Nothing But Heartaches..what happened? [Archive]

florence

01-20-2016, 02:21 PM

Sounded to me very much like Back In My Arms Again Pt II although similar sounding follow-ups were more readily accepted in the 60s.

It did make #8 on Cashbox but there was tough competition at the time including The Beatles and The Beach Boys. It was even headed by The Four Tops' It's The Same Old Song.

Not sure that Mother Dear which was the initial choice as the follow-up to Arms would have fared any better.

jobeterob

01-20-2016, 02:49 PM

I think it was a great song.

They were churning out a lot of material, perhaps a bit too much. When you have "ultra" success, there comes a stage where the public just gets a little bit tired of the same thing. They got tired of Whitney Houston in the 90's as well.

I think the promotion was there as well.

Stop in the Name of Love was such a massive hit; Where Did Our Love Go and Baby Love were such massive hits. They couldn't all be massive.

#11 is a huge hit, just not for the Supremes. Any Supreme other than Diana would have gone google eyed to have a #11 Top 100 Hit.

But when you were Diana Ross or Diana Ross and the Supremes, that is not considered a big hit.

bradsupremes

01-20-2016, 03:06 PM

This was discussed before and it was a matter of a few things. First, Motown got into the belief the Supremes were constantly going to score number ones. I think they fell into a "too safe" mode and perhaps didn't it the extra push it needed. Second, the formula was growing tired. HDH had to change it up and they did with "I Hear A Symphony." Third, look at the top 10 the week "Nothing But Heartaches" charted at #11. It's quite a packed top 10 with many classic hits we know today. Had the song dropped a week before or a week later, who knows. Maybe it would have cracked the top 10, but it was stiff competition.

In my opinion, "Nothing But Heartaches" is a great song. I just don't think it had the hook to make it number one like the previous hits.

144man

01-20-2016, 03:09 PM

I think it was a great record with an instantly memorable tune. However, it might have fared better if the alternative version with the instrumental break had been released instead.

Last time we discussed this topic, the exceptionally high quality of the ten records stopping it from getting any higher was mentioned.

TheMotownManiac

01-20-2016, 03:40 PM

It had absolutely nothing to do with promotion - HDH said as much. They did it on TV, had a natural spot on the playlists and got huge initial airplay - it just didn't respond to the buyers like the others. Promotion guarantees nothing - it can only get a song played but the public decides what it wants to buy. It was "somewhat" similar to BIMAA in pace, but only in pace. I think three things held it back.
1) The melody line of the verse is practically non existent - if it wasn't for Ross' superb vocal breathing life into it, it would have never seen #11.
2) More Hits was issued just a few days after and the LP sales surely hurt the momentum the 45 would have had if it had 4-6 weeks lead time.
3) The word "heartaches" does not resonate with the vernacular of the peasantry as it were. No race, creed, color, socio-economic background used that word.

I loved it instantly and still do, however I have several friends who always thought it was just "ok" but I don't know anyone who thinks Mother Dear would have hit harder or at all. Maybe Honey Boy or Whisper but definitely not Mother Dear - the title alone would scare off the average teenager. The last thing teens want to think about id their mothers.

I think it's just one of those mysteries - like Wild One tanking after Dancing In the Street. Sure it's not AS good, but not even top 30?

RossHolloway

01-20-2016, 04:23 PM

Well its one of my favorite songs by the group and Ross gives another of her classic performances. But 50 years later who really cares how it charted, the very fact that we're discussing this 50 YEAR OLD SONG says something about it. Plus didn't someone also mention the fact that the group did not sing the song on Ed Sullivan but instead in the run up to their Copa engagement they performed standards instead.

sup_fan

01-20-2016, 04:24 PM

also apparently when the girls appeared for the 2nd time on Ed Sullivan they were to perform Nothing But Heartaches and You're Nobody Till Somebody Loves You. when time constraints limited the group to only doing 1 song, Gordy opted to cut Nothing But Heartaches. this definitely meant a significant reduction in national exposure. But he was so focused on making the girls appear as all-around entertainers.

