Motown songwriter best known for his part in Martha and the Vandellas’ worldwide hit Dancing in the Street
January 2021
'A legend in her own right': Carolyn Franklin, Aretha's forgotten sister
She was a genius songwriter and singer but could never escape her sibling’s shadow – and died at just 43. Family and friends including Martha Reeves and Bettye Lavette celebrate the life of a cruelly overlooked artist
July 2020
'We had been beat down a lot': the story behind 60s protest anthem Dancing in the Street
Martha Reeves discusses the making of and the political impact of a Motown hit that became the unintentional soundtrack to a tumultuous time in America
October 2019
My songbook
Eddie and Brian Holland on their greatest songs: 'Motown feels like it was a miracle'
The legendary songwriters run through their finest compositions – many inspired by their precarious love lives – for the Supremes, the Four Tops and more
February 2016
How we made
How we made Dancing in the Street
Martha Reeves: ‘Marvin Gaye saw me ogling him and said: “How about we try Martha on this song?” It became the Motown anthem’
July 2015
Martha Reeves and the Vandellas review – still hitting a high note
At 73, the Motown star has a classic and timeless appeal, and generates a dangerous amount of energy on stage.
April 2015
30 minutes with …
Martha Reeves: ‘The only thing that can change things is music’
The Motown legend recalls bringing segregated audiences together – and dismisses much of today’s music as ‘people talking to toys’
July 2014
10 of the best
60s girl groups: 10 of the best
Girl groups might have been responsible for the sweetest 60s music, but their lyrics covered everything from teenage pregnancy to frightening dogs, as this playlist shows
December 2013
Obituaries of 2013
Maxine Powell remembered by Martha Reeves
Martha Reeves pays tribute to Motown's head of artist development Maxine Powell, who taught the label's young stars how to withstand the civil rights abuses of the 1960s
August 2013
Martha Reeves – Edinburgh festival 2013 review
MoveTube: the best dance on the web
Dancing in the Street: who does it best?
January 2012
Martha Reeves and the Vandellas – review
Martha Reeves clearly retains a passion and joy for performing, but does not always play to the strengths of her latterday voice, writes Maddy Costa
May 2010
Martha Reeves: The Motown spirit is needed in Detroit once again
Benjamin Ferguson: The city's financial problems are no secret. But the former Martha and the Vandellas singer thinks Detroit needs to look to the spirit of 60s music to revive itself
January 2009
Music blog
My lifelong love affair with Motown
Richard Williams: I remember being overwhelmed when I first heard Heat Wave by Martha and the Vandellas surging out of the wireless. My life has been enriched with the sound ever since
August 2008
Martha Reeves and the Vandellas
Reeves retains the voice, the presence and, even when visibly out of breath between songs, the quick, peppery wit, writes Dorian Lynskey
