By tamlaboy (172.179.20.5) on Friday, August 08, 2003 - 05:00 pm:

..love that jam, H-D-H/Supremes at its best. Now my question: Listening to the song over my headphones the other day I wonder, what is that instrument in the background, mainly to hear during the "sax-solo-bridge". I`m pretty sure, that it`s somekind of tape playing BACKWARDS!
Listen again carefully folks and tell your ideas and opinions......
greetings from germany

By Marv (152.163.252.68) on Friday, August 08, 2003 - 08:14 pm:

Hello Tamlaboy. "My World Is Empty Without You" is also one of my favorites. Interestingly after all these years, I learned some new facts about this particular record in just the past few weeks.

1. It was co-written by Mike Valvano of Motown (he was not given label credit as was the practice at Motown in those days).

2. It was in fact Mary Wilson and Florence Ballard on the finally released version. For many years people have argued or suggested that it was Mary Wilson and one of the Andantes (Marlene Barrow) on that record. It was stated that Florence Ballard missed the session. Just this past week Harry Weinger of Motown/Universal confirmed that it was Mary and Flo doing the backgrounds.

As for the the instrument in the background during the bridge. I am not sure.

By rotweillerfan (65.238.91.175) on Friday, August 08, 2003 - 11:25 pm:

Ahhh! Such backrounds only Mary and Flo could do! They should have been even more "out front"!

By TD (68.169.46.67) on Saturday, August 09, 2003 - 09:44 am:

No doubt the greatest Supremes song. Mainly due to the great opening bass by Jamerson-truly one of his best.

TD

By SisDetroit (68.42.209.170) on Saturday, August 09, 2003 - 09:47 am:

No Doubt my all-time favorite by the Supremes!!

By JU (64.12.97.7) on Saturday, August 09, 2003 - 10:55 am:

Yeah, it is tied for #1 with a few others for me!

By Julian (205.188.209.109) on Monday, August 11, 2003 - 12:49 am:

Don't forget about, "Any Girl In Love" either. It has the same kind of feel.

By Julian (205.188.209.109) on Monday, August 11, 2003 - 12:51 am:

And of course, "Love Is Here and Now You're Gone," one of the first records that I ever played in my life on my Fisher-Price wheels-of-steel (plastic?).

By sunnyla (65.238.91.251) on Monday, August 11, 2003 - 12:59 am:

One of my Supremes favorites. You can really hear Mary and Flo in the backround (much to Diana's chagrin probably). Wow....and James Jamerson's bass.

By JoB (204.42.12.2) on Monday, August 11, 2003 - 02:09 am:

...and who is that chankin' on the guitar on every 2nd and 4th note (for sure)?? Gotta love that song...

By KevGo (64.115.26.80) on Monday, August 11, 2003 - 11:31 am:

JoB:
It was either Joe Messina or Eddie Willis.
Kevin Goins - KevGo

By Andy Alonzo (69.14.180.98) on Monday, August 11, 2003 - 12:19 pm:

Is Mike Valvanos family ever going to get what he's due for writing it ?? Andy Alonzo

By Scratcher (65.238.127.207) on Monday, August 11, 2003 - 01:42 pm:

Mike Valvano, as well as R. Dean Taylor and other Motown writers help write a lot of songs that they didn't get credit for.

Smokey Robinson once said when asked why Holland, Dozier and Holland left Motown he blamed Eddie Holland, who Smokey said among other things, "didn't always credit people who helped him on songs."

By HW (12.110.192.128) on Monday, August 11, 2003 - 03:40 pm:

In the background I hear strings and organ. Perhaps their playing against one another in the arrangement, or some sort of overtones, are creating the sound you describe. But it's not backwards tape.

By dvdmike (68.72.163.50) on Monday, August 11, 2003 - 05:56 pm:

Session info on "My World Is Empty Without You":

Written by Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier and Eddie Holland
Produced by Brian Holland and Lamont Dozier
Recorded at Hitsville USA Studio A, Detroit on October 28, November 9 and December 2, 1965
Don't have an arranger credit

By Ritchie (62.254.0.32) on Monday, August 11, 2003 - 06:03 pm:

I had a close listen and all I could hear "in the background" was the strings, rather subtly low in the mix. (Subliminal backwards sounds? Where's my Sergeant Pepper album?) ;o)

By dvdmike (68.72.163.50) on Monday, August 11, 2003 - 06:06 pm:

Speaking of "Sgt. Pepper", the string arrangement on "She's Leaving Home" was by Mike Leander, not George Martin

By Ritchie (62.254.0.32) on Monday, August 11, 2003 - 06:17 pm:

Mike Leander - from Sergeant Pepper to Gary Glitter. Is there no end to his versatility? ;o)

By Andy Alonzo (69.14.180.98) on Monday, August 11, 2003 - 11:21 pm:

Scratcher, it's not about credit, it's about royalties, and that song generated a lot. Andy Alonzo

By Scratcher (65.238.127.245) on Monday, August 11, 2003 - 11:28 pm:

I realize that Andy. But before you can get the royalties you have to first get the credit. I don't know about Taylor but Valvano was taken care of by Motown. He was sent to New Mexico by the company to look after some artists out there like Xit and was paid a salary for nearly 20 years for doing virtually nothing. You have to understand that Valvano wasn't the only one; plus, there were many writers like Jimmy Roach and Pam Sawyer who had to share their songwriting credit with the producers. Even Johnny Bristol shared songwriting and production credits when it was really all Bristol. Barrett Strong says he help write "Money" but all the credit went to Berry Gordy and Janie Bradford.

By marv (205.188.209.109) on Monday, August 11, 2003 - 11:28 pm:

Andy, I sincerely hope that Mike's family gets something from that recording (but in my gut I have to believe that they do not). I am happy that at least we now know that he was apart of that great record/song. It reminds me of the Funk Bros finally getting the recognition they deserved so very long ago.

By Larry (68.164.128.217) on Saturday, August 16, 2003 - 04:02 am:

Tamlaboy,

I finally got a chance to listen to this track.
IMHO I'm with "the man with the ears" Harry Weinger aka HW.

I believe what you may hear as backwards tape is indeed strings. There's an organ that's mixed so far back and/or treated that it almost sounds like it could be a Farfisa. I also hear a piano. It's such a simple tune with a big production pulled back in the mix. It's yet another 'approach' that makes these old Motown tunes so cool, so deep, so lasting. Infectious, dynamite vocals sittin' on a Jazz, Classical, R&B backbone.