The Unreleased Unedited original version of "Up The Ladder To The Roof"

Since the other "Up The Ladder..." thread is found to discuss everything but "Up The Ladder...", I thought I'd bring it up one more time, for those actually interested in the song. No...not a remix by me or anyone else. The version I'm talking about is unreleased [[yet and still), unedited with a time of 4:04, with a very unusual and lovely extra verse that is not at all like any part of the song which is sung by Mary and Cindy in duet with Jean joining toward the end of that edited out verse. I was given permission to mention it. I wanted others to know that it exists, and that we have something amazing to look forward to [[if and) when another Supremes "Lost and Found" . Cross your fingers....

Sounds exciting and my fingers are crossed.

LOL @ two of the men that stepped away from the tomfoolery but support the cause!

Can we find this song anywhere?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TeCVdGRRlg

That was great Jobeterob, thanks

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Originally Posted by jobeterob

LOL @ two of the men that stepped away from the tomfoolery but support the cause!

Can we find this song anywhere?

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LOL @ Rob

How about in the vaults!

I think in the vaults is a good place to start. And thanks, Rob, for putting up my extended version....that's where you can hear a smidge.

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Originally Posted by midnight johnny

Since the other "Up The Ladder..." thread is found to discuss everything but "Up The Ladder...", I thought I'd bring it up one more time, for those actually interested in the song. No...not a remix by me or anyone else. The version I'm talking about is unreleased [[yet and still), unedited with a time of 4:04, with a very unusual and lovely extra verse that is not at all like any part of the song which is sung by Mary and Cindy in duet with Jean joining toward the end of that edited out verse. I was given permission to mention it. I wanted others to know that it exists, and that we have something amazing to look forward to [[if and) when another Supremes "Lost and Found" . Cross your fingers....

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Now I would LOVE to hear it! I'm sure we'll hear it one day.

I'm also interested to know if there were any vocals added to the first instrumental track cut January 2nd. The January 30th track is the one we know. I've also heard rumors that Syreeta cut a lead vocal on the song and it sits in the vaults. Don't know how true that is.

The imaging of the ladies was fresh and new! It was a completely different group, as they were supposed to be. I just cannot buy that Motown didn't support them. Mr. Gordy may have taken a back seat, but, that didn't prevent the other staff/executives from doing their job.
"Up the Ladder to the Roof" is a wonderful song. Thanks for the treat, jobeterob. It just remains a mystery why their albums didn't translate commercially because it certainly wasn't the material.

John, thanks for the info. I always thought this should have been longer. fingers crossed.
I think Motown did support them at the beginning, until they[[Motown) moved to LA to make movies

That extended Ladder was terrific. I have the original on my favorites playlist and I just replaced it with the extended version.

Also, can someone tell me what I am hearing at about 1:58 in the song. I always thought that it was Jean coming in a bit early to sing "if you come up the ladder" At about 1:58, I always thought that I was hearing "if you" and then she stops. But no one agrees with me. So what am I hearing?

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Originally Posted by milven

That extended Ladder was terrific. I have the original on my favorites playlist and I just replaced it with the extended version.

Also, can someone tell me what I am hearing at about 1:58 in the song. I always thought that it was Jean coming in a bit early to sing "if you come up the ladder" At about 1:58, I always thought that I was hearing "if you" and then she stops. But no one agrees with me. So what am I hearing?

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Nope....I don't hear it either, Milven. Maybe you're hearing Johnny "Wah Wah" Watson's wah wah?

It would be great to get a 70's Supremes L&F set. There's got to be much more that we haven't seen yet!

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Originally Posted by antceleb12

It would be great to get a 70's Supremes L&F set. There's got to be much more that we haven't seen yet!

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Hear hear. I'd hoped that the two Complete 70s Albums boxes weren't the end of unreleased 70s Supremes material; such a release would be very welcome.

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Originally Posted by bradsupremes

... I've also heard rumors that Syreeta cut a lead vocal on the song and it sits in the vaults. Don't know how true that is.

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i would love to hear a syreeta demo! that would sure gives us an idea of what the supremes would have sounded like had gordy gone with her!

I agree with you, Milven - I hear a "if you" quite plainly...

