Tammi Terrell's "I Can't Go On Without You" vs. The Supremes' "Little Bright Star"

[carlo]

I don't have the Tammi set as of yet, but I will soon. I was listening to sound samples on Amazon and noticed that The Supremes' "Little Bright Star" is a re-work of Tammi's "I Can't Go On Without You". Pretty cool!

[carlo]

Actually, I think it's the other way around? The Supremes did "Little Bright Star" first...

[randy_russi]

Yes, Little Bright Star was done for the Christmas lp, which was issued a good year or so before Tammi joined Motown.
I prefer the original because all they did was take the track and write a new set of lyrics. After hearing it over and
over on the Supremes' lp during the holiday season it was difficult to accept it on Tammi's Irrisistable lp.

[danman869]

Actually, Randy... the Supremes' Christmas LP came out in Fall 1965 and Tammi had signed her contract with Motown in April 1965, I believe. [[That latter part is in the liner notes of the new collection.) So while The Supremes did record "Little Bright Star" first around September 1965, Tammi recorded the new lyrics later [[sometime) in 1966. :-) I like both versions.

[johnjeb]

When I got The Supremes Merry Christmas in 1965 my youngest brother was one year-old. He grew up hearing that album every Christmas [[and a few Julys, I'm somewhat embarrassed to add ).

Flash forward to his late 30s: He hears me playing the Tammi Terrell Irresistible CD. He did a double take when he heard different lyrics to the Christmas song he knew so well. "What the...!" he said.

I like The Supremes "Little Bright Star" the best, but I hear Tammi's version more, now that it's on my iPod, so that's what sticks in my mind in recent years.

[sophisticated_soul]

Tammi's version was recorded in May of 1966. However, it wasn't released until January 1969, on the "Irresistible" album. By then "Little Bright Star" was so ingrained in brain, that I just couldn't get into "I Can't Go On Without You". It seemed forced. I love all of Tammi's Motown solo recordings, but that's one I love a little less. lol.

[mysterysinger]

First heard Tammi's I Can't Go On Without You in around 1970 on the Irresistible album purchased from Woolworths for 50p. So that's the one I know and love. I think I've only ever heard the Supremes song once [[in a shop) - will have to dig it out and listen some more! I'm not a big fan of Christmas Albums [[I'll make exceptions for Phil Spector and Nat King Cole though and some of the Jackson 5 stuff maybe!).