Martha Wash (The voice of 1990s Dance Music)
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- čas přidán 19. 07. 2020
- Martha Wash is an unsung hero, literally, she's the voice of 1990s dance music!
Milli Vanilli were not the only imposters in the 1980s/90s
In fact, it was quite common for "ghost singers" to record tracks that someone else would be credited for.
A good example of this is Martha Wash, her voice was used by Black Box, C+C Music Factory, and Seduction on recordings but other people mimed the vocals in videos and at gigs.
This is the absolute best video out on the Martha Wash scandal. This isn't my first time watching this, but I needed to leave a comment to say I appreciate all of the hard work and digging it took to make this! I wish I could find that video of Martha singing "You're My One and Only" live.
Glad you enjoyed it!
I died when Katrine tried to sing on top of Marthas vocals..The NERVEEEEEEE.💀💀💀💀
Right!! LOL
Katrine and her dance skills did kill it in the everybody everybody video.
Man that hurt my ears
she can't sing 😂
It was like when Yoko started trying to sing with Hendrix and John Lennon.
They didn't want to use her because Martha was a plus sized woman... PERIOD.
These songs wouldn't be popular without Martha's powerhouse voice.
100%
Martha Wash is the one and only; you'd recognise her vocals anywhere.
Wow, that clip from Arsenio Hall's show was brutal! She killed it. No warm-up, and sitting down?! Bam! Much respect for fighting for her rights!!!
Right! That clip still gives me goosebumps!
She is a vocal goddess ❤
I hate the way she was treated by the music industry, just because she wasn't thin. Best voice in Disco ever. Her voice is powerful, soulful, amazing.
The ridiculous part about their dismissiveness is that her vocals are the ONLY part of any of these that hold up. Her voice is like a damned weapon.
THIS!! There's countless better sounding dance tracks that came after and before it... but THAT VOICE!
There is no one that sounds like this beauty, no one.
Martha was treated so badly over and over. Having to take legal action for credit and royalties. She has an amazing voice deserves credit!
1990 was a savage year for Martha. You go girl!!
It’s not like it really made people buy her own music. Having a great voice doesn’t by itself guarantee you success.
@@RocStarr913 Sure, if you're as dumb as can be, it doesn't matter sh*t...but if you love music and quality, you obviously prefer Martha by far, regardless how she looks...
@@SmartRobot-wc2fb lol
@@RocStarr913 Oh please! You have no idea what you're talking about do you?
@@RocStarr913
You're absolutely correct it takes marketing to get anyone's voice, looks or abilities to the world. Every song where Martha's voice exist that was on a major label sold in the millions which includes her very own first solo album. Since then she hasn't been picked-up by any major record companies because most of it is controlled by two intities. However it doesn't negate the fact that you don't know or have a clue to what in the hell you speak. Perhaps this thought of yours should've remained in your head as opposed to making an azz out of yourself and typing it for the entire world to see/read!!!!
Out
Martha Wash is the Henrietta Lacks of dance music
Oh my god she SO IS! Thank you so much for this comment, I had no idea who Henrietta Lacks was until 5 minutus ago! Absolutely fascinating story, and you're right many parallels to Martha Wash! This is quite possibly my favourite comment on my channel ever!!! Thank YOU
Martha Walsh's voice is iconic and is what makes those songs have any impact at all.
The beginning of "Gonna Make You Sweat" where she sings "Everybody dance now!" commanded your attention and it really kicks the song off.
Without her, Black Box would have no bite.
Martha Walsh deserves so much better.
One of the Guys from C & C music factory has said publicly that Martha wash has one of the best voices in the world he also said he watched her record and was spellbound .. its truth Martha has one of the best voices in the world she is still kicking ass her new album is superb .
BlytheWorld1972: And when you have someone like Whitney Houston backing that up, you don't need any other validation...
That's exactly why they should just went with her in the first place her voice was and is so amazing and powerful her looks would of been overlooked for sure
@@anthonysims63 Well in a idea world but music factory was a group for teenagers and for the MTV Era so it would maybe not have worked anyway she gets royalties and out of the full black box .. music factory scandal she got a album deal with RCA! I LOVE HER VOICE and she has a lovely face. i have all her music.
