Dancing in the Street
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If this book has two authors, one of whom is its subject, then does this make it a biography or an autobiography? There can be no doubt that it is the latter of the two as Martha tells her story entirely in the first person. One can only assume that Mark Bego plays the role of editor and advisor. The reading age of the text can be no older than twelve, and as such makes it very light reading. This does not mean that its content is trivial, far from it, it means that the level of communication between the authors and the readers is very high indeed. It also means that it is accessible to many. The text is very well written with a simplicity which gives it a rustic charm. The book's unsophisticated language is used effectively to present Martha as a nieve victim, caught up in the sleazy world of show business. How nieve Martha really was is impossible to judge, but there is not doubting the effectiveness of the technique. Although I am sure it was not intentional the book left me with the impression that she was a lady very close to the edge. I make that statement not only because of her involvement with drugs, her bitterness at playing second fiddle to Diana Ross and the occasional voices that appeared in her head but also because of the impetuousness of her behaviour. A teenage pregnancy she had clearly not thought through, her whirlwind romances/marriages and also her startling conversion to Christianity. Each chapter begins with a poem which I assume are written by Martha herself. Personally I found them slushy and sentimental which add nothing to the book. On this evidence she may be a wonderful singer but John Betcheman has nothing to worry about. Whatever their purpose they undoubtedly contrasted sharply with the realities of Martha's sleazy showbiz life. It's not all the glitz and glamour which the top acts enjoy and maybe the fact that Martha has experienced both sides of the coin is what gives the book such contrast. In her time she has sang at the top theatres, been courted by the world's superstars but has also been beaten up, suffered from attempted rape and been 'ripped off' by unscrupulous promoters. Like many other female Motown singers of the time Martha feels that the company did not treat her fairly, indeed she was the first to sue it for unpaid royalties. Her biggest beef however was the way in which Diana Ross was promoted to the detriment of all the other girl singing groups. She paints Diana as a vindictive, scheming Diva and there is clearly little love lost between them. The irony of it is that Martha's approach to the Vandellas shows a similar elitism to that of Miss Ross. In her first chapter she goes to great pains to explain that she was the star and that 'The Vandellas' were just her backing group. We know from interviews at the time that the group's perception is somewhat different. They considered themselves to be of equal status but that Martha just happened to be their lead singer. This book is well written and interesting, but it unquestionably represents a biased point of view. Martha loves to indulge in 'name dropping', but this only serves to highlight her insecurities. The fact that her flaws are so apparent is what makes her such a likeable character. |
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Why Not visit the Authors other Website, 'The Alternative Blackpool Website' at http://www.localdial.com/users/jsyedu133/bpool This Site Last Updated 18/05/05
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