Customer Reviews

Come and Get These Memories//Heatwave

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The only American hits from these albums were the two title tracks, although this was before Dancing in the street captivated the world and ensured Martha and the Vandellas a permanent place in pop history.

For those to whom it matters, Come and get these memories was originally released only in mono, but the previously unreleased stereo version of the album is used on this CD.

Many cover versions are included on these albums. It was common practice to fill albums with covers, but I don't mind (indeed, I enjoy them) as long as they are performed well, as they are here. The covers include Can't get used to losing you, Tears on my pillow, More (theme song from Mondo Cane), If I had a hammer, Then he kissed me, Hello stranger, Just one look, My boyfriend's back and Mockingbird.

Besides the hits and covers, there are many other lesser-known Motown songs, perhaps the best known of which is A love like yours don't come knocking every day.

As if these two albums weren't enough temptation to buy this CD, four bonus tracks have been added - Quicksand, Live wire, My baby won't come back and Undecided lover.

This compilation featuring the freshman and sophmore efforts of MARTHA & THE VANDELLAS is a sterling example of a classic girl group in action!

While "COME AND GET THESE MEMORIES" was previously put out on cd, its now a pretty rare find. Furthermore, The "HEATWAVE" lp was NEVER on cd. Here, we get to enjoy all the original tracks from both (often with extended fade outs and even alternate/embellished versions) in addition to bonus tracks.

Hollland/Dozier/Holland were initially assigned to The Vandellas (not the Supremes as Martha points out in her DANCING IN THE STREETS bio). So, essentially, this cd is a very nice way to sample some of the early writing and production skills of H/D/H.

Whether thier singing thier OWN hits, covering a top 40 tune of the day OR just putting a girl group spin on an old standard, this compilation shouldn't be missed!

The story goes that Martha Reeves was yanked from her secretarial chair to fill in when Motown needed a singer at short notice for a song intended for Mary Wells. As a result, she and her group, soon to be named the Vandellas (derived from Van Dyke Street in Detroit MI and the torch singer Della Reese) cut their first record, I'll Have To Let Him Go, in August 1962. In June they had backed Marvin Gaye on his single Stubborn Kind Of Fellow, and later sang back up on his album, and went on the road with him as Marvin Gaye and the Vandellas. On their solo spots they were able to preview the forthcoming single, Come And Get These Memories, which was finally released in March 1963 and reached the national Top Thirty in the US.
The success of this single, which launched a new Motown sound, prompted the rush creation of an album to capitalize on the sales potential, also named Come And Get These Memories. Both singles were included, along with Jealous Lover, a Holland-Dozier Holland song that had appeared on the B-side of the hit single. Brian Holland and Lamont Dozier were their principal producers, though Mickey Stevenson, who had discovered Martha in the first place, produced three tracks; and one stray track, Give Him Up, was written and produced by Smokey Robinson in December 1962.
Recording of the album was completed in April and May 1963 and included hits of the day such as Can't Get Used To Losing You, a Pomus-Shuman song which, perhaps bizarrely, had been given to Andy Williams, and the Imperials' Tears On My Pillow; and new songs such as Holland-Dozier Holland's A Love Like Yours, whose hit potential was not spotted as it was consigned to being the flipside of Heatwave later in the year, but with Phil Spector's Wall Of Sound production became a big hit in the UK for Ike and Tina Turner in 1966. There He Is (At My Door) was an another important song in Martha and the Vandellas' personal history as it had been recorded the previous year by Martha's group, the Del-Phis, and released as by the Vels, with Gloria Williamson singing lead. The Vandellas version turned up again with a new vocal in 1964 as the flip of Dancing In The Street. The album concludes with their version of Mary Wells' Old Love (Let's Try Again), which was later re-used as the B-side of Live Wire.
The album was recorded to four-track at Hitsville Studio A and released only in mono, but has here thankfully been mixed in its entirety to stereo for the first time.
The next single, (Love Is Like A) Heatwave, featuring Thomas 'Beans' Bowles on sax, had been recorded in June, along with Ruby and the Romantics' Hey There Lonely Boy, even as the first LP was coming out. It was a massive US hit and went top five nationally in the autumn of 1963, as well as hitting number one in the R&B chart.
The album Heatwave was even more rushed than the first, according to Martha Reeves having been recorded in one long August night. I expect some instrumental tracks had been laid down beforehand, and there would have been further overdubbing to do, but even so it remains quite a feat. The result is a party record, with all but Heatwave being contemporary pop hits. Both albums feature the original Vandellas, Rosalind Ashford and Annette Sterling.
It seems strange now to hear the three girls sing Spector hits such as Then He Kissed Me and Wait Till My Bobby Gets Home; middle of the road standards like More and Danke Shoen; old school folk protest like the gospel-influenced If I Had A Hammer; current girl group hits like the Angels' My Boyfriends Back; and R&B in the form of Barbara Lewis' Hello Stranger and the Inez and Charlie Foxx favourite, Mockingbird. When it was released in September 1963 it was expected to be disposable, ephemeral pop, and the arrangements are rudimentary, but the performances stack up well. The US stereo version of the album has been adopted on this release (a modified tracklisting was used when the album was released in the UK eighteen months later).
Their next two, non-album singles, Quicksand and Live Wire are also included as bonus tracks. Both are in stereo mixes, Quicksand being different to those previously available, and there is a rare Norman Whitfield production, Undecided Lover, to close. The only mono track is My Baby Won't Come Back, the B-side of I'll Have To Let Him Go, which Martha wrote with collaboration from Mickey Stevenson.
This is a comprehensive airing of all of the original Martha and the Vandellas' output, up to Live Wire (which may have Betty Kelly instead of Annette Sterling), with only the B-side Darling I Hum Your Song unaccounted for, in definitively-mastered sound quality.