Black Box was the shit in the 90s and now I know why. Today, 6/27/2021, I learned the truth.
@@BlytheWorld1972 Please use some punctuation. I don't know where your sentences begin and end and have no idea what you're saying.
im 43. Ive known this since the 90s....
To OP.
You only learned this *now* ?? Better late than never I suppose. For those who of us with a more open and analytical mind words and rumors were already around back then that their model (who would have guesses that, pardon my sarcasm) wasn't actually the real singer. If you read up on things and knew how the music business worked this wasn't such a great revelation but rather conclusive evidence of something which has been suspected (and for obvious reasons too) for a long time.
My goodness. Martha is beautiful and talented.
Martha Wash is so underrated. She’s got an amazing voice.
Bless that baby’s heart trying to sing over Martha.
To me the hilarious part was when artists tried to deny it was her! Her voice is very distinctive. Anyone with an ear noticed the vocalists on those songs sounded very similar to the woman who sang "It's Raining Men".
I remember watching that Black Box live performance with Katrin Quinol "singing", it was hilariously bad. I don't know if it was intentional or if they accidently kept her mic on. They cut it off about a minute and a half later and then she mimed Martha's vocal track. The con unravelled. Martha Wash is hall of fame worthy based on her contribution to modern dance music.
Interesting, yeah did they leave the mic on by mistake, or did Katrin really think she could nail the vocal? lol
She's a Dude!!
@@pchris3437 😂😂😂
Jeeze that was bad she sounded woof
She sounded so bad. Martha is just on another level 😂.
I willing to bet no one is looking at “Freedom Williams” at all anymore.
Let!s just say Freedom Williams hadn’t aged well….at all.
The Black Box album might as well be Martha Wash's. She sang damn nearly every song on the album!!! I hope the settlement compensated her well. As for that lame "rapper" Freedom, I hope he enjoyed is five minutes of fame because Martha is still booked and busy to this day!
Martha Wash's "Everybody Dance Now" part at the beginning of the song sets the whole thing off!! Plus her poweful vocals throughout the entire song is what makes this song successful, how could they relegate her as background vocals??!! 🤨
RIght!!!
find me one person that knows even one line of Freedoms rap lol!
@@Traxploitation EXACTLY!! 🤣🤣🤣
@@Traxploitation LOL...Nobody even cares what Freedom Williams is rapping about...people just want to get to Martha's part of the song...BUT sadly VEVO or someone at the label is crediting him as "featuring" on the video and not Martha...still...
Truth is that Freedom is as bad a rapper as Martha is a great singer.
Yes!! Then only parts of this song I remember are her hooks and riffs haha
Those days hosted the legendary raunchy afterhours NYC dance clubs such as Sound Factory, The Tunnel, and Paradise Garage.
Martha wash is the best dance voice of the 1990s
MARTHA WASH WAS THE REAL QUEEN OF DISCO MUSIC SHE A REAL SINGER WITH SOME OF THE MOST POWERFUL VOCALS OF ALL TIMES.JUST THE LYRICS-- EVERYBODY DANCE NOW I'M GOING TO MAKE YOU SWEAT -- SHE THE BEST WAS CHEATED OUT OF HER TRUE GREATNESS UNTIL JUST LATELY SHE TRULY A GREAT CLASSIC LADY THAT GIVES FROM HER HEART. --DUNMORE MUSIC OF MONEE IL.
1:22 the female milli vanilli...that hurt my ears 😆
Marth ran it up off lawsuits !!! Should’ve just did the lady right !!! She a big and beautiful woman they was buggin!!
Taking credit for other people’s work is so deceitful. I’m glad Martha fought for the credit she deserved.
You same here for 7:07!!!! Sang Martha …broke no sweat hitting that note
Martha was also the lead vocal on some Seduction records also produced by C+C
Mentioned right at the end.
Loleatta Holloway, Marta Wash, Jocelyn Brown,... almost three parallel stories.
Loleatta Holloway
(Black Box - Ride on time)
Marta Wash
(Black Box, C+C Music Factory - Everybody dance now, ...)
Jocelyn Brown
(Snap - The power)
Her voice is literally the hook of that song!
Fatphobia and racism are a huge part of the music industry. They use her voice but couldn’t sell her as “sexy”, so they erased her. It’s awful.