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.that's where you can hear a smidge.

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Where exactly is the smidge? [[Love the remix, Johnny!)

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Originally Posted by thisoldheart

i would love to hear a syreeta demo! that would sure gives us an idea of what the supremes would have sounded like had gordy gone with her!

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There is a Supremes demo led by Syreeta on Youtube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYk1uHZQTs4

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Originally Posted by ejluther

I agree with you, Milven - I hear a "if you" quite plainly...

Where exactly is the smidge? [[Love the remix, Johnny!)

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Thank you, Eric!! I appreciate it! The smidge is the instrumental intro of 30 seconds and then I worked that tiny piece into an instrumental bridge/ crescendo from 2:30 to 3:53. I have this thing for Motown intros and climaxes.

What's better than JP's Ladder extension? A: This pic of JMC - perhaps my fave..........................good job!

PS: have you noticed the only thing this forum seems to agree on is how good this record is?

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Originally Posted by jobeterob

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TeCVdGRRlg

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I'm in agreement with milven and ejluther.

I've always heard that repeated word "if", on 'Up the ladder to the roof"

Using "This is the story - The Supremes/ Jean Terrell years" as reference, it's at 1.25.

Listening to the simultaneous riff of the guitar, it plays a different note at the moment the first "if" is audible, so I've always just assumed the blip must be a clumsy edit/punch-in on the vocal track.

Ditto on "Silent Voices" from the Jimmy Webb album. There must have been a punch in at 2.28, but which isn't quite seamless, as Jean sings..."My.....My love....."

And yes, me too.... I'll take midnight johnny's smidges any old time...:)

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Originally Posted by ejluther

I agree with you, Milven - I hear a "if you" quite plainly...

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Wow ! Someone finally heard it. I wonder why only I hear it so distinctly. [[And I have a hearing problem :D) Whenever I sing along with the song, I sing the "if you" error that is or is not there. And I have done this since the record was released. Thanks for giving a bit of validity to what I am hearing.

Based on that one track Syreeta did have a Diana Ross thing going on [[of course, that could very well have been intentional for this demo in particular)...

I would love to hear an acapella version of this song

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Originally Posted by midnight johnny

Since the other "Up The Ladder..." thread is found to discuss everything but "Up The Ladder...", I thought I'd bring it up one more time, for those actually interested in the song. No...not a remix by me or anyone else. The version I'm talking about is unreleased [[yet and still), unedited with a time of 4:04, with a very unusual and lovely extra verse that is not at all like any part of the song which is sung by Mary and Cindy in duet with Jean joining toward the end of that edited out verse. I was given permission to mention it. I wanted others to know that it exists, and that we have something amazing to look forward to [[if and) when another Supremes "Lost and Found" . Cross your fingers....

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Fingers, eyes, toes, nostrils, arms, legs, even cheeks crossed!
You've been given permission to mention it- this might be a very, very good sign!!
Thanks, Johnny, for lifting our spirits up the ladder to the roof!
A certain Boyfromxtown campaigned heavily for the Velvelettes to have an official cd release- and a 2 cd anthology came to be. I'm sure that his helpful spirit behind the scenes with other cd's and their promotion once released helped his dream become a reality.
Here's hoping that your promotion of all, [[well, most actually) things Motown via Nightflight may not go unnoticed and lead to yet another heavenly release being sent our way.

This is great news!

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Originally Posted by jobeterob

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TeCVdGRRlg

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I love this. Just saw it and have been listening to it all day. May there be a 70s Supremes Lost and Found and may this be on it!

I do believe there is/was a 70's Supremes Lost and Found set on the table.
I also think that Diana was a pop singer and Jean was a soul singer. the group became less successful on the pop charts but more so on the soul charts.

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Originally Posted by daviddh

I do believe there is/was a 70's Supremes Lost and Found set on the table.
I also think that Diana was a pop singer and Jean was a soul singer. the group became less successful on the pop charts but more so on the soul charts.

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Great point. I've always found it strange that they say the Supremes had 12 #1's, but they really had 13. "Stoned Love" was a #1 on the R&B charts. I think historians and record-keepers need to more deeply consider the impact their music had on other charts besides the mainstream Hot 100. For example, although "Buttered Popcorn" wasn't successful nationally, wasn't it successful locally?

