Keep an eye

[Albator]

Any reason why this song is featured on two of her albums?

Is it a brand new recording on the Diana Ross album or just another way to mix her voice?
To me me it's the same playback on the 2 albums

[sansradio]

It's a re-recording on her solo debut LP. I guess Ashford & Simpson figured it was a strong enough part of their catalog to revisit with Diana.

[BayouMotownMan]

It's a re-recording on her solo debut LP. I guess Ashford & Simpson figured it was a strong enough part of their catalog to revisit with Diana.

I wondered the same thing in 1970. Great track but not worthy of repeat, especially sped up like it was on her first solo lp. As particular as Diana Ross was I am surprised she agreed to this. She balked at re-recording Ain't No Mountain, she had done it on the Temptations duet lp. A&S must have had some reason for this, perhaps single potential? Didn't have that in 1968 and even less so in 1970. Struck me as being last minute filler.

[sup_fan]

it's a totally new recording on her debut album. the backing track and all is new, although from an audio standpoint, very similar to the original.

it's a bit ironic that the most highly anticipated debut album of this mega star would include so many remakes - You're all I need, Keep an eye, mountain, these things will keep me. there are some other tunes that were being recorded by other artists at the same time but these 4 i mentioned weren't new songs. they were remakes of older tunes, although Mountain is SO different it's practically something new

it is interesting to compare to two versions of KAE. really listen to her delivery in each and you can detect slight differences and how she is doing something different this time. its subtle but a create to her artistry

[marybrewster]

"There used to be three of us, seen all over town, now there's only two, someone's missing, guess who".

No truer words were ever sung by Diana Ross.

[Boogiedown]

Any reason why this song is featured on two of her albums?

I can see no reason.






messy lyrics.

She's not just smart as a spider , but " twice as smart" as one , whoa! .... hee haw!!

[Boogiedown]

"There used to be three of us, seen all over town, now there's only two, someone's missing, guess who".

No truer words were ever sung by Diana Ross.

oh wow!!!!!

[reese]

Maybe A&S ran out of material. I recall reading that there aren't many outtakes from Diana's sessions with them.

Re KEEP AN EYE, I think the 1968 version is the best. The 1970 version is ok but they didn't add anything different enough to warrant a remake.

[sup_fan]

I can see no reason.






messy lyrics.

She's not just smart as a spider , but " twice as smart" as one , whoa! .... hee haw!!

haha but these are hardly among the most inane of lyrics the girls or DR sang lo

mama lying dead on the kitchen floor as her huckleberry jam scorches

a boy that is not only sunny but wears corduroy and mohair and is a stud in both idaho and illinois

that mary as a pisces is compatible with married men that are capricorns.

[Boogiedown]

haha but these are hardly among the most inane of lyrics the girls or DR sang lo

mama lying dead on the kitchen floor as her huckleberry jam scorches

a boy that is not only sunny but wears corduroy and mohair and is a stud in both idaho and illinois

that mary as a pisces is compatible with married men that are capricorns.

hee haw I think you're on to a new thread : "Diana's Dumbest Lyrics"

see that chair , I put it there

[sup_fan]

pure conjecture here. but wondering. Maybe KAE was trying to vie as the "new sound and hit"

the original Keep an Eye was finished in Aug 68. A&S had tried getting a hit with Some Things but it failed [[relatively). maybe they were trying to sort of redeem themselves and come up with a more hard hitting, relevant, modern song. it precedes the whole "Love Child story being written in the hotel room" bit but maybe after Forever and Some Things both bombed, maybe everyone was like "hey we need some songs that are more hip, mature, serious and current, not so teeny bopper"

prior to Love Child, the following songs were recorded:
macArthur Park, Wish I knew, I can't give back the love, Keep an eye, ain't no sun, I'm so glad i got somebody, in the evening of our love

then after LC was recorded and released they did Does Your Mama, Evening Train, Shadows of Society was started.

