using other voices in the guy groups.

[blackguy69]

Now I know its been discussed that the use of the Andantes vocals in the Supremes, Vandellas, and Marvelettes was that it was cheaper and faster just to have the lead singer record. But how come they didn't have the Originals do the same for the guy groups. Now I can guess because the temptations had more than one lead singer, but do did the marvelettes. Just curious.

[robb_k]

Now I know its been discussed that the use of the Andantes vocals in the Supremes, Vandellas, and Marvelettes was that it was cheaper and faster just to have the lead singer record. But how come they didn't have the Originals do the same for the guy groups. Now I can guess because the temptations had more than one lead singer, but do did the Marvelettes. Just curious.

The used The Andantes to also "sweeten" the men's groups' harmonies.

I suppose they could have used The Spinners, Originals, Love-Tones and even The Monitors for that.

[marv2]

Now I know its been discussed that the use of the Andantes vocals in the Supremes, Vandellas, and Marvelettes was that it was cheaper and faster just to have the lead singer record. But how come they didn't have the Originals do the same for the guy groups. Now I can guess because the temptations had more than one lead singer, but do did the marvelettes. Just curious.

I think, I recall hearing that on the Temptations "Wings of Love" album, other singers were used to back up Dennis Edwards rather than the Temptations. I know a problem arose when the album was finished and some looked at it as a solo Dennis Edwards project.

[blackguy69]

The used The Andantes to also "sweeten" the men's groups' harmonies.

I suppose they could have used The Spinners, Originals, Love-Tones and even The Monitors for that.

for the four tops it worked. I know the tempts and Gladys knight and the pips didn't want them on their records

[blackguy69]

I think, I recall hearing that on the Temptations "Wings of Love" album, other singers were used to back up Dennis Edwards rather than the Temptations. I know a problem arose when the album was finished and some looked at it as a solo Dennis Edwards project.

For wings of love, they just lowered the tempts vocals . Jeffery Bowden wanted just Dennis

[marv2]

For wings of love, they just lowered the tempts vocals . Jeffery Bowden wanted just Dennis

Uh uh, nope! The did not use the Temptations for most of those sessions,which pissed Otis off to no end. Not long after, he replaced Dennis. It was not simply a case of lowering the Tempts vocals.

I know what they say on Wikipedia, but that is just not true LOL! Otis was VERY vocal about his displeasure with being replaced on that album. He went so far as to say they [[the Temptations) weren't even called in to record on those sessions. LOL! It's funny now, but it wasn't way back then.

[bradsupremes]

Now I know its been discussed that the use of the Andantes vocals in the Supremes, Vandellas, and Marvelettes was that it was cheaper and faster just to have the lead singer record. But how come they didn't have the Originals do the same for the guy groups. Now I can guess because the temptations had more than one lead singer, but do did the marvelettes. Just curious.

Take a listen to the recently released "Can't Stop This Feelin" by the Four Tops. I've listened to it several times and I'm not quite sure that is Obie, Lawrence and Duke back there with the Andantes. To me, it sounds more like the Originals and the Andantes.

[marv2]

Take a listen to the recently released "Can't Stop This Feelin" by the Four Tops. I've listened to it several times and I'm not quite sure that is Obie, Lawrence and Duke back there with the Andantes. To me, it sounds more like the Originals and the Andantes.

That could be very likely. I've learned that depending on the producer, just about anyone could be on back up. Producers like HDH and Frank Wilson preferred to use the Supremes....all of them on their records. The Temptations made it clear that they did not want the Andantes on their records, Flo also made her feelings known about that practice. Some producers just wanted a sound and used whomever was available.

[TomatoTom123]

Uh uh, nope! They did not use the Temptations for most of those sessions,which pissed Otis off to no end. Not long after, he replaced Dennis. It was not simply a case of lowering the Tempts vocals.

I know what they say on Wikipedia, but that is just not true LOL! Otis was VERY vocal about his displeasure with being replaced on that album. He went so far as to say they [[the Temptations) weren't even called in to record on those sessions. LOL! It's funny now, but it wasn't way back then.

Did The Marvelettes mind being replaced with The Andantes?

[jaybs]

A track"I can't stop this Feeling"that I had never heard before the One Track Mind CD was released and I love, LEVI as ever at his best, oh how I miss the guy! but I agree after several listens I can't hear the rest of the Tops, I think it could be The Originals with The Andantes, Levi gives it the edge over The Contours version for me.

[westgrandboulevard]

TomatoTom123.....

