Originally Posted by
RanRan79
Yes Floy, to me it sounds like Mary is singing the higher harmony over Florence.
I disagree that the song is too robust for Diana. Both versions are tame compared to the original "Heatwave". Certainly more tame than "You Can't Hurry Love", "Itchin", or even "Lovelight". IMO that's the problem with both versions, although I agree that the first version from 1965 is the better of the two. It's kinda nice, while the Sing HDH version kinda sucks. I think Diana had more than proven herself capable of keeping up with a track as serious as the Martha and Vandellas' "Heatwave", so it has always boggled my mind as to why the Supremes' versions were produced so watered down and laidback. I love when artists [[producers, singers, etc.) take a song and put their own spin on it. IMO, though, with a song famous for so much "fire" [[everything about the original "Heatwave" seems to play up the "heat"), it just doesn't work when you tone the fire down. Not only was Diana capable of keeping up with Martha's pace, Flo and Mary were more than capable of giving the Vandellas a run for their money, yet, particularly on the Sing HDH version, Flo and Mary are comparatively lifeless.
I might rank "Heatwave" as the Supremes' worst Motown cover, except their version of "My Guy" is ten times more ridiculous.
Bookmarks