Christine Schumacher the winner

[luke]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5SwCFT18J6E Very nice indeed. I never knew she was blind.

[kenneth]

That is such a cool story. I remember that radio contest on WKNR. I think I was 6 or 7 at the time. Everyone loved WKNR [["Keener") and listened to it in Detroit. In fact, "Keener" became my nickname because of it, and because I always listened to it on my transistor radio. Wow, we thought those radios had good sound, didn't we? LOL

[Philles/Motown Gary]

Luke, like you, I didn't know that Christine Schumacher was blind. And I never knew that she had recorded "I Hear A Symphony", either. "Mother You, Smother You" was always the song billed as the result of her having won the contest. Makes ya wonder if she has a whole album's worth sitting in the Motown vaults just waiting for CD release!!!

Kenny, we sure did love those pocket transistor radios! My sister and I each got a Philco transistor radio for Christmas 1964. Hers was white with a leatherette case, and mine was black with a leatherette case. I remember, like it were yesterday, listening to my new radio Christmas night when I heard The Righteous Brother's brand new Philles single -- "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling" -- being played on our local AM station, WGVA, in Geneva, NY. Gerry Sherwin was the station manager and he LOVED Motown. I heard tons of Motown on that little Philco radio until I wore it out!

[luckyluckyme]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3LbnvWrM_Q

[luke]

Scott R was very gracious to her. I really never got the whole story. Did she go into hitsville and actually record with the Supremes?

[kenneth]

Scott R was very gracious to her. I really never got the whole story. Did she go into hitsville and actually record with the Supremes?

I'd love to know. I wish there was a way to find out. Maybe find Christine if we could after all these years! I tend to think they just recorded her over a backing track, but of course as a young kid that would have never occurred to me back then.

You know, this is not really related to this, but not long ago I read a book intended for children about a blind girl and how she adjusted to life with a seeing eye dog. It was a lovely story, called something like "Connie's Eyes" or something like that. I wish I could remember now. Anyway, it was an old book from the 1970s and after I read it, I googled the lady and found out she was a teacher in New Jersey. I found an article online that started out by saying something like "No one in Connie ____ 's classroom raises their hands," and the way they would get her attention when they wanted to answer. It was a beautiful end to a great story.

I'd love to know more about Christine Shumacher. It's funny, I don't remember knowing at all at the time that she was blind, either.

Actually, I found the correct title of that book. Here it is:

13896

[RanRan79]

Is "Mother You, Smother You" slowed down? Christine sounds very different on it than she does on "Symphony". If not slowed, that is definitely not any Supreme backing her up on "Mother You, Smother You".

[snakepit]

The notes in TCMS 1966 state that she recorded her vocals over the original track at Golden World studio. No Supremes in attendance but the competition was overseen by Scott Regan and Brian Holland.
The recording that resulted in the 45 was produced by Lawrence Horn...so it's HDH track, with CS on top.

[johnny_raven]

Detroit Free Press
November 7, 1963
13898

Lansing State Journal
March 4, 1970
13897

[luke]

http://www.mcrfb.com/?cat=438

[lakeside]

https://www.howardhanna.com/Property/Detail/14124-SUSSEX-ST-Detroit-MI-48227/DetroitMISold/216046078
Thanks, Luke, for all the information on Christine. I always wondered what happened
to her. Nice to read she became a teacher. The above is the house she lived in at
the time she won the contest and made the recording.

[kenneth]

Wow, how interesting! And she became a teacher just like the blind girl I read about in the book "Connie's New Eyes." Great work, thanks all!

The house in so evocative of Detroit from that era. My grandparents lived in a house much like it, probably also built in the 30s. Those houses were built to last, too, through all those hot summers and frigid winters!

[BigAl]

It's always been my supposition that this gal had entered a radio contest, the prize for which must have been a "recording session" at Hitsville. I figured that would entail going into the studio and singing along with a pre-recorded track, minus the lead vocal. [[Sort of a proto-karaoke.) I somehow have always doubted The Supremes were actually there, but I could certainly be wrong.

