawrence Peyton, Abdul "Duke" Fakir (background vocals).
Producers include: Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, William Stevenson, Deke Richards, Nickolas Ashford.
Compilation producer: Harry Weinger.
Recorded between 1963 & 1972. Includes liner notes by Stu Hackel.
Personnel: Dennis Coffey, Eddie Willis, Robert White , Melvin "Wah Wah" Ragin, Joe Messina (guitar); The Detroit Symphony (strings); Danya Hartwick (flute, piccolo); Danny Turner , Andrew "Mike" Terry, Angelo Carlisi, Eugene BeeBee Moore, Lanny Austin, Ernie Rodgers, Lefty Edwards, Bernie Peacock, Eli Fontaine, Henry Cosby, Eugene Rodgers, Kasuku Mafia, Thomas "Beans" Bowles, Larry Nozero (saxophone); Ted Buckner (alto saxophone); Floyd Jones , Eddie Jones , Russell Conway, Billy Horner, John Wilson , Johnny Trudell, Don Slaughter, Herbie Williams, Marcus Belgrave, Maurice Davis (trumpet); George Bohannon, Bill Johnson, Patrick Lanier, Jimmy Wilkins, Don White , Bob Cousar, Paul Riser, Carl Raetz (trombone); Earl Van Dyke, Ivy Hunter, Johnny Griffith (keyboards); Jack Ashford (vibraphone, percussion); Jack Brokensha (vibraphone); Marvin Gaye, Andrew Smith, Benny Benjamin, Richard "Pistol" Allen, Uriel Jones (drums); Eddie "Bongo" Brown (percussion); Syreeta Wright, The Andantes, The Four Tops (background vocals).
Audio Remasterer: Kevin Reeves.
Liner Note Author: Stu Hackel.
Unknown Contributor Roles: Marlene Barrow; Catherine Ladis; Kevin Reeves; Louvain Demps.
Arrangers: Henry Cosby; The Corporation; Paul Riser.
This volume of Motown's Ultimate Collection series was especially welcome, as there was no box set on Martha & the Vandellas for serious fans to go to (there was Live Wire!, a now-deleted two-CD compilation of single A- and B-sides, but that's not quite the same thing). This disc put the group's 25 most important tracks, all of the pop and R&B hits plus the most significant B-sides and an album track or two, together in one place. What's more, it did it in what was then state-of-the-art sound, something that few Motown CDs had ever been able to boast of. Thus, the musical content is a given and then some, and the power of Martha Reeves' lead singing and the surrounding harmonies comes through as never before. It's most gratifying on some of the harder dance numbers, such as "(Love Is Like A) Heat Wave" and "Dancing in the Street," to hear the gorgeously complex percussive mix of piano, bass, and drums (lots of drums) pounding away to their own rhythms within the overall beats of the songs -- the detail is there, without sacrificing any of the raw power of the songs and the mixes. Add to that decent annotation, discography, and musician information, and this is an essential part of any soul or '60s collection and, indeed, until Motown began reissuing Martha & the Vandellas albums in 2002 in England, the only way to get a significant chunk of their music with good sound. ~ Bruce Eder
Although the Supremes got the bigger push from the Motown bigwigs, it can be argued that Martha & the Vandellas were the best girl group in the Motown stable. The key is Martha Reeves' commanding voice, a powerful instrument best heard on the group's outstanding second single, "Heatwave." Reeves is such a compelling vocalist that the writing and production team of Holland/Dozier/Holland made sure their songs and arrangements could match her strength, and in "Heatwave," Reeves nearly meets her match. Funky barrelhouse piano and drums, a great honking tenor-sax break and sassy answer vocals by Annette Sterling Beard, Gloria Williams, and Rosalyn Ashford support Reeves' impassioned lead, making one of the most soulful and deliriously danceable Motown singles of the early 1960s. Nearly the entirety of the disc THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION is similarly brilliant, making a strong case for Martha and the Vandellas as one of the all-time great Motown acts. minimize