UP THE LADDER... "THE EXTRA VERSE" Version

[RicanStruction]

I have a "unique" mix of UTL that contains the missing "extra verse" as the introduction.

[[Mary, Cindy and Jean in unison)
"Just close your eyes/and try to visualize/the happiness, that we can have"

[[Jean lead)
"Colored mountains reaching high /into the place beyond the sky/where love grows wide!!!!!"...

Has anyone heard the full, unedited version? If so, where exactly would the "extra verse fit in the structure of the song?

[RicanStruction]

HERE IT IS!!!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X30AgCB8zPk

[RicanStruction]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X30AgCB8zPk

[mowest]

One reaction to the late John Perrone’s extended, extra-verse remix was that “clearly" Mary and Cindy were not singing the first line. If so, does anyone have any ideas as to who it was? Andantes? Blackberries? Could it indeed be Mary and Cindy?

[blackguy69]

I bet that comment was from Steve Weaver. I’ve seen many of his comments and take it with a grain of salt. It’s not the Blackberries. More than likely it’s Brenda and Billie from the Undisputed Truth. But it’s possible that Mary and Cindy added their vocals to the the first verse. But that verse doesn’t fit into the rest of the song so I can see why it was edited out.
One reaction to the late John Perrone’s extended, extra-verse remix was that “clearly" Mary and Cindy were not singing the first line. If so, does anyone have any ideas as to who it was? Andantes? Blackberries? Could it indeed be Mary and Cindy?

[mowest]

It’s not the Blackberries. More than likely it’s Brenda and Billie from the Undisputed Truth. But it’s possible that Mary and Cindy added their vocals to the the first verse. But that verse doesn’t fit into the rest of the song so I can see why it was edited out.

Thanks, blackguy69, for your answer. I didn’t even think about the Undisputed Truth.

[rod_rick]

On the opening verse that is clearly Mary and Cindy with additional help when it break into harmony which sounds like 4 voices to me but that's definitely Mary and Cindy

[RanRan79]

On the opening verse that is clearly Mary and Cindy with additional help when it break into harmony which sounds like 4 voices to me but that's definitely Mary and Cindy

Yup. Mary and especially Cindy are easily recognizable here, IMO. Sounds to me like an additional high voice is brought in for the harmony on "high". Doesn't sound like Jean but someone with more "heft" [[if that makes any sense) to her voice. But Mary and Cindy are most definitely singing here.

[sup_fan]

it's great hearing this. i don't know though that this verse was an intro verse as opposed to later in the song.

or I could hear it as part of a long intro

Come with
and we shall run across the sky and illuminate the night

"Just close your eyes/and try to visualize/the happiness, that we can have"

[[Jean lead)
"Colored mountains reaching high /into the place beyond the sky/where love grows wide!!!!!"...

whoa I will try and guide you to better times, and brighter days

[TYK1986]

Is this the missing verse that was spoken of a while ago? I think they played it on a radio programme or stream but I missed it because it was night time here in the UK. Very interesting but doesn't seem to fit the song. Wonder like sup-fan if it was intended for later in the song rather than the intro.

[floyjoy678]

Correct me if I'm wrong but wasn't the missing verse right before the last "we'll laugh and I'll tell you the story of love..." verse? While it's neat hearing this missing verse I also don't think it really vibed with the rest of the song and am glad it was cut. I always thought it was said the Andantes are on here with Mary and Cindy? I definitely hear an extra set of "oooh"s on the last verse and in a different melody than what Mary and Cindy are singing.

EDIT: Just listened to the song more closely and realized the extra set of "oooh"s I always thought I heard is actually the guitar LOL but yeah that's definitely more than just Mary, Cindy and Jean back there.

[sup_fan]

Correct me if I'm wrong but wasn't the missing verse right before the last "we'll laugh and I'll tell you the story of love..." verse? While it's neat hearing this missing verse I also don't think it really vibed with the rest of the song and am glad it was cut. I always thought it was said the Andantes are on here with Mary and Cindy? I definitely hear an extra set of "oooh"s on the last verse and in a different melody than what Mary and Cindy are singing.

EDIT: Just listened to the song more closely and realized the extra set of "oooh"s I always thought I heard is actually the guitar LOL but yeah that's definitely more than just Mary, Cindy and Jean back there.

i agree that the single, as released, was pretty much perfect. but i always did like Motown's policy of including alt versions or different mixes on the albums. Especially if that meant more verses and content. Like i think they could have done that with Love Child. and here too.

