Martha Veléz -

Martha Veléz (born August 25, 1945) is an American singer who released the blues-rock-soul albums Fiends & Angels (Sire, 1969) and Hypnotized (Polydor, 1972). Between 1973 and 1977, she released the Sire albums Matinée Weepers, Escape from Babylon, and American Heartbeat. Bob Marley produced Escape from Babylon, which includes her 1976 reggae-pop hit “Disco Night.”

Background

She was born Martha Carmen Josephine Hernandez Rosario de Vélez on August 25, 1945, to a Puerto Rican family in New York City. A singer from age five, she won an opera scholarship as a 12-year-old mezzo-soprano. She attended NYC’s High School of Performing Arts.

Vélez first recorded with The Gaslight Singers, which issued two 1963/64 folk-pop albums on Mercury. In 1969, she cut her debut solo album, Fiends and Angels, at London Studios with backing by Eric Clapton, Paul Kossoff (Free), Jack Bruce, Mitch Mitchell (Jimi Hendrix Experience), Brian Auger, and then-Chicken Shack members Christine Perfect (later McVie) and Stan Webb.

Fiends and Angels

Martha Veléz released her debut album, Fiends and Angels, in August 1969 on Sire (US) and London (Europe).

The album blends blues, rock, and soul with full-band arrangements that highlight Veléz’s forceful vocal delivery. Several cuts harness fast-paced electric drive while others settle into slower, organ-heavy blues.

Veléz co-wrote “Swamp Man” with Bellinger and penned “Very Good Fandango” and “Come Here Sweet Man.” The set also features covers of Jackie Johnson and Lionel Whitfield’s “I’m Gonna Leave You,” Ray Charles’ “A Fool for You,” Memphis Minnie’s “In My Girlish Days,” Clarence Carter’s “Tell Mama,” Chuck Willis’ “Feel So Bad” (miscredited to Lightnin’ Hopkins), Billy Humes’ “Drive Me Daddy,” Bob Dylan’s “It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry,” and Jesse Stone’s “Let the Good Times Roll.”

“I’m Gonna Leave You” and “Swamp Man” open with rapid rock intensity, while “In My Girlish Days” and “A Fool for You” drop into slower blues patterns. “Feel So Bad” introduces funk-inspired rhythms and shifting pace. “Come Here Sweet Man” serves as the album’s slowest number, carried by organ textures. The set closes with a lively take on “Let the Good Times Roll.”

A1. “I’m Gonna Leave You” (4:07)
A2. “Swamp Man” (2:54)
A3. “A Fool for You” (4:45)
A4. “In My Girlish Days” (2:42)
A5. “Very Good Fandango” (0:38)
A6. “Tell Mama” (2:13)

B1. “Feel So Bad” (5:17)
B2. “Drive Me Daddy” (4:52)
B3. “It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry” (2:59)
B4. “Come Here Sweet Man” (5:09)
B5. “Let the Good Times Roll” (2:57)

Sessions took place at Regent Sound Studios in London with producer Mike Vernon and engineers Mike Ross and Malcolm Chisholm.

Veléz sang with instrumental backing by guitarists Eric Clapton, Paul Kossoff, Rick Hayward, Spit James, and Stan Webb; bassists Jack Bruce and Andy Silvester; drummers Mitch Mitchell, Jim Capaldi, and Dave Bidwell; keyboardists Christine McVie and Blue Weaver; organist Brian Auger; harmonica player Duster Bennett; horn players Bud Parkes, Derek Wadsworth, Jeff Condon, and Terry Noonan; and saxophonists Chris Mercer, Chris Wood, and Johnny Almond.

Hypnotized

Martha Veléz released her second album, Hypnotized, in 1972 on Polydor.

The album presents a shift into orchestrated soul-rock and funk-leaning arrangements with layered horns, vocal harmonies, and expanded instrumentation.

Veléz wrote six of the nine songs: “Boogie Kitchen,” “Magic in His Hands,” “Two Bridges,” “Black Rose,” “Hypnotized,” and “Byrdcliffe Summer.” Guitarist Spider Barbour wrote and played on “Lay It on the Line.” Keith Johnson wrote “Livin’ Outside the Law” and arranged horns across the album. Nancy Wade arranged and played synthesizer on the title track and “Space King.”

A1. “Lay It on the Line” (2:20)
A2. “Boogie Kitchen” (3:40)
A3. “Magic in His Hands” (4:15)
A4. “Two Bridges” (3:57)
A5. “Black Rose” (5:10)

B1. “Hypnotized” (5:46)
B2. “Space King” (3:30)
B3. “Byrdcliffe Summer” (3:27)
B4. “Livin’ Outside the Law” (6:12)

Sessions took place at Bearsville, Media Sound, and Studio 914 with producer Richard Gottehrer and horn arranger Keith Johnson. Elliot Scheiner, Mark Hamon, Neil Ceppos, Tony Bongiovi, and Brooks Arthur engineered the recordings.

