“Dancing in the Street,” was the work of Motown songwriters/executives Marvin Gaye, William “Mickey” Stevenson and resident songwriter Ivy Jo Hunter. Stevenson was said to have come up with the idea for the song from watching kids jump and play in the opened fire hydrants of the city streets on hot summer days.  They appeared to be dancing in the water.

Stevenson initially showed a rough draft of the lyrics to Gaye disguised as a ballad. When Gaye read the original lyrics, however, he said the song sounded more danceable.  With Gaye and Stevenson collaborating, the duo composed the single with Kim Weston in mind to record the song but Weston passed on the song.  

In 1964, Martha Reeves was singing in clubs around Detroit and working as a secretary at Motown Records.  One day, the 23-year-old saw the company's biggest star, Marvin Gaye, in a studio, working out a song he'd written with Mickey Stevenson and Ivy Joe Hunter.

Reeves says all she could say to Marvin Gaye upon hearing the song was, "Wow." Gaye did her one better. "He looked over and saw me in awe of him and said, 'Hey man' — and this is his exact words — 'Hey man, let's try this song on Martha.'"

Martha and the Vandellas, which then included Rosalind Ashford and Annette Beard, recorded the song at Motown's studios on June 19, 1964.  They got it on the second take — though Reeves believes her first one was even better. "But the machine wasn't on," she says. "Didn't have the tape rolling. And then they said, 'Well, Martha, can you do it again?' And I didn't get angry, but I was so disappointed because I thought I had nailed it."

“Dancing” is remembered for many things, but especially its banging drum track. According to legend, in the studio, producer Ivy Jo Hunter at first had trouble getting the sound he wanted for Marvin Gaye’s drum line, believing it needed more “bump and grind.” Then inspiration hit him. He excused himself, went out to his car and returned with a tire iron. “Roll tape,” he said upon his return. As the preliminary track played, he pounded the iron on the floor and created “Dancing’s” unmistakable, signature downbeat.

The song reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and peaked at No. 4 in the UK Singles Chart.  It is one of Motown's signature songs and is the group's premier signature song.

In the late 60’s, some people interpreted the song as an anthem for Black Americans to engage in protest but both Marvin Gaye and Martha Reeves dismissed the allegation, saying "Dancing in the Street" was nothing more than a "party song."

Various Sources