Ooowee Baby

I've never been a fan of this one. I would even go so far as to say I really didn't like it. However, I listened to it today, something I so very rarely do, and was surprised to find that it aint half bad. It's made a few comps over the years, which always made me wonder if Motown had seriously considered it as a single at some point. I think it may have made a nice addition to More Hits, an album in which I feel a few songs deserved to be replaced.

Fans of this one?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOWjzEsk-M0

This has always been one of my favorites of the unreleased recordings, from the first time I heard it on the 25TH ANNIVERSARY collection. I am a big fan of those early recordings where their great harmonies are displayed.

I always liked this one and have grown to like it even more over the years. Its one of those "group" songs by the girls and I always like those. Mary is heard very well in the background on this one and it sounds like Diana is back there with them too.

Love ... 💕....love it.
It's on my more hits playlist

yeah this one never really did it for me either. the "dum de doo" line is a bit too hokey for my taste. but the harmonies are nice. just wish the lyrics were better throughout

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Originally Posted by RanRan79

I've never been a fan of this one. I would even go so far as to say I really didn't like it. However, I listened to it today, something I so very rarely do, and was surprised to find that it aint half bad. It's made a few comps over the years, which always made me wonder if Motown had seriously considered it as a single at some point. I think it may have made a nice addition to More Hits, an album in which I feel a few songs deserved to be replaced.

Fans of this one?

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I was also never a fan, but I liked the group harmony. I appreciated it more when I got the More Hits EE. But, IMO, the original More Hits album is totally fine as is. It really was the first Supremes Sing HDH album. If a Smokey song had to be added, I think Take Me Where You Go would have been a better fit.

Smokey had been honored earlier in 1965 with The Temptations Sing Smokey. Later in 1965, The Four Tops Second Album was [[almost) The Four Tops Sing HDH. In November, Smokey Robinson & the Miracles' Going To A Go Go album was released. These are four of my favorite Motown albums ever.

I agree about the harmonies. Like Reese, I love many of the early songs because of this fact. But I think this particular song never did much for me because, like Sup, it does sound a little hokey, especially in the midst of some of those great HDH productions.

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Originally Posted by lucky2012

I was also never a fan, but I liked the group harmony. I appreciated it more when I got the More Hits EE. But, IMO, the original More Hits album is totally fine as is. It really was the first Supremes Sing HDH album. If a Smokey song had to be added, I think Take Me Where You Go would have been a better fit.

Smokey had been honored earlier in 1965 with The Temptations Sing Smokey. Later in 1965, The Four Tops Second Album was [[almost) The Four Tops Sing HDH. In November, Smokey Robinson & the Miracles' Going To A Go Go album was released. These are four of my favorite Motown albums ever.

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I'm not a fan of "Honey Boy", and I really don't like "Heartaches" and "Only Time I'm Happy" and would've gladly replaced them with other tunes. I think "Ooowee Baby" could be one, "Take Me Where You Go" is definitely another. I love that song.

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Originally Posted by RanRan79

I'm not a fan of "Honey Boy", and I really don't like "Heartaches" and "Only Time I'm Happy" and would've gladly replaced them with other tunes. I think "Ooowee Baby" could be one, "Take Me Where You Go" is definitely another. I love that song.

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I like "Ooowee Baby", well enough, and "Take me Where You Go", only so-so. I don't think either of those songs would fit on More Hits or even WDOLG. They would belong on an album late 63 or early 64, even though they weren't recorded in that time period. They sound dated. Maybe Smokey had written these back then but never offered them to The Supremes, or was given the opportunity to record them. Although "Ooowee Baby" appears to be borrowing from the "Baby Love" sound.

I wondered why Motown didn't release an album when "Lovelight" made it to the Top 40. An album with that hit along with "Run, Run, Run", "Breathtaking Guy" and "My Heart Can't Take It No More" might have been interesting. It seems Mary Wells was the main focus for releases in 63 and 64. Not even the Vandellas or The Marvelettes had much going on for releases in that time period. The Marvelettes GH was assigned a catalogue number in 64 but not released until 66. Maybe there wasn't too much faith in the girl groups in late 63 and early 64.

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Originally Posted by RanRan79

I'm not a fan of "Honey Boy", and I really don't like "Heartaches" and "Only Time I'm Happy" and would've gladly replaced them with other tunes. I think "Ooowee Baby" could be one, "Take Me Where You Go" is definitely another. I love that song.

