The Andantes were an American female session group for the Motown record label during the 1960s. Composed of Jackie Hicks, Marlene Barrow, and Louvain Demps, the group sang background vocals on numerous Motown recordings, including songs by Martha Reeves & the Vandellas, the Temptations, Stevie Wonder, the Four Tops, Jimmy Ruffin, Edwin Starr, the Supremes, the Marvelettes, Marvin Gaye and the Isley Brothers, among others. It is estimated they appeared on 20,000 recordings.
The Andantes provided back-up singing on Motown singles starting in 1962. The group was most prominently used on all of the Four Tops' Holland–Dozier–Holland-produced hits, including "Baby I Need Your Loving", "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)", "Reach Out I'll Be There", and more. Motown began to use the Andantes as background vocal substitutes for the vast majority of recordings for its girl groups beginning with the Marvelettes recordings in 1965, Martha & the Vandellas in 1966, and major part of the Supremes recordings between 1968–1969 although Mary Wilson and Cindy Birdsong continued to record.
In 1963, the Andantes, with the Marvelettes, released the single "Too Hurt to Cry, Too Much in Love to Say Goodbye" b/w "Come on Home" as credited to the Darnells. In 1964 they released a single of their own called "(Like A) Nightmare" b/w "If You Were Mine", though none of the actual Andantes sang lead on either track (future Marvelette Ann Bogan performed the lead vocals).
The Andantes are also featured on some records that were not produced by Motown Records, the most prominent example being Jackie Wilson's "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher" (Pat Lewis substitutes for Louvain Demps on this track). In addition to various awards, the Andantes were inducted into the Rhythm and Blues Music Hall of Fame in August 2014.
Barrow died on February 23, 2015, at the age of 73.
Motown
Throughout the 1960s and early 1970s, the Andantes appeared as backing vocalists on many of Motown's recorded singles, as the Funk Brothers also had when providing instrumentation. Seven of these singles that they provided background vocals for would go on to chart at the number one position on the Billboard Hot 100 popular music chart.
Chart-topping hits
"My Guy" – Mary Wells
"Stop! In the Name of Love – The Supremes
"I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)" – Four Tops
"Reach Out I'll Be There" – Four Tops
"Love Child" – Diana Ross & the Supremes
"I Heard It Through the Grapevine" – Marvin Gaye
"Ain't No Mountain High Enough" – Diana Ross
Brenda Holloway
The Andantes appeared on many singles for Brenda Holloway. These include: "When I'm Gone" "Operator" "You Can Cry on My Shoulder" "Together 'Til the End of Time" "Just Look What You've Done"
The Four Tops
The Andantes appeared as backing vocalists on 16 singles for the Four Tops. These releases include: "Baby I Need Your Loving" "Without the One You Love (Life's Not Worth While)" "Ask the Lonely" "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)" "It's the Same Old Song" "Something About You" "Shake Me, Wake Me (When It's Over)" "Reach Out I'll Be There" "Standing in the Shadows of Love" "Bernadette" "7-Rooms of Gloom" "You Keep Running Away" "I'm in a Different World" "Still Water (Love)" "Walk Away Renee" "If I Were a Carpenter"
The Supremes
They appeared as backing vocalists on seven singles for The Supremes. These releases include: "Stop! In the Name of Love" "Children's Christmas Song" "In and Out of Love" "Forever Came Today" "Love Child" "I'm Livin' in Shame" "The Composer"
Martha & the Vandellas
They appeared as backing vocalists on twelve singles for Martha & the Vandellas. These releases include: "You've Been in Love Too Long" "Love (Makes Me Do Foolish Things)" (B-Side of "You've Been in Love Too Long") "My Baby Loves Me" (with the Four Tops) "I'm Ready for Love" "Jimmy Mack" "I Promise to Wait My Love" "Forget Me Not" (B-Side of "I Promise to Wait My Love") "I Can't Dance to That Music You're Playin'" (with Syreeta Wright) "(We've Got) Honey Love" "Taking My Love (And Leaving Me)" "I Should Be Proud"