The Lovin' Country

[snakepit]

Hello
Does anybody know if " The Lovin' Country" has ever been issued on a 45 ?
It wasn't in my principal era of collecting [[ up to 1974)...but in the UK, thanks to the collectors interest via the Northern Soul scene, some weird and wonderful releases have been issued over the past few years which passed me by.
Thank you

[sup_fan]

no it never was issued. neither in the US or international

but it should have been the follow up single to Up The Ladder

[TomatoTom123]

Very nice song!

[marybrewster]

Does anyone know who is singing the operatic intro to the song? And what that lyric is?

[jim aka jtigre99]

Does anyone know who is singing the operatic intro to the song? And what that lyric is?

I think the line is "come with me". I always assumed it was Cindy singing that verse. I could be wrong on that, but it doesn't sound like Jean or Mary unless they were also using the Andantes on that song.

[sansradio]

Does anyone know who is singing the operatic intro to the song? And what that lyric is?

I hear the lyric as “come go with me.”

[floyjoy678]

Hasn't it been said that the Andantes and other session singers were still being heavily used on the first albums with Jean?

[blackguy69]

Hasn't it been said that the Andantes and other session singers were still being heavily used on the first albums with Jean?

we all know the story. Some of the tracks were done before Jean was an official Supreme. In the case of The Lovin County you can clearly hear Mary and Cindy with the Andantes.

[daviddh]

would have been a better follow up to Ladder than EGTRTL

[jim aka jtigre99]

I agree I think that Everybody's Got The Right To Love shouldn't have been the second single much like Reach Out shouldn't have been Ross' first. Both were slow songs with a message that were not what was embraced by audiences in 1970. The days of Dean Martin having a hit with Everybody Loves Somebody were gone after 1964. The proof the Supremes hit #21 and Ross hit #20. Lovin Country may have been a more solid single.

[snakepit]

It seems my friend was asking about the track...he intends to play it in his DJ spot soon.
I told him to go for it..great track

[PeaceNHarmony]

There's an audio interview with Jean from several years ago where this question is posted to her. Jean says it's not Cindy, laughs when asked if it's Mary, and says it's an Andante but she doesn't remember which / the name.

[snakepit]

Loving Country, The [[Ivy Jo Hunter-William Robinson) published Jobete 24-Mar-70

Ivy Jo; recorded Hitsville-GW, completed 17-Sep-70 ; produced by Ivy Jo Hunter

unreleased; LP [[S): V.I.P. VS406 Ivy Jo Is In This Bag
The Supremes; recorded Hitsville-GW, completed 31-Jan-70 ; produced by Frank Wilson

Apr-70; LP [[S): Motown MS705 Right On
29-Oct-02; CD: Motown 064 127 2 The 70s Anthology [album version]
01-Dec-06; CD [[S): Hip-O Select B0005938-02 This Is The Story

from DFTMC

[TheMotownManiac]

no it never was issued. neither in the US or international

but it should have been the follow up single to Up The Ladder

merciful heavens! A single release??? Hmmmmm…. I disagree ‘cuz

1. There is no way that intro would ever get on AM Top 40 radio. Program directors are looking for songs that start off and grab you right away for fear that people would push the button and switch to another station. I don’t think this would get into the top 50 as the follow up, or top 60 it’s just released randomly.

2. Melodically it’s quite pretty, but I don’t believe it would have much appeal to teenagers jamming to the Jackson 5, Sly and the family Stone, Creedence and Three Dog Night.

3. The lyrics are so hard to hear clearly, and that’s essential to get adds.

If it were me, [[and it t’weren’t) - I’d have Then We Can Try Again or Wait A Minute out as singles. I was certain one of those would be next. Both of them have imperfections for my pickiness about what should be a single, but I think they were the strongest candidates.

I love the track for an LP B-side, however.

[PeaceNHarmony]

merciful heavens! A single release??? Hmmmmm…. I disagree ‘cuz

1. There is no way that intro would ever get on AM Top 40 radio. Program directors are looking for songs that start off and grab you right away for fear that people would push the button and switch to another station. I don’t think this would get into the top 50 as the follow up, or top 60 it’s just released randomly.