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oh Ran SMH lol Oowee and Take Me are so damn corny lolol. While i agree that Honey Boy isn't exactly Shakespeare set to music, i definitely prefer it to those two outtakes.

More Hits was a solid "supremes do the girl group" sound. 100% HDH and motown rhythms, solid productions. but there's a youthfulness to it. it's all about teenage romance and young girl appeal.

with Symphony you get the style of "young ladies trying to be adults" and i think it's mostly successful.

A Go Go was an attempt to be a more updated youth approach. less high school girls and now college/young adult girls hitting up Whiskey A Go Go. but the LA productions and bland vocals erase much of the edge

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Originally Posted by johnjeb

I like "Ooowee Baby", well enough, and "Take me Where You Go", only so-so. I don't think either of those songs would fit on More Hits or even WDOLG. They would belong on an album late 63 or early 64, even though they weren't recorded in that time period. They sound dated. Maybe Smokey had written these back then but never offered them to The Supremes, or was given the opportunity to record them. Although "Ooowee Baby" appears to be borrowing from the "Baby Love" sound.

I wondered why Motown didn't release an album when "Lovelight" made it to the Top 40. An album with that hit along with "Run, Run, Run", "Breathtaking Guy" and "My Heart Can't Take It No More" might have been interesting. It seems Mary Wells was the main focus for releases in 63 and 64. Not even the Vandellas or The Marvelettes had much going on for releases in that time period. The Marvelettes GH was assigned a catalogue number in 64 but not released until 66. Maybe there wasn't too much faith in the girl groups in late 63 and early 64.

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i wonder if it was timing. Lovelight was released at the end of October but didn't peak on the charts until well into January. obviously by then they'd missed the Holiday sales period. Plus motown wasn't super focused on lps at the time. yes, when the M's hit with Postman they quickly rushed out an album. but it had gone #1. and when MRATV hit with Heatwave in JUly 63, by Sept the lp was out there. but that song too had gone to #4.

i think number 23 just isn't big enough to carry an album. at least an album released in an 'off' period of the year. if they hadn't had WDOLG, we would have gotten the Ballads and Blues album but i have no idea how Lovelight would have fit into that collection. Odds are motown would have stuck it on there anyway. we all know they weren't too worried about sticking with a thematic direction on most lps

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Originally Posted by johnjeb

I like "Ooowee Baby", well enough, and "Take me Where You Go", only so-so. I don't think either of those songs would fit on More Hits or even WDOLG. They would belong on an album late 63 or early 64, even though they weren't recorded in that time period. They sound dated. Maybe Smokey had written these back then but never offered them to The Supremes, or was given the opportunity to record them. Although "Ooowee Baby" appears to be borrowing from the "Baby Love" sound.

I wondered why Motown didn't release an album when "Lovelight" made it to the Top 40. An album with that hit along with "Run, Run, Run", "Breathtaking Guy" and "My Heart Can't Take It No More" might have been interesting. It seems Mary Wells was the main focus for releases in 63 and 64. Not even the Vandellas or The Marvelettes had much going on for releases in that time period. The Marvelettes GH was assigned a catalogue number in 64 but not released until 66. Maybe there wasn't too much faith in the girl groups in late 63 and early 64.

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That would've been an interesting album with "Lovelight" as the centerpiece. I've always felt that as good as the WDOLG album is, some of the songs sound so dated on them alongside the new emerging Motown Sound.

Okay, producer hat time!
Lovelight
I'm Giving You Your Freedom
A Breath Taking Guy
He Means the World To Me
Everyday I'll Love You More
Standing At the Crossroads
Run, Run, Run
Mr. Blues
Your Kiss Of Fire
Come On Boy
Long Gone Lover
When the Lovelight Starts Shining Through His Eyes
You're Gonna Come To Me

Where Did Our Love Go
Penny Pincher
You're Gone But Always In My Heart
Don't Take It Away
Just Call Me
Where Did Our Love Go
Ask Any Girl
Stop, Look and Listen
Send Me No Flowers
Come See About Me
Baby Love
Let Me Hear You Say I Love You
That's A Funny Way

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Originally Posted by sup_fan

oh Ran SMH lol Oowee and Take Me are so damn corny lolol. While i agree that Honey Boy isn't exactly Shakespeare set to music, i definitely prefer it to those two outtakes.

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99 percent of popular music during that time was corny, but the folks didn't see it that way. Good beats, good singing, that's all that mattered. And where good singing is concerned, the Supremes sound great on "Ooowee Baby" and "Take Me Where You Go".

