YCHL - released 57 years ago today

[sup_fan]

this is my all time favorite Supremes song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Itn438i30hk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVEPEoLJczk

seems like the story of Motown having the girls perform the song on Sullivan and then releasing it the next day is inaccurate. but their Sullivan performance of it is still one of my favorite spots on the show

when the song was released on 7/25/66, they were just starting a run at the Steel Pier in Atlantic City [[opened on 7/24)

other 7/25 dates:
7/25/69 - lead vocal recording session for Wait A Minute Before You Leave

[daviddesper]

I have many vivid memories of this song but the biggest one involves a game room type place that the teens in my neighborhood hung out. It had a jukebox and I am sure at that time each play would have been a nickel or maybe six for a quarter.

This one girl would come there and feed the jukebox over and over again, never playing anything else but that song. Although I didn't think about this at the time, I wondered if she played it there because her parents would not allow her to play it at home or own it. After all this was the south in the mid 60s.....

[gman]

I became a fan in '68 around Love Child / TCB time...I was 9 yrs. old...I had The Happening 45, and only knew Baby Love, Stop! In The Name of Love, and You Keep Me Hangin' On...my first LP purchase with my own money was the blue 2 LP Set...which had big fat mixes of everything...when I did the needle drop on LOVELIGHT song 1 side 1 I thought I was having an "awakening"...I loved it that much...and hoped I'd like the rest of it....I did...very much...I even liked Crossroads!!!!
Soon afterward, I started collecting the non current singles when I would find them either used, or in discount bins...I hated the single mixes of Nothing But Heartaches and You Can't Hurry Love....I cant imagine them playing those on the radio...the only 45 between Lovelight and Bad Weather I never owned was Back In My Arms Again....just never came across that one...I even had the Christmas 45 in the pic sleeve...that one cost me $3 in '72 in a NYC collectors shop....big bucks for a single for a 13 yr old!!!

[sup_fan]

i agree - the 45 mix of YCHL is not nearly as good. it's odd that the bass line drops in the intro

[RanRan79]

Their performance on Sullivan in the silver sequins is one of my favorite performances of them. Not only do they sound great, but they look fantastic. And they all seemed to be having so much fun.

As for the song, it's definitely a favorite of mine. The Funks are kicking butt. Diana is ripping through it like a force. Mary and Flo's understudy Marlene do a nice job, but it would have been better with Florence, IMO. Listening to the foreign version of "Hurry" with Flo, and it's apparent to me that Flo adds a certain something to the background that Marlene doesn't: some personality. And I think that would have only enhanced an already A+ record. But again, as is, the ladies do a good job and it all comes together to create a legendary record.

[Thornton]

Their performance on Sullivan in the silver sequins is one of my favorite performances of them. Not only do they sound great, but they look fantastic. And they all seemed to be having so much fun.

As for the song, it's definitely a favorite of mine. The Funks are kicking butt. Diana is ripping through it like a force. Mary and Flo's understudy Marlene do a nice job, but it would have been better with Florence, IMO. Listening to the foreign version of "Hurry" with Flo, and it's apparent to me that Flo adds a certain something to the background that Marlene doesn't: some personality. And I think that would have only enhanced an already A+ record. But again, as is, the ladies do a good job and it all comes together to create a legendary record.

I was disappointed when I learned that Flo was not on YCHL as it is my favorite Supremes song. However, I'm glad Mary's on the track and Marlene was a gifted singer. Same goes for Reflections.

[RanRan79]

I was disappointed when I learned that Flo was not on YCHL as it is my favorite Supremes song. However, I'm glad Mary's on the track and Marlene was a gifted singer. Same goes for Reflections.

Yeah, it sucks, but thems the breaks. Both songs are still fantastic works in the Supremes' catalog and Flo is still a major factor in most of the songs recorded during what I refer to as the Flo years. And she's on all the other hits up to "In and Out", so I'm okay with her missing two.

Marlene really was a good replacement for Flo on record and she blended well with Mary. But what I love about the Flo and Mary combo is that the two of them didn't quite blend together, but instead sang together in a way that their two voices really stood out from each other, and at the same time, complimented one another, which I would think is a fairly difficult thing to do. Mary and Marlene blended in together. Mary and Cindy often did too. What Flo and Mary did was something different, and it made them special. Am I making sense?

[sup_fan]

I was disappointed when I learned that Flo was not on YCHL as it is my favorite Supremes song. However, I'm glad Mary's on the track and Marlene was a gifted singer. Same goes for Reflections.

me too - this is my #1 song of all time and had hoped it was DMF.

i've since made a playlist of every version of the song i could get a hold of. the original stereo and mono versions, the extended version from the reel-to-reel US release and from the Japanese GH album, the alt version on L&F, the various live versions.

i think i could only play the playlist for myself and maybe other super die-hard fans lol. it would just drive about anyone else crazy lol

[sup_fan]

Yeah, it sucks, but thems the breaks. Both songs are still fantastic works in the Supremes' catalog and Flo is still a major factor in most of the songs recorded during what I refer to as the Flo years. And she's on all the other hits up to "In and Out", so I'm okay with her missing two.