Regarding a 70s Supremes Lost and Found ....

Economics seems to be the determining factor in releasing CDs. Therefore, the fact that THIS IS THE STORY has long since been sold out [[ while continuing to sell at high prices on the Net) should provide data and motivation for HipO to release something more by The 70s Supremes.

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Originally Posted by longtimefan

Regarding a 70s Supremes Lost and Found ....

Economics seems to be the determining factor in releasing CDs. Therefore, the fact that THIS IS THE STORY has long since been sold out [[ while continuing to sell at high prices on the Net) should provide data and motivation for HipO to release something more by The 70s Supremes.

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While I completely agree that a 70s Lost and Found should be released, the quick unavailability of TITS was much more about a limited supply than significant demand, eg. a marketing calculation rather than straightforward economics. One way to create a buzz in the collector community to sell out of stock is just this way... a limited release.

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Originally Posted by thanxal

While I completely agree that a 70s Lost and Found should be released, the quick unavailability of TITS was much more about a limited supply than significant demand, eg. a marketing calculation rather than straightforward economics. One way to create a buzz in the collector community to sell out of stock is just this way... a limited release.

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True, but then again presumably that print run was the quantity needed to make a profit - and selling out is selling out. There must still be some commercial conclusions to be drawn from its performance. Although there were unsold copies of Let Yourself Go in my local HMV for months, so if the print runs were the same, This Is The Story selling out maybe wasn't a foregone conclusion.

[[Seeing it abbreviated always brings me up short. It's hard to believe nobody spotted the acronym before release.)

If we can't get a green light on a "Funny Girl" on a physical release, you think there is going to be a 70's "Lost and Found" set? How many panties would be in a bunch if THAT was a digital download only?

I don't put a lot of stock into this big bad-ass companies that do not listen to their customers.

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Originally Posted by midnight johnny

Since the other "Up The Ladder..." thread is found to discuss everything but "Up The Ladder...", I thought I'd bring it up one more time, for those actually interested in the song. No...not a remix by me or anyone else. The version I'm talking about is unreleased [[yet and still), unedited with a time of 4:04, with a very unusual and lovely extra verse that is not at all like any part of the song which is sung by Mary and Cindy in duet with Jean joining toward the end of that edited out verse. I was given permission to mention it. I wanted others to know that it exists, and that we have something amazing to look forward to [[if and) when another Supremes "Lost and Found" . Cross your fingers....

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I am the writer of the original post of up the ladder to the roof debutting on the charts the first week of march at #44 in 1970 as well as speaking about its lovely message and wonderful singing by jmc, what the fans who responded to it did is another story a huge expansion on the jmc era as other 70s jean led supremes records were brought into the fold.The post generated nearly three hundred responses and then mysteriously vanished ummmmm, however thanks for bringing an unedited version of up the ladder to the roof to our attention cant wait till its let out of the faults

Sorry up the ladder debut at 57 44 yrs ago.

If we are approaching a download only age, maybe we don't have to wait for another Lost & Found - maybe this could be released as a $1.29 single. Why not?

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Originally Posted by supremester

If we are approaching a download only age, maybe we don't have to wait for another Lost & Found - maybe this could be released as a $1.29 single. Why not?

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Yeah, I'd like to have a physical CD... but if download is the only way to get it, so be it.

There are definitely more 70s Supremes in the vault that we have not heard. I have a dozen unreleased bootleg tracks myself, not including alternates. I have never heard of an extended UTLTTR with a Mary & Cindy verse. So I would love to see one released.

"Up the Ladder to the . . . 'Woof!'"

Attachment 8032

[[I have had it with these bogus groups!)

Photo from
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/...39_634x504.jpg

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Originally Posted by markdtiller

There are definitely more 70s Supremes in the vault that we have not heard. I have a dozen unreleased bootleg tracks myself, not including alternates. I have never heard of an extended UTLTTR with a Mary & Cindy verse. So I would love to see one released.

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Technically, it's not an extended version. The version that we know is an edited version of the 4+ minute original version.

Love the woof! shot!

I, too, would love to hear the full version of UP... - it's one of my favorite Supremes songs..