The Originals - "Suspicion" - Motown 1965

[marv2]

The Originals sounding great on this mid 60s cut. Does anyone know who is singing lead on this record?


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdBmfPg90ic&list=PLD80cFTF1Y3kBzdY-I7WTvGZrJXz_4gbD&index=3&t=0s

[jboy88]

That’s CP Spencer leading on this cut.

[marv2]

That’s CP Spencer leading on this cut.

He really sounds great. A bit like Ronnie Isley here. Thanks Jboy88.

[bradsupremes]

This is one of those "What the hell was Quality Control thinking by not issuing this as a single?!" moments. This could have been the Originals breakthrough song and Motown hid it in the can.

[marv2]

This is one of those "What the hell was Quality Control thinking by not issuing this as a single?!" moments. This could have been the Originals breakthrough song and Motown hid it in the can.

They did something similar to the Spinners. Motown had an embarrassment of riches! So many talented people and not enough staff and foresight to see that they had the potential of becoming the biggest recording company in the World during those years!

[robb_k]

This is one of those "What the hell was Quality Control thinking by not issuing this as a single?!" moments. This could have been the Originals breakthrough song and Motown hid it in the can.
16205
THIS version is not even the best version of this song. While working on The "From The Vaults" previously-unreleased LP project for Motown, during the 1970s, I found this, and the earlier-recorded, better[[tighter) version of this song in The Motown Vaults. We had it scheduled for a later LP than the first [[I think 4th LP), but the project was dropped before that could come out. A British friend of mine recorded it from my copy, and took it with him to England in 1980. It, and many other previously unreleased Motown recordings were then bootlegged for The Northern Soul scene [[several blank-label "carvers" were pressed for Northern Soul DJs). "My version" isn't even on You-Tube anymore, having been replaced by the ever-present 2nd [[IMO weaker) version.

It's a great wonder to me how Quality Control could have decided to issue "Goodnight Irene" [[Joe Stubbs lead), and NOT "Suspicion". The latter is IMO, The Originals' best Motown recording ever, beating out "Baby, I'm For Real", "Green Grow The Lilacs", "The Bells", and all the others. Same is true for "Crying In The Night" by The Monitors, "All I Have Left Are Memories" by Sammy Turner [[& Serenaders), "A Woman Won't Do Right" by Shorty Long, "I Should Have Known Better" by The Marvelettes, "All I Do [[Is Think About You" by Tammi Terrell, "Tears, Nobody, And A Smile" by The Serenaders, "Talking About My Girl" by The Parliaments, if, indeed, as was told to me, that they recorded that track to be sold to Jobete Music, and there was a Jobete Music acetate pressed [[as rumoured to have been seen at Motown), before Berry Gordy cancelled that sale, when he shut down Motown's Jobete Music office in New York after finding out that Raynoma had pressed up Mary Wells' "My Guy" and sold those copies to help finance her office's operation.

There were literally hundreds of almost perfect [[rated 100) super classical Motown recordings left unpressed from 1962-1970, skipped over, for whatever reason, by Quality Control, and then forgotten until we found them in The Vault between 1973 and 1982. Can you imagine 37 out of 40 songs in US Pop Radio stations' Top 40's from Motown labels during 1964-1967??? In my opinion, that amount probably deserved to be, based on level of production quality.

[paul_nixon]

16205
THIS version is not even the best version of this song. While working on The "From The Vaults" previously-unreleased LP project for Motown, during the 1970s, I found this, and the earlier-recorded, better[[tighter) version of this song in The Motown Vaults. We had it scheduled for a later LP than the first [[I think 4th LP), but the project was dropped before that could come out. A British friend of mine recorded it from my copy, and took it with him to England in 1980. It, and many other previously unreleased Motown recordings were then bootlegged for The Northern Soul scene [[several blank-label "carvers" were pressed for Northern Soul DJs). "My version" isn't even on You-Tube anymore, having been replaced by the ever-present 2nd [[IMO weaker) version.

It's a great wonder to me how Quality Control could have decided to issue "Goodnight Irene" [[Joe Stubbs lead), and NOT "Suspicion". The latter is IMO, The Originals' best Motown recording ever, beating out "Baby, I'm For Real", "Green Grow The Lilacs", "The Bells", and all the others. Same is true for "Crying In The Night" by The Monitors, "All I Have Left Are Memories" by Sammy Turner [[& Serenaders), "A Woman Won't Do Right" by Shorty Long, "I Should Have Known Better" by The Marvelettes, "All I Do [[Is Think About You" by Tammi Terrell, "Tears, Nobody, And A Smile" by The Serenaders, "Talking About My Girl" by The Parliaments, if, indeed, as was told to me, that they recorded that track to be sold to Jobete Music, and there was a Jobete Music acetate pressed [[as rumoured to have been seen at Motown), before Berry Gordy cancelled that sale, when he shut down Motown's Jobete Music office in New York after finding out that Raynoma had pressed up Mary Wells' "My Guy" and sold those copies to help finance her office's operation.

