Alex Henderson

Martha Reeves
The Rest of My Life  [Expanded Edition)

Martha & the Vandellas went down in history as one of the most influential female vocal groups of the 1960s. With Martha Reeves on lead vocals, the Detroit-based soul trio were vital contributors to Motown Records and enjoyed a string of smash hits that included “Heat Wave” and “Quicksand” in 1963, “Dancing in the Street” and “Wild One” in 1964, “Nowhere to Run” in 1965, “My Baby Loves Me” in 1966 and “Jimmy Mack” and “Honey Chile” in 1967. Many of the female soul groups that emerged in the 1960s or 1970s were heavily influenced by Martha & the Vandellas, including Honey Cone, Labelle, First Choice, the Pointer Sisters, the Emotions and Hodges, James & Smith.

But in late 1972, Martha & the Vandellas broke up—and Reeves (who was born in Eufaula, Alabama on July 18, 1941 but grew up in Detroit) recorded two solo albums (1974’s Richard Perry-produced Martha Reeves on MCA Records and 1975’s little known Rainbow) before moving to Clive Davis’ Arista Records with 1976’s The Rest of My Life. This album left no doubt that Reeves was happy to change with the times and forge ahead: with a list of producers that includes Tony Silvester, Bert DeCoteaux, Tony Camillo and the late General Johnson, The Rest of My Life clearly reflects the musical climate of 1976. Reeves soars on vibrant uptempo grooves such as the single “Second Chance,” “Love Blind” (a minor hit that she wrote herself) and “Thank You” as well as the Gwen Guthrie/Patrick Grant ballad “This Time I’ll Be Sweeter” (which has also been recorded by Angela Bofill, Roberta Flack, Linda Lewis, Isaac Hayes and Marlena Shaw, among others). Johnson, who wrote “Thank You” and the soulful “(I Want to Be With You) The Rest of My Life,” is best remembered for his years as lead singer for Chairmen of the Board—a Detroit-based group whose major hits of the early 1970s included “Give Me Just a Little More Time,” “Pay to the Piper” and “Finders Keepers.”

In 1976, Philadelphia soul was huge. Philadelphia International Records, founded by producer/songwriters Kenny Gamble & Leon Huff, had established itself as a soul powerhouse with a roster that boasted Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, the O’Jays, the Intruders, the Three Degrees, Billy Paul and others. And the popularity of Philly soul was not lost on Reeves, who dips into the Philly sound on an inspired performance of Gamble & Huff’s “Now That We Found Love” (which was also recorded by the O’Jays in 1973 and the Jamaican reggae/funk band Third World in 1978). There is an equally strong Philly influence on the soaring Guthrie/Grant ballad “Love Strong Enough to Move Mountains.”

In its original 1976 incarnation, The Rest of My Life was a nine-track vinyl LP. But FunkytownGrooves’ 2014 reissue expands the album to a 16-track CD with the addition of seven bonus tracks—which range from the 7” single versions of “Love Strong Enough to Move Mountains,” “Thank You” and “Now That We Found Love” to some alternate mixes of “(I Want to Be With You) The Rest of My Life.”

Interviewed on October 25, 2014, Reeves (now 73) asserted that the musical education she received at Motown Records in the 1960s helped her to continue evolving in the 1970s. Reeves explains: “The Motown Recording Company under the direction of Berry Gordy, from its very beginning, has been a trendsetter. Berry aimed to be the creator of The Sound of Young America. So he converted his house on the boulevard and started collecting singers and musicians from all over the world. The producers—mostly artists themselves—songwriters and big band arrangers that were hired gave us traditional masterpieces that prepared us for any style of song. Our recordings are legendary and will be played for centuries to come—and I have been taught by learned professionals to adapt to any mode, time, space and climate.”

Reeves continues: “I try to look onward and upward. I’d like to think that my work satisfied the many wonderful friends that bought our product and made us part of their collection of artists. I was influenced by Della Reese, Dinah Washington, Gloria Lynne, Morgana King, Ella Fitzgerald, Lena Horne, Sarah Vaughan, Nancy Wilson and Yma Sumac. I think I’ve forgotten a few, but I still get yearly vocal lessons and study my craft to be the best that I can be.” 

Asked if she sees any parallels between Detroit soul and the Philly soul one hears on parts of this reissue, Reeves responds: “The soul of popular music of the 1960s was shared with every recording company as we competed for a spot on the international charts. There were names, styles of dance, stage costumes, and timely rhythms that went with the grooves.”

The Rest of My Life also finds Reeves putting a 1976 spin on two 1960s favorites: Jackie Wilson’s 1967 hit “Higher and Higher” and the Righteous Brothers’ 1964 smash “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’.” Reeves notes: “Jackie Wilson, Berry Gordy’s first discovery, possessed a God-given talent, gave his all to this world and brought joy and delight—and ‘Higher and Higher’ makes me very happy. I love singing ‘Higher and Higher’ on stage. ‘You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’’ brings the memory clearly to my mind of us standing in the wings at Murray Kaufman’s Fox Theater performances watching the Righteous Brothers bring audiences to their feet, screaming and crying, when they got to the part where they repeated, ‘Baby, bring it on back.’”

Reeves continues to perform for audiences all over the world, revisiting Martha & the Vandellas’ 1960s smashes as well as songs from her solo albums of the 1970s. The Rest of My Life didn’t receive the amount of promotion it deserved, but Reeves is quite proud of this album nonetheless. “I want to put Gwen and Pat’s song, ‘This Time I’ll Be Sweeter,’ back into my live act,” Reeves asserts. “I feel that this album has some of my finest recorded vocals, and although I had several writing and producing teams, Clive Davis—under his direction—blessed me with a masterpiece.”

—Alex Henderson, October 2014

Alex Henderson’s work has appeared in Billboard, Spin, Salon.com, Creem, The L.A. Weekly, AlterNet, JazzTimes, Jazziz, Cash Box, HITS, CD Review, Skin Two, Black Beat, The Pasadena Weekly, Black Radio Exclusive (BRE), Music Connection, The New York City Jazz Record, Jazz Inside Magazine and many other well-known publications. Henderson (alexvhenderson.com) also contributed several thousand CD reviews to the popular Allmusic.com website and The All Music Guide’s series of music reference books.