Martha and the Vandellas: From the Typing Pool to Motown Stardom
Martha and the Vandellas (later billed as Martha Reeves and the Vandellas) were among Motown’s biggest acts between 1963 and 1971, delivering some of the label’s most iconic hits.
Before the spotlight found them, the group worked behind the scenes as backing vocalists for Motown stars like Marvin Gaye. Martha herself was employed as a secretary at the label. Their breakthrough came in a twist of fate when Mary Wells missed a recording session that The Vandellas were meant to back. Martha stepped up to fill in, impressing Berry Gordy so much that he signed them on the spot.
With Motown’s powerhouse songwriting team Holland-Dozier-Holland behind them, the group soon racked up hits like Heat Wave, Nowhere to Run, Jimmy Mack, and the timeless Dancing in the Street. The latter became one of Motown’s signature songs, while Nowhere to Run was accompanied by one of the earliest examples of a music video.
Even after the peak Motown era, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas continued to perform globally. Their legacy was cemented with inductions into both the Grammy Hall of Fame and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Rolling Stone ranked them #96 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.
Amazingly, Martha Reeves was still performing as recently as 2019 at the age of 77—proof that the spirit of Dancing in the Street lives on.
Martha and the Vandellas Tunes | Related Pages
Dancing In The Street | Chords + Lyrics
You can learn how to play Dancing In The Street by Martha and the Vandellas using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, and the original recording.
| E7 | E7 (D/E) | E7 | E7 (D/E) |
Callin’ out around the world, are you ready for a brand new beat…
Heat Wave | Chords + Lyrics
You can learn how to play Heat Wave by Martha Reeves & the Vandellas using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, and the original recording.
| Eb N.C (Bb C Bb G) | Fm (Gbm) | Gm (Bm) | Cm (Bm) | Cm |
Whenever I’m with him, (oh, oh, oh, oh) something inside (inside)…
Jimmy Mack | Chords + TAB
You can learn how to play Jimmy Mack by Martha and the Vandellas using chords, lyrics, a chord chart, backing track, and Spytunes video guitar lessons.
| Ebm | Gbmaj7 | Dbmaj7 | Gb |
Jimmy Mack, Jimmy. Oh, Jimmy Mack, when are you comin’ back…
Start learning with the full lesson series: Jimmy Mack – Guitar Lessons with TAB.
Nowhere To Run | Chords + Lyrics
You can learn how to play Nowhere To Run by Martha and the Vandellas using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, and the original recording.
| G7 | F C | G7 | F C |
Nowhere to run to, baby. Nowhere to hide…
Martha and the Vandellas on the web