So maybe A&S and all of the others were desperately trying to come up with this new thing and of course LC just blew them all away. Maybe A&S felt KAE got lost in all of that buzz and never got the spotlight it deserved and so were trying for a 2nd round with it. and once again, it got swamped by a bigger better song

[Boogiedown]

..... also someone at Motown really liked this piece o lovely:

[Ollie9]

I really dig the song and am pleased she re-recorded it. The progression and maturity in her voice in just two short years is absolutely amazing.
It might easily have done well as a single in either 68 or 70.

[reese]

..... also someone at Motown really liked this piece o' :

I never heard the J5's version. It is pretty good but I would probably like it more if they had let Jermaine do the entire lead. Michael is a bit squeaky on it, although the contrast between their voices does punctuate the lyrics well. Makes me wonder how it would have sounded if Diana and Mary had taken the same approach.

I've always loved Gladys Knight and the Pips' version, although I prefer the stereo album version.

[sup_fan]

..... also someone at Motown really liked this piece o' :

well my guess is that by 69 A&S were a top producing team at motown with their big hits with Marvin and Tammi. they probably would have been in the "A tier" and so more of their songs would have been re-recorded by others and added to albums as a way to give them some preferential treatment and love.

and whoever was Exec Producer of these albums could have maybe traded off with A&S "hey i'll have them do one of your songs on my lp if you have Group X do one of mine on your album"

[Boogiedown]

Also this is when Norman Whitfield was proving there was more than one way to skin a cat.
It worked great at times but even he had to eventually concede you can’t beat a dead horse ….

also as long as it was registered as Jobette , retreads were welcomed.

[sup_fan]

exactly. it just filled more of the motown coffers

[rovereab]

I really dig the song and am pleased she re-recorded it. The progression and maturity in her voice in just two short years is absolutely amazing.
It might easily have done well as a single in either 68 or 70.

I agree with your observations regarding Diana's voice - much more assertive and focussed.

[thommg]

We don't really know why Diana ended up re-recording the song. Could be that she wanted another pass at it.

[gman]

oh wow!!!!!

YOUR USED TO BE by Brenda Lee....from 1963.....I lived it...in 1978....I re-live it every time I play that song...[[and the flip side SHE'LL NEVER KNOW doesn't help any either!)

[Spreadinglove21]

Was Keep an Eye written by A and S for Diana Ross? And if so, did they create the song based on what they observed of her relationship with the Supremes?

[WaitingWatchingLookingForAChance]

Seems odd to have Diana re-record this song twice. It's a fantastic song, but the main issue I have is that the second time around, it sounded like one of those quickly-recorded covers Motown did so many of in the 60s. Whenever a Motown artist covered another Motown artist's hit, it seems the cover was just recorded faster and with a lot less of the A-side treatment. The original version of Keep An Eye was perfection. It was nuanced, had subtle moments, was dark and moody and sung brilliantly. By re-doing it, there was no way to improve on what was an already perfect recording.

[Boogiedown]

YOUR USED TO BE by Brenda Lee....from 1963.....I lived it...in 1978....I re-live it every time I play that song...[[and the flip side SHE'LL NEVER KNOW doesn't help any either!)

From Wikipedia,

"Your Used to Be"
Single by Brenda Lee
B-side	"She'll Never Know"
Released	January 1963
Genre	Pop
Length	2:10
Label	Decca 31454
Songwriter[[s)	Howard Greenfield, Jack Keller
Brenda Lee singles chronology
"All Alone Am I" [[1962) "Your Used to Be" [[1963) "Losing You" [[1963)

"Your Used to Be" is a song written by Howard Greenfield and Jack Keller and performed by Brenda Lee.^[1] The song reached #12 on the adult contemporary chart and #32 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1963.^[2] In Australia, the song also reached #19.

what a voice

[Ollie9]

For me Diana’s is the definitive version. The songs lyrics really play to the actress in her making you believe ever word she is singing. I particularly love the way she bites into the line “She was just like a spider” sending shivers running.
I agree with reece in that the J5 version should have been a Jermaine solo, with the lyrics being just to adult orientated for MJ’s juvenile sounding voice.