Your stretching reality not about fat or ugly its about what company get away with or contract signing did she read over any contracts was she studio singer or back up singer was she in contract or independent was she managed or have a agent or representation no phobia don't use that for excuse if you weren't there personally just saying industry does alot of corner cutting many large men and women are front singers Aretha franklin Luther vandross
@@williamcooper9379C&C said
C&C themselves said that never happened. That it was simply because Wash refused to sign a contract to become part of the group, that she wanted to do R&B music and be taken more seriously. They had said that they would have replaced Zelma Davis if she had wanted to join and they asked her several times. They also said the issue was that Wash had already sued C&C at the time for using her vocals on the Seduction “True Love” single and that had a lot to do with why her vocals were left on it.
Word. Same with Missy Elliott.
Martha was big but very beautiful so she definitely could've been the face of the songs years later kelly price came out
Michelle Visage was in the girl group Seduction. This is an important link. Drag Queen Rupaul is a huge Martha Wash fan. He re-recorded It's Raining Men with Martha, and she recorded with Rupaul on his album. Martha also served as a judge on Rupaul's Drag Race. The interesting thing is that Michelle is also very close friends with Rupaul. I wonder did this issue ever come up?
Great video btw
I don't think Martha had a personal issue with the people who mimed to her voice. I think she saw the record labels as being the ones that did wrong by her. Even with C+C she was able to continue working with them after everything. That's just another example of her class.
7:09 SHE DID THAT AND SHE COULD DO IT AGAIN AND AGAIN 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 thank you for making this video and shedding a light on her story ♥️
I get goosebumps every time I watch that clip!
After all this years the only things then people remember on "Gonna make you sweat" is the line "Everybody dance now!!!!"
And the "tu-du-du-duh" part which is also hers! Haha
We love you Martha and I'm sorry this happened to you 💛💛💛
Marth Wash was a force to be reckoned with!
2022...just the other day a Supervisor on the job was singing it’s raining men lol lol lol. Martha Wash can sing with the best of them, and she know it! Mighty Real...
Martha Wash could sing almost any genry and she'd sound great.
Such a well put together video lol. I hope the people in the BACK are paying attention
Bravo for this - VERY thorough disclosure. Martha Wash was treated in THE most despicable way possible. I LOVE all those songs and it's THAT voice, that AMAZING powerhouse of a voice - which made all those songs hits. BIG hugs to you Martha - I'm so very sorry you endured such. Your vocal gifts are INCREDIBLE! God bless and DO keep on singing!
~Thanks for this video - THE most complete explanation of the total, disgusting scandal. Great job!
Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment as well, I really appreciate your feedback 😀.
This video came from a longer one I made about the whole practice of ghost singers and how, like in the case of Martha, not all the participants were willing.
Check it out if you get a chance...
czcams.com/video/mFWh2HV5T0s/video.htmlsi=tLmY9UEQfer5llps
@@Traxploitation YVW and will do, re that other video....
~The series of events that led me to this video of yours = Someone posted something in Twitter and my response was to post the video of "Gonna Make You Sweat" bec their post had to do with everybody dancing....
~~Immediately I recalled the Martha Wash scandal, so I wanted to add that post in order to honor her. This then, is how I found your video, then shared it.
~So yes, all thanks go to you!🥰
I haven’t even watched this yet. I just came from a list songs Martha Wash sang and I had to look her up and…man, she’s *way* underrated.
Her belting on “Strike It Up” alone puts her up there with some of the best ever do it. Not many singers can wring out such raw emotion and pure excitement singing so few words as she does.
Martha Walsh is beautiful and so super talented 🌟❤️🎵🌟
FREE IDEA! Someone please do an animated version of the music videos from that era and center Marsha as the main character. Someone talented please do this. Her proper fame is long overdue!
I had no idea that was Martha in Seduction.
so glad she kept fighting. the nerve of these ppl, i swear 😪
I'm just finding out who she is in 2023!! That's crazy., and I'm so glad that she "SUED" them!! She was and is so derserving because that song is "ICONIC"❤
Thanks!
