The Wrong Singles - what would you have released instead?

So Motown did an amazing job with their Quality Control. But some stinkers still slipped through lol. And true, this is very subjective as some people love these tunes. So to start out i'm picking some of the poorly performing Sup songs. But feel free to open to other artists

I Want A Guy - I think After All, Never Again or The Boy That Got Away would have been stronger A sides

Buttered Popcorn - I think Hey Baby was a stronger

My Heart Can't Take it Anymore - replace with You Bring Back Memories as the A

Run Run Run - hmmm this one is a tough one. There really wasn't a strong follow up ready for WTLSSTHE. Maybe Honey Baby?

I'm Living In Shame - How Long Evening Train. Or maybe I'm So Glad I got someone like you around

Composer - Stormy, plus Stormy would be a good follow up to Evening Train or I'm So Glad [[had one of those replaced Shame)

No Matter What Sign - You're Gonna Hear from me

Chain reaction instead of Eaten Alive

Forget Me Not had much more hit potential than I Promise to Wait My Love.

Good question Sup!!

Supremes
I think just about anything they had recorded up until that point would have made a better single than "My Heart Can't Take It No More". "You Bring Back Memories" is as good a replacement as any.

"Bah, Bah, Bah" instead of "Some Things You Never Get Used To". I would have replaced "The Composer" with "I'll Set You Free" or "Chains of Love". "Life Beats" instead of "Everybody's Got the Right to Love". "5:30 Plane" instead of "I Guess I'll Miss the Man". "Early Morning Love" instead of "He's My Man".

Marvin Gaye"My Love For You" instead of "Take This Heart of Mine". "You're the One for Me" instead of "Little Darlin". "When Did You Stop Loving Me" over "A Funky Space Reincarnation".

Martha and the Vandellas
I would've made "Love Makes Me Do Foolish Things" the A side over "You've Been In Love Too Long". "Leave It In the Hands of Love" instead of "Love Bug". "Love, Guess Who" over "I Gotta Let You Go".

Diana Ross
"If You See Him" over "Reach Out I'll Be There". "Baby It's Love" instead of "I'm Still Waiting". "I Heard a Love Song" over "Sleepin". "You Were the One" over "What You Gave Me". "No One Gets the Prize" instead of "It's My House".

I believe Motown should've issued The Supremes' "Mother Dear" [[the original 1965 version) as the follow-up to "Back In My Arms Again" [[and made "Nothing But Heartaches" the b-side).

For Martha & the Vandellas; "Go Ahead And Laugh" should've been the a-side to the "What Am I Gonna Do Without Your Love" single [["What Am Gonna Do.." is better as an LP cut or b-side).

The Marvelettes; "He's A Good Guy [[Yes He Is)" should've been replaced with "Knock On My Door".

Martha & the Vandellas - I Can't Help It [[I Love You) should have been released as a single instead of Jimmy Mack. This is one of Ivy Jo's finest productions. The groove is so infectious...........You could put it out now; it sounds so contemporary. I guess after the relative failure of My Baby Loves Me and the success of I'm Ready For Love, the powers that be went for another HDH track [[albeit over 2 years old) in Jimmy Mack rather than an Ivy Jo offering.

Great thread! I am pushed for time but a couple that quickly spring to mind. 70's Supremes - The loving country as followup to Ladder or even the 3rd single after egtrtl. The right on album was so full of potential singles - And i love you more and Bill when are you coming back all sounded like hit singles to me. It's time to breal down should have followed Stoned Love as a single. It sounds as good now as it did almost 50 years ago. Diana Ross - So many to choose from but the most blantant ones for me are All night lover as follow up to Getting ready for love. I ain't been licked as follow up to The Boss. We need you as follow up to touch me in the morning. You were the one to follow lovin, livin and givin.

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Originally Posted by Bluebrock

Great thread! I am pushed for time but a couple that quickly spring to mind. 70's Supremes - The loving country as followup to Ladder or even the 3rd single after egtrtl. The right on album was so full of potential singles - And i love you more and Bill when are you coming back all sounded like hit singles to me. It's time to breal down should have followed Stoned Love as a single. It sounds as good now as it did almost 50 years ago. Diana Ross - So many to choose from but the most blantant ones for me are All night lover as follow up to Getting ready for love. I ain't been licked as follow up to The Boss. We need you as follow up to touch me in the morning. You were the one to follow lovin, livin and givin.

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I agree 100 percent
and Crimes Of Passion instead of Eaten Alive

SMOKEY ROBINSON's SMOKE SIGNLAS from 1986 must have had the worst single selection ever...

