| "Nowhere to Run" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 A-side label of one of U.S. vinyl releases | ||||
| Single by Martha and the Vandellas | ||||
| from the album Dance Party | ||||
| B-side | "Motoring" | |||
| Released | February 10, 1965 | |||
| Recorded | Hitsville U.S.A. (Studio A); October 21, 1964 | |||
| Length | 2:55 | |||
| Label |
Gordy G 7039 | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Holland–Dozier–Holland | |||
| Producer(s) | Lamont Dozier, Brian Holland | |||
| Martha and the Vandellas singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Nowhere to Run" is a 1965 song by Martha and the Vandellas for the Gordy ( Motown) label and is one of the group's signature songs. The song, written and produced by Motown's main production team of Holland–Dozier–Holland, depicts the story of a woman trapped in a bad relationship with a man she cannot help but love.
History
Holland-Dozier-Holland and the Funk Brothers band gave the song a large, hard-driving instrumentation sound similar to the sound of prior " Dancing in the Street" with snow chains used as percussion alongside the tambourine and drums.
Billboard described the song as a "good dance beat piece of material which features a gospel piano and a wailin' vocal." [1] Cash Box described it as "a hard-driving, fast-moving, raunchy bluesy stomper with a contagious teen-oriented, danceable beat." [2] Record World said it features "a strong, strong beat and wailing by all the girls in concert." [3]
Included on their 1965 third album, Dance Party, "Nowhere to Run" hit number eight on the Billboard Pop Singles chart, and number five on the Billboard R&B Singles chart. [4] It also charted in the UK peaking at number twenty-six on the chart. The single release was backed with "Motoring".
This version was ranked #358 on Rolling Stone's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. [5]
This song is featured in Vinyl, [6] Bringing Out the Dead, [7] Baby Driver and the 2012 video game Spec Ops: The Line.
Covers
- Arnold McCuller made a version of the song for the soundtrack of the movie The Warriors from 1979. [8] It was later utilized again for the video game adaptation in 2005. [9]
- In July 1988, following the success of the film Good Morning Vietnam, the song was re-released in the UK by A&M Records, with James Brown's " I Got You (I Feel Good)" on the flip side. The single spent three weeks on the UK chart reaching its highest position of number 52 by 24 July 1988. [10]
- On her 1971 covers album Gonna Take a Miracle, singer-songwriter Laura Nyro performed a version with backing vocals by the group Labelle.
- Lola Colette made a version of the song for the soundtrack of the 2023 movie John Wick: Chapter 4.
Personnel
- Lead vocals by Martha Reeves
- Background vocals by Rosalind Ashford & Betty Kelly
- Written by Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier and Edward Holland Jr.
- Produced by Lamont Dozier and Brian Holland
- All instrumentation by
the Funk Brothers:
[11]
- Robert White – guitar
- Eddie Willis – guitar
- Earl Van Dyke – piano
- Benny Benjamin – drums
- James Jamerson – bass guitar
- Jack Ashford – percussion, tambourine, vibes
- Ivy Jo Hunter – percussion (snow chains)
- Russ Conway – trumpet
- Herbert Williams – trumpet
- George Bohanon – trombone
- Paul Riser – trombone
- Henry Cosby – tenor saxophone
- Mike Terry – baritone saxophone
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom ( BPI) [12] | Silver | 200,000‡ |
|
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
- ^ "Singles Reviews" (PDF). Billboard. February 20, 1965. p. 24. Retrieved 2021-04-02.
- ^ "CashBox Record Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. February 20, 1965. p. 12. Retrieved 2022-01-12.
- ^ "Singles Reviews" (PDF). Record World. February 20, 1965. p. 12. Retrieved 2023-07-22.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 378.
- ^ "The RS 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". RollingStone.com. Archived from the original on February 8, 2009. Retrieved 2008-06-19.
- ^ "Vinyl (1965)". IMDb.com. Retrieved December 17, 2021.
- ^ "Bringing Out the Dead (1999) - Soundtracks". IMDb.com. Retrieved March 29, 2019.
- ^ "The Warriors (1979) - Soundtracks". IMDb.com. Retrieved December 17, 2021.
- ^ "The Warriors (Video Game 2005) - Soundtracks". IMDb.com. Retrieved December 17, 2021.
- ^ Guinness Book of British Hit Singles, 12th Edition, 1999
- ^ Liner notes. The Complete Motown Singles Vol. 5: 1965, Hip-O Select – B0006755-02, August 4, 2006
- ^ "British single certifications – Martha Reeves & the Vandellas – Nowhere to Run". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
