Love is Here [[and now you're gone) - strange song

[Levi Stubbs Tears]

​People often seem to rate 'In And Out of Love' poorly. Yes, along with 'Forever Came Today' it's probably the dregs of the H-D-H catalogue, but for me it's still a decent song and deserving a place in the Top Ten.

'Love is here and now you're gone' however doesn't quite fit for me. I remember the '20 Golden Greats' album [[the one with the lips) which was the first Supremes album I ever bought around 1980. 'Love is Here' wasn't on it. The album was a UK compilation released down here in Australia which did quite well for a 'Best Of' release. The album also had other UK releases too [[eg 'I Second That Emotion' with the Tempts instead of US singles like 'The Composer').


A few years later when I became very interested in Motown/Supremes history I loved hearing 'unknown' [[to me) songs like 'Lovelight' but I always thought 'Love is Here' was kind of strange and didn't really fit the Supremes sound.


Anyway - over to you!

[Ollie9]

I think “Love Is Here” fits perfectly with the groups other classics from that timeline. Incorporating Diana sexy speaking voice into the song was a smart move, making it all the more memorable.
I have always enjoyed the bright and breezy “In And Out Of Love” with Diana putting in a strong vocal performance whenever performed live.
I have never understood the appeal of “Forever Came Today”, finding it as wet and soggy as a fruit cake left out in the rain. I do enjoy watching the group perform it live, but hardly surprised it never set the charts alight,

[reese]

I love LIHANYG. It is one of my favorite Supremes recordings. I love the melody, Diana's phrasing is perfect, and she sounds as if she's really living the lyrics. Note: I will admit to not liking the alternate vocal released on the 2000 boxed set. Diana doesn't sound all that good on it and I wonder why it was even released.

IAOOL is nice enough but it isn't a favorite.

FCT is another fave of mine, for the same reasons that LIH is.

[RanRan79]

"Love Is Here" is one of the few Supremes hits that I never tire of hearing. I play it all the time. It was different from the other hits before it, but I think it fit perfectly in the progression of the group's sound and direction. For me it's a perfect song. There isn't anything about it that I would change, including the Andantes' high parts during the opening and on Diana's speaking parts. It's one of the few instances where I feel adding the A's to a Supremes song was a perfect decision, particularly because they act more as orchestration rather than vocal support, and I don't think Flo and Mary could have produced that super high sound in perfect harmony.

With that being said, this is also one of my favorite Flo and Mary vocals. They are perfect underscorers of what Diana is trying to get across. They perfectly capture the hurt of the lyric. And of course Diana's lead is on point. One of her most heartfelt vocals, IMO. The lyrics are great. The melody is gorgeous. The crazy thing about it is that it's an LA production. I was so shocked when I learned that. But once that info was revealed, I went "duh", I should have known as it doesn't sound like the Funks at all. While I wouldn't change a thing, I do wonder what a Funks "Love Is Here" would have sounded like. It was a brilliant move on HDH's part, to go in this direction with the ladies, and fortunately the public ate it up.

"In and Out of Love" is a good record on it's own. Unlike "Love Is Here", I do think with the change from LA musicians to the Funks would have made the song even better, maybe giving it a bit more push further on the charts. I've laid out the case previously that starting with "I Hear a Symphony", the group's singles moved the group forward in terms of sound and direction. While I don't care for "The Happening", I'd even say it too moved the girls forward [[although this is the single I would label as the "weird one"), or at least kept them even. "Reflections" was super progressive, and then it's followed up by a single that, IMO, would have fit in better with what the group was doing pre- "I Hear a Symphony". The ladies had taken a step back rather than forward. So I always view "In and Out of Love" as a misstep, even though I think the song is a good song. B side worthy, definitely great album track.

[RanRan79]

"In and Out of Love" is a good record on it's own. Unlike "Love Is Here", I do think with the change from LA musicians to the Funks would have made the song even better, maybe giving it a bit more push further on the charts. I've laid out the case previously that starting with "I Hear a Symphony", the group's singles moved the group forward in terms of sound and direction. While I don't care for "The Happening", I'd even say it too moved the girls forward [[although this is the single I would label as the "weird one"), or at least kept them even. "Reflections" was super progressive, and then it's followed up by a single that, IMO, would have fit in better with what the group was doing pre- "I Hear a Symphony". The ladies had taken a step back rather than forward. So I always view "In and Out of Love" as a misstep, even though I think the song is a good song. B side worthy, definitely great album track.