[snakepit]

That's how it happened..see my earlier post...contest with 3 applicants singing over "I hear a symphony ", judged by Scott Regan and Brian Holland.
Christine won, and Lawrence Horn produced her ..vocal onto the Supremes track , at Golden World. No Supremes in attendance.

[snakepit]

Mother You, Smother You [[Brian Holland-Lamont Dozier-Edward Holland Jr-R. Dean Taylor) published Jobete 01-Apr-66
alt titles: 1 Mother You, Smother You With Love 2 I Wanna Mother You , Smother You With Love
Christine Schumacher & The Supremes; recorded Hitsville-GW, completed 15-Dec-66 ; produced by Lawrence Horn
Dec-66; 45 [[M): Motown A [double-sided promo [[same track both sides)] [Winner [["Record A Record With The Supremes" contest) Scott Regen WKNR]
24-Nov-06; CD [[M): Hip-O Select B0007872-02 The Complete Motown Singles Vol. 6 1966
The Supremes; recorded Hitsville, completed 16-Jun-66 ; produced by Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier ; [2nd odb]
[unreleased]; 45 [[M): Motown M 1101 B [title shown as "I Wanna Mother You, Smother You With Love"]
Jan-67; LP [[M): Motown M650 Supremes Sing Holland-Dozier-Holland
Jan-67; LP [[S): Motown S650 Supremes Sing Holland-Dozier-Holland
23-Oct-00; CD [[S): Motown 159 589 2 More Hits By The Supremes / The Supremes Sing Holland-Dozier-Holland [UK]
24-Nov-06; CD [[M): Hip-O Select B0007872-02 The Complete Motown Singles Vol. 6 1966

Courtesy of DFTMC

[BigAl]

That's how it happened..see my earlier post...contest with 3 applicants singing over "I hear a symphony ", judged by Scott Regan and Brian Holland.
Christine won, and Lawrence Horn produced her ..vocal onto the Supremes track , at Golden World. No Supremes in attendance.
I wonder if they pressed some "souvenir" 45s for Christine to give to friends and loved ones.

[snakepit]

It seems the 45s weren't for general sale.
Surely she kept 1 copy?

[marv2]

That is such a cool story. I remember that radio contest on WKNR. I think I was 6 or 7 at the time. Everyone loved WKNR [["Keener") and listened to it in Detroit. In fact, "Keener" became my nickname because of it, and because I always listened to it on my transistor radio. Wow, we thought those radios had good sound, didn't we? LOL

I listened to KEENER radio when I was growing up too. CKLW was my top station though.

[reese]

I wonder if they pressed some "souvenir" 45s for Christine to give to friends and loved ones.

I saw one once when I visited Detroit back in 1990. So I'm sure there must have been others.

[kenneth]

Am I remembering wrong, or did one of The Complete Motown Single sets include a repro of this 45?

[Graham Jarvis]

Been some time now, but thought this might help, as a number of the 45's were issued for free from Scott Regan's radio show. I have always liked the record but never gets a play!

Detroit Radio WKNR Disc Jockey Scott Regan ran a competition with the 1st prize to Record with The Supremes. A Blind 13 yr old SchoolGirl, Christine Shumacher from Detroit's "Wilson's Jr. High School" succesfully won the Competition in November 1966 & recorded the track at Detroit's Golden World Studios. The "Supremes" Mary [[Wilson) & Flo [[Ballard) being the backing singers on the track. The 45 issued had no record number and had a lot of local airplay also being issued free by the Radio Station.Scott Regan had a long affiliation with Motown & Golden World studios. Check out Edwin Starr's "Scotts On Swingers" 45 Ric-Tic 109X Jan 1966 [[also on YouTube)The "Spotlight" Extract & pictures courtesy of "Wilson Jr High School Group"


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EB12B7_jfgg