[jim aka jtigre99]

I always thought Diana did a great job both times on this song. Some artists would make it feel like a re-recording but Diana gives 2 solid interpretations of the lyrics. I also wondered how Diana felt each time singing the lyric "there used to be 3 of us seen all over town, now there's only 2. Someone's missing. Guess who?". The first time after Florence was fired from the group and the second time after Diana left the group. Personally, it may have had different meaning each time if she was thinking as a Supremes reference while singing it.

[RanRan79]

Seems odd to have Diana re-record this song twice. It's a fantastic song, but the main issue I have is that the second time around, it sounded like one of those quickly-recorded covers Motown did so many of in the 60s. Whenever a Motown artist covered another Motown artist's hit, it seems the cover was just recorded faster and with a lot less of the A-side treatment. The original version of Keep An Eye was perfection. It was nuanced, had subtle moments, was dark and moody and sung brilliantly. By re-doing it, there was no way to improve on what was an already perfect recording.

Couldn't have said it better myself. I agree with every word of this.

[Ollie9]

Was Keep an Eye written by A and S for Diana Ross? And if so, did they create the song based on what they observed of her relationship with the Supremes?

It certainly can’t be dismissed, as some of the lyrics do seem to be art imitating life.

[lucky2012]

Originally Posted by WaitingWatchingLookingForAChance
Seems odd to have Diana re-record this song twice. It's a fantastic song, but the main issue I have is that the second time around, it sounded like one of those quickly-recorded covers Motown did so many of in the 60s. Whenever a Motown artist covered another Motown artist's hit, it seems the cover was just recorded faster and with a lot less of the A-side treatment. The original version of Keep An Eye was perfection. It was nuanced, had subtle moments, was dark and moody and sung brilliantly. By re-doing it, there was no way to improve on what was an already perfect recording.

Couldn't have said it better myself. I agree with every word of this.

I second these emotions. Exactly how I've felt since I first heard Diana Ross 1970.

[SatansBlues]

Who all is singing background on the Supreme's version of the song? I thought I heard Cindy and Mary at times but I think I also hear Rita Wright's voice in the background too. Any thoughts?

[Boogiedown]

I always thought Diana did a great job both times on this song. Some artists would make it feel like a re-recording but Diana gives 2 solid interpretations of the lyrics. I also wondered how Diana felt each time singing the lyric "there used to be 3 of us seen all over town, now there's only 2. Someone's missing. Guess who?". The first time after Florence was fired from the group and the second time after Diana left the group. Personally, it may have had different meaning each time if she was thinking as a Supremes reference while singing it.

Curious the one time [?] Diana redoes a song is the one time a line in it coincides with what's happening with the Supremes. Nefarious?
Beyond bizarre that it was A] thought appropriate or B] that no one noticed.
The line sticks out like a sore thumb.

[RanRan79]

Who all is singing background on the Supreme's version of the song? I thought I heard Cindy and Mary at times but I think I also hear Rita Wright's voice in the background too. Any thoughts?

I can't hear Mary. There are definitely parts that sound an awful lot like Cindy. I'd put money on Valerie and Rita singing backup, with the possibility that Cindy is there also. It definitely isn't the Andantes.

[Ollie9]

I hear shades of Marlene, possibly with Cindy.

[gman]

Boogieman....Greenfield and Keller each wrote many songs for Connie Francis...thanks for loading this! did you know Brenda or the song before I mentioned it??? her last top 10 record Coming On Strong 1966 is mentioned in Golden Earring's now rock classic Radar Love...

[blackguy69]

If I’m correct it’s Nick and Val. It ain’t the andantes. Possible Mary and Cindy

[rod_rick]

Who all is singing background on the Supreme's version of the song? I thought I heard Cindy and Mary at times but I think I also hear Rita Wright's voice in the background too. Any thoughts?

While listening to DR solo version is it me or do the backing vocals sound like Mary & Cindy? The original sound like 3 voices the DR solo sound like two voices. I prefer the original

[gman]

I like her solo version better....I did like the '68 version...a lot...but the solo version blew me away...there were so many good songs on that LP...and I love her cover of You're All I Need to Get By....I don't think too many people heard the original of These Things...I was 10 when the LP came out...I was extremely happy [[even happier!) with Right On, too.