Nowhere to Run (song)

This article is about the Martha and the Vandellas song. For other songs with the same title, see Nowhere to Run (disambiguation).

"Nowhere to Run"
Song
B-side	"Motoring"

"Nowhere to Run" is a 1965 pop single 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.

Overview

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.

Included on their 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. 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.

Arnold McCuller recorded a version of the song, which can be heard in its entirety in the 1979 film The Warriors.

The Dynamic Superiors gave the song a disco cover in 1977.

The alternative history video game Wolfenstein: The New Order, features an English/German version of the song by the fictitious all female group Die Partei Damen.

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
  • Benny Benjamin: drums
  • James Jamerson: bass guitar
  • Earl Van Dyke: electric piano
  • Jack Ashford: percussion, tambourine, vibes
  • Ivy Jo Hunter: percussion (snow chains)
  • Robert White: guitar
  • Eddie Willis: guitar