Veléz sang with backing by guitarists Spider Barbour and John Platania, bassists Don Moore, John Klingberg, and Mike Winfield, drummer and percussionist Dahaud Shaar, percussionists Billy Curtis and Gerardo Veléz, pianist Alan Hand, vibraphonist George Devens, and keyboardist Nancy Wade, who also handled synthesizer and organ. Johnson played trumpet, flugelhorn, piano, and organ in addition to his arrangements. Colin Tilton contributed baritone and tenor saxophone, flute, and horn arrangements. Cissy Houston, Jackie Verdell, Joshie Armstead, and Ronnelle Stafford sang backing vocals.

Hypnotized features cover art by painter OKU with photography by Melinda Parke.

Matinée Weepers

Martha Veléz released her third album, Matinée Weepers, in 1973 on Sire.

The album moves toward structured pop-rock with string and brass arrangements layered over Veléz’s blues-rock foundation. It alternates between concise uptempo numbers, dramatic ballads, and rhythmically varied tracks with orchestral touches.

Veléz wrote six of the eleven songs: “Best Thing on the Block,” “(Give Me Your) High Sign,” “Jive Elephant” (co-written with Olympic Runners), “Revelation,” “Superficial Lover,” “(Taking My Dreams) to the Ozone” (co-written with Pete Wingfield), and “Last Battle on Earth.” Covers include Chips Moman and Dan Penn’s “Do Right Woman, Do Right Man,” Inez Fox’s “Mocking Bird,” and Jerry Moore’s “Aggravation.”

“Best Thing on the Block” and “(Give Me Your) High Sign” open with brisk, contoured rhythms. “Revelation” rises with expansive orchestral layering. “Jive Elephant” introduces playful, vaudevillian elements. Side B includes slower, string-accented pieces and eclectic experiments, such as “Aggravation” and “Last Battle on Earth,” which explore varied tempo and harmonic shifts.

A1. “Best Thing on the Block” (3:29)
A2. “(Give Me Your) High Sign” (2:25)
A3. “Do Right Woman, Do Right Man” (3:38)
A4. “Jive Elephant” (3:51)
A5. “Revelation” (5:47)

B1. “Superficial Lover” (4:47)
B2. “Mocking Bird” (2:59)
B3. “(Taking My Dreams) to the Ozone” (2:34)
B4. “Aggravation” (5:17)
B5. “Last Battle on Earth” (5:22)

Sessions occurred at Wessex Sound Studios, Olympic Studios, Nova Sound Studios, Sound Techniques, and Island Studios in London with producer Mike Vernon. Michael Thompson engineered the sessions with assistance from Roger Ginsley. Strings and brass were arranged and conducted by Pip Williams.

Veléz sang with instrumental backing by members of Olympic Runners and Pete Wingfield on keys.

Matinée Weepers features art direction by Bill Levy, design and illustration by Fred Marcellino, and photography by Joel Brodsky.

Escape from Babylon

Martha Veléz released her fourth album, Escape from Babylon, in 1976 on Sire.

The album places Veléz in a reggae context with backing by the Wailers, including Aston “Family Man” Barrett, Carlton Barrett, and Earl “Chinna” Smith, supported by Zap Pow horns and the I-Threes on harmonies. It blends Velez originals with Bob Marley compositions and co-writes, incorporating occasional nods to her folk and pop roots.

Veléz wrote “Money Man,” “Wild Bird” (co-written with Keith Johnson), “Disco Night” (co-written with Rita Marley), and “Come On In.” Marley wrote or co-wrote “There You Are,” “Bend Down Low,” “Happiness,” and “Get Up, Stand Up” (with P. Mackintosh).

Tracks range from pop-reggae numbers like “Money Man” and the Velez/Marley collaboration “Disco Night,” to Marleys’ originals “Bend Down Low” and “Happiness” with softer, percolating rhythms. “Wild Bird” and “Come On In” attempt folk-inflected arrangements over reggae pulses, while “Get Up, Stand Up” retains angular phrasing and rhythmic intensity from the Marley catalog.

A1. “Money Man” (3:34)
A2. “There You Are” (3:04)
A3. “Wild Bird” (5:06)
A4. “Disco Night” (3:29)

B1. “Bend Down Low” (3:36)
B2. “Happiness” (3:04)
B3. “Come On In” (5:05)
B4. “Get Up, Stand Up” (3:31)

Sessions occurred at Harry J’s Recording Studio in Kingston and Plaza Sound Studios in New York, mixed at Plaza Sound, and mastered at Sterling Sound. Bob Marley produced the album with co-producers Lee Perry and Craig Leon. Rob Freeman and Syl Morris engineered the sessions.

