After helping to define the Motown Sound with numerous hits with Martha and the Vandellas, Martha Reeves, like fellow octogenarians Mick Jagger and Paul McCartney, has proven that creativity and the desire to perform have no age limits.
Reeves, who celebrated her 85th birthday in July, digitally releases her first solo album in 22 years on Friday (August 14). The album, Searching, was recorded in New Orleans and co-produced by acclaimed trombonist Delfeayo Marsalis and Reeves’s longtime manager Chris Roe. The 11-song album “blending, Motown, jazz, gospel, blues, and deeply personal storytelling” will be available September 4 on vinyl and CD.
On August 8, Reeves, who ranked No. 151 on Rolling Stone‘s 2023 list of the 200 Greatest Singers, participated in an album signing event at Dearborn Music that enabled fans to obtain autographed first copies of the new vinyl record and CD.
“It was a very good turnout for an artist who has not had a record out for a very long time,” says Kevin LeAnnais, who co-owns the store with his brother Rick. “Martha is incredibly nice with fans. She signed photos, records, and CDs. Everyone had a great time. The record sounded good, and the fans enjoyed it.”
The Making of Searching
Reeves and Roe spoke with Hour Detroit regarding her new album and Motown legacy in a phone call from Los Angeles where they were promoting her new music.
“This is the first time I’ve recorded and had total freedom,” says Reeves. “I was able to express myself in any way that I thought I should and how I felt it from my heart. It was a paradise to work at the Marsalis studio in New Orleans. God has blessed me. Working with these genius musicians and producers at this time in my life at 85 was exciting. I’m overwhelmed and thrilled with a dream come true and how great it turned out.”
Roe explained how the album developed over a two-and-a-half-year process.
“Originally, I approached Martha about doing a jazz album,” says Roe. “Ultimately, we decided that we wanted the soul of Motown mixed with New Orleans jazz, and we’ve been able to capture it.”
Roe was elated working on the album with Reeves and producer Delfeayo Marsalis.
“The first time I saw Martha, I was a little boy watching the Motown 25 television special,” says Roe. “It was the first time I had ever heard ‘Heatwave,’ and I was hooked. To get the opportunity to work with Martha Reeves in the studio was a dream come true. And then, Delfeayo Marsalis is such a master at what he does; his arrangements are incredible. He has the best musicians at his disposal. It’s magic when you have a great performer like Martha, a great producer like Delfeayo, and fantastic musicians.”
Introducing Martha Reeves to a Younger Audience
The lead single from Searching, a cover of the Stevie Wonder song “To Know You Is To Love You,” was released in June and was later remixed by Eric Kupper into an infectious dance version available on streaming platforms. It recently debuted at number 31 on the UK Music Week Commercial Dance Chart.
“I wanted a younger age demographic to know Martha’s work,” says Roe. “I’m very familiar with the dance scene in Europe, and I had a feeling they would gravitate to this dance remix. Eric Kupper is a legendary dance remixer, and he didn’t mess with the integrity of the lyrics or song. We are thrilled that it debuted at # 31. Think about it. 31 at [age] 85.
Martha Reeves and Calling Detroit Home
When Motown Records moved to Los Angeles, Reeves remained in Detroit, embarked on a solo recording career, changed labels a few times, and has continued to perform solo and with Martha and the Vandellas, featuring her sisters Lois and Delphine. In 2007, she was successful in seeing that a portion of West Grand Blvd. was named Berry Gordy Jr. Blvd. in front of the Motown Museum.
She is never too far from her Motown roots and remains an unofficial ambassador for the Motown Museum, home of the legendary Hitsville USA studio, where Martha and the Vandellas recorded hits such as “Dancing in the Street”, which was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999. Four year prior, the group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Reeves remains forever grateful to Gordy for her career.
“Berry Gordy was a genius with a knack of looking at people to see if they were worth his time to make them famous. I appreciate and admire him. He made us all famous.”
For now, Reeves and Roe say they are continuing to promote the new album and looking at a tour sometime next year. Reeves is planning to complete another book, while a documentary about her is still in the works.
When asked how she would like to be remembered, she lets out a laugh and says, “I just don’t want to be forgotten.”
Reeves need not worry about that.
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