Bless You (Martha and the Vandellas song)

"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.

Overview

After a period of inactivity due to Martha Reeves' mental illness, the singer returned to the studio with the new version of The Vandellas, who 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 funky dance record titled "Bless You". Featuring Martha and the Vandellas members, it also included additional harmony singing parts by The Andantes, who coincidentally 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 100 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.

Personnel

• Produced, written, composed and arranged by The Corporation
• Lead vocals by Martha Reeves
• Background vocals by Sandra "Lois" Reeves, Sandra Tilley and The Andantes: Jackie Hicks, Marlene Barrow and Louvain Demps
• Instrumentation by assorted Los Angeles musicians

References