2. Melodically it’s quite pretty, but I don’t believe it would have much appeal to teenagers jamming to the Jackson 5, Sly and the family Stone, Creedence and Three Dog Night.

3. The lyrics are so hard to hear clearly, and that’s essential to get adds.

If it were me, [[and it t’weren’t) - I’d have Then We Can Try Again or Wait A Minute out as singles. I was certain one of those would be next. Both of them have imperfections for my pickiness about what should be a single, but I think they were the strongest candidates.

I love the track for an LP B-side, however.

I love the cut as well but agree with your selection of Then We Can Try or Wait A Minute as singles; they both have a 'punch' that could have sounded great on AM radio.

[marybrewster]

I think the line is "come with me". I always assumed it was Cindy singing that verse. I could be wrong on that, but it doesn't sound like Jean or Mary unless they were also using the Andantes on that song.

Funny, I always heard it as "Pretty Baby" and assumed it was Mary singing as a homage to her Primette days.

[bradsupremes]

Does anyone else remember a story someone posted on here years back about Ivy Jo Hunter claiming he wrote the song originally for Diana, Mary, and Flo and to be in their stage act? Or am I just going crazy?

[blackguy69]

Actually I’m the interview she said she wasn’t sure. She it wasn’t Mary but wasn’t sure if it was Cindy.

There's an audio interview with Jean from several years ago where this question is posted to her. Jean says it's not Cindy, laughs when asked if it's Mary, and says it's an Andante but she doesn't remember which / the name.

[reese]

Does anyone else remember a story someone posted on here years back about Ivy Jo Hunter claiming he wrote the song originally for Diana, Mary, and Flo and to be in their stage act? Or am I just going crazy?

I do recall this story. It was supposed to be for the first Copa opening, as I remember it. But now I wonder if Ivy meant it was for the first JMC Copa opening.

[bradsupremes]

I do recall this story. It was supposed to be for the first Copa opening, as I remember it. But now I wonder if Ivy meant it was for the first JMC Copa opening.

You're right, it had to do with the Copa but I could have sworn it was for DMF.

[bradsupremes]

Actually I’m the interview she said she wasn’t sure. She it wasn’t Mary but wasn’t sure if it was Cindy.

In addition to the Andantes, Motown was utilizing Brenda Joyce Evans and Billie Calvin for a lot of background work around this time. They're the ladies on the Four Tops' "Still Water [[Love)." I'm not too familiar with each of their voices or their range, but I want to say Brenda mentioned Frank Wilson used them a lot on his productions so its likely it could be one of them.

[reese]

You're right, it had to do with the Copa but I could have sworn it was for DMF.

Yes, that's the story I recall reading. I just wondered if possibly it was really for JMC.

[blackguy69]

In the interview I heard she mentioned that she and Billie were the additional voices in Up the ladder not the andantes. They did thee initial background and Mary and Cindy came in and went over their vocals.

In addition to the Andantes, Motown was utilizing Brenda Joyce Evans and Billie Calvin for a lot of background work around this time. They're the ladies on the Four Tops' "Still Water [[Love)." I'm not too familiar with each of their voices or their range, but I want to say Brenda mentioned Frank Wilson used them a lot on his productions so its likely it could be one of them.

[sup_fan]

In addition to the Andantes, Motown was utilizing Brenda Joyce Evans and Billie Calvin for a lot of background work around this time. They're the ladies on the Four Tops' "Still Water [[Love)." I'm not too familiar with each of their voices or their range, but I want to say Brenda mentioned Frank Wilson used them a lot on his productions so its likely it could be one of them.

the back grounds on Frank's songs seem quite different from, say, Clay McMurray's. Clay's IMO have that classic As sound - like what we had heard previously on Forever Came Today and Love Child. Joyce and Billie had a softer lighter sound that the As often did and i think sounded more like the Sups.

[sup_fan]

You're right, it had to do with the Copa but I could have sworn it was for DMF.

wow this is the first i've heard of this! interesting. on Don't Forget Motor City, the only info they have is on the unreleases Ivy track and the Sups. they list the publishing date at March 1970. of course maybe it was something he had been working on for a while as an idea and just never fleshed it ou