Veléz sang with backing vocals by the I-Threes (Judy Mowatt, Marcia Griffiths, Rita Marley). Instrumentation included bass by Aston “Family Man” Barrett, drums by Carlton Barrett, guitar by Al Anderson and Earl “Chinna” Smith, horns by the Zap Pow Horns, organ by Tyrone Downie, and piano by Bernard “Touter” Harvey, Gladstone and Winston. Marley and Perry added percussion.

Escape from Babylon features cover art and design by Fred Marcellino with art direction by Toni J. Wadler and photography by David Nutter.Sire lifted “Disco Night” as a single (b/w “Come On In”), followed by “Money Man” and “Get Up, Stand Up” (b/w “Up to You”).

American Heartbeat

Martha Veléz released her fifth album, American Heartbeat, in 1977 on Sire.

The album shifts toward polished corporate rock with occasional disco and country-rock inflections, emphasizing studio arrangements over live-band interplay. David Scance contributes heavily on guitars, keyboards, and arrangements, providing a throughline across the record’s stylistic shifts.

Veléz wrote “Up to You,” “Draggin’ Your Eyes,” “When You Were Beautiful,” “No. 1 (Tajie’s Tune),” and “Crossover (Haiku),” co-wrote “Why Do You Say It” and “We’re Gonna Last” with Scance, and co-wrote “Leaving Love That’s Good” with Scance. Outside writers include Carole King and Gerry Goffin (“Oh No, Not My Baby”) and Scance alone (“Once in a While”).

Musically, the album alternates between rockers with driving, steady rhythms such as “Up to You” and “We’re Gonna Last,” country-rock inflections on “Draggin’ Your Eyes,” and ballads with strings or horns, including “Why Do You Say It” and “No. 1 (Tajie’s Tune).” “Oh No, Not My Baby” adapts the King/Goffin classic into a string-accented arrangement, while “Crossover (Haiku)” closes with experimental textures, including Chinese zither and cello solos.

A1. “Up to You” (4:46)
A2. “Oh No, Not My Baby” (2:56)
A3. “Why Do You Say It” (3:55)
A4. “Draggin’ Your Eyes” (3:19)
A5. “We’re Gonna Last” (4:05)

B1. “Once in a While” (3:05)
B2. “Leaving Love That’s Good” (4:02)
B3. “When You Were Beautiful” (2:34)
B4. “No. 1 (Tajie’s Tune)” (4:05)
B5. “Crossover (Haiku)” (3:38)

Sessions occurred at multiple studios in New York, including Sound Techniques, Nova Sound, and Island Studios, with Stephan Galfas producing, engineering, and arranging, and David Scance serving as associate producer and arranger. Charles Conrad handled strings and horns engineering, with Cliff Hodsdon, James Bonnefond, Joseph Intile III, and Peter Roulinavage assisting.

Veléz arranged the songs with Brian Cuomo (strings and horns on select tracks) and Scance, while backing vocals featured Frank D’Agostino, Joan Ellington, Joel Krantz, John Di Robertis, Judy Ellington, Ken Nemiroff, Pat Ellington, and Ron Cartalemi. Instrumentation included Scance on guitars, celesta, autoharp, and Fender Rhodes; John Siegler on bass; Paul Marchetti on drums and percussion; Larry Fast on synthesizer; George Constantinou on pedal steel; Bob Gerland on gerlandophone; and Kermitt Moore on cello. Horns and strings were performed by session ensembles, with soloists on saxophone and clarinet.

Art direction came from John Gillespie, with design and photography by Chris Callis.

Later Activity

After American Heartbeat, Vélez moved into acting. She played the lead in a Broadway run of the musical Hair. In 1986, she had a recurring role on the prime-time CBS drama Falcon Crest. In movies, she’s had minor roles in the 1993 adventure dramedy Father Hood and the 1995 psychological thriller Safe.

Vélez holds a master’s degree from Antioch University in Clinical Psychology and a Ph.D. from Pacifica Graduate Institute in Cultural Mythology and Depth Psychology. She is a founding Fellow of the Imaginal Institute of Ojai, California.

As a playwright, Vélez wrote the award-winning play Power of the Powerless. Her younger brother, percussionist Gerardo “Jerry” Velez, backed Jimi Hendrix at his 1969 Woodstock performance and played in the icon’s short-lived Gypsy Sun and Rainbows. Gerardo later worked with Spyro Gyra, Patti LaBelle, and Van Morrison.

Discography: