Four Tops "Old Love [[Let's Try It Again)"

[mysterysinger]

The song "Old Love [[Let's Try It Again)" was written by Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier and Freddie Gorman and published by Jobete on July 27, 1962.

The song has been recorded by a few Motown artists - and there was to have been a version by The Supremes but there's a story.

Brian and Lamont were in LA and on August 12, 1966 recorded several tracks which included "I'm Ready For Love" for Martha & The Vandellas, "Love Is Here and Now You're Gone" for The Supremes and "Old Love [[Let's Try It Again)" also for The Supremes. There seems also to be a song called "Come On" but I can't find any info about that - maybe that was a working title.

As an aside, recording backing tracks in LA seems to have been a no-no back then because of Musician's Union rules which required a vocalist. From what I've read, Motown made good use of The Lewis Sisters to stand in - whether they ever recorded any vocals on the above tracks is probably unlikely.

Anyhow as we know "I'm Ready For Love" and "Love Is Here" had their vocals added back in Detroit as did "Old Love" for which I've read both lead and background [[Andantes) vocals were recorded but erased when The Tops recorded their vocals.

Someone may have better information there because the dates for the "Old Love" Ross lead vocal October 25, 1966 and backing, November 17, 1966 seem to be exactly the same as the Tops version.

Whatever, only the Tops version survived - completed on March 8, 1967 - and though vaulted eventually saw the light of day on "Motown Sings Motown Treasures Volume 1 & 2 which was released on January 12, 2005.

Seems like a great recording by the Four Tops and The Andantes are really prominent in parts - so unlikely that their original backing vocals would have been recorded over.

Happy to receive info or corrections on any of the above.

[gman]

wasn't this a earlier Mary Wells song? I think it may have been on her Vintage Stock LP..

[mysterysinger]

Released versions have been by Mary Wells [[b-side of "You Beat Me To The Punch") and Martha and The Vandellas - track on "Come and Get These Memories" album. Then the Four Tops.

Kim Weston seems to have recorded vocals which were overdubbed by Brian Holland - neither saw release.

[gman]

Thank you!!!! I actually have the Martha and the Vandella's...CAGTM LP...it is a rare repress...it has the original label and issue number, but is in a very thin carboard laminated jacket. I wondered if Motown orig planned to release things with the true label in the 80's and then decided everything on the parent label??? I suppose these are bootlegs?....I remember I saw Jr Walker and Isley Brothers LPs with Soul and Tamla labels in the same store...and a Contours LP that had the orig covers in the tell take thin laminated jackets...I keep it stored with other rare / keep the visitors hands off LP's and only played it a time or 2...but I remember liking it a real lot.....

[Philles/Motown Gary]

Mary Well's earlier version, as well as Martha & The Vandellas' version, were musically arranged to fit Motown's old Cha-Cha sound. The Andantes would have had to re-record their back-up vocals to fit Motown's slick, updated shuffle-beat arrangement for the Four Tops' new and improved version.

[mysterysinger]

This was a completely new recording. Neither Mary Wells nor Martha and the Vandellas have anything to do with it. All vocals would have had to be done from scratch for the intended Supremes version.

[motony]

the song was written for Mary Wells & was the flip side of "You Beat Me To The Punch" & also got airplay.

[rovereab]

I wonder why Brian and Lamont decided to make those recordings in LA at that time when they seemed to use Detroit in the main? Lack of Detroit studio time?

[mysterysinger]

They were there to record tracks for "The Supremes and The Motown Sound From Broadway To Hollywood" album. The album remained unreleased but there were 8 tracks on the Hip O "There's A Place For Us" CD. They also recorded "I'm Ready For Love" and "Love Is Here and Now You're Gone" tracks. They must have had their reasons for recording those in LA. May have been other things recorded then too.

[rovereab]

They were there to record tracks for "The Supremes and The Motown Sound From Broadway To Hollywood" album. The album remained unreleased but there were 8 tracks on the Hip O "There's A Place For Us" CD. They also recorded "I'm Ready For Love" and "Love Is Here and Now You're Gone" tracks. They must have had their reasons for recording those in LA. May have been other things recorded then too.

I'd love to know their reasons.

[mysterysinger]

In the booklet for the HDH Expanded set, Lamont Dozier says of "Love Is Here and Now You're Gone" - "we didn't cut that at Motown, we cut that in California at Columbia Recording Studios. They had this big orchestra. It's not the Funk Brothers". So it was the orchestra that swayed it. For reference, the working title for LIHANYG was "Number One [[Newkey)" - that does appear on the Musicians Union papers for the LA sessions [[Carol Kaye).

[Philles/Motown Gary]

This was a completely new recording. Neither Mary Wells nor Martha and the Vandellas have anything to do with it. All vocals would have had to be done from scratch for the intended Supremes version.

Right! Like I said, the newer musical arrangement was a shuffle beat to accommodate The Four Tops and The Supremes up-to-date style [[as opposed to the older cha-cha arrangement).