These albums appeared before Motown hit on the lucrative formula of building albums around a few hits and then filling the rest with tracks which weren't strong enough to make singles. Here they're trying for real albums with mixed results. "Memories" is a thrown-together package to capitalize on a hit, with slim material and spare instrumentation. Heat Wave ups the production qualities but again is Motown feeling its way still. Martha is raw here, pure talent, not yet the singer she'd become but still singing the Hell out of everything. A lot ISN'T here. There was another album planned titled "Moments to Remember" that included a fabulous single titled "Coney Island" and that didn't make it out, though some of it popped up on the "Memories" album and Martha put down enough for several more albums if Motown had wished. This is rough stuff, but enjoyable and interesting as Martha never made a record that wasn't interesting.

These albums appeared before Motown hit on the lucrative formula of building albums around a few hits and then filling the rest with tracks which weren't strong enough to make singles. Here they're trying for real albums with mixed results. "Memories" is a thrown-together package to capitalize on a hit, with slim material and spare instrumentation. Heat Wave ups the production qualities but again is Motown feeling its way still. Martha is raw here, pure talent, not yet the singer she'd become but still singing the Hell out of everything. A lot ISN'T here. There was another album planned titled "Moments to Remember" that included a fabulous single titled "Coney Island" and that didn't make it out, though some of it popped up on the "Memories" album and Martha put down enough for several more albums if Motown had wished. This is rough stuff, but enjoyable and interesting as Martha never made a record that wasn't interesting.

This is a combo of Martha & the Vandellas 1st 2 albums: "Come & Get These Memories" & "Heat Wave". This is Martha & the Vandellas at their best!!!! The harmonizing (on "Then He Kiss Me" and "More") is incredible.

It was the first record that I ever brought and I needed it for a skit that I put on for Christmas.

In the great musical sixties Motown exploded on the music scene and Martha Reeves & The Vandellas were early Motown building blocks and this brilliant group had a sound all their own from the beginning with the vocally blessed lead Martha Reeves whose distinctive voice is one of the the finest from this era...strong & clear with plenty of passion and Martha can sing anything that she wants to sing! Martha & The Vandellas first stood out as background singing group behind Marvin Gaye on his classic "Hitchhike" and the sublime "Stubborn Kind Of Fellow" then not long after these showy stand-out appearances their first hit "Come Get These Memories" was released being a catchy engaging song with a terrific lead from Martha and this group was out of the gate with a memorable winner. The original lp built around this hit is an enjoyable electic mix of popular songs of the day and a few stunning Motown originals like "A Love Like Yours (Don't Come Knocking Every Day)", "I'll Have To Let Him Go" and the mesmerizing "Old Love (Let's Try It Again)".
Next came the passionate and fiery "Heat Wave" with a burning passionate vocal from Martha that easily is one of the greatest performances from Motown to date and this entertaining collection shows growth in production and confidence from the last set and makes for stronger performances and from then on it was straight up and no stopping this superb group now! These two early Motown gems are an enjoyable trip back to the beginnings of music from this legendary label and legendary group and these great works go perfect together!
Bravo Martha Reeves & The Vandellas!!!

the previous customer review states that "heatwave" lp was never on cd before. obviously this is incorrect! it not only was on cd but also on a motown 2 for 1 cd with the "dance party" lp (motown/gordy 8049). im sitting here with it in my hands. great to see it on cd AGAIN tho. highly recommended.