Martha Wash — Cassette

Intro

Martha Wash possesses a voice that doesn't just fill a room; it commands the atmosphere. It is a massive, dramatic soprano that carries the weight of a gospel choir and the precision of a studio veteran. Her music is the sound of pure, unadulterated liberation, characterized by driving house beats, soaring choruses, and a sense of triumph that makes every track feel like a finale.

What truly sets her apart is the sheer muscularity of her performance. While many house vocalists lean into airy or repetitive hooks, Wash brings a technical depth and emotional gravity that cuts through heavy electronic production. She is the bridge between the church pews and the strobe lights, using her range to turn club anthems into anthems of personal survival and joy.

Start with her self-titled 1993 album for a masterclass in 90s R&B-house fusion. If you want the quintessential club experience, her work with Black Box and C+C Music Factory provides the blueprint for the entire genre's peak era, showcasing why she is the undisputed Queen of Clubland.

Martha Elaine Wash (born December 28, 1953) is an American singer and songwriter. Known for her distinctive and powerful voice, Wash first achieved fame as half of the Two Tons O' Fun, along with Izora Armstead, as they sang backing vocals for the disco singer Sylvester including on his signature hit "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)". After gaining their own record deal, they released three consecutive commercially successful songs which all peaked at number two in the dance charts. The duo was renamed the Weather Girls in 1982 after they released the top-selling single "It's Raining Men", which brought them to mainstream pop attention. The duo released five albums and were heavily featured on Sylvester's albums. After disbanding in 1988, Wash transitioned to house music as a featured artist on several successful songs. Her success on the Billboard dance chart has earned her the honorific title The Queen of Clubland, with a total of fifteen number-one songs on the chart to date. Wash is also noted for sparking legislation in the early 1990s that made vocal credits mandatory on CDs and music videos. Starting in the late-1980s, her studio vocals were used in several successful dance songs without her permission or proper credit. Models lip-synched to her voice in music videos and during live performances, obscuring Wash's contributions and body shape. As a result, she was denied credit and royalties for many of the songs she recorded. This included multi platinum-selling song "Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)". Subsequently, in Rolling Stone, music critic Jason Newman described Martha Wash as "The Most Famous Unknown Singer of the '90s". In December 2016, Billboard magazine ranked her as the 58th-most successful dance artist of all time.

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Our Catalog4 Albums · 1992 · 2020