You're a Wonderful One question

On DFTMC, the following information is listed under Marvin Gaye's "You're a Wonderful One":


Marvin Gaye; recorded Hitsville, completed 06-Jan-64 ; produced by Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier ; accompaniment The Vandellas

Earl Van Dyke; recorded Hitsville, completed 21-Jan-65 ; produced by William Stevenson, Harvey Fuqua ; [instrumental 1st odb, odb on Marvin Gaye]

Earl Van Dyke; recorded Hitsville, completed 18-Feb-65 ; produced by William Stevenson, Harvey Fuqua ; accompaniment The Supremes ; [instrumental 3rd odb, odb on Marvin Gaye]

I'm confused about the accompaniment notes. It's always been understood that the Supremes back Marvin on this one, so where do the Vandellas come in at? Is there a version with them on background? Why are the Supremes listed as accompaniment on Earl's version from 1965 but there are no background vocals on the version I've heard? Is there another Earl Van Dyke version with the Supremes? Just trying to get some clarity.

First of all the January 1964 date is correct as it was released the following month. The Supremes and only the Supremes are on background for that record. It was early 1964 and Martha & the Vandellas were no longer backing Marvin up as they had scored their own string of hits by that time.

Earl Van Dyke had an instrumental album if I remember correctly. No vocals on that album, just instrumentals of popular Motown tunes. If the Supremes did take with Earl, then it must have been canned because I have never heard that.

Good questions, RanRan. I have no answers for you unfortunately, but I DO know that Marvin's "You're A Wonderful One" is a fantastic song. I loves it. :cool:

I have to say I never paid attention to the backing vocals, and who was doing them. I guess I assumed it was The Andantes. But listening now I do hear The Supremes! :)

This is the album we had:
Attachment 13272

I think it's an error. It's definitely the Supremes backing Marvin. The Earl Van Dyke version doesn't have background vocals. At least the stereo mix doesn't. I haven't heard the mono mix to know if there are background vocals on that version. It could be errors in the session logs and tape cards.

This the cut from the above album:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3aQMqiTsGX8

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Originally Posted by marv2

This the cut from the above album:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3aQMqiTsGX8

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The session logs from what I understand were done rather quickly and by different people so there are mistakes in many instances.

I would guess that since The Vandellas backed Marvin on four prior singles that they were the first choice but were much busier now with their own hits and tours. The Supremes were far more available, their voices on Marvin's previous hit Can I Get A Witness, so they subbed

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Originally Posted by bradsupremes

I think it's an error. It's definitely the Supremes backing Marvin. The Earl Van Dyke version doesn't have background vocals. At least the stereo mix doesn't. I haven't heard the mono mix to know if there are background vocals on that version. It could be errors in the session logs and tape cards.

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There were all types of errors on the session logs, tape cards and even expense requests that I've seen. That is why I don't like getting into all of that "who's on and who's not" on some of these old recordings.

Thanks for your responses everyone!!

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Originally Posted by TomatoTom123

Good questions, RanRan. I have no answers for you unfortunately, but I DO know that Marvin's "You're A Wonderful One" is a fantastic song. I loves it. :cool:

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I agree Tom, it's one of my absolute favorite Marvin songs. Everything about it is perfect to my ears.

And Andy recently said it was the Supremes on that recording.

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Originally Posted by marv2

First of all the January 1964 date is correct as it was released the following month. The Supremes and only the Supremes are on background for that record. It was early 1964 and Martha & the Vandellas were no longer backing Marvin up as they had scored their own string of hits by that time.

Earl Van Dyke had an instrumental album if I remember correctly. No vocals on that album, just instrumentals of popular Motown tunes. If the Supremes did take with Earl, then it must have been canned because I have never heard that.

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Hi Marv: I remember we researched this issue many years ago and agreed the Supremes sang background. Diane's voice really stands out. Hope all is well and thanks for posting the links.

That was my father's and my uncle's favorite record at the time [[early 1964). I knew it was the Supremes back then [[this a while before "Where Did Our Love Go?") because my Uncle said "Get ole Marvin with them Supremes". I really don't think I knew what a "Supreme" was even though I had heard their earlier records. LOL!!!!

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Originally Posted by detmotownguy

Hi Marv: I remember we researched this issue many years ago and agreed the Supremes sang background. Diane's voice really stands out. Hope all is well and thanks for posting the links.

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Oh yeah it was the Supremes definitely on this and on "Can I Get A Witness" because Flo is heard above all the backing singers. Smokey has said Mary Wilson is on "Mickey's Monkey" with Martha & the Vandellas.

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Originally Posted by marv2

Oh yeah it was the Supremes definitely on this and on "Can I Get A Witness" because Flo is heard above all the backing singers. Smokey has said Mary Wilson is on "Mickey's Monkey" with Martha & the Vandellas.

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I've heard everyone and their mother were on that record. It's clear there's more people than just the Miracles on it.

