Motown From The Background
by The Andantes & Vickie Wright

One of Motown’s best kept secrets revealed at last

Even a well-read soul connoisseur might be hard-pressed to name the members of Detroit’s The Andantes, a female vocal trio that supplied harmonies to hundreds (some say thousands) of Motown records in the 60s and 70s. Like the Funk Brothers, the ubiquitous Andantes provided a crucial element of Motown’s sound, but were anonymous figures that never got credited for the records they appeared on (including early Motown hits My Guy by Mary Wells and Marvin Gaye’s How Sweet It Is To Be Loved By You).

Now, thanks to Vickie Wright, The Andantes (Louvain Demps, Marlene Barrow and Jackie Hicks) can tell their fascinating story. Despite the group’s formidable vocal talents, Berry Gordy preferred to keep them in the background because he felt they were difficult to replace. They were promised a chance to record in their own right, but nothing ever transpired. To earn extra money, they moonlighted for rival companies, supplying backgrounds to records such as Jackie Wilson’s Higher & Higher.

The trio’s story is related through interlocking accounts, including reminiscences from the girls themselves and contributions from fellow Motown musicians, friends and family. Not only a fascinating and vivid behind-the-scenes view of Motown, it’s an insight into African-American life during the same timeframe.

4 stars 4 stars 4 stars 4 stars

ISBN 9781904408291

Reviewed by Charles Waring
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