My problem with "Honey Boy" is that the handclaps from Mary Wells' version are missing- an important component of the song IMO- and Diana sings it so annoyingly. The way she hits those "errs" on "sugar" makes me cringe. Mary Wells' version is fantastic.

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Originally Posted by RanRan79

That would've been an interesting album with "Lovelight" as the centerpiece. I've always felt that as good as the WDOLG album is, some of the songs sound so dated on them alongside the new emerging Motown Sound.

Okay, producer hat time!
Lovelight
I'm Giving You Your Freedom
A Breath Taking Guy
He Means the World To Me
Everyday I'll Love You More
Standing At the Crossroads
Run, Run, Run
Mr. Blues
Your Kiss Of Fire
Come On Boy
Long Gone Lover
When the Lovelight Starts Shining Through His Eyes
You're Gonna Come To Me

Where Did Our Love Go
Penny Pincher
You're Gone But Always In My Heart
Don't Take It Away
Just Call Me
Where Did Our Love Go
Ask Any Girl
Stop, Look and Listen
Send Me No Flowers
Come See About Me
Baby Love
Let Me Hear You Say I Love You
That's A Funny Way

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I like your producers hat ! RanRan.. how "Send Me No Flowers" sat in the vaults for two decades is beyond my comprehension ..i love how the Hip O team re released it with the additional studio chatter at the fade..it only lasts for a few seconds but its wonderful to hear their chatter and laughter i find it magical..."Let Me Hear You Say I Love You" has stunning harmonies on the verses im not so keen on the chorus but Flo and Mary sound fantastic on it...

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Originally Posted by nomis

I like your producers hat ! RanRan.. how "Send Me No Flowers" sat in the vaults for two decades is beyond my comprehension ..i love how the Hip O team re released it with the additional studio chatter at the fade..it only lasts for a few seconds but its wonderful to hear their chatter and laughter i find it magical..."Let Me Hear You Say I Love You" has stunning harmonies on the verses im not so keen on the chorus but Flo and Mary sound fantastic on it...

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Thanks Nomis!! And I agree, tragic that "Flowers" was vaulted for so long. It's definitely one of my favorites, and the extended portion from the EE is so fun to listen to.

Flo is killing it on "Let Me Hear You". Lol

I Absolutely love the Way Ross sings honey boy What a great fantastic vocal I can listen to the song over and over again she does the song great justice what’s this music is all about sing it Diana

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Originally Posted by after you

I Absolutely love the Way Ross sings honey boy What a great fantastic vocal I can listen to the song over and over again she does the song great justice what’s this music is all about sing it Diana

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i like it too. 1965 is also about the end of the "innocent" era for 60s music. by 66 and definitely into 67, music took on a more aggressive tone and a harder sound. Sure the Brit Invasion in 64 had radically changed things but you could still get away with these "cotton candy" songs.

not that Honey is lacking. the cutesy lyrics are bolstered by a good motown beat, the lovely backing harmonies of M and F, Diana's wonderful lead. it's just a great feel-good song

you can so easily see teen girls [[black or white) sitting in their bedrooms with their friends, spinning More Hits and dancing around the room. goofing off, singing into hair brushes, pretending to be the Supremes :)

More Hits is a very strong album. If i had to pick something to change:

Ask Any Girl - although a great song, it seems a bit cheap to reuse it here. There are too many great Sup songs in the vault to justify this

Remove this Doubt - too good to have sat in the vaults all those years and frankly seemed a bit out of date

He Holds His Own - i know i just said to cut Ask any Girl but frankly i don't think the La las work as well here.

maybe the album could be redone as:

Stop
Mother Dear
nothing back heartaches
honey boy
Back in my arms again
remove this doubt

whisper you love me
the only time i'm happy
Too hurt to cry, too in love to say goodbye
who could ever doubt
I'm do glad
i'm in love again

Or instead of Too Hurt, maybe include send me no flowers.

Sup I agree with those changes, except "He Holds His Own", which is an album highlight for me.

