Vincent DiMirco

Does anyone know whatever became of Vincent? As you recall, he penned "Up the Ladder" and "Thank Him For Today" for The Supremes. If I recall, he was described as "a teenager from New Jersey".

Vincent would go on to release at one single "I Can Make It Alone" on the Rare Earth label.

One follow up question: does anyone know if "Ladder" and "Thank Him" were composed at the same time? Or after the success of "Ladder", was he tapped to write more? And why didn't he continue writing for the Supremes/Motown.

Looking at Discogs, his songwriting career seems very shortlived. I only found three other songs.

The Originals - Once I Have You [[I Will Never Let You Go) [[1970)
Four Tops - I Almost Had Her [[But She Got Away) [[1970)
Edwin Starr - Take Me Clear From Here [[1972) [[Also covered by David Ruffin 1975)

Ladder was recorded in Jan 70, at least according to the dates we have available to us. the first session was 1/2. then it was re-recorded on 1/30 and released on 2/16 as a single. clearly there were probably more sessions than that.

Thank Him track was recorded on 1/16. backing vocals were recorded on 5/3. additional instrumentation recorded on 5/15 and strings added on 5/16. recording was completed on 6/8

He also wrote "There's A Place We'd Like To Know" for The Originals recorded for their "Portrait Of" album and recording was completed on November 7, 1969.

Vincent also wrote the b-side of his 1972 single, "I Can Make It Alone," which was entitled, "Come Clean." Both were initially recorded in 1970. The former had the vocal re-recorded in 1971 and then the pair were finally released as single in April 1972.

I sense a theme with two of Mr. DiMirco's songs as he wrote "Once I Have You [I Will Never Let You Go]" and turned it upside down [or vice-versa] and wrote "I Almost Had Her [But She Got Away]." What's also interesting is that "I Almost Had Her" was originally written, recorded, and assigned to "The New Supremes" as "I Almost Had HIM [But HE Got Away]" before being reassigned to the Tops and the title adjusted by Summer 1970.

Many years ago, like in the 1990s, a fan saw him performing in a small NY club and asked if he was the same Vince Dimirco. He said he was, was somewhat bitter about his Motown connection. Apparently Up The Ladder was to be a solo recording on him. He claimed he composed the entire song and Frank Wilson put his name on it. In any event those are his guitar licks during the musical break on the Supremes recording and throughout the track. I have not heard a thing on him since then.

He also explained to the fan that Up The Ladder was not a song about peace and heaven, it was the story of Romeo and Juliet. When I heard that, the lyrics suddenly made sense.

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Originally Posted by BayouMotownMan

He also explained to the fan that Up The Ladder was not a song about peace and heaven, it was the story of Romeo and Juliet. When I heard that, the lyrics suddenly made sense.

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Now that's interesting! Makes total sense.

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Originally Posted by BayouMotownMan

He said he was, was somewhat bitter about his Motown connection. Apparently Up The Ladder was to be a solo recording on him. He claimed he composed the entire song and Frank Wilson put his name on it.

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A little off topic; however Vince's allegation that Frank Wilson added his name to the writing credits of Up the Ladder reminds me of other writers/producers at Motown who solely composed and produced songs only to have to share credit with someone else who may have done nothing more than loaned the writer/producer a pencil in the studio. The outstanding Ivy Jo Hunter had to share credit with one other writer/producer on a lot of his output.

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Originally Posted by jobucats

A little off topic; however Vince's allegation that Frank Wilson added his name to the writing credits of Up the Ladder reminds me of other writers/producers at Motown who solely composed and produced songs only to have to share credit with someone else who may have done nothing more than loaned to loan the writer/producer a pencil in the studio. The outstanding Ivy Jo Hunter had to share credit with one other writer/producer on a lot of his output.

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This practice happened with a great deal more regularity than we fans realized. R. Dean Taylor said he wrote Love Is Here by himself and a few others. Scherrie Payne said she wrote Crumbs Off The Table and Horse and Rider from the second Glass House lp by herself and HDH put their names on it.

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Originally Posted by jobucats

A little off topic; however Vince's allegation that Frank Wilson added his name to the writing credits of Up the Ladder reminds me of other writers/producers at Motown who solely composed and produced songs only to have to share credit with someone else who may have done nothing more than loaned to loan the writer/producer a pencil in the studio. The outstanding Ivy Jo Hunter had to share credit with one other writer/producer on a lot of his output.

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Berry Gordy Jr being the worst offender.

Yeah I had heard the Romeo and Juliet part before. And makes sense. The song uses heaven and sky and stars as imagery. Not about peace necessarily

I think it was in Mary‘s first book that she said he was a teenager at the time he wrote their big song, and that he was Puerto Rican and living in New York.

Ah, the Romeo and Juliet reference in "Up The Ladder To The Roof" totally makes sense!

I don’t know much more about Vincent than what’s been said, but I think he wrote some great songs. I'm especially fond of The Tops' "I Almost Had Her [But She Got Away]". :cool:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=mQ56D2D064o

I'll have to check out his own single on Rare Earth! :D

I checked out his "I Can Make It Alone" and "Come Clean", both of which were written by Vincent and produced by Norman Whitfield.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=OT4EQAzZqpc

Not sure what to make of either track… both quite slow, folky songs with sparse instrumentation [not like a normal Norman Whitfield production, nor like any of the songs Vincent wrote for other artists!]

