Martha Reeves & the Vandellas – with the lead singer’s surname just lately added to the group title – began 1968 with the tune that turned out to be their last R&B high tenner. “Honey Chile” additionally climbed to No.11 on the pop chart and was adopted by the funky “I Promise To Wait My Love,” a Prime 40 hit on the soul facet.
On June 1, 1968, Ridin’ Excessive, the album that contained each of these singles and even the Prime 20 soul hit earlier than that, “Love Bug Leave My Heart Alone,” made each the pop and R&B charts. Within the month the album was launched, the group performed on the Copacabana in New York.
The album, on Motown’s Gordy label, was the group’s first studio set to not profit from the numerous songwriting enter of Brian and Eddie Holland and Lamont Dozier, who had simply left to arrange their very own Invictus and Sizzling Wax labels. Their solely tune on the album was considered one of its most achieved, “Leave It In The Hands Of Love.” The LP additionally featured the primary vocal contribution of Martha’s sister Lois, who was within the strategy of changing Betty Kelly within the line-up.
Vandellas sing Bacharach & David
Varied new writers contributed to Ridin’ Excessive, however the album noticed the group trying to two confirmed copyrights from the current songbook of Burt Bacharach and Hal David. They put a Motown twist on “(There’s) Always Something There To Remind Me” and “I Say A Little Prayer.” Reeves and the Vandellas additionally turned their arms to a different current No.1 US smash for Lulu, Don Black, and Mark London’s “To Sir With Love.”
Take heed to the Greatest Motown Songs Ever playlist.
One more single from Ridin’ Excessive could be launched by Motown within the spring of 1969, “(We’ve Got) Honey Love,” which reached the R&B Prime 30. In a stunning postscript, the boyfriend-away-at-the-war tune “Forget Me Not” – the flipside of “I Promise To Wait My Love” within the US – was launched as a UK single totally three years after its LP look, and went all the way in which to No.11.
Purchase or stream Ridin’ Excessive.