Apart from "Hold On To Your Love", the first single, which was a great choice, the two other tracks selected as singles A-sides were by far the two weakiest songs of the album:

"Sleepless Nights" and "Because of You [[It's The Best It's Ever Been)"


Now there were no less than 5 other songs from that album that should have gotten that treatment. All of them rank amongst the greatest SMOKEY solo tracks. And I can imagine each one being a smash hit :

"Some People [[Will Do Anything for Love)"

"Be Kind to the Growing Mind" [[with the Temptations)

"Te Quiero Como Si No Hubiera Un Mañana [[I'm Gonna Love You Like There's No Tomorrow)"

"Wishful Thinking" [[not the Smokey Robinson and the Miracles song)

"Hanging On by a Thread"

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Also why did Motown chose "The Weight" when "Why [[must we fall in love)" was available from DIANA ROSS AND THE SUPREMES with THE TEMPTATIONS TOGETHER is beyond me.

Plus...

FOUR TOPS - Barbara's Boy

GLADYS KNIGHT & THE PIPS - Ain't You Glad You Chose Love

SMOKEY & THE MIRACLES - We Can Make It We Can

MARTHA REEVES & THE VANDELLAS - Forget Me Not

In the UK 'Forget Me Not' & 'Chain Reaction' were massive hits - #11 & #1 respectively. Both 'No One Gets The Prize' & 'It's My House' were hits, albeit small. 'I'm Still Waiting' was of course #1. 'Mother Dear' should never have been recorded thankfully it wasn't released as a single - lol!

Diana

'Now That There's You' or 'Dark Side of the World' and not 'Reach Out and Touch [[Somebody's Hand)'.

'Now That You're Gone' was a missed opportunity.

DRATS

'How Long Has That Evening Train Been Gone' not 'No Matter What Sign You Are'. Thankfully the UK did not get 'The Composer'.

'The Young Folks' not 'Someday We'll Be Together'.

Martha

'Shoe Leather Expressway' not 'Taking My Love [[And Leaving Me)'

'I Hope That You Have Better Luck Than I Did' & 'Soul Appeal' would have also been better choices for a single.

'Easily Persuaded' not 'I Gotta Let You Go'

'Benjamin' not 'In and Out of My Life'

Marvelettes

'The Stranger' not 'Here I Am Baby'

Definitely not 'Twistin' Postman'! Perhaps 'I Want A Guy' or 'Way Over There' reworked.

'Too Many Tears, Too Many Times', 'The Truth's Outside My Door' & 'Our Lips Just Seem To Rhyme Every Time' were missed opportunities!

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Originally Posted by jbpintus

SMOKEY ROBINSON's SMOKE SIGNLAS from 1986 must have had the worst single selection ever...

Apart from "Hold On To Your Love", the first single, which was a great choice, the two other tracks selected as singles A-sides were by far the two weakiest songs of the album:

"Sleepless Nights" and "Because of You [[It's The Best It's Ever Been)"


Now there were no less than 5 other songs from that album that should have gotten that treatment. All of them rank amongst the greatest SMOKEY solo tracks. And I can imagine each one being a smash hit :

"Some People [[Will Do Anything for Love)"

"Be Kind to the Growing Mind" [[with the Temptations)

"Te Quiero Como Si No Hubiera Un Mañana [[I'm Gonna Love You Like There's No Tomorrow)"

"Wishful Thinking" [[not the Smokey Robinson and the Miracles song)

"Hanging On by a Thread"

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Also why did Motown chose "The Weight" when "Why [[must we fall in love)" was available from DIANA ROSS AND THE SUPREMES with THE TEMPTATIONS TOGETHER is beyond me.

Plus...

FOUR TOPS - Barbara's Boy

GLADYS KNIGHT & THE PIPS - Ain't You Glad You Chose Love

SMOKEY & THE MIRACLES - We Can Make It We Can

MARTHA REEVES & THE VANDELLAS - Forget Me Not

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"Dancing on the Ceiling" by Lionel Richie was the worst record in my opinion. Hated it! LOL!!!

I have to say that I think Motown didn't mind the treasure chest enough. I think Diana had some lost solo hits from various albums in the 70s n 80s
Crimes Of Passion
Something On Your Mind
Baby Its Love
And If You See Him, but there were times when Diana was not visable to us ,so perhaps they choose to not release additional tracks. I think we were robbed

For the 70s Sups, here's my list of singles

Up the ladder
Loving Country
Stoned Love
Time To Break Down
River Deep
Nathan Jones
This Is the Story
Floy Joy
Auto Sunshine
5:30 Plane
Cheap Lovin
Bad Weather
It's All Been Said Before [[released in Feb 75 or so)
Color My World Blue [[released in summer 75 and pulled from a revised The Supremes lp which would have been a pop album consisting of the Michael Lloyd and Ivey Woodford tracks)
I Can Never Recover [[released fall 75 and from a new MSC album focusing on disco - would include the dance tracks from the period)
I'm Gonna Let My Heart Do the Walking
Let Yourself Go
Love I Never Knew
Driving Wheel