Marlene really was a good replacement for Flo on record and she blended well with Mary. But what I love about the Flo and Mary combo is that the two of them didn't quite blend together, but instead sang together in a way that their two voices really stood out from each other, and at the same time, complimented one another, which I would think is a fairly difficult thing to do. Mary and Marlene blended in together. Mary and Cindy often did too. What Flo and Mary did was something different, and it made them special. Am I making sense?

i totally get it. M and C blended. their voiced seem to merge together to create a unified sound. one that is very hard to discern one voice from the other. makes for a perfect setting for a unique and interesting "lead" voice to be spotlighted against

M and F combined. they created a vocal backdrop that joined their unique voices but still kept their individuality. they compliment one another more than merging. and with the original lineup and with their first hits, the individuality of the members is what sold the group. all 3 had unique personalities and all 3 had unique voices. this created a vocal group that grabbed america's attention

[captainjames]

Wow !!! Was that really 57 years ago ? I do remember two records being played in the home around that time. One by the Beatles and one by the Supremes. I did not know until years later that the Supremes snatched No. #1 and that the Beatles only got as far as No. # 2. Again history being done and there is no way to argue that this had to be one of their most popular songs.

[RanRan79]

i totally get it. M and C blended. their voiced seem to merge together to create a unified sound. one that is very hard to discern one voice from the other. makes for a perfect setting for a unique and interesting "lead" voice to be spotlighted against

M and F combined. they created a vocal backdrop that joined their unique voices but still kept their individuality. they compliment one another more than merging. and with the original lineup and with their first hits, the individuality of the members is what sold the group. all 3 had unique personalities and all 3 had unique voices. this created a vocal group that grabbed america's attention

Exactly. You summed it up great with "they compliment one another more than merging". I absolutely agree. Other groups had what could be described as a more perfect blend, but again they're blending. That's how I view the Andantes. Excellent blend. Good grief did those ladies have an incredible ability to merge their voices. Some have remarked before about how well Mary and Cindy could blend with each other.

I think I mentioned here before that I've viewed Flo and Mary's approach as the Roberta Martin approach. Whereas previously in gospel music, the approach was for the backing vocalists to create that Andantes type blend of melding the voices together to create one sound, Roberta structured the Roberta Martin Singers in such a way that the backing vocalists each had their own identifiable sound that complimented the others. She created a new standard for gospel groups.

It annoys me when I read stuff that suggests that the Supremes had no gospel influence. All three of them grew up going to church, and it defies logic that three Black girls in Detroit would have not been exposed to gospel music or influenced at all when it was a big part of the culture. Yes, they came up in the doowop era, and like any youth, the biggest influence would probably be what they were listening to on the radio. But I can hear the influence and it shouldn't be discounted.

[sup_fan]

Exactly. You summed it up great with "they compliment one another more than merging". I absolutely agree. Other groups had what could be described as a more perfect blend, but again they're blending. That's how I view the Andantes. Excellent blend. Good grief did those ladies have an incredible ability to merge their voices. Some have remarked before about how well Mary and Cindy could blend with each other.

I think I mentioned here before that I've viewed Flo and Mary's approach as the Roberta Martin approach. Whereas previously in gospel music, the approach was for the backing vocalists to create that Andantes type blend of melding the voices together to create one sound, Roberta structured the Roberta Martin Singers in such a way that the backing vocalists each had their own identifiable sound that complimented the others. She created a new standard for gospel groups.

It annoys me when I read stuff that suggests that the Supremes had no gospel influence. All three of them grew up going to church, and it defies logic that three Black girls in Detroit would have not been exposed to gospel music or influenced at all when it was a big part of the culture. Yes, they came up in the doowop era, and like any youth, the biggest influence would probably be what they were listening to on the radio. But I can hear the influence and it shouldn't be discounted.

i completely agree that they certainly had influences of gospel. it just might not be as obvious in terms of how it shown through as with someone like Aretha.

maybe what people might really be meaning is that the church was just one of many influences for the supremes. whereas for Aretha is played a much larger role. where any of the supremes super involved in their church choirs? yes i know they sang in church but i wonder if Flo was regularly singing solos. or were she and mary more just in the choir. there are stories of Aretha and of Gladys Knight singing and PERFORMING in church.

but yes it still was a very important part

i'd also say though that mary's discussions of how she'd sit and listen to her Aunt and Uncle's wonderful r&b records of the greats - like Dinah and Sarah, Billie and others. IMO that might have been more influential on Mary than the traditional gospel approach to singing. the chanteuse female singer with the jazz band behind her, a one of those 50s era fishtail gowns and long gloves. there's an element of style and sophistication there. that "nightclub cool"