Katherine Anderson of The Marvelettes :

"I don't know that no longer singing background on recordings bothered me. It boiled down to a point that this was your job, so it was a form of eliminating you from your job. The only time your importance was noticed was when you began to perform out on the stage......Fortunately, the young lady who sang the parts that I sang, our tones were very, very close. It wasn't that hard for me to duplicate......Our main thing at that point was just learning to perform. We would've liked to have done our own background but....I think it was a time-saving thing".


Louvain Demps of The Andantes :

"Their harmonies were a little sharp, and ours were a little more rounded. Putting them together, they came out nice. We were all in the studio together. What they would do was lower their sound and pull ours up. If it weren't quite like what they wanted, they would pull us up a little more. After awhile, it kind of got so they put us on there instead of the girls.....I don't think anyone started out thinking that we're taking his or her job or anything like that. We were paid to do what we did"

extracts from 'The Original Marvelettes : Motown's Mystery Girl Group', by Marc Taylor, pages 131-132

[Motown Eddie]

It must've have been the decisions that the producers made at the time. In the case of The Temptations, they were very vocal about not using other background singers on their recordings [[the only times I heard The Andantes backing The Tempts were on 'It's Growing' & 'Last One Out Is Brokenhearted'). And about the Wings Of Love LP, Otis Williams famously objected to the use of other background singers on that album [[and correctly predicted that the LP would not sell because of that).

[TomatoTom123]

TomatoTom123.....

Katherine Anderson of The Marvelettes :

"I don't know that no longer singing background on recordings bothered me. It boiled down to a point that this was your job, so it was a form of eliminating you from your job. The only time your importance was noticed was when you began to perform out on the stage......Fortunately, the young lady who sang the parts that I sang, our tones were very, very close. It wasn't that hard for me to duplicate......Our main thing at that point was just learning to perform. We would've liked to have done our own background but....I think it was a time-saving thing".


Louvain Demps of The Andantes :

"Their harmonies were a little sharp, and ours were a little more rounded. Putting them together, they came out nice. We were all in the studio together. What they would do was lower their sound and pull ours up. If it weren't quite like what they wanted, they would pull us up a little more. After awhile, it kind of got so they put us on there instead of the girls.....I don't think anyone started out thinking that we're taking his or her job or anything like that. We were paid to do what we did"

extracts from 'The Original Marvelettes : Motown's Mystery Girl Group', by Marc Taylor, pages 131-132

Well, you can't argue with the words of Katherine Anderson herself!!

Thank you very much, westgrandboulevard

[arr&bee]

I think that the adantes were used on the four tops[just ask the lonely].

[Motown Eddie]

I think that the adantes were used on the four tops[just ask the lonely].

The Andantes were used as background singers on most of The Four Tops songs starting with "Baby I Need Your Loving" & "Ask The Lonely" through [[at least) "You Keep Running Away". HDH must've liked the way they sounded together and The Tops did not object to having them do the backgrounds. Louvain Demps from The Andantes even said [[in the notes from The Tops box set, "Fourever") that The Tops were the only group who gave them bonuses when the songs they sang on became hits.

[blackguy69]

I just realized I didn't properly phrase my question when I started this thread. My question had nothing to do with the andantes use in the guy group vocals. My question was if Motown could easily replace the girl group vocals with the andantes for cost issues, then how come the guy groups didn't do the same using the originals or the spinners. I see two instances were given but not in the bigger scale as the girl groups.

[TomatoTom123]

I just realized I didn't properly phrase my question when I started this thread. My question had nothing to do with the andantes use in the guy group vocals. My question was if Motown could easily replace the girl group vocals with the andantes for cost issues, then how come the guy groups didn't do the same using the originals or the spinners. I see two instances were given but not in the bigger scale as the girl groups.

Did The Spinners do a lot of background vocals? I can never tell if it's them or The Originals. I have read that The Spinners also did chauffeuring, chaperoning etc...

[lockhartgary]

It must've have been the decisions that the producers made at the time. In the case of The Temptations, they were very vocal about not using other background singers on their recordings [[the only times I heard The Andantes backing The Tempts were on 'It's Growing' & 'Last One Out Is Brokenhearted'). And about the Wings Of Love LP, Otis Williams famously objected to the use of other background singers on that album [[and correctly predicted that the LP would not sell because of that).

I believe the Andantes were also used on "Just Another Lonely Night", from the Temptin' Temptations LP.