I think the girls should have gone more pop when Scherrie joined in and quickly released a single and lp in early 75. Could still be entitled The Supremes and contain:

It's All Been Said Before
You Can't Stop a Girl in Love
Color My World Blue
Give Out
You Turn Me Around
Shoop Shoop
Can We Love Again
Where is it i Belong
Seed of Love
Sha La Bandit

then late 75 go out with a disco album. Maybe entitle Dance Fever or something

he's My Man
Early Morning Love
This is why i believe in you
Where do i go from here
Mr Boogie
Dance Fever
I can never recover
Bend A little

The Supremes
Although I wouldn't have picked it over another song, I would have released "Going Down For The Third Time" in-between "You Keep Me Hangin' On" and "Love Is Here And Now You're Gone."
- "I'll Set You Free" over "No Matter What Sign You Are"
- "Stormy" over "The Composer"

Martha & the Vandellas
- "Save Some Room In Your Heart" over "What Am I Gonna Do Without Your Love"
- "We Will" over "Sweet Darlin'"
- "I Love The Man" over "We've Got Honey Love"
- "Shoe Leather Expressway" over "Taking My Love [[And Leaving Me)"

Marvin Gaye
- "It's A Bitter To Swallow" over "Abraham Martin & John"

Four Tops
- "Clip My Wings" over "Do What You Gotta Do"
- "You Can't Keep A Good Man Down" over "Don't Let Him Take Your Love From Me"

The Marvelettes
- "Breakthrough [[I've Got My Freedom)" over "I'm Gonna Hold On As Long As I Can"

The Temptations
- "That'll Be The Day" over "Don't Look Back"

Supremes & Temptations
- "Why [[Must We Fall In Love)" over "The Weight"

Supremes & Four Tops
- "Without The One You Love" over "You Gotta Have Love In Your Heart"

Marvin Gaye; "This Love Starved Heart Of Mine [[Is Killing Me)" over "You're Unchanging Love"; "It's A Desperate Situation" over "How Can I Forget You" and Vulnerable over Here, My Dear.

Martha Reeves & the Vandellas; "I've Got Nothing Left To Cling To" over "Taking My Love [[And Leaving Me)" & "Hooked Real Good On A Bad Thing" over "I Gotta Let You Go".

I know we all have different opinions but I must respectfully disagree with the two folks above who said that You've Been in Love Too Long and Here I Am Baby were not good singles choices. Both are awesome songs...among the girls' best!!!

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Originally Posted by daviddh

I agree 100 percent
and Crimes Of Passion instead of Eaten Alive

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Yes, i forgot about that one, and how about Love lies as follow up o Muscles?

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Originally Posted by Bluebrock

Diana Ross - So many to choose from but the most blantant ones for me are We need you as follow up to touch me in the morning.

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Strange that there was only the one single release from the Touch Me album. Do you not think All Of My Life would have been a hit in the US?

We Need You was certainly a missed opportunity in the UK - it may very well be that the success of the Marvin duet with You Are Everything precluded a follow-up to All Of My Life before the release of Last Time I Saw Him but even after this it would have been a better choice than Love Me although I suppose the company was still trying to help the Last Time album.

At the time of release AOML narrowly outsold Touch Me In The Morning in the UK.

Of course it in the two territories it was impossible to predict how a song would fare in either one based on the other and I suppose Motown decided to ignore UK happenings after the debacle of I'm Still Waiting.

But there were major differences.

I'm Still Waiting was released something like a year after the Everything Is Everything album which badly underperformed while All Of My Life would have been coming off the back of the mega- Touch Me In The Morning single [[according to some sources the biggest selling Ross solo Single in the US after the Lionel duet) and the highly successful album of the same name.

I think All Of My Life would have been a great follow up to Touch Me. It definitely seems odd that there wasn't another single from this set.

After Last Time i would have released either No Ones Going to Be a fool forever or When Will I Come Home To You. Definitely NOT sleeping 🙄

Interesting question: For the Supremes in 1970: I would have had Loving Country before Everybody's Got The Right To Love, After Stoned Love would have released It's Time To Break Down followed by Together We Can make Such Sweet Music, I would have not released Touch unless Mary had done it solo, would have chosen This is the Story then Here Comes the Sunrise, I would have released When Can Brown Begin and I Keep it Hid from Jimmy Webb, I would have kept He's My Man, followed it with Early Morning Love and would have included Bend a Little on the LP and released it third, On High Energy, would have released the title song second and You're What's Missing in My Life third,for MSS-Let Yourself Go first, followed by Sweet Dream Machine then I Don't Want To Be Tied Down.
Diana Ross- After Surrender, would have released Did You Read The Morning Paper,Just would have released Love Hangover first, would have replaced Sleepin' with Stone Liberty.
Mary Wilson- would not have released Red Hot-first would have been I Love A Warm Summer Night, followed by Pick Up The Pieces and then for the disco crowd Midnight Dancer

seems like many like 530 plane but I would have went with When Can Brown Begin...

