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.
Mickey's Monkey
Martha and The Vandellas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He was spreading a new dance all around
In just a matter of a few days, yea!
His dance became the new teenage craze.
When the people see him dancing,
They begin to see,
To see this cat do that monkey thing.
This cat named Mickey
Doing the monkey.
Come on, let's do Mickey's monkey, children,
Yea, let's do Mickey's monkey, children
Lum di lum di lie
Lum di lum di lie
Lum di lum di lie
Lum di lum di lie
Lum di lum di lie
Lum di lum di lie
Lum di lum di lie
Oh,
Monkey see, monkey do,
Come on, you can do the monkey, children
Yea, you're doing Mickey's monkey, children,
Do the monkey, Mickey's monkey
Oh, do the monkey, Mickey's monkey
Mickey's monkey
The lyrics to Martha and The Vandellas's song "Mickey's Monkey" describe a new dance craze that is sweeping the teenage population. The song tells the story of a cat named Mickey who came from out of town and introduced the new dance, which is referred to as "the monkey." In a matter of just a few days, the dance became incredibly popular, and everyone is doing it.
The chorus of the song instructs the listener to join in and do the monkey, and there is a sense of excitement and energy that is conveyed through the lyrics. The repetition of the phrase "lum di lum di lie" adds to the overall joyful and upbeat feeling of the song. The lyrics also make reference to the idea of monkey see, monkey do, suggesting that the dance is so infectious that everyone is eager to join in.
Overall, the lyrics to "Mickey's Monkey" capture the spirit of a fun-loving, carefree era in American pop culture. The song celebrates the power of music and dance to bring people together and create a sense of community, as well as the youthful exuberance and spontaneity of the teenage experience.
Line by Line Meaning
This cat named Mickey came from out of town, yea!
Mickey is a visitor to the town who introduced a new dance.
He was spreading a new dance all around
Mickey was popularizing this new dance among the people.
In just a matter of a few days, yea!
The dance caught on very quickly and became popular in a very short time.
His dance became the new teenage craze.
The dance created by Mickey became a popular trend among teenagers.
When the people see him dancing,
Observers appreciated the dance upon seeing Mickey perform it.
They begin to see,
The people start observing the dance closely.
To see this cat do that monkey thing.
To watch Mickey perform his signature moves that resemble a monkey.
It's really something to see,
The dance is visually captivating and impressive to observe.
This cat named Mickey
Refers to the person who invented this dance, Mickey.
Doing the monkey.
Performing the specific movements that are part of the 'monkey' dance.
Come on, let's do Mickey's monkey, children,
Asking the younger generation to participate and join in on the fun.
Lum di lum di lie
This line adds a playful, nonsense quality to the song without any significant meaning.
Monkey see, monkey do,
A common phrase that means to imitate or mimic what someone else has done.
Come on, you can do the monkey, children
Encouraging children to join in and try performing the dance themselves.
Yea, you're doing Mickey's monkey, children,
Acknowledging and affirming the children's participation in the popular new dance created by Mickey.
Do the monkey, Mickey's monkey
Asking everyone to try performing Mickey's unique and entertaining dance.
Oh, do the monkey, Mickey's monkey
Repeating the previous line as an encouragement to perform the dance.
Mickey's monkey
Referring to the dance that was created by Mickey and became a popular trend.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Lamont Dozier, Brian Holland, Edward Jr. Holland
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
frankie hunter
Excellent song, the singers and the overall production.
Vati Skeletor
martha reeves-unbelievable great! this is true soul!!!
marie smith
one of the great "girl" groups back in the day!
N Dillon
Great version! It would have been great if Motown had cut a Supremes version with Flo on the lead.
Harmony Walters
❤️this song.
Tyreek Cruse
I like this.
june andrus
Ros Has A Very High Soprano Voice