[arr&bee]

I think that[eddie holland]sang in place of[eddie kendricks]on one of the early classics.

[keith_hughes]

Take a listen to the recently released "Can't Stop This Feelin" by the Four Tops. I've listened to it several times and I'm not quite sure that is Obie, Lawrence and Duke back there with the Andantes. To me, it sounds more like the Originals and the Andantes.

From the session logs, it seems that you're right, bradsupremes. They wrote "Group" there when a group added voices, and "Voices" when session singers were used. As you'll see from the recording notes to "Can't Stop This Feeling" on the "One Track Mind" CD, there's a session log entry for voices, but none for the group.

They never listed in the logs which "voices" were used [[nor which musicians played on the tracks).

[Motown Eddie]

I just realized I didn't properly phrase my question when I started this thread. My question had nothing to do with the andantes use in the guy group vocals. My question was if Motown could easily replace the girl group vocals with the andantes for cost issues, then how come the guy groups didn't do the same using the originals or the spinners. I see two instances were given but not in the bigger scale as the girl groups.

Perhaps it's because the male vocal groups [[like The Tempts) strongly objected to replacing their background vocals with anyone else. Also, the producers must've felt that the male groups didn't need to augment [[or change) the background vocals on their recordings because they sounded fine as they were.

[Motown Eddie]

Forgot about "Just Another Lonely Night". And I also forgot about "Not Now, I'll Tell You Later" [[from Gettin' Ready) where they're joined by The Supremes.

[midnight johnny]

for the four tops it worked. I know the tempts and Gladys knight and the pips didn't want them on their records

The Andantes did do background vocals with the Pips on GKATP "Just Walk In My Shoes"...quite beautifully, I might add.

[marv2]

I believe the Andantes and others like the Originals were used a lot of solo artists recordings. They were used, along with group members increase and smooth out the background on their records. They were important to have around.

[westgrandboulevard]

..and not to forget the Andantes' voices on 'That'll Be The Day' [[from 'You've Got To Earn It' and 'Tamla Motown Connoisseurs' CDs), completed one month before ''Just Another Lonely Night'.

IMO, those shimmering Andante harmonies enhanced the production on 'It's Growing', when played as a single over transistor radios.

A pity that, following the Temptations' objection, 'That'll Be The Day' and 'Last One Out Is Brokenhearted' were not used at the time. Either by wiping the Andantes voices, or re-recording them, as they are fine tracks, especially Paul's vocal on 'Last One Out Is Brokenhearted'.

[westgrandboulevard]

..and just while the thought crosses my mind, I have always felt that the background harmonies on The Miracles' records worked best, and had a special magic, whenever Claudette's voice is audible.

Also, I can't immediately think of any recordings by The Miracles [[or The Pips) where I've suspected substitute voices had been used......

[Motown Eddie]

..and not to forget the Andantes' voices on 'That'll Be The Day' [[from 'You've Got To Earn It' and 'Tamla Motown Connoisseurs' CDs), completed one month before ''Just Another Lonely Night'.

IMO, those shimmering Andante harmonies enhanced the production on 'It's Growing', when played as a single over transistor radios.

A pity that, following the Temptations' objection, 'That'll Be The Day' and 'Last One Out Is Brokenhearted' were not used at the time. Either by wiping the Andantes voices, or re-recording them, as they are fine tracks, especially Paul's vocal on 'Last One Out Is Brokenhearted'.

You're so right. I love both of those songs and I feel they would've made great singles [[or B-sides or album cuts) if they were released. And the blend between The Tempts and The Andantes on the songs where they are singing together is great.

[Motown Eddie]

..and just while the thought crosses my mind, I have always felt that the background harmonies on The Miracles' records worked best, and had a special magic, whenever Claudette's voice is audible.

Also, I can't immediately think of any recordings by The Miracles [[or The Pips) where I've suspected substitute voices had been used......

I guess the reason for that is that both Smokey & The Miracles [[and Gladys & the Pips) sounded fine in the studio. And in the case of the Miracles, don't forget that Smokey Robinson produced most of their work in the '60s and he probably didn't feel the need to use The Andantes [[or The Originals) on their songs.

[marv2]

I guess the reason for that is that both Smokey & The Miracles [[and Gladys & the Pips) sounded fine in the studio. And in the case of the Miracles, don't forget that Smokey Robinson produced most of their work in the '60s and he probably didn't feel the need to use The Andantes [[or The Originals) on their songs.

I always felt that the Andantes should have been used mostly on recordings of solo artists.