What happened to "The Happening?"

[marybrewster]

Interesting that this single release was never included on a Supremes LP, except for "Greatest Hits" packages.

Was there not enough HDH material in this time frame for a whole LP? Was this due to Florence "leaving" around this time? Why wasn't this included on "Reflections", when other "Florence songs" are?

[motony]

maybe some sort of contractual thing with the movie studio ? Good question cause it was a huge hit,although I didn't care for it.

[marybrewster]

I believe it was included on "The Happening" soundtrack, but it was released as a Motown single.

Funny that the soundtrack wasn't released by Motown. I wonder how that works? Included on an LP from Colgems/RCA but released as a single by Motown?

[reese]

The Supremes were releasing maybe two studio albums per year. When THE HAPPENING was released in March of 1967, the girls had just released the HDH album the previous January. Most likely it would have been too soon to release another studio album at that time. I do recall reading that THE HAPPENING was going to be included on the cancelled BROADWAY TO HOLLYWOOD album, but I don't remember where.

As it was, REFLECTIONS [[issued in July '67) was originally slated to be included on the GREATEST HITS album, but was held back. By the time the REFLECTIONS album was released [[in March '68), THE HAPPENING was already a year old. No need for it to be included there. Plus the timing for the REFLECTIONS album [[in retrospect) might have been off. Its title track was already eight months old, and the current single release FOREVER CAME TODAY sold less than expected.

[westgrandboulevard]

Wasn't 'Endless Love'' duet single by Diana and Lionel released on Motown, but the soundtrack on Mercury?

[johnny_raven]

The Supremes version of "The Happening" wasn't included on the soundtrack, just an instrumental which had different orchestration.

[bradsupremes]

I'm positive there are several versions of "The Happening." There is the single hit version, the "demo" version released on the 2000 Pink box set, and the film version.

[bradsupremes]

Here is the film version.

[johnbell]

I didn't really care about ''The Happening'' , I think it was the worst #1 they had, and then came ''Reflections'' one of my all time favorite came short to #1, went to #2.

''Ode to Billy Joe" By Bobbie Gentry hold # 1 for 4 weeks, during the time ''Reflections'' peak at # 2.

[sup_fan]

first of all - that trailer is awful lol no wonder the movie bombed. when they were all throwing things around and the "Introduced" Faye Dunaway, i was sure she was going to shriek "Tina!!! Bring me the axe!!"

the trailer/film version is essentially a mix of the "demo" that came out on the pink box set

[johnjeb]

Interesting that this single release was never included on a Supremes LP, except for "Greatest Hits" packages.

Was there not enough HDH material in this time frame for a whole LP? Was this due to Florence "leaving" around this time? Why wasn't this included on "Reflections", when other "Florence songs" are?

The Supremes had so many albums on the Billboard Top 200 LP charts in 1967 I don't think there was room for another album. When The Happening single was released in March 1967, A' Go-Go and HDH were in the Top 20 LPs, while Symphony continued to hover in the 150s for weeks. Rodgers & Hart appeared in May 1967, followed by Greatest Hits in September 1967.

Symphony was on the charts 55 weeks 3/19/66 - 8/20/67 [[although not consecutive)
A' Go-Go 60 weeks 9/24/66 - 11/11/67
HDH 29 weeks 2/18/67 - 9/02/67
Rodgers & Hart 19 weeks 6/17/67 - 10/21/67
Greatest Hits 89 weeks 9/30/67 - 6/07/69

I tolerated this song when it was new, although I enjoyed their performances of it on Sullivan and Tennessee Ernie Ford. In the mid-80s I developed a new appreciation for it and have loved it since.

I think The Happening would not have fit with the rest of the songs on the Reflections album. I think that album is near perfect in song selection, for the time. Probably just making it into my Top Ten albums by them.

When I saw the tracklisting for the proposed Some Things album, here on the SDF, I thought it would have been more interesting to include The Happening, Beach Ball and Surfer Boy in place of some of the other drek that was planned. Actually, to me, Some Things is out of place on the Love Child album, similar to what I think The Happening would have been on the Reflections album.

[144man]

I think that Johnjeb is right when he says that "The Happening" does not fit in stylistically with the rest of the songs on the "Reflections" album, so that is an extremely likely reason for it not to be included.

[smark21]

A little earlier this year The Happening was shown on GetTV, a channel specializing in old movies. Tried to watch it, but gave up, it was pretty bad. Kudos to Faye Dunaway for surviving such a turkey of a first film, going on to triumphs like Bonnie and Clyde, Thomas Crown Affair and Network.

[sup_fan]

i like the Happening. it's not necessarily ground-breaking, from a musical stand point. but a fun pop song. like it infinity more than Love Is Here. never liked that one. also i do appreciate it's unique use of Diana's speaking voice.

in Randy's book, Happening was supposed to be part of the Broadway to Hollywood lp set. i agree that they had enough lp's released during that window and i think the R&H set is stronger than the tracks i've heard from B to H. guessing that Berry thought the same too. even trimming R&H to the 1 disc. it was added to Greatest Hits because that's what it was, another hit. they were already at Reflections when that 2-disc set was released. at that point, there wasn't really any reason to worry about "making sure every single is on an lp." it was included in Greatest and i guess that was enough. definitely wouldn't have fit on Reflections.

i would make some alterations to the Reflections lp. i've made playlists of the DRATS albums as i might have arranged them. for instance, i took the Love Child lp and made it a complete concept lp, cutting the pop songs and adding in other tracks that were recorded prior to the LP's release. for Relections i did:

Reflections
I'm Going To Make It
I can't make it alone
In and out
Can't Shake it loose
Ode To Bilie jo

Forever Came Today
It's going all the way
Am I asking too much
Misery Makes its heart
A Little Breeze
Bah bah bah

i think the sound and style that HDH came up with in RElfections was unique and rather cutting edge. i think a slightly stronger song lineup on Reflections could have made it much strong lp. maybe not as cutting edge as Beach Boy's Pet Sounds. but interesting. same with Love child. that lp could have been more timeless and probably more recognized in the industry had they gone with the full social commentary route.

