"Dancing in the Street"

Martha and the Vandellas

album cover

The Quintessential Summer Single

This is the ultimate summer single, two minutes and thirty-eight seconds of heat in audio form. Hear just a few seconds of the introduction, a fanfare for soul-revue horns, and pretty soon that school's-out-let's-party state of mind takes hold. Then the vocals start, and Martha Reeves, the former Motown secretary with the commanding voice, issues an "invitation across the nation, a chance for folks to meet." The lure? "Swinging and swaying and records playing." Of course.

Perhaps the most magical part of the song, though, is the list of cities where Reeves expects dancing to break out. Lots of hits from the era contain references to specific locales, but few convey the sense of purpose Reeves brings to this. She makes you feel that if you're not out there, you're really missing something. Each city gets a little shot of love ("can't forget the Motor City") that registers as totally sincere; even some of pop's greatest voices, like Mick Jagger and David Bowie (who collaborated on a version in 1985), can't match Reeves's energetic roll call.

"Dancing in the Street" was cowritten by Marvin Gaye, producer Mickey Stevenson, and Ivy Jo Hunter, and was originally intended for another Motown singer, Kim Weston, who passed on it. Recorded in two takes and featuring Hunter playing a crowbar for percussion, the tune became a smash hit for Reeves in the summer of 1964, and has been included on countless hits compilations since. Still, the Vandellas album issued by Motown in the spring of 1965, entitled Dance Party, arguably remains the best. It's got "Dancing in the Street" and the scarifyingly good subsequent single "Wild One," several smart B sides and covers, and a thrilling Supremes-like tune called "Nowhere to Run," making it one of the few consistently strong long-players from singles-obsessed early Motown.

Genre: R&B
Released: 1964, Gordy
Appears On: Dance Party
Another Interpretation: Mick Jagger/David Bowie; Dusty Springfield; Van Halen
Next Stop: Aretha Franklin: Lady Soul
After That: Bettye LaVette: Souvenirs
Book Pages: 477–478