Heat Wave July 1963 is on Fire.

[Motown4Ever518]

Suprememeister, I hear you, I would just ask if DMF of 1963, had the recording experience,life experience, and for that matter did HDH have the experience to in the studio to do the song that much diffrently than Ms. Reeves + The Vandellas. I do the same thing that you do, only with product that was not released at the time of recording.

[kenneth]

Suprememeister, I hear you, I would just ask if DMF of 1963, had the recording experience,life experience, and for that matter did HDH have the experience to in the studio to do the song that much diffrently than Ms. Reeves + The Vandellas. I do the same thing that you do, only with product that was not released at the time of recording.

Didn't they do it on "A Go Go"? As I recall it was a pretty listless reading of the song with kind of a limp arrangement. I never thought much of it. I agree that Martha's voice is perfect for this song. She wasn't always effective on ballads because her voice had that hard tone, but she was absolutely unstoppable on songs like "Heat Wave" and [[my favorite) "Nowhere to Run." Never has paranoia sounded so good to dance to!

[franjoy56]

I don't count that one-off, tepid, quickie album filler attempt as anything more than what it is. Had HDH taken their original track to DMF and put time and effort into the session for single release, I think it would have gone #1. Assuming it was in the new HDH Ross key, that is. Like all singers, Martha's voice is an acquired taste. I think it held her back. I was always a huge Martha fan, but when the strength of an act is measured by, in order, album sales, ticket sales THEN single sales ......you can see the issue. Matha never had a hit album, Watchout! was the biggest non-hits package and did only marginally well. The follow up, with Honey Chile, had dismal results - much like their Live album. Heat Wave and Dance Party were weak, while Sugar n Spice and Natural Rescouces didn't even chart. Meanwhile, WDOLG, on the strength of one single, took off instantly and Liverpool was scheduled, recorded and released in 7 weeks because of that instant success. The public liked Diana's voice. I'm not saying anyone is better, just who liked what. I admit Motown mangled Dance Party HORRIBLY, and Martha has a huge legitimate gripe there, but still, in hindsight, the general public never signed on as much and I think Diana Ross would have hit bigger with it. In fact, I have even pondered whether Nowhere To Run might have hit bigger with DMF. I know that's sacrilege, but it's such a strong track that I often wonder why it didn't chart higher. so naturally I think that Diana would have hit bigger with it, except I'm not convinced of that......just wondering. Gladys, Wanda, Kim????? Or am I just too impressed with the track and aren't being objective about it's bigger potential? Ditto Bless You & Black Magic. When those came out, I said to myself, "Myself, Martha is BACK.........FINALLY." And............nada. Please don't say lack of promotion because while you may be right about some of her Motown stuff, MCA was working her album to death and couldn't get a thing off it.

I don't know what HDH could have done to make Heat Wave a Supremes hit, the version on the HDH album does not compare to the Martha/Vandellas version, in 1963 the Supremes weren't yet ripe and to take a complex song like Heat Wave and make it a hit with the unknown Supremes with Diana upfront would have been an impossible task, When the lovelights was a complicated song that also packed a wallop and it could have went toe to toe with Quicksand but lovelights only hit #23, while Quicksand flew up the charts, it was not yet time for the Supremes. The Heat Wave album should have had some real hits on them such as Heat Wave, Quicksand and Live Wire, instead Quicksand and Live Wire saw no studio LP release promotion was not at its fullest to push Martha and The Vandellas to the top of the charts.

[Kamasu_Jr]

I tend to go along with the consensus that Diana Ross did not have the life experience to have p ulled off a song like Nowhere to Run. It's a soul song sung by a woman who had to have lived the song's lyrics. The Supremes were prim and proper- or so they wanted us to think. They weren't fiery soul singers like Martha and the Vandellas.

[LuvHangOva]

I'm one of the biggest Diana Ross fans in the galaxy, as you know Supremester. Voice for voice and over the long haul im
more impressed with Diana. I think Diana's image and voice are too demure and chaste to make her believable as the protagonist in Heatwave.