[captainjames]

After hearing the girls sing "The Happening" on "Live at The Talk of The Town" I was hooked. It was the way it should have been released.

[BigAl]

"The Happening" was a total anomaly. Prior to its release, and after, The Supremes' singles were released very predictably. In fact there were times when I could look at the calendar and go into a record store knowing there would be a new single in there even though I had never heard one on the radio. "Love is Here and Now You're Gone" was still charting and then suddenly here came this bizarre single hot on its heels. That took me totally by surprise when it hit the airwaves unexpectedly. That Tijuana Brass-styled arrangement plus piccolo just didn't say "Hitsville." Of course I ran right out and bought the 45 anyway and saw it was a movie theme and that Frank DeVol was credited alongside HDH and surmised that HDH probably wrote only the lyrics because DeVol's TV and movie themes also had that jumpy tempo and used piccolo. I assumed that the early release was timed to coincide with the release of the stinko movie, which in fact it was, and I agree that it would not have fit, thematically, among the tracks on the Reflections album but it worked in the Greatest Hits collection. Although I do like the fact that only Supremes are singing without padding by Andantes, and that Mary and Flo are properly miked up for a change, I still hate the insipid song.

[daviddh]

from what I remember Motown was also passing off the Happening as Flos lastoutting with the group . I recall hearing that Reflections was going to be their last single and the Greatest Hits lp was issued but at the last minute Cindy B was brought in and Diana stayed. Motown felt the supremes would never recover the loss of HDH and the departure of Ballard. they were trying to bring Flo back for a farewell tour and Diana would go solo there after. in the long run ,Standing In The Crossroads replaced Reflections on the hits album and the group continued for another 2 years with Diana.

[supremester]

When The Happening came out - Motown was denying there was any issues at all. That's why Miss Ross said the stand-ins thing on The Tonight Show: to dispel any rumors about Flo missing occasional gigs over the last 8 months. I do not believe Motown ever referred to Flo leaving until after Reflections was out and Cindy was appearing on TV - my worst day ever as a Supremes fan.

As far as including The Happening on an album, I doubt that it was ever intended to be anything more than what it became: a #1 smash. I don't think Motown gave 2 seconds thought to whether singles fit albums or not - they were there to exploit album sales and, especially in the case of The Supremes' albums, they just grabbed the latest singles and best fillers and threw them at tthe pressing plant.
Had Rogers & Hart not come out, Broadway To Hollywood would have and The Happening would have been perfect for it and Reflections would have been on Greatest Hits for sure.
Had R&H come out, but not Greatest Hits, The Reflections album would have hit in September with The Happening on it with zero thought to if it fit or not.
As it happens, excuse the pun, The Happening being included on Motown's biggest selling 60's album ever, DR&TS Greatest Hits, was standard operating proceedure for Motown. My fave Tempts single at the time, Beauty Is Only Skin Deep appeared on on their Greatest Hits. Ditto My Baby Loves Me for Martha, Don't Mess With Bill for Marvelettes and others all contained the act's current hits. It was a good way to sell albums that you may not already buy if you had the 45s or, if you liked the current single and some previous songs but never bought any. It was a great marketing tool. In fact, the hits packages for Martha & The Marvelettes were the only truly successful albums either act had. Martha's is the interesting one, IMHO, because it contains 3 HDH singles eschewd by the eventually released Dance Party. - including the top ten-er Quicksand plus Live Wire and In My Lonely Room. I'm guessing Mickey Stevenson wanted as little HDH as possible on Dance Party - but if I had been Martha, I'd have been kicking up quite a fuss. MAJOR fuss. I'd have demanded a Quicksand LP with a cover shot of Martha climbing over The Supremes to get out of a pool of Quicksand.

But I digress. I LOVED LOVED LOVED The Happening, and still feel it's a perfect pop record.

[supremester]

Your timeline is off: Greatest Hits & Reflections came out way before HDH left, Cindy was recruited a year before that and Soul Magazine confirmed that Flo was on Reflections.

from what I remember Motown was also passing off the Happening as Flos lastoutting with the group . I recall hearing that Reflections was going to be their last single and the Greatest Hits lp was issued but at the last minute Cindy B was brought in and Diana stayed. Motown felt the supremes would never recover the loss of HDH and the departure of Ballard. they were trying to bring Flo back for a farewell tour and Diana would go solo there after. in the long run ,Standing In The Crossroads replaced Reflections on the hits album and the group continued for another 2 years with Diana.

[daviddh]

I wasn't trying to be exact , as it was years a go. but trying to remember a few details. I always loved THE HAPPENING and enjoy it to this day. I think it would have fit nicely on the Reflections lp instead of UP and Away.
I m aware that Flo is on Reflections. and In and Out Of Love.