Martha Reeves & The Vandellas “Sweet Darlin’” (Gordy 7080, R&B#45 Pop#80, 1968)
*A week of Martha, a Birthday week*
Two years ago, the week of Martha Reeves birthday, I spent a week paying tribute. If there’s one voice that started me down the road to soul, it’s the voice of one Martha Rose Reeves and the clarion call she stamped out front (and behind a healthy number of people) on records at Motown records between 1961 and 1973.
Tonight we kick the festivities off with one of her forgotten minor hits from the late 1960s. The delightfully subtle burble of “Sweet Darlin’” didn’t seduce listeners as much as the singles before and after, but it’s a delightful display of Martha’s charms.