"Forever Came Today" is a great song too, it's just missing something that would have made it a surefire hit. I also think the groove of the song isn't exactly danceable, and it's not something anyone would have slow danced to, so I definitely understand why no one ran out in crowds to grab it. While the backing vocals are almost indecipherable, Diana's lead is great. I also think the lyrics are great. And the track is great. But it's all just missing...something.

[sup_fan]

i'll be honest that I'm not a huge fan of Love Is Here. just never got very excited about it and there are elements i do not like. however i definitely recognize it's role in the progression of their sound and why it was #1. i don't think it was a mistake to release it and i don't think some other song [[like Going Down 3rd Time or There's No Stopping) was robbed of being an A side because of Love is Here. Going Down and There's No are both fantastic records but they aren't new, they don't push or evolve the group's sound. Love Is Here was rightfully the A side

now with that out of the way, here's my analysis:

the 3 spoken passages were just such a perfect hook. an amazing element of the song. sure they weren't the first to do this but it was very uncommon. and you could argue that few before has a sexy and emotional speaking voice like Diana!!

the harpsichord sound of the song was VERY on trend at the time. you had groups like the Beach Boys, Beatles and many others using this but it hadn't ever really been integrated into "the Motown Sound" until Love Is Here. So this is a fascinating evolution of the familiar motown sound and beat

it's just a very, very high quality song. it is SO easy to sing along with, it has a very clear structure as opposed to some that sort of ramble along, there's the tossing back and forth between Diana's lead and M and F backing vocals

now what i don't like - the bounciness of the song is too "Sing Along with Mitch Miller" for me. this is also something that irks me about In and Out Of Love. and even Everybody's Got The Right To Love. i just don't care for this style as much.

also i HATE the Andantes Ahhhh's in the intro and the chorus. to my ear, the vocals have been somehow electronically phased or adjusted. although i don't think they had that technology in 66. at first it thought it was some weird synthesizer effect. i just find it grates on the nerves

[Circa 1824]

While I do like In And Out Of Love, Diana’s light and airy vocal seems to have a smile in it despite the somber lyrics. On the contrary, her vocals on the joyous Forever Came Today seem somber.

[vgalindo]

It’s one of my favorites of the 12 number ones.

[marybrewster]

In a perfect world, each Supreme would have had a spoken line, but I understand the push to further separate Diana from the Supremes. I do think Diana had the most "commercial" speaking voice; but it's definitely a fun thing to think about.

[Roberta75]

Love is Here is a classic IMO and the line "My heart cries out for your touch but your not there and the lonely cry fades in the air" is such a great and classic line delivered beutifully by Miss Diana Ross. I also love the Michael Jackson version. A real great song.

[khansperac]

One of my favorite Supremes songs.

[sup_fan]

In a perfect world, each Supreme would have had a spoken line, but I understand the push to further separate Diana from the Supremes. I do think Diana had the most "commercial" speaking voice; but it's definitely a fun thing to think about.

i've wondered about that too. i don't think there was ever really any thought to break it out by girl, other than in Tony's book.

If the talking parts in Davey Crocket are any indication, Diana doing all 3 was the right decision

[marybrewster]

i've wondered about that too. i don't think there was ever really any thought to break it out by girl, other than in Tony's book.

If the talking parts in Davey Crocket are any indication, Diana doing all 3 was the right decision

Diana definitely had a more commercial, pleasant speaking voice. Mary's always came across as soft and unsure. Flo's was just so brassy and booming.

I doubt there was ever any discussion about having each girl sing a line. Those spoken lines were essential to the song.

[rovereab]

I agree with views above concerning the need for the singles to show progression.

Forever Came Today would have benefited from a more driving Funk drum sound as the LA drum track sounds lame to me. However, it is a good song.

