The Andantes consisting of soprano Louvain Demps, first alto Jackie Hicks, and second alto Marlene Barrow, were Motown’s in-house female vocal group. The invaluable studio trio added their sweet, gospel-imbued harmonies to countless hits by nearly everyone populating Motown’s roster including The Four Tops, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, The Marvelettes, The Supremes and many others. The Andantes didn’t do much in the way of concert appearances and only had one single of their own during their long Motown stint, which stretched over more than a decade. Yet Hitsville, U.S.A. couldn’t have operated on such a stratospheric level without their phenomenal contributions.
Motown Note
Although the exact number is unknown, The Andantes are estimated to have sung on more than 20,000 Motown songs.