I find "I'm So Glad" and "Only Time I'm Happy" as two of the most boring cuts the group did around this time.

to me the "la la's" on He Holds His Own are a bit silly. They work on Ask Any Girl but IMO that's because that is just an excellent song. Also the higher pitch vocals for these La Las make them a bit more questionable. of course He Holds is a good song - this isn't bad. just splitting hairs here. Also i don't think the lyrics for He Holds are as strong as some other concepts they wrote on

and I'm So Glad is so catchy! the "i'm so glaaaddddd"

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Originally Posted by sup_fan

to me the "la la's" on He Holds His Own are a bit silly. They work on Ask Any Girl but IMO that's because that is just an excellent song. Also the higher pitch vocals for these La Las make them a bit more questionable. of course He Holds is a good song - this isn't bad. just splitting hairs here. Also i don't think the lyrics for He Holds are as strong as some other concepts they wrote on

and I'm So Glad is so catchy! the "i'm so glaaaddddd"

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You bring up something I've always felt about the Supreme's version of "He Holds His Own." See, I knew of Mary Well's version first and while I didn't think this was a great song, for me, The Andantes and Mary made the difference between a so-so song and a very good one.

I liked the Andantes singing those La La's as if they were doing opera. I mean, they, and the male group just blew it out on that throw away phrase. They sounded BIG and made the song sound BIG. Mary always made every song sound like Grown Folks Music and she did it exceedingly well here.

Now when I heard the Supremes' version, it just seemed the backing vocals were so much more "smaller" compared to the music, which seems to call for a fuller chorale sound. Compare what Flo and Mary did on "Ask Any Girl" to "He Holds His Own"; on "Ask" everyone is singing full- strength while on "Holds", it's just a bit too restrained.

Diana does well enough on "Holds" but the backing vocals just always seemed to reveal the gaps in the song that The Andantes and Co. obliterated when they sang it.

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Originally Posted by WaitingWatchingLookingForAChance

You bring up something I've always felt about the Supreme's version of "He Holds His Own." See, I knew of Mary Well's version first and while I didn't think this was a great song, for me, The Andantes and Mary made the difference between a so-so song and a very good one.

I liked the Andantes singing those La La's as if they were doing opera. I mean, they, and the male group just blew it out on that throw away phrase. They sounded BIG and made the song sound BIG. Mary always made every song sound like Grown Folks Music and she did it exceedingly well here.

Now when I heard the Supremes' version, it just seemed the backing vocals were so much more "smaller" compared to the music, which seems to call for a fuller chorale sound. Compare what Flo and Mary did on "Ask Any Girl" to "He Holds His Own"; on "Ask" everyone is singing full- strength while on "Holds", it's just a bit too restrained.

Diana does well enough on "Holds" but the backing vocals just always seemed to reveal the gaps in the song that The Andantes and Co. obliterated when they sang it.

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I totally agree with you on He Holds His Own. The Andantes on Mary Well's version really makes the song. In fact the Andantes on the entire My Guy album really makes the album. One of the best albums of '64.

I love Flo and Mary's "la la"'s! Lol

The Andantes were working with three voices to Flo and Mary's two, so there would usually always be a "fuller" sound with the A's than with the Supremes, except when Diana was singing with them. One of the travesties of the Supremes' discography is that after a certain point Diana so rarely sang with Flo and Mary in the background. Their blend together was fantastic.

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Originally Posted by SatansBlues

I totally agree with you on He Holds His Own. The Andantes on Mary Well's version really makes the song. In fact the Andantes on the entire My Guy album really makes the album. One of the best albums of '64.

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When I got that album, that was something that really made an impression on me, how Mary and The Andantes really gelled together as a single unit on this album. Of course Mary was the star, but for some reason, this album really showed off an alchemy between Mary and the ladies that I've rarely heard elsewhere. "You Do Something To Me" is one of the best examples of this. I didn't hear Lead Singer/Background singers on this LP, it was a perfect pairing of two of Motown's best.

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Originally Posted by RanRan79

I love Flo and Mary's "la la"'s! Lol

The Andantes were working with three voices to Flo and Mary's two, so there would usually always be a "fuller" sound with the A's than with the Supremes, except when Diana was singing with them. One of the travesties of the Supremes' discography is that after a certain point Diana so rarely sang with Flo and Mary in the background. Their blend together was fantastic.

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Well now, I'll have to go back and re-think this! Sometimes, something you don't care for suddenly sounds different when you hear someone supporting it. For example, I wasn't too keen on the Reflections LP until I started reading others' passionate comments about various songs. That actually did make me listen with new ears and now I appreciate the album much more than I ever did before.

The Andantes were fantastic at what they did. They also were extremely polished, which made them perfect as the in house female session singers. I think they not only had great chemistry with Mary Wells but also Marvin Gaye, among some others.

