Martha Reeves & The Vandellas, Dancing in the Street | Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶

In the 89^th edition of Throwback Vibez (2024), we recollect and reflect on “Dancing in the Street” by Martha Reeves & The Vandellas.

The vibes, the vibes, those Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶! Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 is a column that celebrates awesome songs from the past.  The records that grace this column are older, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re ancient – no fossils 🦴! All genres of music are welcome. In the 89^th edition of Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 (2024), we recollect and reflect on “Dancing in the Street” performed by Martha Reeves & The Vandellas.

“Calling out around the world / Are you ready for a brand-new beat?” Martha Reeves & The Vandellas, a seminal Motown collective, had a Dance Party in 1965. Woo!  Four songs with the word dance in their title appeared on the album.  The most beloved of those four cuts is “Dancing in the Street”. “Dancing in the Street” is the biggest hit of the iconic girl group’s career. The infectious song was written by William “Mickey” Stevenson, Ivy Jo Hunter, and Marvin Gaye.  Stevenson produced this gem that reached no. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. Who held off Reeves and company? Manfred Mann and his infectious “Do Wah Diddy Diddy”.  

“Summer’s here and the time is right / For dancing in the street.” Yes mam! What makes “Dancing in the Street” the sugar honey iced tea? Martha Reeves is a compelling frontwoman, delivering dynamic, high-energy vocals.  Given the style Martha Reeves & The Vandellas were renowned for, Reeves’ personality plays a pivotal role in the success of this cut. It’s a cutesy, playful, and tongue-in-cheek cut, tailormade for Reeves. “There’ll be laughing, singing, and music swinging / Dancing in the street,” Reeves sings in the second verse, citing the cities where these dances occur (Philadelphia, Baltimore, D.C., Motor City aka Detroit).  Besides the verses, the pre-chorus and chorus mark some of Reeves’ top-notch moments.  In the pre-chorus, she asserts “All we need is music, sweet music.” In the chorus, she delivers those timeless lyrics, “It doesn’t matter what you wear / Just as long as you are there / So come on, every guy, grab a girl / Everywhere around the world.”

It’s not all about Martha, of course! The Vandellas (Rosalind Ashford-Holmes and Betty Kelly) ‘hold it down’ with the background vocals – the harmonies, riffs, etc. Although “Dancing in the Street” lacks sophisticated sound quality taken for granted in the 21^st century, the instrumental backdrop rocks 🤘. There is ample fuel for The Vandellas’ fire. The rhythm section builds a fantastic anchor (specifically the drums) while the horns provide bite. The baritone saxophone brings it on those low notes! No lengthy analysis is necessary for “Dancing in the Street”. This Motown classic speaks for itself.

Martha Reeves & The Vandellas // Dance Party // Motown // 1965

Martha Reeves & The Vandellas, Dancing in the Street: Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 No. 89 (2024) [📷: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; Motown; OpenClipart-Vectors, Speedy McVroom via  Pixabay]