The label's second most-successful all-female singing group after The Supremes, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas were known for a churchier, more southern-styled soul than the Supremes, as typified in Motown hits such as "(Love Is Like A) Heat Wave", "Jimmy Mack", "I'm Ready For Love", "My Baby Loves Me", "Nowhere to Run", and, their signature song, "Dancing in the Street".
The group had its origins in Detroit, Michigan in 1957, and had initially gone by the name The Del-Phis. It originally was a quartet comprising childhood friends Martha Reeves, Rosalind Ashford, Annette Beard, and original lead singer Gloria Williams. Williams left after a failed single on the Checkmate label, leaving the quartet as a trio. They changed their name to The Vells signing a deal with Motown's Mel-o-dy label, and singing background for established Motown performers such as Mary Wells and Marvin Gaye before signing a new deal with Motown's Gordy label on September 21, 1962, after which the group changed its name to Martha and the Vandellas.
In 1964, the Vandellas' lineup changed with Betty Kelly replacing Annette Beard (now Beard-Sterling). In 1967, Kelly was fired and was replaced by Martha's younger sister, Sandra "Lois" Reeves. In 1969, Ashford was also fired and replaced by Sandra Tilley. It was right about this time that the group's name was officially changed to Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, to conform with the company's recent changes of The Supremes' and The Miracles' names to reflect their featured lead singers. The lineup of the Reeves sisters and Tilley continued after Martha's return from an institution after suffering a nervous breakdown. The group disbanded following a farewell concert, held at Detroit's Cobo Hall on December 21, 1972.
The story of the group did not end completely with their split-up in 1972, however. While Tilley and Williams (both now deceased) eventually retired, the others continued with their individual career pursuits: Lois sang with the group Quiet Elegance and also sang background for Al Green; Reeves reunited with original Vandellas Ashford and Beard-Sterling for a 1978 benefit concert in Los Angeles; and in 1983, Reeves performed solo at Motown 25, which partly helped her and the Vandellas gain a new audience. In particular, Reeves herself is still known to sing with her sisters Lois and Delphine, often performing as a solo artist under the bill, "Martha Reeves of Martha Reeves and the Vandellas", and still performs all over the world.
Forget Me Not
Martha and The Vandellas Lyrics
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you'll be off to war, the battle's on
I don't wanna cry as I stand
And watch your ship sail on
Now when you're out to sea
And the sky is dark and water surrounds you
And your heart just won't be 'cause you feel
As if our loneliness will drive you
Forget me not, boy
Let my love comfort you
Comfort you and see you through
Forget me not, boy
Lock my memory in your heart
And we'll never be apart
Remember Old Joe's,
Our favorite song, our table for two
Well, heaven knows, these little things
I'll share with no one but you
Wherever you are, no land
And sea and time will divide us
No matter how far
Back to each other's arms our love's gonna guide us
Forget me not, boy
Write a letter every day
Don't throw my picture away
Forget me not, boy
Let my love within you burn
I'll be here when you return
Each night I will pray for peace on earth, goodwill to all men
And my little heart will say these tender words time and time again:
Forget me not, boy
Let my love within you burn
I'll be here when you return
Forget me not, boy
Lock my memory in your heart
And we'll never be apart
Forget me not, boy
The song "Forget Me Not" by Martha and The Vandellas is a touching tribute to a loved one who is leaving for war. The lyrics speak of the emotions that the singer is feeling as she watches her beloved leave on a ship to fight in battle. She tries to stay strong, but tears threaten to spill from her eyes. She assures him that her love will comfort him, and that he should hold onto her memory in his heart so that they will never be apart.
The singer reminisces about their favorite place, Old Joe's, where they shared meals at their table for two. She tells him that no matter where he is, nothing will be able to divide them, and that their love will guide them back to each other's arms. She pleads with him to write her every day, to not throw away her picture, and to let her love burn within him. She promises to be there waiting for him when he returns.
The song is a poignant reminder of the sacrifices that soldiers and their families make in times of war. The singer's heart-wrenching plea to not forget her and to hold onto her memory highlights the toll that war takes on loved ones left behind. The lyrics also convey a feeling of hope, as the singer believes that their love will guide them through the difficult times and bring them back together.
Line by Line Meaning
Now we kiss good-bye
We are saying good-bye by kissing each other.
you'll be off to war, the battle's on
You are leaving to fight in a war that is currently happening.
I don't wanna cry as I stand
I don't want to cry while I am standing here.
And watch your ship sail on
I am watching your ship leave.
Now when you're out to sea
When you are far away and out at sea.
And the sky is dark and water surrounds you
When the sky is dark and the only thing around you is water.
And your heart just won't be 'cause you feel
You won't be feeling good because you are so lonely.
As if our loneliness will drive you
You feel that being lonely will make you suffer.
Forget me not, boy
Remember me, don't forget about me, boy.
Let my love comfort you
Feel comforted by the love I have for you.
Comfort you and see you through
I want to help you feel better and get through everything.
Lock my memory in your heart
Remember the memories we have, hold them in your heart.
And we'll never be apart
We'll always be together, never separated.
Remember Old Joe's,
Think of the place we used to go called Old Joe's.
Our favorite song, our table for two
Remember our favorite song and the table we used to sit at together.
Well, heaven knows, these little things
These small things we shared together.
I'll share with no one but you
I won't share these things with anyone else but you.
Wherever you are, no land
No matter where you are in the world, even if you are far away.
And sea and time will divide us
The ocean and the passing of time might separate us physically.
No matter how far
No matter how great the distance between us is.
Back to each other's arms our love's gonna guide us
Our love will bring us back to each other's arms, it will be our guide.
Write a letter every day
Send me a letter every single day to stay connected.
Don't throw my picture away
Don't get rid of my picture, keep it close to you.
Let my love within you burn
Let the love I have for you stay strong within you.
I'll be here when you return
I'll be here waiting for you to come back.
Each night I will pray for peace on earth, goodwill to all men
I will pray for peace and kindness in the world every night.
And my little heart will say these tender words time and time again:
My heart will keep repeating these kind words over and over again.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: RICHARD MORRIS, SYLVIA MOY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jackieholt51
Playlist on a Sunday in the kitchen, this is a must , oldies are just the best 😊
@barryh.4220
Tamla Motown magic, great song ....
@Dave-zd1rd
Not heard this in year's, absolute classic.KTF.
@anne3074
Great classics . Always a pleasure to listen to. Unbeatable music
@boxybfc
always loved this classic track ktf .
@andrewmckenzie9275
Such a classic MACCA
@kair5555
Nice 😍
@gary9426
Love it!
@lon8790
Was thinking the exact same!
@anthonyworkman9417
HMS Ajax at the time.wonderful record.