"Forever Came Today" Hushed Production?

[TNSUN]

I wish this song was highly produced like the song, "Reflections". A few psychedelic musical bridges added to this song would soar along its beautiful lyrics. It seems to be a rushed song project. Still, I appreciate it now more than in years past.

[nomis]

usually its judged on its chart performance..imo its a masterpiece and one of the very best Supremes singles..for me HDH went out on a high with this track regardless of Billboard positions..The Commodores version is ok but the Jackson 5's version is a bit of a shambles

[RanRan79]

usually its judged on its chart performance..imo its a masterpiece and one of the very best Supremes singles..for me HDH went out on a high with this track regardless of Billboard positions..The Commodores version is ok but the Jackson 5's version is a bit of a shambles

I agree about the Supremes version. We're in different directions on the J5. I love it.

I do think perhaps a little bit of an extra something could've helped make the difference in how successful the Supremes' version became. But on it's own, it's a great record, minus the indecipherable backing vocals.

[sup_fan]

isn't it a bit ironic that the last HDH single for the Sups was Forever and the last HDH single for 4Tops was Different World and bomb failed [[relatively).

I find the lyric of Forever to be a bit too odd. the phrase "my forever came today" is not really a typical or common one. also the structure of the song and melody just aren't typical and perhaps just not as commercial

maybe this should have always been just an album track but extended. add more elements, instrumentals, etc. If you're not constrained to 2:45 then you have the opportunity to really get creative with it

[after you]

It doesn’t matter if you’re bombed not every song has to go to make it to number one this Diana Ross song is incredible like who can sing like this today nobody she’s the one of the only ones you can actually hear her sing love love love this song💜❤️💜

[daviddh]

I have always felt it was a demo , that was never completed.
A different mix could have made a big difference. The backing vocals are muffled

[floyjoy678]

Years ago I loved Forever Came Today, well I loved the live version they did on Sullivan. The recording I wasn't as enthusiastic about. I don't know if it was the Andantes vocals or maybe the mix of it. I can appreciate it for what it is but most of the Diana Ross and the Supremes years don't get much play here for me. I can listen to anything up to "In and Out of Love" and after that it's very sporadic.

[captainjames]

Forever Came Today is a masterpiece. I think HDH out did theirselves on that one.

[TYK1986]

I love this song and it was one of the first few songs that got me to like the Supremes. I normally like the Andantes on the background but on this one I find them really annoying. It's not them but the background vocal lyrics. I like the intro and Diana's delivery of the first lines especially. Even though it didn't chart higher than I wish it would have, I still like it more than their previous release, In and out of love.

[nomis]

I believed for so long tony turners story that flo sang on this ... supposedly when he played her the single she sang right along with the background parts...I think this was disproven on this forum many years ago that flo didn't participate in the recording is that true ?

[1382hitsville]

Re: muffled backing vocals, I hear "You're the number 1 in bed". But we had another thread about mishearing lines...About the song itself, I like it and agree, it needed some more work before releasing.

[Ollie9]

For me it’s an ok song, but certainly my least favourite Supremes single. It never really gets going and the lyrics are just so cheesy. “And made my lonely life a paradise”. :eek:
I’m surprised it didn’t sink without trace.

[blackguy69]

If I’m correct, only the instrumental was recorded in April and the vocals were done in December months after Flo left.
I believed for so long tony turners story that flo sang on this ... supposedly when he played her the single she sang right along with the background parts...I think this was disproven on this forum many years ago that flo didn't participate in the recording is that true ?

[144man]

For me it’s an ok song, but certainly my least favourite Supremes single. It never really gets going and the lyrics are just so cheesy. “And made my lonely life a paradise”. :eek:
I’m surprised it didn’t sink without trace.

I don't find that cheesy at all. It's hardly "moon & June" standard.
If you want real cheesiness, take a listen to the Miracles' "Broken Hearted".

[Ollie9]

I don't find that cheesy at all. It's hardly "moon & June" standard.
If you want real cheesiness, take a listen to the Miracles' "Broken Hearted".

