THE ANDANTES

'The Andantes' were a prolific female session singing group for the Motown record label during the 1960s. Comprised of Jackie Hicks, Marlene Barrow, and Louvain Demps, the group sang background vocals on over ten thousand Motown recordings, including songs by Martha Reeves & the Vandellas, The Temptations, Stevie Wonder, Jimmy Ruffin, Edwin Starr, Diana Ross, Marvin Gaye, among others, along with the occasional non-Motown recording (Jackie Wilson's hit "Whispers (Gettin' Louder)" being one example).
The Andantes were 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. In addition, the Andantes were used as substitutes for Mary Wilson and Cindy Birdsong on many of the Diana Ross & the Supremes recordings done in 1968 and 1969. They were also called upon to overdub and smooth out the The Marvelettes' background vocals records; the producers had this done without the Marvelettes' knowledge. The final Marvelettes album, ''The Return of the Marvelettes'', was actually recorded by Marvellette Wanda Young with the Andantes, not her bandmates, on backgrounds.
The group also issued two singles of their own: "Just Be Yourself"/"I Can't Help It I've Got To Dance" (1963) and "(Like A) Nightmare" / "If You Were Mine" (1964).