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Originally Posted by bradsupremes

I've heard everyone and their mother were on that record. It's clear there's more people than just the Miracles on it.

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There were a ton of people, but Smokey said in an interview that Mary was on there specifically. I can't remember where I saw the interview but it was in the last 10 years. Did you know that they used Eddie Kendricks to mirror Mary Wells on her "Two Lovers" recording?

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Originally Posted by marv2

Did you know that they used Eddie Kendricks to mirror Mary Wells on her "Two Lovers" recording?

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I’ll have to listen to the song again. I read that it was Martha Reeves doing the honors!

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Originally Posted by mowest

I’ll have to listen to the song again. I read that it was Martha Reeves doing the honors!

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Yeah check out Mowest. Ironically, there's a video interview with Eddie sitting with Martha and she's asking him questions and she reminds him of the Mary Wells record where he did the "second voice".

Mowest, check it out. It starts at about 9:00 into the video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iU-oU84uCEM

[QUOTE=marv2;397100]Mowest, check it out. It starts at about 9:00 into the video.

Thanks, marv2. Sounds like they’re referring to the gig at the Apollo rather than in the studio. However, Wikipedia states that on the Two Lovers recording Mary sang both lead and a background vocal and that Eddie Kendricks sang background with the Love-Tones. Could Mary’s voice had been “doubled?"

[QUOTE=mowest;397126]

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Originally Posted by marv2

Mowest, check it out. It starts at about 9:00 into the video.

Thanks, marv2. Sounds like they’re referring to the gig at the Apollo rather than in the studio. However, Wikipedia states that on the Two Lovers recording Mary sang both lead and a background vocal and that Eddie Kendricks sang background with the Love-Tones. Could Mary’s voice had been “doubled?"

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I don't know if they had the technology in 1962, but they could have double it. Sounds like Eddie though to me.

That's an interesting clip. Mowest I thought the same thing, that they were talking about a live version. But listening to "Two Lovers" it may very well be Eddie singing the chorus with Mary. I can't say definitively because it also sounds like it could be Mary doubled. Very interesting. I do think I hear Eddie's voice standing out with the Love Tones though.

In the video above, I believe Martha and Eddie are speaking about when the Tempts backed up Mary Wells at the Apollo in 1963. If you look at that performance, you can hear Eddie singing along with Mary during TWO LOVERS. On the record, I think Mary harmonizes with herself.

You're right. I don't think Motown had the technology to double her voice. I believe they were using 3-track multitrack at this time. Two tracks would be instrumental and one track for vocals [[lead & background). They may have been recording on 2-track. I'm not sure though. We know in the early days everything was recorded together [[vocals & instrumentals). I think around this time in late 1962 that they were beginning to have the instrumentals recorded separately from vocals although that wouldn't become common practice until mid-1964 when the label was hitting its stride. They could have bumped one of the instrumental tracks to the other to make room for another track, but that would have left them unable to mix and balance the band. The easiest route would have been for them to have Eddie or Martha or whomever come in and sing with Mary on the vocal track.

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Originally Posted by bradsupremes

You're right. I don't think Motown had the technology to double her voice. I believe they were using 3-track multitrack at this time. Two tracks would be instrumental and one track for vocals [[lead & background). They may have been recording on 2-track. I'm not sure though. We know in the early days everything was recorded together [[vocals & instrumentals). I think around this time in late 1962 that they were beginning to have the instrumentals recorded separately from vocals although that wouldn't become common practice until mid-1964 when the label was hitting its stride. They could have bumped one of the instrumental tracks to the other to make room for another track, but that would have left them unable to mix and balance the band. The easiest route would have been for them to have Eddie or Martha or whomever come in and sing with Mary on the vocal track.

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Brad, how is everything going with the project? Send me a message when you can. Thanks.

That's it! Pretty much the only way they could do it then. Three tracks didn't allow much flexibility but hearing that stuff now in amazing. The stuff was amazingly clear and clean for three tracks

As early as 1950, vocals were being overdubbed [[Patti Page's "With My Eyes Wide Open," overdubbed three times; and a few years later, Les Paul & Mary Ford's "The World is Waiting for the Sunrise," and "How High the Moon," overdubbed what seemed like five or six times), and Connie Francis was overdubbed on a great many of her songs in the very early 1960s, so the technology was there and available, but perhaps Motown hadn't tapped into it. Listening to "Two Lovers," I can't tell if it's an overdub or another person doing the harmony. Not that it matters one way or the other, but it would be interesting to know.

wow, over 45 yrs ago Mary Wells told me it was Martha singing with her on "Two Lovers"..... a few year later Martha couldn't remember but said "if Mary says it was me it must be me". as far as "You're A Wonderful One" goes, its one of my faves of Marvin Gayes records and somehow we knew it was the Supremes on there, maybe one of the deejays in Miami made that statement when the record was first played on the radio.....Miami "broke" a lot of the Motown records.