I always think of these songs like mini-plays. One would have to "hire" the actress who could best bring the script [[the lyrics) to life. No actor or actress can play EVERY role. Diana's personna didnt match the horniness and hormone infused
lyrics. This role was not meant for Diana. We have to remember WHAT the singer is saying in addition to how they sound.

[supremester]

I don't want to go life experience, but by 1963 I believe that DMF had spent a lot more time in the studio than Martha & Co - with much better results. yes, I think Diana could have nailed Heat Wave [[like she did hes 17, Time Changes things, You Bring Back Memories - all great, radio friendly vocals) I also think Mary & Flo would have been better on bg. She always had it - which is why Berry kept up the faith - she just had to stop singing through her nose in keys not suited to her. You know what Lamont said about Going Down For The Third Time - and he had cut hundreds of hours on her by that time. We could be having the same convo about that as well. Ditto rogers & Hart, ditto Lady Sing s The Blues" Miss Ross - even at 18, could rise to just about any pop tune. I think Gladys Knight would have hit harder on In & Out Of Love, The Tops higher on "Itching" and DMF top 5 on Shake Me, Wake Me. But, I can disagree with the rest of the world!

Suprememeister, I hear you, I would just ask if DMF of 1963, had the recording experience,life experience, and for that matter did HDH have the experience to in the studio to do the song that much diffrently than Ms. Reeves + The Vandellas. I do the same thing that you do, only with product that was not released at the time of recording.

[supremester]

As I said before, the HDH track was nothing - and she put more into t than HDH did into the track. You can't compare the effort going into the 2 tracks. Heat Wave to me is not a complex record at all - and Lovelight? Yeeech. you can have it. "Eye/By, Unkind/mind, way/say, bold/cold........I never loved that track, but again, you can't compare the follow up to a hit vs Lovelight from 3 unknowns. It may be complex - but, well, my itunes has Lovelight at 4 plays and Run Run Run at 93. For what it's worth - I wouldn't prefer Diana on Quicksand, and although I'd kill to have an early '64 Ross vocal on Live Wire, I might not suggest it for release, but rather for my own enjoyment. LP promotion in the 60's - especially early 60's was one thing: a hit single to generate interest in the act. 6 weeks prior, Fingertips was released and hit #1 on the singles and album chart - peaking at #125, the Heat Wave album was a big disappointment sales wise - and a harbinger of things to come as Martha's only really successful album was the Gold Greatest Hit followed not too closely by Watchout!

I don't know what HDH could have done to make Heat Wave a Supremes hit, the version on the HDH album does not compare to the Martha/Vandellas version, in 1963 the Supremes weren't yet ripe and to take a complex song like Heat Wave and make it a hit with the unknown Supremes with Diana upfront would have been an impossible task, When the lovelights was a complicated song that also packed a wallop and it could have went toe to toe with Quicksand but lovelights only hit #23, while Quicksand flew up the charts, it was not yet time for the Supremes. The Heat Wave album should have had some real hits on them such as Heat Wave, Quicksand and Live Wire, instead Quicksand and Live Wire saw no studio LP release promotion was not at its fullest to push Martha and The Vandellas to the top of the charts.

[franjoy56]

As I said before, the HDH track was nothing - and she put more into t than HDH did into the track. You can't compare the effort going into the 2 tracks. Heat Wave to me is not a complex record at all - and Lovelight? Yeeech. you can have it. "Eye/By, Unkind/mind, way/say, bold/cold........I never loved that track, but again, you can't compare the follow up to a hit vs Lovelight from 3 unknowns. It may be complex - but, well, my itunes has Lovelight at 4 plays and Run Run Run at 93. For what it's worth - I wouldn't prefer Diana on Quicksand, and although I'd kill to have an early '64 Ross vocal on Live Wire, I might not suggest it for release, but rather for my own enjoyment. LP promotion in the 60's - especially early 60's was one thing: a hit single to generate interest in the act. 6 weeks prior, Fingertips was released and hit #1 on the singles and album chart - peaking at #125, the Heat Wave album was a big disappointment sales wise - and a harbinger of things to come as Martha's only really successful album was the Gold Greatest Hit followed not too closely by Watchout!

