One of the Oddest Motown Singles?

[thommg]

Motown had money in the Broadway production of Pippin and recorded the cast album. But who would have thought the song they'd pick as a single would be Irene "Granny" Ryan's No Time At All. I wonder why this single release of the song didn't make it onto the cast recording CD as a bonus track along with the Supremes & Jackson 5 singles.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_uHZggFS8U&feature=youtube_gdata

And if you look close at the photos passing by, you'll see the ad Motown used to promote the single.

[robb_k]

8170
At the time it was out, I bought the record for a nickle in a thrift shop. I didn't know the song was from a Broadway Show [[Pippin). At the time, I collected ALL Motown releases. But, I didn't like the vocal, and just threw the record in with my rejects. Now, upon hearing it again, I like the background track VERY much. I don't know if it was recorded in Detroit or New York, but the drumming and strings are great, Was that The Funk Brothers plus other Motown session players?

[marv2]

Motown had money in the Broadway production of Pippin and recorded the cast album. But who would have thought the song they'd pick as a single would be Irene "Granny" Ryan's No Time At All. I wonder why this single release of the song didn't make it onto the cast recording CD as a bonus track along with the Supremes & Jackson 5 singles.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_uHZggFS8U&feature=youtube_gdata

And if you look close at the photos passing by, you'll see the ad Motown used to promote the single.

How odd? Odd as in strange? LOL!

[copley]

I actually love this charming song even though it's as far removed from the Motown sound that you can possibly imagine :)

[carole cucumber]

..... Irene "Granny" Ryan's No Time At All. I wonder why this single release of the song didn't make it onto the cast recording CD as a bonus track along with the Supremes & Jackson 5 singles.



The original cd re-issue of the original Broadway cast album had no bonus tracks. The 2000 re-re-issue included 3 songs recorded by Motown artists who covered a song from the play. All tracks are stereo. I don't believe that there is much difference between the single version of "No Time At All" other than the fact that it is the stereo version compressed to mono and shortened by 45 seconds.

[carole cucumber]

One thing that I've always found odd is that Michael Jackson's "Morning Glow" follow the lyrics in Pippin, but , the J5's "Corner Of the Sky" makes a slight change from 'Cats fit on the windowsill
Children fit in the snow'
to
'Cats sit on the windowsill
Children sit in the show'
Stephen Schwartz was reportedly very upset about the change, but as Motown had poured money into the musical....
Even worse, the Supremes recording of "I Guess I'll Miss the Man" deletes an entire verse-
'Some days he wouldn't say
A pleasant word all day
Some days he'd scowl and curse
But there were other days
When he was really.... even worse'

Is there a version in the vaults with Jean singing the complete lyrics? Was this verse edited out for a specific reason?
Or did Deke/Sherlie/James/Gene/Berry give Jean an edited lyric sheet to follow-and what we get is all that Jean recorded of this song?
Did Schwartz have any reaction or comment at the time about that change? Or did the single come and go so quickly that it never came to his attention?

[carole cucumber]

I think that I've just found the answer to my last 2 questions here:

http://www.stephenschwartz.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/pippin-notes-for-directors.pdf

[kenneth]

I think that I've just found the answer to my last 2 questions here:

http://www.stephenschwartz.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/pippin-notes-for-directors.pdf

For some reason, this link goes to a blank page for me.

[thommg]

I don't believe that there is much difference between the single version of "No Time At All" other than the fact that it is the stereo version compressed to mono and shortened by 45 seconds.

Actually, there is a huge difference between the cast album version and the single. The vocal track is completely different as is the instrumental track, also, there is a background chorus added.

[carole cucumber]

I should have clicked on the link in your initial post. Having now heard both versions, I must say that I prefer that on the Broadway Original Cast Album. One can understand why it became a showstopper and Irene received thunderous applause whenever she performed it onstage.
At first I wondered why Irene rerecorded the song until I read a post by John Rubenstein's understudy , Walter Willison, who developed a friendship with Irene.
Signed to Motown on the strength of the great reception she received from audiences, she recorded the 2 sides that were released as a single and 4 others with producer Bob Crew. Hmmh.... what songs might they be? As TCMSC ended at 1972, we may never know.