I Hear a Symphony

[zani57]

https://www.stereogum.com/2010816/the-number-ones-the-supremes-i-hear-a-symphony/franchises/the-number-ones/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=syndication

[antceleb12]

"I Hear a Symphony" is one of my favorite Supremes songs of all time. And especially in live performances, the ending is simply divine.

Speaking of IHAS, I was re-listening to the '2012 Remix' version on the IHAS Expanded Edition [[digital - I don't have a physical copy with liner notes), I noticed that the backups are fuller and clearer than ever before - but they do NOT sound like Mary and Flo. I'm it's been discussed - but is that the Andantes, or some incarnation of Supremes + Andantes, on backup vocals?

[thommg]

There is no indication in the booklet that there is anyone other than The Supremes on that recording. On that mix and on the My World Is Empty Without You 2012 mix the background vocals have been punched up a bit and are much more noticeable that the usual versions.

[antceleb12]

There is no indication in the booklet that there is anyone other than The Supremes on that recording. On that mix and on the My World Is Empty Without You 2012 mix the background vocals have been punched up a bit and are much more noticeable that the usual versions.

Thanks. Hoping it was my ears just playing tricks on me. :) Might be just Mary a little more present than Flo.

[vgalindo]

There is no indication in the booklet that there is anyone other than The Supremes on that recording. On that mix and on the My World Is Empty Without You 2012 mix the background vocals have been punched up a bit and are much more noticeable that the usual versions.
Who knows? George and Andy said they would not put background information in the booklets anymore. After "Stop in the name of love" caused some fans to get so upset and didn't want to believe them anyways. I for one loved the information and wanted to know about the backgrounds. But I guess for some fans it was a bit too much and they couldn't handle the truth! Makes me sad though because I wanted all the history.

[antceleb12]

Who knows? George and Andy said they would not put background information in the booklets anymore. After "Stop in the name of love" caused some fans to get so upset and didn't want to believe them anyways. I for one loved the information and wanted to know about the backgrounds. But I guess for some fans it was a bit too much and they couldn't handle the truth! Makes me sad though because I wanted all the history.

Same. As disappointing as the truth may be, I think its fascinating history.

[TheMotownManiac]

Because of the childish, bratty and agenda-oriented behavior of a few ______ ____ _
______, the truth is being held back from the majority who want to know the good, bad and the ugly. I hear at least Marlene on the brilliant IHAS, and I wouldn’t care if it was Adolf Hitler, Richard Speck and Donald Trump in the bg If it made a record that good. I hear extra voices on another of my fave of faves: Back In My Arms Again, But I don’t let it bug me.

[vgalindo]

Because of the childish, bratty and agenda-oriented behavior of a few ______ ____ _
______, the truth is being held back from the majority who want to know the good, bad and the ugly. I hear at least Marlene on the brilliant IHAS, and I wouldn’t care if it was Adolf Hitler, Richard Speck and Donald Trump in the bg If it made a record that good. I hear extra voices on another of my fave of faves: Back In My Arms Again, But I don’t let it bug me.
I so truly agree! 💯

[144man]

As the Supremes sang on The Supremes Sing Country Western And Pop: "It Makes No Difference Now".

[sup_fan]

Who knows? George and Andy said they would not put background information in the booklets anymore. After "Stop in the name of love" caused some fans to get so upset and didn't want to believe them anyways. I for one loved the information and wanted to know about the backgrounds. But I guess for some fans it was a bit too much and they couldn't handle the truth! Makes me sad though because I wanted all the history.

they try to be rather discrete about things. in the booklet for A Go Go they clearly mentioned that Flo was missing from multiple recordings. on July 4 and 5 they list a few songs recorded by only highlight album filler tracks in the timeline section of the booklet. they didn't specifically mention that on that day they also did backgrounds for You Can't Hurry Love. but then in the detailed listing of the album tracks where they list all of the session dates, it states YCHL backgrounds were recorded on July 5. so add the two together. Flo absolutely is NOT on YCHL

[RanRan79]

I hear Flo and Mary clearly, no third voice.

[floyjoy678]

I agree that's definitely Mary and Flo though I wouldn't be surprised if an andante is in there helping them out. One of the Holland's or Dozier was quoted as to saying they used the Andantes sparsely when it came to the Supremes and when they did it was to fill out the sound [[Stop in the name of love, In and out of love).

[CoolKatz]

I often wonder why this matters so much with the Supremes [[although I do have my theories) when in fact most if not all of the groups used additional vocalist at various times to achieve a certain sound on record. It's the nature of the business. In my book it does not subtract from their talents or contributions. Do we question which Temptation was missing on a session? Or which Vandella? Or god forbid which Andante?

In my book regardless of who or who wasn't used in the studio, it was the groups who sang it live and went out and promoted the songs.

[jobeterob]

I don’t think it matters at all except for historical purposes

Could you spell out a theory? I cannot think of even one unless you are nuts, crazy and/or mentally ill

[CoolKatz]

I don’t think it matters at all except for historical purposes

Could you spell out a theory? I cannot think of even one unless you are nuts, crazy and/or mentally ill

Due to there being many mentally ill crazy and nuts people on these forums, I choose not spell it out and frankly it's not going to change anything anyway.

