A ceremony held at the Library of Congress recently inducted the song “Dancing in the Streets” into the National Recording Registry.  Attending the ceremony was Martha Reeves of Martha and the Vandellas who recorded the song for Berry Gordy founder of Motown Records.

To be considered for the National Recording Registry, recordings must be at least 10 years old. The Library of Congress has been selecting recordings of historical significance every year since 2000.

This rousing dance hit has been cited as one of the first examples of what would come to be known as the Motown sound. Written by Marvin Gaye, William Stevenson and Ivy Jo Hunter, the song was turned down by another Motown act before Martha and the Vandellas performed it in the Motown studios. The group, which consisted of Martha Reeves, Rosalyn Ashford and Annette Beard, had alternated between singing backup for other Motown acts and working on their own material, but, after the success of this song, their career as a backup group was definitively ended. The African-American community would come to infuse the tune with political sentiments.

"I'm from a large family, a family created by a man named Berry Gordy. Mr. Gordy said he wanted music that would be the sound of young America and I think he succeeded. I'm very proud to be here today to have one of our songs preserved in the Library of Congress, a song written by Marvin Gaye, Ivy Hunter and William Stevenson. 'Dancing In The Street' goes down in history. Thank you," she said.

Reeves was born in Eufaula, Alabama, but her parents (Ruby and Elijah Reeves migrated to Detroit before she was one year old. She was raised on the East side of Detroit.  She attended Northwestern High School and  studied voice under Abraham Silver who also coached other Motown greats such as Florence Ballard and Mary Wilson of the Supremes and Bobby Rogers of the Miracles.

Reeves was employed as a secretary at Motown Records after she left Northwestern. When a backup singer was too sick to show up for a recording session, Martha was asked to take her place and she soon became a regular background singer contributing to the talents of Motown stars like Marvin Gaye.

She joined forces with two high school friends, Rosalyn Ashford and Annette Sterling who she attended high school with and soon, she signed with the Gordy label, a subsidiary of Motown.  The Vandellas initially recorded “Come Get These Memories” and “Heat Wave” which became hits.

Songs like “Nowhere To Run”, “I’m Ready for Love”, and “Honey Chile” were recorded well into the late sixties, but was released from Motown by 1972.

Reeves currently resides in Detroit and is a member of the Detroit City Council.