No matter what sign you are

[RanRan79]

Soul isn't 'shouting' and 'yelling,' though. Soul still has musical form to it, which seems to be lacking almost entirely in 'Sign.'

I totally disagree with your assessment of "Sign", but I totally agree with you on soul not being shouting and yelling. Soul is almost undefinable. You simply know it when you hear it and there doesn't seem to be any one way to do it.

[John G. Stumpf]

With Jean, the group had so many top ten hits overseas. More so than when Diana was in the group.

[daviddh]

I think had it followed Love Child it may have done far better, but it followed the Composer, so it needed some PR . I like their performance and like it better than the 2 previous songs which were good as albums cuts but not singles..imo. I also think had it been released in 1967 it may have been top ten.
so many good tracks from Love Child album, I would have went with a few of those songs as singles.

[florence]

With Jean, the group had so many top ten hits overseas. More so than when Diana was in the group.

Yeah, sure.

In the following 19 markets in the world namely:

Canada, UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, France, Spain, Italy, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, Netherlands, Zimbabwe, Japan and South Africa

the post-Diana Supremes had a total of 8 [[Eight) top 10 hits.

Meanwhile, while Diana was with the group they had a total of 57 [[Fifty seven) top 10 hits in these territories.

Perhaps you have information from other countries in the world which overturns these figures?

[John G. Stumpf]

Leonard Feather, the jazz great, wrote an editorial on Diana Ross' How Long Has That Evening Train Been Gone, stating she was one of the great singers of all time.

[RanRan79]

I think had it followed Love Child it may have done far better, but it followed the Composer, so it needed some PR . I like their performance and like it better than the 2 previous songs which were good as albums cuts but not singles..imo. I also think had it been released in 1967 it may have been top ten.
so many good tracks from Love Child album, I would have went with a few of those songs as singles.

David I agree with you. IMO Love Child is the best song for song album of the DRATS period, aside from the first Tempts duet album. I don't care for every single song [[not a fan of "Honey Bee" or "Can't Shake It Loose") but there really isn't a bad song to be found on the album. Motown should've definitely lifted another single from the album.

[RanRan79]

Yeah, sure.

In the following 19 markets in the world namely:

Canada, UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, France, Spain, Italy, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, Netherlands, Zimbabwe, Japan and South Africa

the post-Diana Supremes had a total of 8 [[Eight) top 10 hits.

Meanwhile, while Diana was with the group they had a total of 57 [[Fifty seven) top 10 hits in these territories.

Perhaps you have information from other countries in the world which overturns these figures?

Thanks for the information Florence. It's like people forget we live in an age where one's alternative facts can be debunked with a few key strokes.

[captainjames]

I agree that Motown Slept on the LP "Love Child", there were several hits on that album. I think Ashford and Simpson wrote "STUNGUT" but its been a minute since I had that album out and I remember 3 or 4 cuts on it by A & S. However, the song that I use to play continuously was "You've Been So Wonderful to Me" .

[RanRan79]

I agree that Motown Slept on the LP "Love Child", there were several hits on that album. I think Ashford and Simpson wrote "STUNGUT" but its been a minute since I had that album out and I remember 3 or 4 cuts on it by A & S. However, the song that I use to play continuously was "You've Been So Wonderful to Me" .

They wrote "Somethings", "Keep An Eye" and "You Aint Livin". I love "You've Been So Wonderful to Me". I played that, "Chains of Love" and "I'll Set You Free" the most. In recent years I've come to love their version of "You Aint Livin". I think it may be my favorite version of the song. But as far as possible singles, I think both "Chains of Love" and "I'll Set You Free" [[the latter with a different mix maybe) could've been hit singles.

[John G. Stumpf]

[John G. Stumpf]

I couldn't understand why this song was on her 1968 album then on her debut album.

[Roberta75]

I couldn't understand why this song was on her 1968 album then on her debut album.

Millions have asked that question but Diane Ross and Berry Gordy have never ever answered it.

[captainjames]

I would think A&S or Diana really liked it and thought it could possibly be pulled off the album. Since it didn't happen in 68 maybe it could happen for Diana LP. It has a strong message but once again it just fell off the table. the piano in that song is just haunting.

[Philles/Motown Gary]

I've always loved The Supremes "Love Child" album. I think that "How Long Has That Evening Train Been Gone" would have made a great single. And, BTW, I loved "The Composer" and "No Matter What Sign You Are" back in the day, and I still do. Contrary to what some people say, some fans did indeed run out and buy them upon hearing them on the radio for the first time. I know they did because I was one of them!

[Boogiedown]

Great track. Not a number one, but still a goodun. Didn't analyse its style too much back in 1969 and still don't in 2017.

I'm sort of the opposite these days . Like to try to figure out what I am or am not liking in a record . And since first being introduced to it in this thread NO MATTER WHAT SIGN has been on my mind and in a really good way yet with some reservation .
So trying to figure out what I do and don't like about it. Some of my thoughts:
First of all I think Diana really delivers on this song , her ups and downs and in and outs, a very convincing delivery -110% effort on her part imo. She sounds great. Not so much for The Supremes ,whoever they are, funky silly, then smooth and frilly, seem to be at odds with Diana's earnestness , they are almost annoying at parts [[ I would cut out most of their parts except when singing with Diana) I do like the classic "baby baby"s here and there. The reciting of the signs puts me to mind of the spoken intro to Honey Cones WANT ADS for some reason. In SIGNS, there are almost two songs being played out by two artists within this one record imo.
I would also rewrite the angle of the song so that instead of not caring and being dismissive of the guy's sign , Diana would instead find her true astrology mate that night . Instead of "no matter what sign you are" I'd have her singing "you're the right sign, you are" because from the woman's angle in those days , she typically would have taken all this astrology , its meant-to-be, its in the stars , stuff seriously. [[or why is she even bringing it up at all?) [[The guys just went along with all this stuff if it worked in their favor) . So part of Diana's excitement about her immediate attraction should've been from the stars confirming she'd found her Mr Right . imo.

I like all the instrumentation , even the tacked on intro , except that occasional high piercing sound [[ made with a violin?).

The song builds and builds and just as it gets cooking it irritatingly drops off. Needs an instrumental break and a much longer ending . Sort of like this reworking of the song:



as for the The Supremes here, be it Adantes, Waters Sisters, Blackberries --- I still hear the presence of a lower than usual almost mannish voice . Tito? , Jackie ?, you back there!

[RanRan79]

Boogie I agree on the backing vocals. Some of it could have been cut out or toned down.

[Boogiedown]

Boogie I agree on the backing vocals. Some of it could have been cut out or toned down.

Very good RanRan.
I don't think I stated my ideas very clearly
so I'll comment one more time on this song that has arrested my attention these days then put it to rest!
In a nutshell, what I hear in NO MATER WHAT SIGN YOU ARE is Diana singing earnestly and sounding very sincere in what she's singing . Has she ever professed love to someone like this in a song before?:

"I really love you boy , I REALLY LOVE YOU BOY!"

And to be making such a magnanimous declaration while the singing nuns are farting around in the background, well,

no wonder Diana couldn't wait to go solo!!

[Levi Stubbs Tears]

I remember this being on the 20 golden greats album [[the one with the lips) and I thought it was lame.

20-30 years or so later when I saw them doing it 'live' on the Ed Sullivan show clip, I thought it was pretty cool.

If Jean Terrell & The Supremes had done this, I reckon some fans would think it would represent something ground-breaking.

[Sotosound]

And to be making such a magnanimous declaration while the singing nuns are farting around in the background, well,

no wonder Diana couldn't wait to go solo!!

Love it! Made me laugh.