[Stax_of_Motown]

Always liked this song and particularly liked the unusual bass line. Didn't know it was a LA recording. Anyone know who the bass player was or likely to be?

[sup_fan]

Diana definitely had a more commercial, pleasant speaking voice. Mary's always came across as soft and unsure. Flo's was just so brassy and booming.

I doubt there was ever any discussion about having each girl sing a line. Those spoken lines were essential to the song.

i'm having some second thoughts on my statement on Mary's voice for the spoken lines. i do think on Davey she came across too sleepy and smokey. but i think she would have done a masterful job on the spoken line in I'm Gonna Make You Love Me. The question is could she have given the dramatics that Love Is Here needed? she could definitely do the sensuous part.

[lockhartgary]

LIHANYG has always been one of my favorite Supremes songs. I especially love the speaking parts and the awesome bass work.

[RanRan79]

i'm having some second thoughts on my statement on Mary's voice for the spoken lines. i do think on Davey she came across too sleepy and smokey. but i think she would have done a masterful job on the spoken line in I'm Gonna Make You Love Me. The question is could she have given the dramatics that Love Is Here needed? she could definitely do the sensuous part.

I don't think Mary could pull off the drama of the speaking parts. I used to think that the best idea was indeed giving each lady a speaking part, but that was the fan in me wanting everything to be equal. Artistically speaking, I think that if the decision had been to give each lady a speaking verse, the song itself would have suffered. My thought is that each lady's speaking voice was so distinctly different from the other two that hearing it in the midst of such a serious song would have been distracting and maybe a bit off putting.

It's not as if hearing them speak in and of itself would have been a problem. It works on a song like "Whistle While You Work" or "Fancy Passes". But if Diana is the lead, and the lead is vocalizing all this heartache, I think it makes sense for her to do the same with the speaking parts.

Each lady in her own right had an arresting way of speaking, IMO. [[In fact, I seem to remember a 60s article pointing that out about Mary in particular.) Diana had a bubbliness about her sometimes, other times a bit of a coyness when she was speaking. She also often tripped over her own words, seemingly tongue tied. But she had a great flair for the dramatics with her voice. Mary had a bubbliness about her speaking also, but also a bit of seductiveness at times too, which I could see leading one to think she might be good on the speaking of "Love Is Here". Mary could also come across a bit goof ballish when talking, so that was a drawback. Flo was the most eloquent and well spoken of the three. Her sense of humor would have been an obvious plus when thinking on giving her speaking parts, like on "Whistle". But as someone pointed out previously, Flo's speaking voice was quite heavy, too heavy to be paired along with Diana and Mary on "Love Is Here" if they were each given a part.

I don't know if HDH ever considered giving each lady a part, but having Diana do it alone was the best thing, IMO.

[144man]

As Sup fan touches on, I always thought it was an attempt to get a Beach Boys kind of sound.

[Motown Eddie]

Always liked this song and particularly liked the unusual bass line. Didn't know it was a LA recording. Anyone know who the bass player was or likely to be?

It might've been Carol Kaye. She was the bass player in the L.A. studio band The Wrecking Crew [and she's said that she played on sessions for Motown when they recorded in Los Angeles].

[Motown Eddie]

the harpsichord sound of the song was VERY on trend at the time. you had groups like the Beach Boys, Beatles and many others using this but it hadn't ever really been integrated into "the Motown Sound" until Love Is Here. So this is a fascinating evolution of the familiar motown sound and beat

Yes; Motown started using the harpsichord on a lot of their records from 1967 [other examples include Four Tops' "7 Rooms Of Gloom", Gladys Knight & The Pips' "Take Me In Your Arms And Love Me" & Chris Clark's "I Want To Go Back There Again"]. Since Motown's songwriters/producers listened to everything that was on the radio at that time, it's truly the influence of The Beach Boys' Pet Sounds LP & The Left Banke's "Walk Away Renee" that made them use the instrument.

[midnightman]

As Sup fan touches on, I always thought it was an attempt to get a Beach Boys kind of sound.

It definitely reminded me of Good Vibrations in some parts...