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Originally Posted by TomatoTom123

I checked out his "I Can Make It Alone" and "Come Clean", both of which were written by Vincent and produced by Norman Whitfield.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=OT4EQAzZqpc

Not sure what to make of either track… both quite slow, folky songs with sparse instrumentation [not like a normal Norman Whitfield production, nor like any of the songs Vincent wrote for other artists!]

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Do U know who the singer is on “I Can’t Make It Alone” TT?. He has a nice relaxing voice. :confused:

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Originally Posted by Ollie9

Do U know who the singer is on “I Can’t Make It Alone” TT?. He has a nice relaxing voice. :confused:

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He is apparently the singer as well as the writer, although they misspelled his name as the singer on the label!

Attachment 19789

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Originally Posted by kenneth

He is apparently the singer as well as the writer, although they misspelled his name as the singer on the label!

Attachment 19789

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Many thanks for that Kenneth. His voice is a mixture of David Gates [[Bread) and Kenny Rogers. It’s a shame this appears to be his only vocal recording as his voice has a rather soothing quality to it.

@Ollie9,

I hear the Gates in his delivery. I’ve come to like both Bread and even Air Supply who you couldn’t have paid me to listen to when I was in my teens. Can appreciate them both now, too melllow for me I guess when I was a preteen!

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Originally Posted by kenneth

@Ollie9,

I hear the Gates in his delivery. I’ve come to like both Bread and even Air Supply who you couldn’t have paid me to listen to when I was in my teens. Can appreciate them both now, too melllow for me I guess when I was a preteen!

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I love both Bread and AS. Definitely elevator music, but it's nice and mellow, which doesn't seem to go over very well with a lot of people for some reason.

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Originally Posted by BayouMotownMan

Many years ago, like in the 1990s, a fan saw him performing in a small NY club and asked if he was the same Vince Dimirco. He said he was, was somewhat bitter about his Motown connection. Apparently Up The Ladder was to be a solo recording on him. He claimed he composed the entire song and Frank Wilson put his name on it. In any event those are his guitar licks during the musical break on the Supremes recording and throughout the track. I have not heard a thing on him since then.

He also explained to the fan that Up The Ladder was not a song about peace and heaven, it was the story of Romeo and Juliet. When I heard that, the lyrics suddenly made sense.

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what a juicy tidbit….thank you!

if someone makes a contribution to a song, they are part of the writers. it doesn't matter if it is 1 tiny word. now they % they get will vary based on who did what. but all people are [[supposed) to be credited

Randy shares a great story in his Beyonce book about a similar situation. A producer and engineer [[named Dan Workman) was working with the girls on the album The Writing's On The Wall. as the girls were working on writing Bills Bills Bills they were all sitting around with the pads of paper and pencils, trying to come up with a line. Dan spoke up and said "what about..."

he said it got dead silent [[the quote in the book is he chuckles it was as if he had farted in church lol) All the girls shut their notebooks and said, let's move onto X now. and the writing was DONE! lol. they didn't want no ideas from no outsider because they'd have to put him on as a co-writer. no way that was happening

motown was no different than any other label in regards to this. and of course back in the 60s and 70s, there might not have been quite the general awareness and knowledge about this from young and green writers and artists. Gladys Horton has mentioned that she didn't understand all of this as she was writing some of the early hits. So motown did what all other labels were doing. it's a bit shady but it is how it works

UP THE LADDER has the most NYC aura to it than any other Detroit era Motown song imo.
Or are there others??

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Originally Posted by Boogiedown

UP THE LADDER has the most NYC aura to it than any other Detroit era Motown song imo.
Or are there others??

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what do you mean? interesting comment. would love to understand more of what you're hearing

It’s the imagery of going up the ladder, the fire escape to the roof, and roof top gardens etc. west side story. Superman and Lois Lane. Didnt Ethel and Lucy get stuck on the roof one episode …

I’ll add to that Jean terrell sounds more nyc to me too which is why it works all the better for her , but I can’t explain what if is about her that makes me say that.

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Originally Posted by Ollie9

Many thanks for that Kenneth. His voice is a mixture of David Gates [[Bread) and Kenny Rogers. It’s a shame this appears to be his only vocal recording as his voice has a rather soothing quality to it.

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Yes, sorry Ollie, that was Vincent singing as well as writing! I thought "I Can't Make It Alone" was ok, quite nice, but so different from anything he'd written for anyone else. I guess that was the style of music he wanted to get into when it came to his own career. :)

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Originally Posted by TomatoTom123

Yes, sorry Ollie, that was Vincent singing as well as writing! I thought "I Can't Make It Alone" was ok, quite nice, but so different from anything he'd written for anyone else. I guess that was the style of music he wanted to get into when it came to his own career. :)

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I agree Tom, looking back it appears he wrote some great songs. Who would ever have guessed “Up The Ladder To The Roof” was based on Romeo & Juliet. Hard to imagine Vincent performing the song, but perhaps with a country slanted arrangement it might have worked. I wonder if Motown ever considered signing him as a solo artist?. It certainly sounds like he had the talent. :cool:

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Originally Posted by BayouMotownMan

This practice happened with a great deal more regularity than we fans realized. R. Dean Taylor said he wrote Love Is Here by himself and a few others. Scherrie Payne said she wrote Crumbs Off The Table and Horse and Rider from the second Glass House lp by herself and HDH put their names on it.

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When Scherrie Payne autographed my copy of the Glass House LP, she actually crossed out HDH's names from the composers' credits to "Horse and Rider" on the back cover.

Didn't realize frank Wilson got writer credit as well.
Thought he was the producer credit.
What a great track.still help up really well.