Little Bright Star / I Can't Go On Without You

[Jaap]

I'm sure somebody has explained this before, but I cannot find it in the archives. What is the deal with Little Bright Star by the Supremes and I Can't Go On Without You by Tammi Terrell? It's clearly the same song [[musically) although the credits differ. The late Harvey Fuqua is the main link [[he produced both songs, and co-wrote the latter). Apologies if I bring up an old issue that has been discussed before, but I have always wondered what the history is about these two very similar songs.

[reese]

I don't think there is any big mystery to it. Harvey most likely liked the track to LITTLE BRIGHT STAR and figured he use it for a non-holiday recording as well, which became I CAN'T GO ON WITHOUT YOU.

Sort of like when Chuck Jackson and Maxine Brown recorded the songs THE REAL THING and BABY TAKE ME over the same instrumental track, and actually released both on the same album.

[Jaap]

Yes, but what I don't understand then is the credits. LITTLE BRIGHT STAR is written by All Caps and Mary Dean; I CAN'T GO ON WITHOUT YOU by Fuqua, John Bristol and Sylvia Moy. I thought All Capps and Mary Dean might be fake names, but according to discogs at least All Capps is a real person: Allan Alfonzo Capps.

[reese]

Now I see. I've never seen All Caps or Mary Dean on any other Motown compositions. Maybe those are pseudonyms or else the lyricists for the two songs differ. But the backing track is definitely the same.

[rrussi]

I have never liked when companies do that and fortunately Motown rarely did. I liked Little Bright Star, but the Tammi Terrell song was a real-downer for me when playing her lp.