Bless You
Encyclopedia
"Bless You" is a 1971 hit single by Motown girl group Martha and the Vandellas
and was the group's last significant hit before disbanding in 1972.
' mental illness
, the singer returned to the studio with the new version of The Vandellas, whom had gone through different member lineups. By now, the lineup of The Vandellas included Reeves' kid sister Lois Reeves
and a former member of The Velvelettes
named Sandra Tilley
. The group had sporadically recorded and performed together before 1970 when they issued the Natural Resources album. For their next project, Motown decided to recruit the hotly-new hit-making producers for the label: The Corporation, to help them with producing their new album. Among the first singles they worked on was a Jackson 5-styled funk
y dance record titled "Bless You". Featuring Martha and the Vandellas members, it also included additional harmony singing parts by The Andantes
, who ironically enough were also going through their final years with the company.
where it reached number fifty-three on the chart, becoming their highest-charted single in two years and their highest-charted single on the pop chart during their brief seventies period together. The single also crossed over successfully to the R&B chart where it peaked at number twenty-nine and hit the top forty in the United Kingdom
where it peaked at number thirty-three and was a top twenty hit in Canada. The single became the group's last major hit. Over a year later, the group would disband, and Martha Reeves would pursue a solo career.
Martha and the Vandellas
Martha and the Vandellas were among the most successful groups of the Motown roster during the period 1963–1967...
and was the group's last significant hit before disbanding in 1972.
Overview
After a period of inactivity due to Martha ReevesMartha Reeves
Martha Rose Reeves is an American R&B and Pop singer and former politician, and was the lead singer of the Motown girl group Martha and the Vandellas. During her tenure with The Vandellas, they scored over a dozen hit singles, including "Jimmy Mack", "Dancing in the Street" and "Nowhere to Run"...
' mental illness
Mental illness
A mental disorder or mental illness is a psychological or behavioral pattern generally associated with subjective distress or disability that occurs in an individual, and which is not a part of normal development or culture. Such a disorder may consist of a combination of affective, behavioural,...
, the singer returned to the studio with the new version of The Vandellas, whom had gone through different member lineups. By now, the lineup of The Vandellas included Reeves' kid sister Lois Reeves
Lois Reeves
Sandra Delores Reeves , better known as Lois Reeves, is an American singer, most notable for being the younger sister of Motown legend Martha Reeves, for having replaced popular Martha and the Vandellas member Betty Kelly as member of her sister's group in 1967, and for later singing background...
and a former member of The Velvelettes
The Velvelettes
The Velvelettes was an American singing girl group, signed to Motown in the 1960s.-Early years and establishment:The group was founded in 1961 by Bertha Barbee McNeal and Mildred Gill Arbor, students at Western Michigan University. Mildred recruited her younger sister Carolyn , who was in 9th...
named Sandra Tilley
Sandra Tilley
Sandra Tilley was an American R&B and soul singer, known for being a member of Motown girl groups the Velvelettes and Martha and the Vandellas. She was also a brief member in the soul group the Orlons. She was a native of Cleveland, Ohio...
. The group had sporadically recorded and performed together before 1970 when they issued the Natural Resources album. For their next project, Motown decided to recruit the hotly-new hit-making producers for the label: The Corporation, to help them with producing their new album. Among the first singles they worked on was a Jackson 5-styled funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
y dance record titled "Bless You". Featuring Martha and the Vandellas members, it also included additional harmony singing parts by The Andantes
The Andantes
The Andantes were a prolific female sessions group for the Motown record label during the 1960s. Composed of Jackie Hicks, Marlene Barrow, and Louvain Demps, the group sang background vocals on numerous Motown recordings, including songs by Martha Reeves & the Vandellas, The Temptations, Stevie...
, who ironically enough were also going through their final years with the company.
Release
Released in the fall of 1971, "Bless You" briefly brought the group back to modest success on the Billboard Hot 100Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
where it reached number fifty-three on the chart, becoming their highest-charted single in two years and their highest-charted single on the pop chart during their brief seventies period together. The single also crossed over successfully to the R&B chart where it peaked at number twenty-nine and hit the top forty in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
where it peaked at number thirty-three and was a top twenty hit in Canada. The single became the group's last major hit. Over a year later, the group would disband, and Martha Reeves would pursue a solo career.
Personnel
- Produced, written, composed and arranged by The Corporation
- Lead vocals by Martha ReevesMartha ReevesMartha Rose Reeves is an American R&B and Pop singer and former politician, and was the lead singer of the Motown girl group Martha and the Vandellas. During her tenure with The Vandellas, they scored over a dozen hit singles, including "Jimmy Mack", "Dancing in the Street" and "Nowhere to Run"...
- Background vocals by Sandra "Lois" Reeves, Sandra TilleySandra TilleySandra Tilley was an American R&B and soul singer, known for being a member of Motown girl groups the Velvelettes and Martha and the Vandellas. She was also a brief member in the soul group the Orlons. She was a native of Cleveland, Ohio...
and The AndantesThe AndantesThe Andantes were a prolific female sessions group for the Motown record label during the 1960s. Composed of Jackie Hicks, Marlene Barrow, and Louvain Demps, the group sang background vocals on numerous Motown recordings, including songs by Martha Reeves & the Vandellas, The Temptations, Stevie...
: Jackie Hicks, Marlene Barrow and Louvain Demps - Instrumentation by assorted Los AngelesLos ÁngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
musicians