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.

Power Of Love
Martha and The Vandellas Lyrics

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I'll protect you from the hooded claw
Keep the vampires from your door

Feels like fire
I'm so in love with you
Dreams are like angels
They keep bad at bay-bad at bay
Love is the light

Scaring darkness away-yeah

I'm so in love with you
Purge the soul
Make love your goal

The power of love
A force from above
Cleaning my soul
Flame on burn desire
Love with tongues of fire
Purge the soul
Make love your goal

I'll protect you from the hooded claw
Keep the vampires from your door
When the chips are down
I'll be around

With my undying, death-defying
Love for you
Envy will hurt itself
Let yourself be beautiful

Sparkling love, flowers
And pearls and pretty girls

Love is like an energy
Rushin' rushin' inside of me

The power of love
A force from above
Cleaning my soul
Flame on burn desire
Love with tongues of fire
Purge the soul
Make love your goal

This time we go sublime
Lovers entwine-divine divine
Love is danger, love is pleasure
Love is pure-the only treasure

I'm so in love with you
Purge the soul
Make love your goal

The power of love
A force from above
Cleaning my soul
The power of love
A force from above
A sky-scraping dove

Flame on burn desire
Love with tongues of fire
Purge the soul
Make love your goal

I'll protect you from the hooded claw
Keep the vampires from your door

Overall Meaning

Martha and The Vandellas's song Power Of Love is a passionate ode to the power of love in cleansing the soul and keeping darkness at bay. In the opening lines, the singer pledges to protect their love interest from the "hooded claw" and "vampires." These references could be symbolic of the various challenges and evil forces that can threaten a relationship. The verses that follow describe the transformative nature of love, with the singer being "so in love with you" that the mere thought of their loved one brings to mind "dreams like angels" that keep away the "bad" and "scare the darkness away."

The chorus is an exaltation of the power of love, with its ability to cleanse the soul and set fire to desire. The singer implores their lover to "make love your goal" and promises to always be there "when the chips are down." As the song progresses, the lyrics become more evocative, with descriptions of "sparkling love, flowers, and pearls and pretty girls." The chorus repeats, becoming more impassioned, until it reaches its climax in the final lines, "I'll protect you from the hooded claw/ Keep the vampires from your door."

Line by Line Meaning

I'll protect you from the hooded claw
I'll safeguard you from danger

Keep the vampires from your door
I'll keep the negative influences away from you

Feels like fire
The feeling of love is intense and passionate

I'm so in love with you
I'm deeply, madly in love with you

Dreams are like angels
Dreams protect us from negative influences

They keep bad at bay-bad at bay
Dreams keep the negative influences away from us

Love is the light
Love illuminates our life

Scaring darkness away-yeah
Love removes dark things from our life

Purge the soul
Cleanse your soul

Make love your goal
Make love your priority

The power of love
Love has a great power