There was some debate in the comments if "iconic" was the best word, and not just a played out cliche, but I stood firm than if one vocal line from one vocalist deserves to be described as Iconic its Martha Wash and "Everybody Dance now!" 😁
7:07 OMG IT'S HER!
Never fails to give me goosebumps!
I’m happy there are more and more contributions about Martha’s work and achievement. Thank you for that ! This part of her career is indeed very unknown by the public.
I never knew this and without this video I would’ve never known. I feel so bad for her. I love her voice, she is so talented
She was robbed. There’s no telling what status she could have left if she was giving her right to shine.
Big big big thanks to the maker of this video you rock .
Thank you! So glad you enjoyed the video :)
Thank you for bringing this together! HAIL MARTHA WASH!
Some people don't realize that Martha Wash is a vocal legend in the music industry for over 40+ years. My memory of her was when she sang with Sylvester and was part of the duo "Two Tons of Fun" which later became "The Weather Girls" with Izora Armstead. I remember her lawsuit with Clivelles & Cole. This may sound silly and petty back then but I always laughed at Zelma Davis when she "tried" to sing "Gonna Make You Sweat" live and I'm still laughing. Poor Freedom Williams... He was just the rapper with a fit body with dance skills. Great bio. Thanks.
❤️❤️We you Martha.Thank you for this informative post. It’s so unfair what they did to her. She should sue them more and own the entire catalog of her albums . No one should claim her songs/own voice🙄🙄
This is why the late Melanie Thorton of La Bouche was so great. She had the looks, the voice, and the moves. Women like her don't grow on trees.
Women don't grow on trees at all. 🤷♂️😆😂
Great work mate, she is the best.
You have to give Sylvester credit for featuring his singers as-is, which elevates his music to higher level to me. Disco (in the original days) was so much about acceptance for the people who had been cast aside - the misfits, gays, gender-fluid.
This was really good 👍
thank god for her tenacity. Throughout history there's so much abuse & greed. Artists getting exploited. At least this one end in victory.
Thank you for this. Martha Wash should have been way bigger than what happened too her. It is a shame slime balls can get away with what they do.
This story was a long time coming. I knew there was tricky stuff going on but this video really tells it. I love her so much. I'm glad she got some of what she deserved for her amazing contributions. HER hits are still being played. Some are classics in the strictest sense of the word. They'll ALWAYS be IN THE POCKET. XOXO Thank you so much for this upload and the work behind it.
She did great !!!!
Thanks so much!
That'd be like getting Eddie Van Halen on your song, it becoming a hit, and then saying "oh anyone could've played guitar."
For sure!
I mean if "anyone" could have sung it then why specifically ask Martha? 🤔
Excellent video and compilation of different interviews to explain everything 👏 Even though I knew about the Black Box and C+C situation, I'd never seen interview footage of these so-called "men" being so dismissive of Martha Wash's contribution to classic songs which by now are so engrained into the public consciousness. To see that "guy" say "not to sound rude or callous... I'd rather see Zelma on stage" 😯 Well, that was downright rude, and just shows how perverted his own judgement is. Then to see that quote, justifying their reasons for not crediting Martha "anybody could have sung it" 🙄 But you DID choose Martha, and you tried to cheat her out of it! Good lord! While my initial reaction is anger, I can happily admit to myself now, Who are these "guys"? Just perverse nobodies who tried to cheat talented singers out of their due credit. Now, I'll just go back to my beautiful Martha Wash albums 🥰 Love you Martha 🙏💗
Katrin Quinol was the original “Milli Vanilli”
Actually, The Partridge Family held that honor.
Wow. They were many singers/groups that lip-synced way before them (Ex. The Crystals). And for the record, Milli Vanilli can actually sing
Martha you rocked the crap out of those bony girls and shame on them for not showing u on the videos. Misogyny and discrimination at its finest!
She had a long relationship with C+C before this… sad. Even thought C+C started as a studio project for clubs, they shouldn’t have done that to her
I don’t feel sorry for her. She was a completely willing participant in it and only came out about it and raised a stink because she wanted to do her own music and be a name. It was clearly about her ego.
@@RocStarr913 she was "willing" and paid to do the demos, she wasn't asked to do the vocals on the final cut, if she was I'm sure she would have asked for more than $1,000. They deceived her by releasing a product in bad faith.
