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The Center for Artificial Indifference

So. In Love. With Martha…

It was the celebrity kind of thing, like the girls of all ages being madly in love with Tom Jones. But in the early to mid sixties I was soooo in love with Martha. Discovery of this clip from 1965 brought it all back. Or maybe sent me back. It also reminded me of parents and other alleged adults warning us that dancing and twisting we were doing was going to mess up our knees and backs. Yep, they were right about that…

There is no indication of the venue, but I suspect it was the Ed Sullivan Show or some other variety show like that. Could have been Dick Clark’s American Bandstand, but the set is not right. Notice the synchronized choreography of the background vocalists, typical of the acts coming out of Motown in the ’60s. Berry Gordy was — and is — a marketing genius, in addition to having an ear for sounds and an eye for looks that sell.

After you’ve gotten your juices flowing with Dancing In The Streets, search through YouTube’s Martha & The Vandellas offerings, tighten up your knee brace, and cruise on out, riding on a Heat Wave.

6 Comments so far

  1. twomartini March 12th, 2008 6:55 am

    Very good!

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  3. Joy March 13th, 2008 7:35 am

    Martha, Martha, Martha….whoooeeee, what a shot in the arm that was. Thanks Winston.

  4. MaryB March 13th, 2008 11:16 am

    Yeah, baby. Martha was so much betta’ than Diana and the Supremes. Love me some Martha, too!

  5. twomartini March 13th, 2008 5:39 pm

    I played that video again. Damn, you picked a good one this time! She was always good. Excellent in fact. I have her on my iPod.

    I do believe that you are correct that that was the Ed Sullivan Show. The only other show I think it could have been would be the Steve Allen Show.

    But it sure is good! Thanks for posting.

    2M

  6. martha reeves March 21st, 2008 4:00 am

    [...] talk about moving the mayor out of office …Council to mayor: Resign DetNews.comwww.tv20detroit.comSo. In Love. With Martha?? It was the celebrity kind of thing, like the girls of all ages being madly in love with Tom Jones. [...]