Too Hurt To Cry, Too Much in Love to Say Goodbye

Yes, this may have been discussed before. On one of my Facebook groups was posted this "Too Hurt to Cry, Too Much Love to Say Goodbye" by the Darnells. Several folk were quick to say this was the Marvelettes. The narrative under the YouTube posting stated this was indeed the Marvelettes doing an HDH composition as Berry Gordy's way to mimic the Phil Spector sound. A YouTube commenter stated it was Gladys Horton and the Andantes.

Let's say it was the Marvelettes [[even if it is the Andantes doing the background vocals as they did with a lot of the Marvelettes recordings). What's the story as to why it was released under the name the Darnells as opposed to the Marvelettes? What was the flip side tune?

Do any of the great Soul Detroit Forum member actually know, as opposed to the conclusions you have drawn from listening to the recording?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wo82...acFeKJGJ6-HcH8

After posting the initial question, I did find this recording by the Darnells, "Come Home, Come Home." It appears to be mostly an instrumental with occasional voices singing the title over and over. Maybe this was the flip side of "Too Hurt to Cry"?https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Izzj8f1Ymt8

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Originally Posted by jobucats

After posting the initial question, I did find this recording by the Darnells, "Come Home, Come Home." It appears to be mostly an instrumental with occasional voices singing the title over and over. Maybe this was the flip side of "Too Hurt to Cry"?https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Izzj8f1Ymt8

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You're right Job, "Come On Home" was the B-side : https://www.discogs.com/The-Darnells.../master/467290

https://img.discogs.com/UBKRZY9eQfbM...-8178.jpeg.jpg

Jobucats, I asked the exact same question on the "The Sixties - A Celebration Of Sound." Facebook Group earlier today when someone posted up a Youtube video of this song. It would be interesting to know about the Marvelettes/Darnells naming point!

The recording was discussed in Marc Taylor's book on the Marvelettes. It is Gladys Horton doing the lead. She even says the company received letters saying they knew it was Gladys. But I do not remember a definitive reason given as to why it was released under another name.

It did come at a time when the Marvelettes' recordings weren't charting as well as before. Maybe Motown thought the recording was so great that they had to get it out there and didn't want to risk it being ignored. If it hit, they could have put together a new girl group.

Something similar happened when they decided to release the Tempts' MIND OVER MATTER under the name "The Pirates." Of course, the big difference is the Tempts weren't a name yet whereas the Marvelettes were.

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Originally Posted by rovereab

Jobucats, I asked the exact same question on the "The Sixties - A Celebration Of Sound." Facebook Group earlier today when someone posted up a Youtube video of this song. It would be interesting to know about the Marvelettes/Darnells naming point!

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Hey, rovereab, I believe the Facebook group I where I saw it posted was the Holland-Dozier-Holland group. After your comment, I believe Reese has some more insight as to this record release.

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Originally Posted by reese

The recording was discussed in Marc Taylor's book on the Marvelettes. It is Gladys Horton doing the lead. She even says the company received letters saying they knew it was Gladys. But I do not remember a definitive reason given as to why it was released under another name.

It did come at a time when the Marvelettes' recordings weren't charting as well as before. Maybe Motown thought the recording was so great that they had to get it out there and didn't want to risk it being ignored. If it hit, they could have put together a new girl group.

Something similar happened when they decided to release the Tempts' MIND OVER MATTER under the name "The Pirates." Of course, the big difference is the Tempts weren't a name yet whereas the Marvelettes were.

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Thank you, Reese, for sharing this information. I guess it does become a matter of different theories as to why the artist was listed as the Darnells [[and where in the world would that name come from? LOL). I'll also be on the lookout for that Pirates release you mentioned.

https://motownjunkies.co.uk/2011/04/14/348/

4 seasons... Wonder Who Group; Chiffons...4 Pennies. Something different, don’t saturate the market?

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Originally Posted by reese

https://motownjunkies.co.uk/2011/04/14/348/

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THANK YOU so much for sharing that link!

In his book, Motown the Golden Years by Bill Dahl, he reports the following on the group:

"There was also a curious experiment in late '63: H-D-H paired Gladys with the Andantes for 'Too Hurt To Cry, Too Much In Love to Say Goodbye,' an unabashed attempt to muscle in on Phil Spector's Wall of Sound turn under the moniker of the Darnells. Berry named us that himself, said the Andantes Louvain Demps. Horton's vocal power certainly rivaled that of Ronnie Spector and Darlene Love."

And of course, The Supremes recorded the same song.

I wonder if Linda Darnell was BG's inspiration. :o

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Originally Posted by sansradio

I wonder if Linda Darnell was BG's inspiration. :o

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Very likely could be! Berry seemed fascinated by old Hollywood.

In 1963, I purchased 2 45's from a "cut out" bin .39 ea because they were Motown, "Too Hurt To Cry" with Come on Home on the flip & "What Goes Up Must Come Down" by Holland-Dozier on the Motown label with Come On Home on the flip could be the same basic track but they were different sounding. I still have the 45's. I could swear that while visiting family in Montgomery, Al. I saw "Too Hurt To Cry" in a record store with a photo case that showed the Darnells as 2 guys & 2 girls. I'm sure I would have recognized if one of the girls in the photo was Gladys. I know & knew then it was Gladys on the record. I know I wasn't trippin, but have never had that photo verified.

Well there's this from the Netherlands.Attachment 16108

and this from the UK Attachment 16109

Those picture sleeves are awesome, especially the one with the "romance comic" type drawing. What a great find. I imagine that is worth a pretty penny.

I think that on the "Nothing But a Man" album, a very early soundtrack release on Motown, that "Come on Home" was listed as by Holland-Dozier, so must have been the first version of the "Too Hurt to Cry" B-side.

The Motown Junkies web site is so fun to learn all the strange details about how these singles were produced and how they fared commercially.

At some point I remember searching for the "Too Hurt to Cry" single, hoping it would unearth a Marvelettes side on the flip which I had never heard. I remember being very disappointed when it was the same song "Come on Home" without the appearance of any Marvelettes on it at all!