it's certainly debatable that even with the exposure it might not have gone #1. I agree with the above in that the song wasn't really anything new or exciting. WDOLG was something totally new and different. Baby Love and Come See were similar enough but helped further develop the WDOLG sound. Stop was similar but HDH helped expand the sound with a fuller production. Back in My Arms is pure on classic Motown. But by Nothing, it wasn't as fresh or as new. Symphony was Motown but with heavy strings and symphonic production, key changes and all.

I don't think Mother Dear would have done much differently. IMO I like the last, faster version the best.

luke

01-20-2016, 04:25 PM

I agree with a lot of what you said Maniac though to me it's not one of Ross' best performances but also perhaps cause I think it just "ok". Sounds generic to me tho I did like it right away it didn't stay with me like their first 5 numbers ones and then Symphony etc. Same for Wild One. Like it at first then it faded.

BayouMotownMan

01-20-2016, 05:35 PM

This remains one of my most played recordings by any artist. I was heartsick when it crashed.

I think the problem was the mixing. The original mono mix is quite muddy sounding. Perhaps as someone said, the teen heartbreak theme was getting old and the girls were now 21 and 22 yrs old. The background vocals were some of the best with Flo and Mary leading Diana into the chorus [[He brings...) rather than following her. Had the group not had five NO. 1's this would not have been considered a failure. Also consider the More Hits lp was issued at the same time as the single. Some, like myself, just bought the whole album to get the song.

It was only on Billboard that the song didn't crack the top ten. Other charts had it firmly into the bottom reaches of the Top 10. It was a hit.

luke

01-20-2016, 05:54 PM

Good post sup_fan. I'm sure an Ed Sullivan performance would've increased sales

Methuselah2

01-20-2016, 06:25 PM

I've often heard mention of the similarity between NOTHING BUT HEARTACHES and BACK IN MY ARMS AGAIN--but it's one I've never heard myself. To my ear, it sounded like a complete departure from the previous five singles of The Supremes. And it sounded like that to my feet, too! Very danceable--something that I thought was never quite there in the prior five recordings [[and returned only once more--for me, that is--with LOVE IS LIKE AN ITCHING IN MY HEART). NOTHING also had a hard-driving beat and a certain vitality to its orchestration that added power and punch to Supremes' music that I hadn't heard since WHEN THE LOVELIGHT STARTS SHINING THROUGH HIS EYES. Perhaps it wasn't something that some expected at this point--nor, perhaps, wanted. But I certainly wanted it, and how!

How much any of this actually affected sales is impossible for me to say. But I think the visual aspect of The Supremes is one that can't be ignored, and I've always felt their performance of NOTHING on Hullabaloo was a bit lackluster--except for the nice back-drop blow-up of the MORE HITS album cover, the routine--as much as I still like it--was a bit ho-hum. Especially coming just a few months after doing the beautifully stylized BACK...ARMS with Diana leading its opening soulful soft-shoe step and Florence and Mary's surprising fluttering of their hands as they shimmied their bodies downward. That great routine added a lot of snap--but there was nothing memorable like that in the NOTHING routine. What was most memorable about that one was that it had Florence and Mary repeating the hands-clasped-together-with-a-switch-from-side-to-side move that they had done earlier that year--and also on Hullabaloo--in COME SEE ABOUT ME. [[And I don't mean memorable in a good way.) As much as I still enjoy their NOTHING routine, I don't think there was anything about it to push anyone who may have been 'on the fence' about the recording into the record store.

Lots of interesting comments throughout this thread. Glad that Theboyfromxtown brought up dancing to NBH and also The MotownManiac's referencing how the MORE HITS album release may have impacted NBH's sales.

marv2

01-20-2016, 06:45 PM

It was a good song. Sounded almost like a march. I did not care for the intro though.

antceleb12

01-20-2016, 06:56 PM

I've always hated it. One of my least favorite Supremes songs. I don't think it was real melodic, nor does it have a hook that's instantly attention-grabbing. On first listen I think its very forgettable, and if it doesn't catch you the first listen its hard to catch on.

bradsupremes

01-20-2016, 07:26 PM

I might add the live version of "Nothing But Heartaches" was lackluster. Diana seemed like she couldn't stay on top of the song. Maybe it was the arrangement itself. Never cared for the trumpet intro on it as compared to the studio version intro with guitars.

Here's the top 10 songs during the week of September 4, 1965:
01.) Help! - The Beatles
02.) Like A Rolling Stone - Bob Dylan
03.) California Girls - The Beach Boys
04.) Unchained Melody - The Righteous Brothers
05.) It's The Same Old Song - The Four Tops
06.) I Got You Babe - Sonny & Cher
07.) You Were On My Mind - We Five
08.) Papa's Got A Brand New Bag - James Brown
09.) Eve Of Destruction - Barry McGuire
10.) Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me - Mel Carter
AND
11.) Nothing But Heartaches - The Supremes

Looking at that top 5, "Nothing But Heartaches" would have had a very hard time to break through those. Those are solid hits. Had the song been released a few weeks prior, I think it could have broke into the top 10.

BayouMotownMan

01-20-2016, 07:55 PM

Did anybody do a cover of NBH? I never heard one. Tons of their material has been covered or sampled, even No Matter What Sign You Are

TheMotownManiac

01-20-2016, 10:24 PM

It was a good song. Sounded almost like a march. I did not care for the intro though.
I agree about the intro - it sounds like they couldn't think of anything and it was going out the door that minute. It was the first Supremes hit to not have a fab intro

captainjames

01-21-2016, 10:25 AM

I loved it and it is still one of my favorite Supreme songs - Flo looked so happy here in this performance. Mary was pretty as ever and Diana was just awesome.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yisp0TF-Xas

luke

01-21-2016, 11:41 AM

Yes flo should did look happy and relaxed..maybe cause she could really be heard..as loud or louder than Diana whose vocals seemed mixed back. Was this all lysincing to record? It didn't make me appreciate song any more though.

Glenpwood

01-21-2016, 12:04 PM

Here's a thread from a few years back that puts Nothing But heartaches into context with the records it was competing with during its chart run...

http://soulfuldetroit.com/showthread.php?4792-Nothing-But-Heartaches-Chart-Run-Analysis&highlight=destruction

I really like the song but I think HDH went back to the same well too many times. They shifted gears for I Hear A Symphony and things returned to normal chartwise. An #11 peaking single is still a major accomplishment and was still a hit in those days. Its a shame Billboard never saved their raw data for compiling their charts as a #11 one week could mean top five the next. Its kind of like how the "At The Copa" album peaked at #11 during the 1965 Holiday season yet would have easily been a top ten album if it had come out in January 1966 instead. It certainly sold better and charted longer than a couple of the albums that initially surpassed it to the top ten in those days....

Bluebrock

01-21-2016, 12:09 PM

I far preferred "nbh" to certain other Supremes tunes such "love is like an itching in my heart" and "back in my arms again". Just my opinion.

marybrewster

01-21-2016, 12:19 PM

Unlike many of the other Supremes hits, it doesn't seem like this packed the punch in the first few bars like many of the others. "Baby Love", "WDOLG" or "Stop!" instantly sucks you in.

Bluebrock

01-21-2016, 01:27 PM

Unlike many of the other Supremes hits, it doesn't seem like this packed the punch in the first few bars like many of the others. "Baby Love", "WDOLG" or "Stop!" instantly sucks you in.
You must be correct because it did nowhere near as well as the previous 5 but I still love it. Always have and always will.

daviddh

01-21-2016, 07:09 PM

Loved it. think the song was great and has held up well. but I think the song missed, if you want to call it that, because Motown didn't know what to release, either Mother Dear or Heartaches. I think the Supremes only performed it once or twice.... and they performed Mother Dear twice. I think this created confusion among fans and possibly programmers. I still feel if those other two performances were actually 'Heartaches ' it would have given the song the push it needed, but to be fair I also feel Motown was busy promoting Copa performances as I think a lot was happening with the Supremes at the time .....between the copa shows, the release of More Hits...and Heartaches among other events

daviddh

01-21-2016, 07:14 PM

last thought, this song was the first to not have Baby Baby Ohh Ohh.....Baby....it was more soulful , but I do think it had a good dance feel.....the Funk Bros was working this!!!!

have you listened to the alt version from the More Hits deluxe version

daviddh

01-21-2016, 07:23 PM

the song sold like 700,000 copies , so to me that's a hit

Jimi LaLumia

01-21-2016, 08:03 PM

the hook for the title wasn't as strong as the title hooks for Stop, Where, Come, Baby and Back..it just wasn't.. the hook for the title was back to full strength with Symphony.. I liked Heartaches cos i was a dyed in the wool Supremester but this was too frantic/ hectic for the average Top 40 crowd to bring it all the way

jobeterob

01-21-2016, 08:43 PM

There are two Supremes that aged well, that weren't monster hits, that are favorites for some fans, that are better than some of the Monster Hits ~ Love Is Like An Itching In My Heart and Nothing But Heartaches.

Jimi LaLumia

01-21-2016, 08:47 PM

Itching is and always was my all time favorite [["Go, Mary!", which may have been the pre birth of "Go Girl! a decade or so later..)

luke

01-21-2016, 08:49 PM

I so agree with Itching. But I find Nothing but..lackluster

midnightman

01-22-2016, 04:20 AM

I'm shocked "Itching" wasn't a bigger hit either. That song is smokin' to this day!

lockhartgary

01-22-2016, 11:11 AM

I'm shocked "Itching" wasn't a bigger hit either. That song is smokin' to this day!

So much so that I could listen to just the backing track and STILL enjoy it very much!

midnightman

01-22-2016, 12:07 PM

^ Right. The Funk Brothers amp up the FUNK in that song for real! Don't let anyone tell you the "posh" original Supremes didn't get down! LOL

luke

01-22-2016, 12:17 PM

they sure did and also in Going Down for the third time. I think the public was thrown by their gettin down!!

midnightman

01-22-2016, 12:23 PM

^ Yeah. Even now, people are like "I didn't know the Supremes could get down like that!" Lol

Methuselah2

01-22-2016, 02:49 PM

Motown Junkies' interesting analysis of NOTHING BUT HEARTACHES:

http://motownjunkies.co.uk/2013/04/27/611/

RossHolloway

01-22-2016, 03:22 PM

I think way too many folks have gotten caught up on the chart position of the song, instead of the stand alone merits of the song. But also look at the chart position of many "Classic Motown" songs that did not make the Top 10 but are still know the world over. Ain't No Mountain HIgh Enough by Marvin and Tammi peaked barely inside the Top 20, but I doubt anyone would say that it was a flop or a bad song. Same goes for Baby, I Need Your Loving, Get Ready, or The Tracks of My Tears. I mean how bad or terrible of a song could it have been if we're still talking about it nearly 51 years AFTER it was released. #MuchToDoAboutNothingButHeartaches

jobeterob

01-22-2016, 07:30 PM

Some of the biggest sales hits didn't have the highest chart positions.

As has been pointed out, Billboard mixed sales and airplay; the other magazines didn't and it seems that several Motown songs fared better at sales than airplay.

There were separate airplay and sales charts in Billboard for a while and right down to Missing You, Ross sales were significantly better than airplay.

antceleb12

01-22-2016, 07:34 PM

they sure did and also in Going Down for the third time. I think the public was thrown by their gettin down!!

That is a song that definitely should have gotten A-side treatment! Still one of my all-time favorite Supremes songs.

Methuselah2

01-22-2016, 08:46 PM

Berry Gordy's mandate to his staff about releasing only #1s on The Supremes has always left me scratching my head. Perhaps he forgot one thing: He didn't send it to the public, as well. It was impossible to accomplish and certainly impossible to ask of writers and producers. What happened with NOTHING BUT HEARTACHES was merely the inevitable. And a reminder of how things can actually turn out no matter what you do. You can go for '#1 with a bullet' but you sure can't always call the shots.

One more head-scratching issue regarding NOTHING: Its 45rpm sleeve. It was just a rehash of the one that had accompanied BACK IN MY ARMS AGAIN. Always left me thinking: Whose idea was that? OK, yes, I admit sleeves are not a big deal. But in this case, the rehashed sleeve seemed very peculiar to have done. And then, of course, it appeared one more time--to best effect, I'd say, where it should only have appeared--as the MORE HITS album cover. But the overuse was hard to figure out at the time. Almost like an attempt at branding, maybe. Or expediency, perhaps. But I didn't really get it.

Philles/Motown Gary

01-23-2016, 01:51 AM

I loved "Nothing But Heartaches" from the start, but the track that really blew me away from the first listen on "More Hits By The Supremes" was "Mother Dear". The uptempo shuffle beat and the baritone sax were hot, as was the sizzling mix which really cooked and jumped out at you. The fast tempo was exciting to me, and it contrasted the girls' first five hits perfectly. [[In the context in which it was used, the word 'Mother' in the song's title didn't bother me, as Diana was singing about her untrue boyfriend, not her mother.) I can see why Motown considered it for single release. God knows, I played that album track over and over upon its release.

I personally love the mono version of "Love Is Like An Itching In My Heart". Even the grooves on the 45 spiraled toward the center as the record spun. That's how HOT that track was cut! Even better is the extended version of "Itching" with the handclaps contained in The Supremes' 12" Single "Medley".

I, too, love Martha & The Vandellas' "Wild One". It deserved to be a much bigger hit than it was.

detmotownguy

01-23-2016, 01:55 AM

I so agree with Itching. But I find Nothing but..lackluster
Itching was the best, always like the rock edge of that song. Diane did a gr8 job on that song.

detmotownguy

01-23-2016, 02:00 AM

I loved "Nothing But Heartaches" from the start, but the track that really blew me away from the first listen on "More Hits By The Supremes" was "Mother Dear". The uptempo shuffle beat and the baritone sax were hot, and so was the mix. It creally cooked, and it contrasted the girls' first five hits perfectly. In the context in which it was used, the title of the track didn't bother me. I can see why Motown considered it for single release. God knows, I played the album track over and over upon release.

I personally love the mono version of "Love Is Like An Itching In My Heart". Even the grooves on the 45 spiraled toward the center as the record spun. That's how HOT that track was cut! Even better is the extended version of "Itching" with the handclaps contained in The Supremes' 12" Single "Medley".

I, too, love Martha & The Vandellas' "Wild One". It deserved to be a much bigger hit than it was.

yes yes yea on the Itching 12". U talking the Superstar Series? I have to pull that out when I have to do interior painting. The only thing that motovates me.

detmotownguy

01-23-2016, 02:03 AM

Berry Gordy's mandate to his staff about releasing only #1s on The Supremes has always left me scratching my head. Perhaps he forgot one thing: He didn't send it to the public, as well. It was impossible to accomplish and certainly impossible to ask of writers and producers. What happened with NOTHING BUT HEARTACHES was merely the inevitable. And a reminder of how things can actually turn out no matter what you do. You can go for '#1 with a bullet' but you sure can't always call the shots.

One more head-scratching issue regarding NOTHING: Its 45rpm sleeve. It was just a rehash of the one that had accompanied BACK IN MY ARMS AGAIN. Always left me thinking: Who's idea was that? OK, yes, I admit sleeves are not a big deal. But in this case, the rehashed sleeve seemed very peculiar to have done. And then, of course, it appeared one more time--to best effect, I'd say, where it should only have appeared--as the MORE HITS album cover. But the overuse was hard to figure out at the time. Almost like an attempt at branding, maybe. Or expediency, perhaps. But I didn't really get it.

Was it a case of over confidence? I always skipped over it as i thought it was kind of boring. But then again someone said it sold 700k copies sonwhat do I know.

Philles/Motown Gary

01-23-2016, 02:10 AM

yes yes yea on the Itching 12". U talking the Superstar Series? I have to pull that out when I have to do interior painting. The only thing that motovates me.

Yes, Sir! That's the one!

bradsupremes

01-23-2016, 02:13 AM

Methuselah2

01-23-2016, 03:01 AM

Was it a case of over confidence? I always skipped over it as i thought it was kind of boring. But then again someone said it sold 700k copies sonwhat do I know.

It certainly could have been part of it, Detmotownguy. Maybe it seemed like the 6th sure thing to all involved. And to many--myself included as a fan--it seemed it would be. It also might have been a time at the company when many different things were vying for attention and others seemed they could fare well without as much. Factor in the public, also, and the outcome is up for grabs.

Methuselah2

01-23-2016, 03:08 AM

Itching was the best, always like the rock edge of that song. Diane did a gr8 job on that song.

I'm keen on ITCHING, too. Interesting that it was recorded before both BACK IN MY ARMS AGAIN and NOTHING BUT HEARTACHES but not released until 1966. Awfully glad it didn't get shelved and trapped in the vault.

JohnnyB

01-23-2016, 10:13 AM

Was "Nothing But Heartaches" ever performed during the RTL tour? I know they did "In And Out Of Love" and "Forever Came Today" in a few places, but I haven't heard anything about "Nothing But Heartaches" being performed.

Nothing But Heartaches was performed at least once during RTL, in Houston. It was performed late in the show, during the portion in which Diana asked for audience requests.

detmotownguy

01-23-2016, 10:43 AM

Nothing But Heartaches was performed at least once during RTL, in Houston. It was performed late in the show, during the portion in which Diana asked for audience requests.

She should do a HBO special called REQUESTS. Start off by getting a few of the hits out of the way then take requests. Do "obscure" hits for her fans like Too Shy......blah blah blah....there was a clip here a while back where she sat down on the steps and sang a few songs. might have sang a few jazz songs. She really connected to her fans. Her shows from what i can tell have been pretty standard the last dre years.

marv2

01-23-2016, 12:24 PM

I'm keen on ITCHING, too. Interesting that it was recorded before both BACK IN MY ARMS AGAIN and NOTHING BUT HEARTACHES but not released until 1966. Awfully glad it didn't get shelved and trapped in the vault.

Some of these songs like "Love Is Like An Itching in My Heart" were played in Detroit before released nationally it seemed.

westgrandboulevard

01-23-2016, 12:50 PM

marv2

01-23-2016, 01:05 PM

Being a much smaller country, the UK has just a national sales chart.

I often read comments here about certain records in the US doing better in some regions across the States, than their positions on Billboard or Cashbox national charts would suggest.

Did Detroit have its own regional chart, based on sales - or would it have been based on radio plays?

Several radio stations in Detroit, Toledo, Ohio and various cities in Ontario, Canada [[i.e. Windsor, London, Toronto) had their own, individual weekly Hit record charts that were usually distributed and available at most local record shops. I use to collect them for CKLW, WKLR, KEENER and WCHB. These are all radio stations that were popular in the region. Each had different records on their lists based on local sales, phone in requests and airplay. In those days, stations had what we called "Request Lines" where listeners could call in an request a certain record be played or dedicate a record to someone.

marv2

01-23-2016, 01:07 PM

westgrandboulevard

01-23-2016, 01:18 PM

How would sales figures for 'Nothing But Heartaches' and 'Bad Weather' be obtained for placing on the national R&B chart?