@@RocStarr913 She already was known in the music industry, long before C&C Music Factory or Black Box projects. So, even if it was an ego thing she was entitled to her legal rights. Those projects only were feasible and sold out massively due to her major contribution. Those are the facts that matter.
Omg! That Arsenio performance blew my mind!
Right! Gives me goosebumps every time!
Bought the compilation of Disco tracks. I was shocked 😲 that they used her voice for a model who does not have the vocal chords.
I'm dying including that clip at 1:20 was so shady 😂
Still my favourite bit lol... Black Box actually tried to have these videos removed from CZcams, they really want to keep this debacle secret
@@Traxploitation who are they fooling lol
@@Traxploitation katrina truly played herself. Her lungs will burst before she could touch Martha 😂.
Well presented, and documented.
Where is the imposter they hired where are they now 👀👀👀👀 all gone dead and buried they career is in the dumpster 👉👉👉while Martha is still there hitting vocals 👆👆👆making money creating tremendous music to make the world shine don't play with the hands of God 🙌🙌🙌....you go Martha you and many others has been exploited yet still rising 💎💎💎💎💎💎💎💎
Thank you!! ❤
8:22 Whitney sums it up
Thank you.
Amazing. thank you. i didnt know about this.
Even then we all knew it was Martha so why didn't she get her props then? Criminal
Jenry.. but carry on 🤣💀.. Martha’s voice gives me chills and brings back so many great memories ❤
Dad said always consult a lawyer!
Anything they ask u to do
........consult.
Dude didnt "mean" to be cold and callous (Mr. January) but that's exactly what he was.
when people start sentences "with all due respect..." they have no respect, when they say "i dont mean to be..." the ABSOLUTELY mean to be... Freedumb Williams is a lowlife.
Great content. Good video. !
Thanks for watching
I always thought this was suspicious. The vocal was familiar but the singers of black box and c+c music factory looked different. This is the first time I’ve seen the truth. I am surprised those bands didn’t get burnt alive like Milli Vanilli did.
It's mad! It was literally happening at the same time. Milli Vanilli, weren't the first or the most famous to do it...🤷♂️
No way in heck would those songs been popular without Martha's voice. That woman has a roar like Jennifer Holiday. She has a very strong voice. A skinny no talent woman tried to take her place. They wronged her and she should have gotten millions off of those sorry rascals!!
what ❓ JENRY
Yow history has shown us that big girls can sing.
Just found out she lives 10 minutes from me!!
So sad! they don't want recognize, her whole talent. Pure talent.
Just a note in rebuttal of Freedom Williams, Martha Wash transcends JENRY 🤦♀️🤦♀️
I will never understand why they didn’t want Martha Washington front and center. I never paid attention to the album cover. I loved the songs because of the vocals. Yes they were trying to put a beautiful woman upfront but I truly believe no one cared. We loved they songs because of the vocals.
Who can say what "beautiful" even is??? I think she's beautiful! But you'e right it starts with the voice, we fall in love with the voice and the song first...
@@Traxploitation yes you are correct. I should have worded that better because I think she is a beautiful woman. The industry has their own version of what they think is beautiful. I personally don’t think woman reach their true beauty until they are in their mid 30’s and up. Thank you for bringing that to my attention. Have a great one.
@Traxploitation If that were the case, why did "The Real Milli Vanilli" (the actual singers, not Rob & Fab) fail to catch fire and become superstars?
Even now, Corona does concerts in Europe. They still dig the music. They'd rather have Olga Souza, the model, lip-synch the lyrics or actually sing herself (as she has in recent years....you think Katrine Qunol is bad?) than see Giovanna "Jenny B" Bersola perform the tracks.
These bastards! Martha Wash is one of the best voices hands down!!
Excelente CANTANTE, y su voz es fácil de identificar muy agradable, pero es increíble como subió de PESO que le PASOOOOOOOO......? 😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱
@07:06
the voice of a Goddess❤❤❤
I’m glad Martha Wash sued and got her money for them using her vocals and not giving her credits!
1:16 Best part !
What a great fraud story of Black Box. I was a big fan of Right Rn Time. I never know the singer was fake and Martha Wash was the real voice. Thank for explaining all this. I subscribed.