Martha Wash :: We've Got Her!

Within the world of music there are those talents that are possessed of a distinguished gift all of their own; a talent that sets them apart from the pool that is constantly being dipped into. And in this world of "American Idol" and now "The Voice", a world that has become dependent on the magic of auto-tune and reality show judges to provide us the pre-packaged next big star, in a simpler time we relied on the emotion and tenor of the artist's voice.

Martha Wash is such an artist. The unmatched power of her vocal presence and its profound ability to elevate us to pure heights of adulation on the dance floor has given us the greatest dance anthems in modern music history. She rose to popularity as the back-up act to none other than the incomparable disco diva himself Sylvester. As one-half of Two Tons O'Fun, that she and her counterpart all those years, Izora Rhodes Armstead were able to step out center stage and make a mark on the scene all of their own was no big surprise. That it was the single "It's Raining Men" that they recorded as The Weather Girls and made them a household name - well that was a surprise and still inspires a whimsical tale.

Martha has no regrets about performing the iconic single. "Everybody turned down that song," she revealed to me. "Donna Summer, Diana Ross, Barbra Streisand, anyway - they all turned down the song." But Paul Jabara along with Paul Shaffer who co-wrote "It's Raining Rain" insisted Wash and Armstead record the track. "I need you to record this song," Martha says Jabara would demand. "We walked out of the studio and actually forgot about recording that song, and low and behold...we were meant to record that song."

Everybody Dance Now!

Her voice as distinct as a fingerprint, powerfully rivals even the heaviest note-hitters in the industry still today. Before Mariah gave us all those octave highs, Martha Wash and her deep tones gave us some of the sweatiest dance anthems on the club scene. To dance music aficionados she's as constant as the beat; her name is perhaps synonymous with the "vocal anthem". It wouldn't be a stretch to consider Wash the originator of the house style of music, popularized by DJs, but today there are still some folk (certainly not within the gay annals of club land) who aren't as versed in the career of Martha Wash.

"I think I've gotten to the place where it doesn't surprise me," Wash admits. "Everyone knows the songs, but they may not know the name," even though she has been recording music since the age of disco. "Record companies used to dictate the direction for an artist," she describes. If an artist was a hit with one-particular style of music, the label system structured their career to keep them along that track. But Martha didn't fit that mold, especially given her dynamic range. "I've always been the kind of person that asked: don't just put me in one category. I've been known as a dance music artist for many years, but I've still done different types of music. People just didn't know. "

In the 90's Martha returned to the forefront with some controversy as the chanteuse mostly behind-the-scenes of C+C Music Factory and Black Box. During that minute-era of music, executives made marketing decisions that unfairly kept her out of the limelight, for whatever reason. But it's likely that all that has now so to speak, gone out in the wash. She would soon return to her rightful place, upfront and center, with the release of her self-titled album - a powerfully charged dance album that proved Martha Wash needed to be seen as well as heard! "Even when I was recording the dance music albums I've released, I've always tried to put a gospel song on the album, to let people know there is more than just one category to put me in."

The New Single

To that note Martha has just released the inspirationally charged single "I've Got You." It's a potent and profoundly different sound than what the audiences of her disco/dance music hits would have come to expect from her. "It may be my own fault for putting myself strictly in dance genre -�but that kept me going," she says. Certainly "I've Got You" is more in line with the dynamic versatility that she can still muster as a vocalist. "While I was focusing on this song," she conveys, "I really wanted to put something out there that people could feel. Something that people could hold on to and embrace." It is truly a very uplifting and moving song, and Martha couldn't be more happy with the surprise reception the track has been getting. "It moves people in such different ways," she tells me. "That's the response I've been getting. Everyone can relate to that song in one way or another, and that's the main thing."

Her intention is to reach a broader audience with "I've Got You" and still inspire her dedicated fan base. "As much as my fans including within the gay community have followed me through the decades," - I take pause; has it really been decades? To which Martha affirmatively confirms, "Yes...it's been decades." She continues, "It had to be broader, and with this song its message will be getting out there and people will embrace it."

That the video for "I've Got You" gorgeously places Martha Wash in the center of a theatre, on a stage couldn't be more appropriate. "We were talking about the concept and we decided it should be simplistic - let the song carry the video." And everyone was on the same page, which is a rarity in music.

Remixed and Live

"After people would hear the song, they would ask if I was going to release a remix." I note a hesitation in her voice, perhaps she is concerned about how to carefully construct her answer, but after a few long seconds, she responds: "I have to say no. I want the song to stand on its own merit." But Wash does promise that if "I've Got You" is well received that more singles will follow and that an inevitable album could be on its way. So as a new day dawns, Martha Wash the irreplaceable diva carries on, and now that we've got her, we can't let her go - not yet, not ever!

Strike it Up! The legendary Martha Wash will be moving like a storm front this Wednesday night April 27 for dual appearances in Manhattan. First she'll drop by Hell's Kitchen to perform her new single "I've Got You" at Industry Bar @ 10pm hosted by the divine Dallas Dubois. Then Ms. Wash will move the party on downtown to Chelsea mainstay Barracuda @ 12am to chat some with another pop-culture icon Michael Musto. I can forecast that this weather girl will be delivering the reign! Don't miss it!