To be fair, it’s more mozzarella then Gorgonzola. :)

[marybrewster]

Didn't recording start in April of 1967, then resume in late 1967, early 1968? I believe it was released in February or March of 1968, so I don't know that it's exactly a rush job if it took over a year to complete.

Maybe Flo did rehearse this while she was still in the group, but by the time the final product was released she and any vocals were long gone.

[blackguy69]

Like I mentioned before the instrumental was done in April. I haven’t seen anything stating any vocals were done at that time.

Didn't recording start in April of 1967, then resume in late 1967, early 1968? I believe it was released in February or March of 1968, so I don't know that it's exactly a rush job if it took over a year to complete.

Maybe Flo did rehearse this while she was still in the group, but by the time the final product was released she and any vocals were long gone.

[benross]

Now, this was a song I could sing in the shower -- and did. The lyrics should have been tightened a tad, or more than a tad in the case of the unintelligible backgrounds. I agree that turning loneliness to paradise was a bit awkward, but the line that always rubbed me the wrong way was "how gently love has shined on me, with an everlasting love..." What else would love shine with? Neon arrows? Rock crystal candy?

One subtle positive is the shift in Diana's voice from "My heart cried tenderly" to "Darling..." as her tone and pitch move in sync with the lyrics, the "Darling..." sung in a much softer, warmer, more tender tone than the gently piercing throb of "My heart cried..."

Also, I like the drama of the instrumentation.

But maybe with a few days' extra work, the production could have been even better.

[Bluebrock]

I always loved Forever came today. It was different to anything they had ever recorded before or after. I do agree it sounds unfinished, but i love Diana's vocals, and had it been spruced up a little i think it would gone top 20 no problem. I do understand why many people have a problem with it, but it might just sneak into my top 10 favourite Supremes singles. Love it.

[nomis]

Didn't recording start in April of 1967, then resume in late 1967, early 1968? I believe it was released in February or March of 1968, so I don't know that it's exactly a rush job if it took over a year to complete.

Maybe Flo did rehearse this while she was still in the group, but by the time the final product was released she and any vocals were long gone.
You are correct the Supremes box set lists only 3 dates for it's recording - Dec 20th 1967 and Jan 1st and 23rd 1968 it was released in the u.s Feb 29th

[Spreadinglove21]

Was the song part of the live set for long? I'm not crazy about the studio version, but the live version from Ed Sullivan is excellent. Though the lyrics need a bit of improvement, musically the song would have worked as a big closing number for a show built around a Broadway diva.

[nathanj06]

Over dramatic. I never really cared for it. I know one of the writing team members said it was a masterpiece. Maybe for them. The line "eyes reached out to me".....really? Shouldn't it have been "arms"? I will say their performance on Ed Sullivan was stunning. The J5 version was awful and I never heard The Commodores but will check it out.

[nomis]

Was the song part of the live set for long? I'm not crazy about the studio version, but the live version from Ed Sullivan is excellent. Though the lyrics need a bit of improvement, musically the song would have worked as a big closing number for a show built around a Broadway diva.

Apparently it wasn't in their live set for very long

[milven]

Just listened to MOSOGOTAM's extended version. A lot is happening here that I never heard or appreciated in the original 45


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70mtaYijcmo

[nomis]

Just listened to MOSOGOTAM's extended version. A lot is happening here that I never heard or appreciated in the original 45


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70mtaYijcmo

I got a kick out of hearing the instrumental first verse and chorus on this..nicely put together I wish the expanded sets would include instrumental material as well..thanks for sharing milven

[Bluebrock]

Just listened to MOSOGOTAM's extended version. A lot is happening here that I never heard or appreciated in the original 45


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70mtaYijcmo

I love that version!

[Sotosound]

Over dramatic. I never really cared for it. I know one of the writing team members said it was a masterpiece. Maybe for them. The line "eyes reached out to me".....really? Shouldn't it have been "arms"? I will say their performance on Ed Sullivan was stunning. The J5 version was awful and I never heard The Commodores but will check it out.

This track, which I like, is very much of its time.

