The Westside Gazette

Girl group behind famed Motown hits finally get props for making others successful

Girl group behind famed Motown hits finally get props for making others successful

Before technology made it possible for singers to alter their voices, there were real people going into a studio doing take after take to make those in the forefront sound crystal clear. They were called session singers. Although there are still opportunities for session singers in the present, they are not as prominent as they were in the 1960s and the days of Motown.

     If you thought that The Supremes, Marvin Gaye, The Four Tops, The Marvelettes, and many other groups were able to give you that authentic Motown sound all on their own, you are sadly mistaken. It took someone working hard behind the scenes to make their dreams a reality. One such group that has not been recognized too often is the wonderful Andantes.

     This girl group trio provided the backgrounds that listeners heard on such hits as “Standin In The Shadows of Loving”, “I Can’t Help Myself (Suga Pie Honeybunch)”, Reach Out I’ll Be There”. The three women are no longer pushed to the background and were overwhelmed at being featured in the Motown Historical Museum, in Detroit.

     It was the funeral of Motown alum and Miracles member, Bobby Rogers that brought the women to town. All three of the members, Jackie Hicks, Marlene Barrows-Tate and Louvain Demps came to the museum, which was the original home of Motown, to see the exhibit entitled, “Motown Girl Groups: The Grit, the Glamour, the Glory.”

     The exhibit, which will run throughout the summer, features all of the prolific girl groups of the Motown era, and includes the Andantes. Of their reunion, Barrow- Tate said, “It is unfortunate that so many are gone and thank God that we are still here — all of us — to be able to see this and see our dream come true.”

     Singer Lou Rawls praised the trio telling the Associated Press, “The Andantes … were so instrumental to the foundation of the Motown sound.” He added “Imagine if a song like ‘Standing in the Shadows of Love’ was out there (without them). The harmonies behind it may not be the same thing. That’s why they were established in that particular role, helping to create the foundation.”

     Currently, the day of yesteryear for Motown has found its way to Broadway in Motown, The Musical. Although two of the members did not mind being in the background, Demps expressed that she would have loved to be on top, like The Supremes. In the minds of many who read this, it is the Andantes that are truly Motown royalty.

     Asa Lovechild is an accomplished actress and singer out of New York City and a supporter of One Billion Rising Follow @asalovechild www.facebook.com/asaentertainmentgroup www.asalovechildworld.com

 

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