(We've Got) Honey Love Explained

"(We've Got) Honey Love"
Type:single
Artist:Martha Reeves and the Vandellas
Album:Riding High
B-Side:I'm in Love (And I Know It)
Released:March 20, 1969
Recorded:Hitsville USA
1968
Genre:R&B
Label:Gordy
Producer:Richard Morris
Prev Title:Sweet Darlin'
Prev Year:1968
Next Title:Taking My Love (And Leaving Me)
Next Year:1969

"(We've Got) Honey Love" is a 1967 song by Motown girl group The Velvelettes[1] [2] that later became a 1969 single released by another Motown girl group Martha and the Vandellas (credited here as Martha Reeves & the Vandellas) from their album Ridin' High released in 1968. The song returned the Vandellas to the top forty of Billboard's R&B singles chart where it peaked at number twenty-seven[3] while it hit the Billboard Hot 100 peaking at number fifty-seven.[4] It was the group's sixth record where they were listed as Martha Reeves and the Vandellas following the successful "Honey Chile" single two years earlier. The song talked of how one woman's lover's charm was like "sugar and spice" adding names of candy and soda adding "a little bit of me, a little bit of you and we've got honey love." The Velvelettes, meanwhile, had recorded two versions of the song (one led by the group's lead singer, Carolyn 'Cal' Gill, the other is a rare lead for then group member - and future Vandella - Sandra Tilley), both of which would go unreleased for almost 40 years.[2] All three versions were written by Richard Morris and Sylvia Moy, and produced by Morris (with Moy co-producing the versions by The Velvelettes). Every version also used the same track with The Andantes as background vocals.

Personnel

Notes and References

  1. Motown Sings Motown Treasures Volumes 1& 2 (2005 version) [CD liner notes]. New York: Hip-O Select/Motown/Universal Records
  2. http://www.dftmc.info/titles/tw-02.htm Honey Love recording info
  3. Book: Whitburn, Joel . Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Joel Whitburn . 2004 . . 378.
  4. Honey Love at Allmusic