Dancing in the Street: Confessions of a Motown Diva

by Martha Reeves, Mark Bego

A soul music great chronicles her career, which included such hits as "Heat Wave" and "Nowhere to Run," offering a backstage glimpse of the tensions, passions, triumphs, and tragedies behind the legend of Motown.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, Biography

304 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 1994

Reviews

[Wilhelmina · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW! This is a powerful book on the life of Motown artist Martha Reeves (of Martha and the Vandellas). As a teenager I would watch Martha and the Vandellas perform on the stage of the Fox Theater. Martha, clearly the star, would move on stage in a brassy and haughty manner driving the audience crazy! In a million years I would have never guessed the horrific experiences Ms. Reeves suffered at the hands of the powerful record industry. Ms. Reeves currently sits on Detroit's Town Council.

[Samantha Glasser · Rating 4 out of 5]

You know their music: Love is Like a Heat Wave, Jimmy Mack, Come and Get These Memories, etc. I found them running through my head constantly while I was reading. The story of Martha Reeves is the story of a poor girl growing up in Detroit who had singing talent and stumbled into the right place at the right time. Her ignorance to the business led her to struggle when she should have been thriving but in spite of her hardships, she maintains a positive attitude and a reverence for the music that made her famous. We are treated to stories about the other acts on the bill too including The Temptations, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, The Supremes and more.

I think this memoir could have been better if Reeves had done some research into Motown and how it operated. When the offices moved to LA and no one told her, she didn't question it. When she stopped receiving royalties in the early 70s she didn't question it. Her experience posed lots of questions that go unanswered. Toward the end of the book when her career winds down and becomes a series of retrospective performances, it fizzles out. I would have liked more details on each of the Vandellas, what they were like as people beyond which time period they were with the group.

Personal stories are valuable and entertaining and this book provides many of those but it is not a definitive source.

[Marlene · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would have been happy to read this 1994 book anytime because of Aaron's Boblo movie, but after touring the Motown museum last month, it was especially intriguing. Martha's music career started off after she was seen in a single nightclub event at age 20 and was asked to come to Hittsville (Motown's headquarters) for an audition. The audition did not take place, but she was asked to answer the phone "for a few minutes." It ended up being the whole day, and she was asked to return. She called herself the A & R secretary, and after three weeks of coming in, she had herself a new job. One day she had to find back up singers for Marvin Gaye, and she put in herself and two friends. From awhile, she had part-time singing while working as the secretary! She repeatedly said she idolized Berry Gordy, Jr. whose foresight made Motown the great force in American culture that it was throughout the 60's and 70's.

Martha and the Vandellas were part of the 1962 Motown Revue, a two plus-month tour that went all over the major cities along the east and south, with a different performance(s) almost every night. All the singers were housed on one bus, with infrequent hotel stays and only three days off! At the Apollo in NYC toward the end of the tour, they performed 6 times a day for 10 days straight.

Many of Martha's most popular hits were on the Gordy Records labels, in the 60's. She named "Jimmy Mack," "Heat Wave," "Come and Get These Memories," "Love Makes Me Do Foolish Things," Nowhere to Run," and "My Baby Loves Me" as her favorites.

Martha and the Vandellas were a group for 10 years. The name Vandellas came from her fondness of Della Reese. She had to replace some of the Vandellas along the way, and her sister Lois was a replacement who stayed. She openly wrote about her resentment that Beery Gordy favored Diana Ross. At age 28, she gave birth to her son Eric. She wanted to be a mom and did not care that the father would not be in her life. Her mother raised Eric because she was not around.

Motown handled all the singers' accounts and contracts. In 1969 she found out she was not getting paid royalties for her songs, and she later successfully sued Motown (Berry Gordy was no longer in her life.) In fact she did not even know Berry had moved Motown to LA. Martha moved to LA in 1971 and spent 10 years there before returning to Detroit. (When she moved back to Detroit in 1983, she had no money.) Some of this time she was a drug addict. She overcame her addictions by finding God. While her association with Motown was over, she managed to continue singing in clubs and, later, overseas sporadically. In 1974, MCA Records signed her on for a few albums, and then some other labels into the 90's (when former songs were re-released along with others that she had recorded but were never used).

Martha calls herself a diva for good reason. Some of her self-described behavior is pretty inexcusable. She also blames others and justifies her negative behavior for aspects of her life she now dislikes. She name drops EVERY person she ever had contact with. I read most all of the book but should have skipped over all the name dropping and retelling of every club she played at.

[Kimberly Reese · Rating 5 out of 5]

Martha is Unsung she never got her due she went with Eddie Kendrix and She survived the Music Business , Barry did not promote her and she went with Tom Jones. Martha do a lot for Detroit

[Edgle Bennett · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, it as like Martha was sitting with me
She has had a very interesting life,if you love Motown music and interested in the artist. I do suggest you to pick up a copy!!!

[Bonnie Solberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this book. I like hearing of her stories on the road, mishaps & learning along the way.
Martha reeves is a survivor.

[Christopher Carter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty interesting read and I use this book to back up some of the claims from Gladys Knight and Mary Wilson about Motown and it's public and private machinations. Worth picking up

[Josephine Mattia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent from start to finish.