Velvelettes - "These Things"

[TMSG]

I've always been curious about the two versions of "These Things Will Keep Me Loving You" by the Velvelettes. According to DFTMC, the two versions with different lyrics were recorded on the same day, could this be right?
I always thought the version that starts "You walked right into my life one day" was the definitive version as this was the track issued in Britain on Motown Charbusters vol 6 [[my first Lp ever bought) and was therefore amazed to hear the different lyric starting "A gentle touch upon my face" when I got the single version, and all subsequent versions by Diana Ross and Jr Walker.
Does anyone know the background to these two versions, which to me is one of the best Velvelettes tracks issued.

[roger]

Interesting to hear that it was the "You walked right into my life" version on Motown Chartbusters Volume 6 TMSG, as the version I remember hearing on the radio back in 1971 when it was in the British charts was the "Gentle touch" version. Was it the stereo or mono version of the L.P. [[I'm assuming there were still Stereo and Mono versions when MCV6 came out)? I have the CD reissue of that LP and it has the "normal" version .. i.e. the "Gentle touch" version.

You're not alone in being a great admirer of "These Things Will Keep Me Loving You", I have a copy of the old Soul magazine "Voices From The Shadows" which includes an article by the late DAVE GODIN where he lists his "Top 10 Northern Soul Records" .. and the VELVELETTES gem is included.

Roger

[TMSG]

I had the stereo version of MCV6, perhaps the mono version had the different lyrics, the same as the single version being played on the radio at the time, although I'm not sure a Motown UK were still releasing mono LP's by 1971.

[roger]

It looks like you are right about there not being a mono version of MCV6 TMSG ..

This UK Tamla-Motown LP discography has the last LP issued in mono as "A.B.C." by THE JACKSON FIVE, which would have been in 1970 .. and they say even that is unconfirmed!!

http://www.vinylnet.co.uk/label-discography.asp/label/5/Tamla-Motown-records-discography.html

Funnily the first I knew about the "You Walked" version would have been when I bought the Debutante "This Is Northern Soul" CD on which it is included , which would have been in 1998.

Roger

[Sotosound]

Motown Chartbusters Volume 3 was the last chartbusters LP to be issued in mono, and this was just a fold down of the stereo album. I bought the mono version because I had a mono record player and felt let down by the time that I got to track 3 - My Cherie Amour. Track 1 [[Marvin's Grapevine) and track 2 [[Supremes / Temps I'm Gonna Make You Love Me) are fold-downs on single anyway. My Cherie Amour folded down just isn’t that wonderful. Nor are a number of the other tracks on that album.
“These Things Will Keep Me Loving You” was issued in the early 70s on single in the UK with the correct version, i.e. mono and “A gentle touch…” but with the wrong version on the aforementioned chartbusters album which, incidentally, had rather different mastering to the previous five volumes and was also – for at least a while – pressed in Germany, while EMI in the UK built a new pressing plant.
When the chartbusters album eventually found its way onto CD, they corrected the error and issued a stereo mix with the right lyrics.

[TMSG]

Ok so that explains the different versions released in the UK, but back to my original question.

Does anybody know why two version with different lyrics were recorded on the same day [[as stated in DFTMS)? I find it hard to believe that this is the case and that one version must have been recorded earlier than the other. It would be great if any of the original group members could answer this.

[jobeterob]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRX2ZoWCjjQ

[TMSG]

Wow, great clip. Really shows what a fantastic group these girls were who deserved much bigger success than they had. When and where does this clip refer to?

[cheekylincs]

Wow......never seen this before. Looks like Sandra Tilley on the left. Fantastic.......thanks for sharing!

[TMSG]

Thanks for the responses - It would be great if someone could do a remix of the two lyric versions to make one 6 minute long version - any volunteers!!

[Roger Polhill]

Great clip, it`s from Swingin` Time August 28th. 1966.

[144man]

I wonder if they both versions really were completed on the same day.

The "You walked into my life one day..." version sounds like a work-in-progress to me. There used to be collectors' tapes circulating of Mary Wells' "Your Loss, My Gain", an earlier version of "You Lost the Sweetest Boy", and "Put Your Head On My Shoulder", an earlier version of Brenda Holloway's "You Can Cry on My Shoulder". In the case of Marvin Gaye's "Purple Snowflakes", although it wasn't until a couple of months later that it was reworked into "Pretty Little Baby", both versions appeared on the same Motown acetate.

The last time I saw this topic discussed it was stated that the reason why the "You walked..." version appeared on "Motown Chartbusters" was simply because Motown USA had sent the wrong tape to Motown UK.