[blackguy69]

Like I mentioned before Brenda from the undisputed truth talked about her and Billie laying down the initial vocals because Mary and Cindy were doing the farewell shows and once the farewell was over, M and C came in and did their vocals

[RanRan79]

Like I mentioned before Brenda from the undisputed truth talked about her and Billie laying down the initial vocals because Mary and Cindy were doing the farewell shows and once the farewell was over, M and C came in and did their vocals

Thanks for the info BG. If the two of them weren't erased on the final product, they must be mixed waaaayyyy down because I swear I only hear Mary and Cindy on the version we all know and love. The extra verse still only sounds like Mary and Cindy with only an extra voice on the word "high" to my ears.

[sup_fan]

perhaps jean is that extra voice? MJC doing the backgrounds

[floyjoy678]

perhaps jean is that extra voice? MJC doing the backgrounds

I hear Jean loud and clear in the background.

[TYK1986]

Thanks for the info. I never knew that either!

I can pick out the songs that Mary and Cindy sang background on in the 60's easily but always struggled with the blend of Cindy and Mary on some of the 70's songs. Changed my mind many times if I could actually hear them. The extra verse seems to be just Cindy and Mary and then Jean does the solo bit and the Andantes are added when they sing "HIGH".

[blackguy69]

It’s not the Andantes. It’s Brenda and Billie from the Undisputed Truth.

Thanks for the info. I never knew that either!

I can pick out the songs that Mary and Cindy sang background on in the 60's easily but always struggled with the blend of Cindy and Mary on some of the 70's songs. Changed my mind many times if I could actually hear them. The extra verse seems to be just Cindy and Mary and then Jean does the solo bit and the Andantes are added when they sing "HIGH".

[TYK1986]

Lol I read your post about Brenda and Billie blackguy thats why I said thanks. I thought it was the Andantes :D .

[TheMotownManiac]

I have a "unique" mix of UTL that contains the missing "extra verse" as the introduction.

[[Mary, Cindy and Jean in unison)
"Just close your eyes/and try to visualize/the happiness, that we can have"

[[Jean lead)
"Colored mountains reaching high /into the place beyond the sky/where love grows wide!!!!!"...

Has anyone heard the full, unedited version? If so, where exactly would the "extra verse fit in the structure of the song?


wow - thanks for that! It’s awesome, but I don’t think it works with the record and, frankly, how is it possible to improve on that 45 to begin with? It’s the best thing the new group ever did, one of the best records Motown ever did and absolutely the quintessential debut record for the new Supremes. Like Love Child, It’s just absolutely perfect!

‘’the plethora of voices on this wonderful nugget suggests how hard Wilson was working to make the ideal record. I’ll bet there are tons of experimental clips like this in the vaults.

[sup_fan]

Thanks for the info. I never knew that either!

I can pick out the songs that Mary and Cindy sang background on in the 60's easily but always struggled with the blend of Cindy and Mary on some of the 70's songs. Changed my mind many times if I could actually hear them. The extra verse seems to be just Cindy and Mary and then Jean does the solo bit and the Andantes are added when they sing "HIGH".

that could be JMC doing "high." with the new lineup and Jean's voice, if all 3 were doing bg vocals on a recording, jean would often take the 1st Soprano line while Cindy did the 2nd. like on Stoned Love at 2:33 when the Jean sings "i pray for peace and love AMEN" and the bg vocals do that stunned "whoo oooo" It's jean on the glorious high note

that's why the JMC sound really seemed different from the DMC sound. Cindy is naturally a 2nd soprano but neither D or M are 1st sopranos. Mary is obviously and alto and Diana is more mid range too. yes she can sing high but her more natural range is lower. so that left Cindy to handle the top of the chords and her voice just doesn't have the power of Flo or Jean, nor the upper range. So in the studio with MJC and with MSC, you have Cindy where she should be - in the middle

But live you don't have the luxury of J or S also singing backup vocals. So you either have no top harmony [[like on In and out on TOTT) or it's quite soft. When L and Susaye joined, you had stronger 1st sopranos in the bg now.

[REYnoldo Chavez]

HERE IT IS!!!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X30AgCB8zPk

That's fantastic. I think is probably of the best songs The Supremes every recorded. It was so refreshing to hear after the last years of when the group was just Diana Diana Diana. It's a shame how Mary and Cindy to shoved aside. It was worst part of the history of the Supremes along with Florence being treated like shit.