[antceleb12]

I often wonder why this matters so much with the Supremes [[although I do have my theories) when in fact most if not all of the groups used additional vocalist at various times to achieve a certain sound on record. It's the nature of the business. In my book it does not subtract from their talents or contributions. Do we question which Temptation was missing on a session? Or which Vandella? Or god forbid which Andante?

In my book regardless of who or who wasn't used in the studio, it was the groups who sang it live and went out and promoted the songs.

It absolutely matters to many people who grew up with the notion that the faces who graced album covers, magazine articles, and televesion appearances weren't the ones on records. And I think you're missing the mark a little bit - it's absolutely not limited to Motown. The Beach Boys, the Byrds, the Monkees, the Ronettes, the Crystals...any act that was substituted in the studio by a session group [[i.e. the Andantes, the Wrecking Crew) has had its share of disappointed fan base, and for very fair reasons.

For many people, the live performances are moot in comparison with the actual records that they grew up with. And I would agree. While I love me some DMF live on "You Can't Hurry Love," the fact that its not the trio on record makes a big difference. I love it, but its not truly the Supremes. Same with "Love Child," "Someday We'll Be Together," "Ask the Lonely..." How can you call it the Supremes or the Four Tops when there's only one actual member on the record? It may be the way the business is, but it doesn't change the fact that it's a crushing disappointment to many to find out the artists they idolized didn't sing on the same records they idolized. It's not hard to imagine why many people were in denial.

For me, I've accepted the fact that not all of our hit records featured just the actual act. I hate it, but I've accepted it. For me it's just about the historical accuracy.

[RanRan79]

It absolutely matters to many people who grew up with the notion that the faces who graced album covers, magazine articles, and televesion appearances weren't the ones on records. And I think you're missing the mark a little bit - it's absolutely not limited to Motown. The Beach Boys, the Byrds, the Monkees, the Ronettes, the Crystals...any act that was substituted in the studio by a session group [[i.e. the Andantes, the Wrecking Crew) has had its share of disappointed fan base, and for very fair reasons.

For many people, the live performances are moot in comparison with the actual records that they grew up with. And I would agree. While I love me some DMF live on "You Can't Hurry Love," the fact that its not the trio on record makes a big difference. I love it, but its not truly the Supremes. Same with "Love Child," "Someday We'll Be Together," "Ask the Lonely..." How can you call it the Supremes or the Four Tops when there's only one actual member on the record? It may be the way the business is, but it doesn't change the fact that it's a crushing disappointment to many to find out the artists they idolized didn't sing on the same records they idolized. It's not hard to imagine why many people were in denial.

For me, I've accepted the fact that not all of our hit records featured just the actual act. I hate it, but I've accepted it. For me it's just about the historical accuracy.

I agree totally with 99.9 percent of this entire post! Only difference for me is the original trio on "You Can't Hurry Love". If it's really true that Flo isn't there- and I think it's probable that she isn't- my feelings take a hit but I still love the song as much as I always have. It's a perfect record. And at least it's two Supremes on it and not a total Andantes replacement, like on many of the DRATS stuff.

I imagine that because background singers are less important than the lead to some people, the idea that it's disappointing to others to find out that Florence and/or Mary were replaced with other singers would seem like some strange reaction to the information. After all, nothing about the record changes. It's still the same song it always was. I can also imagine that opinions would be a bit different if it ever came out that some song credited to Diana Ross as lead vocalist turned out not to be Diana at all, but some soundalike. Of course even in that event, nothing about the record changes. It's still the same song it always was. But it would still be disappointing nonetheless.

[TheMotownManiac]

After Merry Christmas, I gave up trying to decipher who was who in the bg so not hear Flo on YCHL was nothing new to me, and, because the record was absolutely perfect, I didn’t miss her, except occasionally. I believe this was one of the things that set Flo on her collusion course as they had their first #1 album and a giga-hit single which featured Mary but not her in many spots. Mary and Flo probably didn’t know that they weren’t on stop! So it didn’t bother them, but after all the album cuts using only a The A’s, plus a siingle with Mary and no Flo - one can easily see hoe she felt marginalized.

to me, I didn’t care who was on bg - I just loved the records. Now, I care only for insight, not to judge.

[Fullfillingnessfirstfinale]

I think the most important thing, that we must understand, that Motown is a Hit Factory and contains a lot of singer. There are very less singer to grow up as individuals, maybe Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson or Gladys Knight. In my opinion it is wrong to idolize singers escpialley group singers, I heard that Berry´s contract inkludes a rule, that he can replace all the singers of the group. So he had only the difficulties to change the lead singer of the group. When we try to find out to much, then we are dissapointing......so I found out too much about the Supremes, a disaster with "Forever came today" I like it very much and there is only Diana on the record. All the little things push me away from the Supremes into the arms of The Marvelettes! Sure there are a lots of Andantes things too , but a little bit clearer ! Anyway "Forever came today" is sophisticated for me !

[RanRan79]

It's okay to be disappointed when new facts emerge. It's how you respond to that disappointment that becomes an issue. I'm always disappointed when I discover that Flo and/or Mary are not on a particular song. Sometimes it happens through official channels, other times it happens just by listening to a song with new ears. Luckily, Flo and Mary are on at least 90 percent of the songs we always thought they were on, so when a song appears to be someone else every now and then, it's disappointing but it isn't life altering. Lol

[144man]

I'd rather not know; that way I'm not disappointed. The facts get in the way. Not knowing the details makes it more mysterious and magical.