From selected record shops and departments, in selected parts of the U.S.?

marv2

01-23-2016, 01:24 PM

How would sales figures for 'Nothing But Heartaches' and 'Bad Weather' be obtained for placing on the national R&B chart?

From selected record shops and departments, in selected parts of the U.S.?

I am not sure how it was done nationally in those days [[Pre-1991), but they would call the local record shops weekly for sales figures for the local radio station Hit Charts.

marv2

01-23-2016, 01:26 PM

Check this out. Here are a good sampling of the weekly surveys for powerhouse station CKLW [[Windsor-Detroit) for the years 1967 - 79:

http://www.ct30.com/big30/index.html

luke

01-23-2016, 01:47 PM

Interesting. Maybe I'm mistaken but it looks to me like up the ladder only made into the 20s but stoned love made it to # 4. I wonder why.

westgrandboulevard

01-23-2016, 01:54 PM

marv2

01-23-2016, 02:31 PM

Interesting. Maybe I'm mistaken but it looks to me like up the ladder only made into the 20s but stoned love made it to # 4. I wonder why.

I can tell you why. That was because the hardcore R&B stations in the area were playing "Bill, When Are You Coming Back" almost as heavy as all stations were playing "Up the Ladder to The Roof"! The excitement surrounding the "New Supremes" was so great in our area that some DJ's were jumping the gun and playing both sides of the single.

marv2

01-23-2016, 02:34 PM

Thanks, Marv.

Always interesting to study lists of titles like these, and note how many lesser known singles feature on them.

Interesting to speculate on why these comparatively little known titles were regionally popular in Detroit-Windsor, and how popular they may have been in other regions.

Also, the reasons why they didn't achieve bigger sales figures nationally.

All based on both the number and geographical spread of the radio stations placing the records on their playlists?

On thing that factored into lesser known singles becoming popular in Detroit was CAN-CON! Some other regions of the United States never heard many of the records we heard just about everyday and that had become very popular locally. Many of these records were by Canadian Artists.

luke

01-23-2016, 03:30 PM

Thanks. Never knew that

marv2

01-23-2016, 05:17 PM

Thanks. Never knew that

You are most welcome Luke!

TheMotownManiac

01-23-2016, 11:05 PM

It is very interesting to see the play list from a Detroit Top 30 station and what Motown got played. Very interesting to see which Ross/Supremes songs got played after the split. Ross fared much better but the Motown Diva of choice at this station was clearly Gladys Knight as ALL of her records got played. I'm very surprised that they didn't play any of The Supremes/Four Tops or Diana&Marvin duets The last Supremes song to get played was Floy Joy and the last Ross was Love Hangover while Gladys got everything spun.

Interesting. Maybe I'm mistaken but it looks to me like up the ladder only made into the 20s but stoned love made it to # 4. I wonder why.

144man

01-27-2016, 04:26 PM

I wonder if it would have done better if they'd released it under the title "I Can't Break Away" instead.

marv2

01-27-2016, 04:34 PM

I wonder if it would have done better if they'd released it under the title "I Can't Break Away" instead.

That would have been a nice title. It was a big hit record that could have went to number one, but there was just a flood of Supremes music put out too closely together.

daviddh

01-29-2016, 12:15 PM

Marv2, I agree , I think the Supremes released 5 albums in 1965, way to much. they competed against themselves really. how many artists release more than one lp per year then the did that again in 1968 ,releasing 6 albums in one year. if I were BG I would had only released WE REMEMBER SAM COOK,MORE HITS, MERRY CHRISTMAS, and I suppose COPA , cutting out LIVERPOOL<COUNTRY ....not to mention MEET THE SUPREMES was reissued in jan 65 with a new cover