Marv Johnson; "Let's Talk It Over" should've come out instead of "I Miss You Baby [[How I Miss You)".

​Four Tops; "Rocks In My Bed" [[or "Starving For Your Love") over "What Is A Man".

Edwin Starr- Soul Master over Way Over There! You've Made Me So Very Happy or I'm So Glad You Belong To Me over Oh How Happy.
David Ruffin- For the Shelter of Your Love over You Can Come Right Back To Me

Attachment 13752
The Miracles' "Aint It Baby" shouldn't have been the "A" side, but Claudette's lead on "Mr. Misery" should have been released as the "A" side, instead.

The Originals' "Good Night Irene" should have been the "B" side instead of "A". and "Suspicion" should have been released and placed on the "A" side, instead.

The Contours' "Can You Jerk Like Me" should never have been an "A" side, but held until later, to be a "B" side for a better song, such as "Baby Hit And Run".

The Monitors' scheduled, "Time is Passin' By" should have been a "B" side instead of "A". and "Crying In The Night" should have been released as its "A" side.

Tammi Terrell's "What a Good Man He Is" should have been replaced by "ALL I Do [[Is Think About You)".

The Temptations' "I'll Be In Trouble" should have been replaced by "A Tear From A Woman's Eye".

Carolyn Crawford's "Forget About ME" should have been held till later, and replace on its "A" side by "Lover Boy" or "Until You Came Along"

The Supremes' "Buttered Popcorn" should have been replaced by "After All".

Jimmy Ruffin's "Don't Let Him Take Your Love From Me" should have been replaced by "On The Avenue", or "In The Neighborhood".

The Marvelettes' "Paper Boy" should have been replaced by "I Should Have Known Better".

Sammy Turner's "Right Now" should have been replaced by "All I Have Left Are Memories".

Hattie Littles' "Your Wonderful Love" should have been delayed and replaced with "You Got Me Worried".

Shorty Long's "Wind It Up" should have been replaced by "A Woman Won'T Do Right"

Kim Weston's "Don't Compare Me With Her" should have been replaced with "Any Girl In Love"

The "B" side of "I'll Always Love You" by Brenda Holloway should have been "A Favor For A Girl"

Then or Bah Bah Bah instead of Forever Came Today
Ill Set You Free Somethings You Never Get used To
Does Your Mama Know.............Livin In Shame
The Young Folks ......................The Composer

Good choices. I like Bah too but they should have used a better title

In the UK, the follow-up to the "massive" The Tears Of A Clown was the reissue of [[Come Round Here) I'm The One You Need which I think was a poor choice. I would have preferred any of the following instead, with the last one being my favourite:

It's A Good Feeling
More, More, More Of Your Love
Soulful Shack
Whole Lot of Shakin' in My Heart [[Since I Met You)

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Originally Posted by rovereab

In the UK, the follow-up to the "massive" The Tears Of A Clown was the reissue of [[Come Round Here) I'm The One You Need which I think was a poor choice. I would have preferred any of the following instead, with the last one being my favourite:

It's A Good Feeling
More, More, More Of Your Love
Soulful Shack
Whole Lot of Shakin' in My Heart [[Since I Met You)

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Greah choices, rove, but I think "I Don’t Blame You At All", which actually was the follow-up in the US, should have been the follow-up in the UK! It has a similar sound and a great hook!!! :)

yes I agree, Love Lies from Silk Elektra.
my fav track from that lp.

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Originally Posted by marv2

"Dancing on the Ceiling" by Lionel Richie was the worst record in my opinion. Hated it! LOL!!!

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Thank You - perhaps the most annoying song on the radio I’ve ever had to endure!

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Originally Posted by TomatoTom123

Greah choices, rove, but I think "I Don’t Blame You At All", which actually was the follow-up in the US, should have been the follow-up in the UK! It has a similar sound and a great hook!!! :)

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I think it was a question of timing TT123 as the US release of TOAC was a good few months after the UK and therefore IDBYAA would have been even later. The UK needed a follow-up earlier. I do agree though that IDBYAA was a good follow-up. [[CRH)ITOYM was a "miserable" follow-up IMO.