The problem was when the Andantes were used as replacements for Supremes, Vandellas and Marvelettes. Each of those groups had their own personalities that came out. The Marvelettes [[as a harmony group) weren't much to speak of IMO, but their backing vocals had character. The Vandellas had a great blend behind Martha, and specifically when Annette and Roz were together, there was an unexplainable charm, IMO. The Supremes of course were full of personality behind Diana. Flo and Mary's voices had a distinctiveness and also a ton of chemistry together. All of those things made all of those groups unique.

When you replace them with the very polished Andantes, many of those songs, IMO, lose the character it would have otherwise have had. The Andantes were great for backing up solo artists, but not the best when acting as stand ins.

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Originally Posted by RanRan79

The Andantes were fantastic at what they did. They also were extremely polished, which made them perfect as the in house female session singers. I think they not only had great chemistry with Mary Wells but also Marvin Gaye, among some others.

The problem was when the Andantes were used as replacements for Supremes, Vandellas and Marvelettes. Each of those groups had their own personalities that came out. The Marvelettes [[as a harmony group) weren't much to speak of IMO, but their backing vocals had character. The Vandellas had a great blend behind Martha, and specifically when Annette and Roz were together, there was an unexplainable charm, IMO. The Supremes of course were full of personality behind Diana. Flo and Mary's voices had a distinctiveness and also a ton of chemistry together. All of those things made all of those groups unique.

When you replace them with the very polished Andantes, many of those songs, IMO, lose the character it would have otherwise have had. The Andantes were great for backing up solo artists, but not the best when acting as stand ins.

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i agree that when the As began to replace the groups, it was a problem. I guess i'm not as bothered by their being added to groups like Country Western & Pop. But the Sups doubled their backing vocals for Back In My Arms Again for a more full sound but still and M and F sound. and it's amazing.

as for the Marvelettes, i'm not as familiar with their work although i have the 2 cd sets of their albums. their limited range and voices does sort of pigeon hole them in the early 60s Girl Group sound. that more adolescent sound. i think as time went on, you needed more sophisticated singing. For instance on the wonderful When You're Young and In Love, the M's do the unison singing while the A's are the 3 part harmony. and they're just layered together. and unless George or Andy convince me otherwise, i'm sure that the more complex harmony singing on Too Many Fish is the A's. again the M's are on the record but layered with the As

I love to rename songs and sing along to to my rename injected into the song. I rename this song, Sweetie Baby". Of course once a song is written, it is unlawful to change its character.

I like the harmonies of all The Supremes in this song.

"Come and smear all my lipstick" - ha ha !

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Originally Posted by sup_fan

i agree that when the As began to replace the groups, it was a problem. I guess i'm not as bothered by their being added to groups like Country Western & Pop. But the Sups doubled their backing vocals for Back In My Arms Again for a more full sound but still and M and F sound. and it's amazing.

as for the Marvelettes, i'm not as familiar with their work although i have the 2 cd sets of their albums. their limited range and voices does sort of pigeon hole them in the early 60s Girl Group sound. that more adolescent sound. i think as time went on, you needed more sophisticated singing. For instance on the wonderful When You're Young and In Love, the M's do the unison singing while the A's are the 3 part harmony. and they're just layered together. and unless George or Andy convince me otherwise, i'm sure that the more complex harmony singing on Too Many Fish is the A's. again the M's are on the record but layered with the As

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Yeah the Marvelettes sing on the chorus for Too Many Fish In the Sea but its the Andantes doing the backups during the verses.

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Originally Posted by floyjoy678

Yeah the Marvelettes sing on the chorus for Too Many Fish In the Sea but its the Andantes doing the backups during the verses.

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and i would guess the M's are still singing on the choruses but probably just in unison. in addition to their individual lead lines on the chorus

I'm not a big Marvelettes fan. I'm good with the limited amount of their work that I have. What I do recognize is that the Marvelettes were not a usual vocal group. The fact that their first name was a play on "Can't Sing Yet" says it all, IMO. They were not known for their harmonies like the other female groups at Motown were. So I agree, by the time the more "sophisticated" stuff rolled around for them that the A's made more sense. The A's replacing Supremes and Vandellas was criminal.

I quite like Oowee Baby. Though more the versions that have the handclaps. The one alternate stereo mix that appeared on a later LP deluxe edition specifically didn't have the claps, and that made it sound a bit naked, like it was missing something.

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Originally Posted by DJMoch

I quite like Oowee Baby. Though more the versions that have the handclaps. The one alternate stereo mix that appeared on a later LP deluxe edition specifically didn't have the claps, and that made it sound a bit naked, like it was missing something.

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Agreed. The hand claps on Motown songs just add a certain something extra that just feels so...Motown.:cool: