Love Hangover appreciation thread

**nomis** · 09-09-2010, 03:43 AM

Just listening to the "7 mix on headphones..I prefer the single edit..its just the right mix of what is basically two melodies joined together..it contains an impressive ad -lib from Lady Di..a couple of questions...which mix out there do you prefer? and when you first heard it what did you think? I Think i first saw her do it on The Muppet Show which is a surreal experience in itself..I admire its production and audacity..anyone else dig it?
Cheers

**jsmith** · 09-09-2010, 04:00 AM

I appreciate this version the most .......... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWF7FDLeuE4

**copley** · 09-09-2010, 04:29 AM

Originally Posted by jsmith

I appreciate this version the most .......... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWF7FDLeuE4

It's my fav version too.

**tamla617** · 09-09-2010, 10:34 AM

although miss ross isnt one of my favourites.love hangover is one of my favourite tracks
i imagine the 12" was different to the album cut [[?)either way the longer it goes the better i like it

**Glenpwood** · 09-09-2010, 11:03 AM

Am I the only one that thinks when I hear the 5th Dimension version that Florence's breathy vocal sounds a lot like how Mary Wilson would've sang it back then? At points I almost think she's gonna break into "A Heart Like Mine"....

**soulster** · 09-09-2010, 12:07 PM

Good song, but not one of my favorites bt Diana Ross. The Fifth Dimension's original version pales in comparison. Play them back to back, with the Fifth's version first, and you can hear how much better the Motown production is.

**rovereab** · 09-10-2010, 12:33 PM

LH has always been one of my favourite Diana songs, such a sexy feel to the song which IMO surpasses the Fifth Dimension's version. I do wonder if the original album version mix was cleaned up a little too much whereby many vocal sections by Diana and the backing singers were removed.

The 7" edit is very clever IMO

MissLish · 09-10-2010, 03:29 PM

Hi rovereab,

Is the 7" edit on any CD compilations?

**tamla617** · 09-10-2010, 05:08 PM

misslish.................... [[british) motown chartbusters vol 10
that should be the right mix but they didnt always have the 7" mix on the chartbuster series

**tamla617** · 09-10-2010, 05:24 PM

is the 5th dimension's track from a cd with ian levines hob nails all over it?

MissLish · 09-10-2010, 07:25 PM

Oh dear! This could very well mean that Miss Lish must purchase yet another compilation series? Please tell me at least, that Baby Love is not on the set list.

**marxthespot** · 09-10-2010, 07:50 PM

Originally Posted by tamla617

is the 5th dimension's track from a cd with ian levines hob nails all over it?

The Fifth Dimension's version was released as a 45 just after the "Diana" 1976 LP was released and not an Ian Levine production. Their 1976 version sounds like a neighborhood lounge imitation of Diana's version.....That rare 10 minute mix of Diana's version on CD #2 of the "Diana" Deluxe Edition is pure Heaven!!!

**soulster** · 09-10-2010, 07:57 PM

Originally Posted by MissLish

Hi rovereab,

Is the 7" edit on any CD compilations?

All over the place!

**soulster** · 09-10-2010, 08:00 PM

Originally Posted by marxthespot

The Fifth Dimension's version was released as a 45 just after the "Diana" 1976 LP was released and not an Ian Levine production. Their 1976 version sounds like a neighborhood lounge imitation of Diana's version.....That rare 10 minute mix of Diana's version on CD #2 of the "Diana" Deluxe Edition is pure Heaven!!!

The Fifth Dimension version was issued first. DR's version was done quickly to beat the Fifth's version. As a result, the inferior Fit's Dimension version stalled, and DR's version shot into the top 10 on both the Billboard Hot 100 and Billboard R&B Black Singles charts.

**reese** · 09-10-2010, 08:27 PM

Diana's version was released first on her DIANA ROSS album in early 1976. However, Motown was pushing her single I THOUGHT IT TOOK A LITTLE TIME. According to Florence LaRue [[in BLACK STARS magazine), they heard the song and wanted to record it. They checked to see if Motown was going to release Diana's version as a single. Motown said no, and the Fifth put their version out.

After Diana's album track started to become popular at discos,and the Fifth's single hit the market, there was a hastily called Saturday promotion meeting at Motown, and Diana's version ended up being rush -released as a single, going on to debut on Billboard's Soul chart the same week as the Fifth's. Unfortunately, the push behind LOVE HANGOVER meant that the attention was taken away from I THOUGHT IT TOOK A LITTLE TIME and it flopped.

MissLish · 09-10-2010, 08:31 PM

Originally Posted by soulster

All over the place!

Really? Name one.

MissLish · 09-10-2010, 08:33 PM

Originally Posted by soulster

The Fifth Dimension version was issued first. DR's version was done quickly to beat the Fifth's version. As a result, the inferior Fit's Dimension version stalled, and DR's version shot into the top 10 on both the Billboard Hot 100 and Billboard R&B Black Singles charts.

ITITALT was little better than mediocre.

smark21 · 09-10-2010, 08:50 PM

Originally Posted by reese

Diana's version was released first on her DIANA ROSS album in early 1976. However, Motown was pushing her single I THOUGHT IT TOOK A LITTLE TIME. According to Florence LaRue [[in BLACK STARS magazine), they heard the song and wanted to record it. They checked to see if Motown was going to release Diana's. Motown said no, and the Fifth put their version out.

After Diana's album track started to become popular at discos,and the Fifth's single hit the market, there was a hastily called Saturday promotion meeting at Motown, and Diana's version ended up being rush -released as a single, going on to debut on Billboard's Soul chart the same week as the Fifth's. Unfortunately, the push behind LOVE HANGOVER meant that the attention was taken away from I THOUGHT IT TOOK A LITTLE TIME and it flopped.

Interesting that two of Ross' solo number ones, LH and ANMHE, were initially not considered for single release.

**nomis** · 09-11-2010, 01:47 AM

Miss Lish - the last compilation to have the "7 edit was I think Dianas "Love and Life" that came out around 2000

**nomis** · 09-11-2010, 03:21 AM

Wasnt there a promo yellow vinyl "12 with Marvins I want you on the flip side?

**tamla617** · 09-11-2010, 05:49 AM

marxthespot
thanks,but i have seen a more recent recording than 76,a cd comp.with the fd version on it and it was an ian levine prod.
its a re recording "in and out of love" compilation on the castle label,thats the i.levine thing i was getting mixed up with.

misslish
check your inbox!

**soulster** · 09-11-2010, 08:01 AM

Originally Posted by MissLish

Really? Name one.

Hitsville box II

**luke** · 09-11-2010, 09:01 AM

Just listened to Fifth Dimension version on youtube. Ms Ross/Motown had nothing to worry about.

**rovereab** · 09-11-2010, 09:20 AM

I have the 7" edit on my copy of Diana's 2 CD Anthology set.

topdiva1 · 09-11-2010, 12:14 PM

While Diana Ross had the best version of Love Hangover for the market at that time - the 5th D version was in keeping with the hit making style they made famous.

It was said that the huge hit that Ross had with LH caused - shall we say - more friction between Ross and the 5d divas, McCoo and LaRue.

**soulster** · 09-11-2010, 12:43 PM

Originally Posted by rovereab

I have the 7" edit on my copy of Diana's 2 CD Anthology set.

It's on a LOT of CDs....here in the U.S., anyway...

MissLish · 09-11-2010, 12:44 PM

Thank you to all who responded. Apparently, I have this version on several compilations. Of course, I didn't let that stop me from purchasing the Chartbusters. LOL! I should have waited; I figured it had to be amongst my collection somewhere, but didn't want to miss out. Either way, more Motown music can't be a bad thing. I will listen now..

smark21 · 09-11-2010, 12:54 PM

Originally Posted by topdiva1

While Diana Ross had the best version of Love Hangover for the market at that time - the 5th D version was in keeping with the hit making style they made famous.

It was said that the huge hit that Ross had with LH caused - shall we say - more friction between Ross and the 5d divas, McCoo and LaRue.

Had'nt Marilyn McCoo left The 5th Dimension by the time the group recorded Love Hangover?

topdiva1 · 09-11-2010, 01:08 PM

The record was recorded before MM left, but I could be wrong - sorry.

MissLish · 09-11-2010, 01:21 PM

Have mercy! I actually have 20 versions of Love Hangover on iTunes. Did I seriously just buy another?

**reese** · 09-11-2010, 01:52 PM

Originally Posted by smark21

Had'nt Marilyn McCoo left The 5th Dimension by the time the group recorded Love Hangover?

Eloise Laws replaced McCoo briefly. Then Marjorie Barnes came on board. Marjorie was on this recording. If not, she was certainly there when they were promoting it. I remember seeing them perform it on the Mike Douglas Show.

**Glenpwood** · 09-11-2010, 07:56 PM

Marilyn was long gone before they recorded Love Hangover so she couldn't have been offended by Ross succeeding with her original version.

Someone posted on YouTube in the comments section under one of the 5D Love Hangovers that When Diana rushed her single out, she buried her second Florence in 1976....

As a kid I actually wore out the flip side of the 45 "Kiss Me Now..."

**nomis** · 09-11-2010, 08:14 PM

Kiss Me Now is a fun track i only discovered recently...

**soulster** · 09-11-2010, 08:41 PM

This article proves that I was wrong about my info on the history of "Love Hangover". The article also, I think, mistaken about Motown's disco aspirations, as they issued "Love Power" by Willie Hutch, and "Walk Away From Love" by David Ruffin back in the fall of 1975, six or seven month before they issued DR's "Love Hangover". But, the 5th Dimension's cover version did hit the charts first. I heard it on a Tucson radio station right before DR's version was released.

http://wcbsfm.radio.com/2010/03/01/l...he-hits-story/

In the case of “Love Hangover”, ABC records was the challenger, but the group the Fifth Dimension ended up losing it all.The Fifth Dimension’s career was on the decline in the late seventies. After their huge debut success in the ’60s on Johnny Rivers’ Soul City label, they remained hot in the early ’70s on Bell Records. But by mid-decade, the group desperately needed a hit. They hadn’t seen the Top 10 since “If I Could Reach You” in 1972, and hadn’t even cracked the Top 40 since 1973. Their last hope was ABC records, and the song chosen to bring them back to the top of the charts was “Love Hangover”.
The Disco Era was in full swing, and the song might have upgraded the Fifth Dimension’s career for the new club-oriented audience. But meanwhile, back at Motown, it had already been recorded disco-style by Diana Ross. Oddly, she was not fond of the record–—she didn’t like disco music. So Miss Ross sang it under duress [[and, according to producer Hal Davis, only after a few shots of vodka and a stimulating strobe light in the studio). After all that effort, and although Motown founder Berry Gordy loved the song initially and thought it was perfect for Diana, the company wasn’t interested in releasing a disco single. Instead, Gordy released a different track from the Diana Ross album: “I Thought It Took a Little Time”, to follow-up her Number One hit “Mahogany”.

“Love Hangover” seemed destined to be the comeback vehicle for the Fifth Dimension–— until Berry Gordy got wind of it. Gordy was no stranger to cover records, but in the past they had mostly all been on his own labels. Motown would often record the same song by multiple artists, either using them as album tracks or releasing them as singles. Sometimes, more than one version eventually became a hit, such as “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” [[by Gladys Knight & The Pips and by Marvin Gaye) and “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” [[Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell and then by Diana Ross herself). But Gordy wasn’t about to let another label and act steal his thunder. After learning of the imminent release by the Fifth Dimension, Diana Ross’ “Love Hangover” was put out by Motown.

The two versions entered the charts on the same date in April of 1976.
Within weeks, Ross was racing to the top spot, while the Fifth Dimension stalled and peaked at number 80. The hangover from that failure: it was their first and only release on ABC, and the final charting record of their entire career.

Having caught Disco Fever, Motown went on to have another huge #1 radio and club smash the following year: “Don’t Leave Me This Way” by Thelma Houston. It was another Hal Davis production, featuring most of the same musicians who played on “Love Hangover”. And yes, it was a cover–—of Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes’ original.

IMO, this is a case where someone tried to upstage the original version, but it turned out that the original really was better!

topdiva1 · 09-12-2010, 04:30 PM

Thanks - great true info Soulster.

**copley** · 09-12-2010, 06:06 PM

Originally Posted by soulster

This article proves that I was wrong about my info on the history of "Love Hangover". The article also, I think, mistaken about Motown's disco aspirations, as they issued "Love Power" by Willie Hutch, and "Walk Away From Love" by David Ruffin back in the fall of 1975, six or seven month before they issued DR's "Love Hangover". But, the 5th Dimension's cover version did hit the charts first. I heard it on a Tucson radio station right before DR's version was released.

http://wcbsfm.radio.com/2010/03/01/l...he-hits-story/

IMO, this is a case where someone tried to upstage the original version, but it turned out that the original really was better!

Both versions entered the BB Top 100 on the same week 3rd April '76!

**soulster** · 09-12-2010, 08:16 PM

Originally Posted by copley

Both versions entered the BB Top 100 on the same week 3rd April '76!

I'd better stop now! Seems that both records achieved an amazing feat. They both charted on both the R&B Hot 100 and the pop Hot 100 charts on April 3, 1976! How freaky is that?

**nomis** · 09-12-2010, 09:12 PM

Did Diana do any other promotion single besides The Midnight Special for this release? its hard to fathom these days songs like this going to Number One on airplay alone..those were the days my friends...

**reese** · 09-12-2010, 09:40 PM

I don't recall her promoting LOVE HANGOVER. And even when she performed it on THE MIDNIGHT SPECIAL, by then ONE LOVE IN MY LIFETIME was her most recent release.

**nomis** · 09-12-2010, 11:49 PM

Thanks Reese..did she perform anything else on that Midnight besides Love Hangover?

**reese** · 09-13-2010, 07:16 AM

Originally Posted by nomis

Thanks Reese..did she perform anything else on that Midnight besides Love Hangover?

She also sang ONE LOVE IN MY LIFETIME and THE MOTOWN STORY medley from her AN EVENING WITH DIANA ROSS album. At the end, she also sang a little bit of LET'S BE YOUNG TONIGHT with Jermaine Jackson.