The Andantes

Like any new business, cash flow problems plagued Motown; Raynoma Liles, aka Miss Ray developed the Rayber Music Writing Company as a remedy. Rayber, a combination of Ray and <a href="spotify:artist:4xRLKAf96K6YdGDWjY6ra8">Berry Gordy</a>'s first name, charged anybody who wanted to make a record. They advertised on a local radio station and caught the ear of their first client, Louvain Demps. Raynoma Liles and <a href="spotify:artist:4xRLKAf96K6YdGDWjY6ra8">Berry</a> married. Louvain, along with Jackie Hicks and Marlene Barrow, formed the Andantes, who historians say appeared on more than 20,000 recording sessions. At first they took a back seat to the Rayber Singers, who consisted of Raynoma, <a href="spotify:artist:4xRLKAf96K6YdGDWjY6ra8">Berry</a>, Robert Bateman, Brian Holland, and anyone else hanging around. When running Motown escalated, Louvain took Miss Ray's place in the Rayber Singers, who disbanded around 1962 when <a href="spotify:artist:3RwQ26hR2tJtA8F9p2n7jG">the Temptations</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:57bUPid8xztkieZfS7OlEV">the Supremes</a> started doing sessions. The Supremes, as <a href="spotify:artist:3IMn1K32JunlYBqi5URp9v">the Primettes</a>, had worked for Lupine Records; at Motown, they're featured on <a href="spotify:artist:1cjZk1xXn3YCToNg3uJpA7">Mary Wells</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:71pUA2TXf3JHUPUgsjLtuL">Kim Weston</a>, Sammy Ward, and <a href="spotify:artist:1jpdSwEbSHz2mfZ6tqX527">Bob Kayli</a> recordings, among others. <a href="spotify:artist:1jpdSwEbSHz2mfZ6tqX527">Kayli</a> was Robert Gordy, <a href="spotify:artist:4xRLKAf96K6YdGDWjY6ra8">Berry</a>'s brother; <a href="spotify:artist:57bUPid8xztkieZfS7OlEV">the Supremes</a> sing on <a href="spotify:artist:1jpdSwEbSHz2mfZ6tqX527">Kayli</a>'s "Small Sad Sam," a take-off on <a href="spotify:artist:1RaDKTFXuy0qA8YV1h9SwC">Jimmy Dean</a>'s "Big Bad John." The Temptations added excitement to <a href="spotify:artist:7guDJrEfX3qb6FEbdPA5qi">Stevie Wonder</a>'s "Contract of Love" and <a href="spotify:artist:1cjZk1xXn3YCToNg3uJpA7">Mary Wells</a>' "Everybody Needs Love," and both sing on <a href="spotify:artist:4JnwMaOZhWHahIcYzy4WXo">Wells</a>' "You Lost The Sweetest Boy."

When <a href="spotify:artist:57bUPid8xztkieZfS7OlEV">the Supremes</a> ignited, the Andantes became the number-one studio rats. Like <a href="spotify:artist:6R2mI9O7lWJxf5wvAmaRZy">the Funk Brothers</a> -- Motown's rhythm session -- they moonlighted on other labels in Detroit and other cities. They were in Chi-town when Mickey Stevenson needed girls to back <a href="spotify:artist:3koiLjNrgRTNbOwViDipeA">Marvin Gaye</a> on "Stubborn Kinda Fellow." <a href="spotify:artist:3Hut5CO4gDNYQfG63a7Wl4">Martha Reeves</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:1asN4HM089PlqWPJRkHvLA">Stevenson</a>'s secretary, called the group, who added magic to <a href="spotify:artist:3koiLjNrgRTNbOwViDipeA">Gaye</a>'s first hit, and soon broke out on their own. Good background singers are expected to create, which the Andantes did on <a href="spotify:artist:1cjZk1xXn3YCToNg3uJpA7">Mary Wells</a>' "My Guy," <a href="spotify:artist:7guDJrEfX3qb6FEbdPA5qi">Stevie Wonder</a>'s "For Once \iIn My Life," and other sessions. They backed <a href="spotify:artist:3MdG05syQeRYPPcClLaUGl">Diana Ross</a> on "Love Child," and <a href="spotify:artist:3Hut5CO4gDNYQfG63a7Wl4">Martha Reeves</a> on every <a href="spotify:artist:1Pe5hlKMCTULjosqZ6KanP">Martha & the Vandellas</a>' recording after Annette Beard left. <a href="spotify:artist:3ig4Yf8S2Bjq2yVsiayKM0">Holland-Dozier-Holland</a> used the Andantes to smooth <a href="spotify:artist:0MponVSpW81oLvJZ53vYZH">the Marvelettes</a>' infectious but shaky harmony; they also used them on <a href="spotify:artist:7fIvjotigTGWqjIz6EP1i4">the Four Tops</a> for high end, a technique Thom Bell employed with <a href="spotify:artist:5fbhwqYYh4YwUoEs582mq5">the Spinners</a> and others in the '70s. Their smooth, quality, chorale sound was so valuable that Motown never gave them a chance to record on their own. A scheduled single, "Like a Nightmare," was never released. Motown didn't want the Andantes out promoting a record when Motown's studios operated around the clock. <a href="spotify:artist:6JjQdNViLxTyXWejSfNASK">Ian Levine</a> recorded the Andantes for his Motorcity series. The tracks include a remake of <a href="spotify:artist:608lN1u6zbt9xBlVorf85S">the Fascinations</a>' "Girls Are Out to Get You," as well as "Two Sides to Love," "Hurricane," "Lightening Never Strikes Twice," and a new "Like a Nightmare." <a href="spotify:artist:6JjQdNViLxTyXWejSfNASK">Levine</a> also recorded Louvain solo. They accompanied <a href="spotify:artist:71pUA2TXf3JHUPUgsjLtuL">Kim Weston</a> on "Just Loving You," on The Motortown Revue Live, Vol. 2. Louvain's brother, Larry "Squirrel" Demps, sang with <a href="spotify:artist:2W8UTum7bU7ue6m0r14H97">the Dramatics</a>. ~ Andrew Hamilton, Rovi