The lyrical choices are a reflection of a time when lyricists were starting to look at things from a less conventional angle, and were also starting to use more challenging phrases and expressions. The title is the first example. Eyes reaching out is another.

This is the time when people started to sing rainbows and have too much to dream last night. A far cry from moon and June.

Musically, what it doesn't do is to establish a groove and just run with it for three minutes. Instead, it stops and it starts, and it does a number of other non-Motown things, any of which might put the average Supremes fan off.

In some ways it probably paved the way for some of what Norman Whitfield did with The Temptations, but by the time that psychedelic soul got going, psychedelia was already part of mainstream culture.

Perhaps FCT might have been better as just an album track or as a track aimed at a different sector of the record-buying public?

Still a great track, however.

[BayouMotownMan]

As In and Out Of Love was peaking on the charts, Gordy was going crazy. HDH was on strike and a new Supremes single was needed. The girls were hot again with 4 No 1's and two top tens. The story told to me was that HDH recommended finishing FCT but Gordy had to get another producer to do this as HDH was sticking to their cards. There was a lot of material in the vault but Gordy went with FCT even though most at the company were skeptical.

In hindsight it is a strong track but was not single material. It was not danceable. The background was so muddy that even Mary and Cindy could not understand what the Andantes were saying so they just did the ahhs on Sullivan.

[jim aka jtigre99]

Forever Came Today had a lot of potential, so from reading here it was rush released because HDH were going to leave. It was certainly better than Somethings You Never Get Used To, The Composer and No Matter What Sign You Are. They definitely needed to punch up and clean the background vocals. It did musically plod along a bit and did not provide a tune that as American Bandstand would say"had a good beat, you can dance to it". Then again I wasn't as excited by anything between Reflections and Love Child, even if In and Out of Love and I'm Livin' in Shame hit the top 10.

[Boogiedown]

The J5 nailed it. The amount of production put into it, its more than a just a jingley single , its a full tilt musical event !


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fW7qRUfkWwA

[nathanj06]

Eyes reaching out to me sounds like Martians throwing out laser beams through their eyes to capture Mizz Ross and beam her up. :p

[Sotosound]

Eyes reaching out to me sounds like Martians throwing out laser beams through their eyes to capture Mizz Ross and beam her up. :p

Very late 60s. :)

[nomis]

The J5 nailed it. The amount of production put into it, its more than a just a jingley single , its a full tilt musical event !


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fW7qRUfkWwA

I love the Jackson 5 but can't abide their version tarroborelli once called it "bombastic " which it certainly is !

[Boogiedown]

I love the Jackson 5 but can't abide their version tarroborelli once called it "bombastic " which it certainly is !

I don't know who tarroborelli is, but I think bombastic is right, in a good way , if there is such a thing! lol! A lot of extra work was applied to up its' amp.
I 'll listen and focus on certain elements . Sometimes I'll just follow the horns , other times the strings , the vocals, the guitars.
I'm glad there's no synth but if I were to search for a lacking ingredient.... I wish it had piano.

[nomis]

I don't know who tarroborelli is, but I think bombastic is right, in a good way , if there is such a thing! lol! A lot of extra work was applied to up its' amp.

I try not to play it too often , so as to not wear it out, and I 'll also listen for certain elements . Sometimes I'll just follow the horns , other times the strings , the vocals, the guitars.
I'm glad there's no synth but if I were to search for a lacking ingredient.... I wish it had piano.

Randy taborrelli wrote three books on Diana,two on mj and one on Motown

[Boogiedown]

Randy taborrelli wrote three books on Diana,two on mj and one on Motown

ah yes ..... the CALL HER .....author :)

why three I wonder??

[nomis]

ah yes ..... the CALL HER .....author :)

why three I wonder??

The story goes with his first biography in 1983 Diana was an advanced copy of the manuscript and demanded some things be edited out as the publishing house wanted to acquire her autobiography.. jrt included the deleted material in his second book call her..he wrote a third book as so much had happened in Diana's life since the release of " call her " he also had access to new sources close to Diana and in Motown who corrected certain aspects about what he had written before..the third volume is more fair and balanced