The Supremes-The Only Time I'm Happy: Bad Note!

[BayouMotownMan]

More Hits By The Supremes is easily the most played album I've ever owned. Not a bad song on this set.

But someone does hit a bad note!

If anyone cares to listen and verify, and I've noticed this since 1965, that on the final verse of the chorus before the fade, when the ladies sing in unison, "The only TIME I'm happy..." on the word TIME someone, sounds like Flo, really hits a bad note. Surprising that got past HDH

[thommg]

More Hits By The Supremes is easily the most played album I've ever owned. Not a bad song on this set.

But someone does hit a bad note!

If anyone cares to listen and verify, and I've noticed this since 1965, that on the final verse of the chorus before the fade, when the ladies sing in unison, "The only TIME I'm happy..." on the word TIME someone, sounds like Flo, really hits a bad note. Surprising that got past HDH

Yes, I believe it is Flo but I don't think it's a bad note. It sounds ;like a harmony note but the bottom is a little soft so it hits harder than it should. Also, the soprano sound of the note would pull it out a bit whether it was too loud or not.

[BayouMotownMan]

Well, if you notice thom the ladies sing this song in unison except for the parts where Diana takes the lead and Mary and Flo harmonize behind her. Whether it was a bad note or a bad mix someone should have caught this.

It's kinda like that bad squeak the sax player mad on There's No Stopping Us Now. Motown was sophisticated enough by this time to mix these things out.

[antceleb12]

Are you talking about the moment at 1:59 here? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZz4t7FxNwc

If you are, what you're hearing is a dissonant harmony. I don't think it sounds bad. It's just instead of being a third apart from the melody note [[what most harmonies are), its a second apart, which can sound unusual to most ears.

[Ollie9]

Mary's voice double tracked is the only one i hear in the background. I am sure she has mentioned before that Florence was not on this recording?. Someone correct me if i am wrong.

[midnight johnny]

Mary's voice double tracked is the only one i hear in the background. I am sure she has mentioned before that Florence was not on this recording?. Someone correct me if i am wrong.

All seems on key to me.

[thommg]

Well, if you notice thom the ladies sing this song in unison except for the parts where Diana takes the lead and Mary and Flo harmonize behind her. Whether it was a bad note or a bad mix someone should have caught this.

It's kinda like that bad squeak the sax player mad on There's No Stopping Us Now. Motown was sophisticated enough by this time to mix these things out.

I've really come to enjoy that squeak! Mary Wells also has a break in her voice on My Guy that I've grown to look forward to.

[Ollie9]

All seems on key to me.

Thats good???

[reese]

To me, it sounds like Mary hitting a wrong note while singing the word TIME during the last singing of the title line. One of those things that slip through the cracks, I guess. Like the slightly botched ending on the stereo version of REMOVE THIS DOUBT.

[midnight johnny]

Thats good??? I'm not sure what THAT means. I hear Mary's double tracked background vocal.... I hear Mary's "voices" singing "time" at around 1:59....and each voice is singing a different note on "time"...but both are in key...to me. I tried singing them myself...still on key.

[BayouMotownMan]

Flo is on that track. If you listen to the stereo version Flo takes the song out. I don't hear Mary double tracked here and I seriously doubt that Mary would remember Flo not showing up on a session 50 years ago.

[westgrandboulevard]

Just for what it's worth, to my own ears, both Florence and Mary are there [[possibly joined by at least one other voice on the chorus), but their voices are slightly unbalanced, accentuated by the use of echo.

Mary is more audible. She may be standing closer to the mike, if she and Florence were sharing - or her voice may be given more prominence for another reason.

Re: 'that' note. Not sure exactly who it is, but probably Mary - who may indeed be double-tracked, or perhaps simply singing with another, similar voice - but the 'only time I'm happy' chorus is sung in unison.

One of the ladies slips out of singing in unison on just that one 'time' note. While she is still in key, she pitches her note 'sharp' from the intended note, hitting another just above it in the musical scale.

That note stands out, simply because it differs from the note[[s) sung by the other background voice[[s). It may not have been at all noticeable, had she been singing alone.

Just IMO, although technically it is incorrect , the recording still has a lot of charm and character.

I always enjoy being able to hear both Mary and Florence, in preference to some other of their recordings which present a smoother 'blend' of them.... or whomever.... ;)

[BayouMotownMan]

Thank you West Grand, and I agree the song is charming. I think it likely that third voice in the background is Eddie Holland

[westgrandboulevard]

That's a good enough suggestion for me, BMM.

My understanding is that any voice talents which were to hand when the Hitsville recordings were made, were utilised to ensure the right sound was achieved...and why not......

The final result was recordings which are still as great now, as ever they were.:D

[BigAl]

Goodness, how thorough we are! I had never given this even a passing thought before, but when the topic was broached here I instantly remembered that one off-note — even after decades of not having heard the song — and went back to give a listen. I suspect the half-tone variance was unintentional but it sounds perfectly fine — just a little odd in the context of that phrase's being sung in unison throughout the rest of the song, and I wouldn't call it a sour note at all. My guess is that it would surely have been noticed by Quality Control, if not by HDH themselves, and in all likelihood was knowingly allowed to remain as it was. Had this song been planned as an A-side, it's possible that it might have been "corrected" at some additional expense, but its having been just a filler track for the album, it was probably more cost-effective to just leave it. Little imperfections like this give recordings a certain charm anyway.

[midnight johnny]

[QUOTE=BigAl;298588] I suspect the half-tone variance was unintentional but it sounds perfectly fine — just a little odd in the context of that phrase's being sung in unison throughout the rest of the song, and I wouldn't call it a sour note at all. QUOTE]

Al....I totally agree with your summary!

[Ollie9]

[QUOTE=midnight johnny;298567]I'm not sure what THAT means. I hear Mary's double tracked background vocal.... I hear Mary's "voices" singing "time" at around 1:59....and each voice is singing a different note on "time"...but both are in key...to me. I tried singing them myself...still on key.

I was a little confused about your comment as i had mde no reference to the perceived bum note which your message referred to. Happily all is clear now.
I thought i had read somewhere that Mary had mentioned Florence was not present when this song was recorded. I was not entirely sure.
No matter how many times i listen to this song i still can't hear florence's voice in the mix. Just my opinion.

[Methuselah2]

MotownJunkies' interesting take on the recording--and MORE HITS BY itself:

http://motownjunkies.co.uk/2013/02/28/588/