Martha and the Vandellas were one of the most successful groups in the Moto… Read Full Bio ↴Martha and the Vandellas were one of the most successful groups in the Motown roster during the 1960s and fully active from 1960 to 1972, performing at various times doo-wop, pop, rock and roll and soul.

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.

I Heard It Through The Grapevine
Martha and The Vandellas Lyrics

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I bet you're wonderin' how I knew
'Bout your plans to make me blue
With some other guy you knew before
Between the two of us guys
You know I loved you more
It took me by surprise I must say
When I found out yesterday
Don't you know that I heard it through the grapevine

Not much longer would you be mine
Oh I heard it through the grapevine
Oh I'm just about to lose my mind

Honey, honey yeah.
I heard it through the grapevine
Not much longer would you be mine baby

I know a man ain't supposed to cry
But these tears I can't hold inside
Losin' you would end my life you see
'Cause you mean that much to me
You could have told me yourself
That you loved some one else
Instead I heard it through the grapevine
Not much longer would you be mine
Oh, I heard it through the grapevine
And I'm just about to lose my mind

Honey, honey yeah
I heard it through the grapevine
Not much longer would you be mine, baby

People say believe half of what you see
Son and none of what you hear
But I can't help but be confused
If it's true please tell me dear
Do you plan to let me go
For the other guy you loved before?

Don't you know I heard it through the grapevine
Not much longer would you be mine, baby yeah
I heard it through the grapevine
I'm just about to love my mind
Honey, honey, yeah

I heard it through the grapevine,
Not much longer would you be mine, baby yeah

Overall Meaning

The song "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" was originally recorded by Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, but it was made famous by Marvin Gaye's version. The song tells the story of a man who finds out from someone else, rather than his partner, that she is leaving him for someone else. The "grapevine" refers to the underground telegraph system used in the African-American community during the Civil Rights era to spread news and information. In this case, the singer heard the news through the grapevine rather than his partner telling him directly.

The opening lines, "I bet you're wonderin' how I knew / 'Bout your plans to make me blue" sets up the premise of the song. The singer knew about his partner's plans to leave him before she even told him. The line "You know I loved you more" shows the desperation and heartbreak of the singer. He believed he loved his partner more than the other guy did, and he is devastated to find out she is leaving him. The line "Losin' you would end my life you see / 'Cause you mean that much to me" is particularly poignant and expresses how much the singer loved his partner.

Line by Line Meaning

I bet you're wonderin' how I knew
You might be wondering how I found out about your plan to hurt me

'Bout your plans to make me blue
Your plans to make me sad

With some other guy you knew before
You have a history with another guy

Between the two of us guys
Between me and the other guy

You know I loved you more
I loved you more than the other guy did

It took me by surprise I must say
I was shocked to find out

When I found out yesterday
I heard the news yesterday

Don't you know that I heard it through the grapevine
I heard the news through rumors

Not much longer would you be mine
We would not be together for much longer

Oh I heard it through the grapevine
I found out through the grapevine

Oh I'm just about to lose my mind
I'm feeling overwhelmed and crazy