There were literally hundreds of almost perfect [[rated 100) super classical Motown recordings left unpressed from 1962-1970, skipped over, for whatever reason, by Quality Control, and then forgotten until we found them in The Vault between 1973 and 1982. Can you imagine 37 out of 40 songs in US Pop Radio stations' Top 40's from Motown labels during 1964-1967??? In my opinion, that amount probably deserved to be, based on level of production quality.

Robb totally agree with you the earlier version is so much better - when This Is Northern Soul was produced I believe they went for the later version and that has always been used in subsequent releases. The earlier version has several different mixes which were prepared for release and I believe they were produced by HDH while the later version was produced by C P Spencer, there is a mix with lots of echo and no strings which is very atmospheric. It's a shame that there is really no place nowadays to explore most of the material that is left let alone alternate versions and mixes..

[rovereab]

I have the earlier version with the different vocal track on the Essential Motown - Northern Soul album, but I am not keen on the lightweight mix of the instruments. The version in this thread, which I have on the This Is Northern Soul:The Motown Sound. has the normal full-on 60s sound which I prefer. Perhaps there is a mix with the earlier vocal and the later full-on mix - that would be interesting!

[MIKEW-UK]

Here's the link to the previous discussion on Suspicion and much more importantly to an interview with CP Spencer and his recollection of Suspicion on which he sang lead

https://soulfuldetroit.com/showthread.php?17627-Here-s-a-real-treat-CP-SPENCER-OF-THE-ORIGINALS

[robb_k]

I have the earlier version with the different vocal track on the Essential Motown - Northern Soul album, but I am not keen on the lightweight mix of the instruments. The version in this thread, which I have on the This Is Northern Soul:The Motown Sound. has the normal full-on 60s sound which I prefer. Perhaps there is a mix with the earlier vocal and the later full-on mix - that would be interesting!
16211
My first version had the first [[better) vocal, but the full-on '60s mix.

[robb_k]

Robb totally agree with you the earlier version is so much better - when This Is Northern Soul was produced I believe they went for the later version and that has always been used in subsequent releases. The earlier version has several different mixes which were prepared for release and I believe they were produced by HDH while the later version was produced by C P Spencer, there is a mix with lots of echo and no strings which is very atmospheric. It's a shame that there is really no place nowadays to explore most of the material that is left let alone alternate versions and mixes..
16212
The latest version, produced by C.P. Spencer, was recorded in 1970, if I remember correctly. The common Internet version was later in 1965 tan the version I selected, recorded a few months earlier in 1965.

[paul_nixon]

16212
The latest version, produced by C.P. Spencer, was recorded in 1970, if I remember correctly. The common Internet version was later in 1965 tan the version I selected, recorded a few months earlier in 1965.

Just two versions listed in paperwork, one completed in 1966 having been recorded by HDH in 65 - the latter band track was laid down in April 71 with 4 leads recorded between then and June 71

[mysterysinger]

The version I like best by far is the one on the first "This Is Northern Soul" CD which I do think is a little different to the one in the video in the first post. There is at least another version on some Motown comps that I don't like as much. So 3 versions I think I've heard so far.

[robb_k]

Just two versions listed in paperwork, one completed in 1966 having been recorded by HDH in 65 - the latter band track was laid down in April 71 with 4 leads recorded between then and June 71
The version I have on tape from a demo acetate saying 1965, has a DIFFERENT vocal from that of the common one on You-Tube, and also has a different full mix. It was the FIRST version sent to The UK in 1980. The vocal is quite different from the You-Tube version, and also the instrumental has different elements, and is a few seconds shorter. Both instrumentals are excellent. But, I like the vocals MUCH better than the commonly-played one. The late [[1970 version) sounds awful to me. It's WAYYYY-YYYY too modern sounding. I don't like much music created after 1967. Which is why I can love The Originals' first 1965 version to death, and absolutely HATE their 1970 version, and I can like Marvin Gaye's "Mama Loocie" and HATE "What's Going On", even though I was an environmental scientist.