You make good points, Run Run Run over Lovelites sure, Lovelites had pop sweetness, Run Run Run had an old ring to it that did not move it past the upper 90's I still cannot hear Ross having a hit with Heat Wave, Shake Me Wake Me with Flo and Mary on the bg yes that version is a knockout on the Supremes a Go Go album, but the Supremes on Heat Wave in 1963 no.

[midnightman]

Wow, to be a teenager on July 9th, 1963 when this record came out.

50 years on it still sizzles.

[midnightman]

By the way, as much as I admire the Supremes, they couldn't have sung this. No way! Hahaha...

[Methuselah2]

Sizzle, it still does. As does GOING DOWN FOR THE THIRD TIME. I offer that as just a bit of evidence as to what The Supremes were capable of doing, too.

[BigAl]

My biggest complaint about Hitsville tunes being covered by other Hitsville artists was that almost all were planned as filler material for albums and when that was the case it always sounded to me as though minimal effort was put into the arrangements, engineering and so forth. For the most part, the songs ended up sounding more like warmed-over leftovers, and rarely did the covers bring anything new or even interesting to the material. Granted, there were exceptions where the songs were reworked top to bottom, like Tammi Terrell's "This Old Heart of Mine," Chris Clark's "Whisper You Love Me, Boy," Barbara Randolph's "Can I Get a Witness," and so forth, but of those three, Terrell's and Randolph's were produced to be singles so it appears more thought was put into them.

[luke]

Good point Methus. Going Down Down for the Third Time is almost an anamoly. Flo on lead on Heat Wave could have been something. Heat Wave, as one book stated, is really the beginnning of the polished yet firey Motown sound. Martha never better and Roz and Annette laid down some of the best vocals ever. Is Martha on background too?

[midnightman]

^ Yeah Martha sung background on Heat Wave. She did the lead vocals in a separate session than she, Annette and Roz went into the studio next session and cut the background vocals. That's why the background sounded so tight because of all three.

[midnightman]

Sizzle, it still does. As does GOING DOWN FOR THE THIRD TIME. I offer that as just a bit of evidence as to what The Supremes were capable of doing, too.

That was a rarity for the Supremes during the Diana era. But this is about the Vandellas. Let's keep it that way.

[LuvHangOva]

Ladies and Gentlemen , The Funk Brothers CRANKIN UP THE HEAT!!!!
Feels like there was PARTY in studio a that day. Wish I coulda been in the room when they were layin down this funky thang!! WHEW !!
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LZEVVv4...e_gdata_player

[tjl]

To me - it was my first and will always be the greatest Motown record ever. Maybe because I found it in an old green record spindel case, and it was a hot summer day when I played it as a 10 year-old kid. Motown Yester-year series 45. I can't think of any Martha & The Vandellas record that I can't feel.

Though as much a I love her biggest hits and b-sides, Martha's sweet vulnerabe approach on records like "Third Finger, Left Hand", "It's Easy To Fall In Love", and tunes like "Forget Me Not" still make my heart quiver when I hear these.

I think Tom Moulton and I actually did 3 mixes of the song in stereo, the first unedited for the Stereo Motown Box, then re-freshed/touched up/unedited for "Motown: Big Hits & More" and one alternate further extended mix yet to be released, which I play on my radio shows.

But for me, "Heatwave" started it all - - then of course came the Miracles "Mickey's Monkey" which forever changed my life and still has to be tied for my second favorite Motown record, never surpassed - - except for perhaps "Would I Love You" which I discovered later, [[and got married too) but still a major major thing in the New Jersey/Philly area.

Interesting article in yesterday's paper about the Miracles being a life changer:
http://montgomerynews.com/articles/2...6706830084.txt

[ExGuyParis]

...I never loved that track, but again, you can't compare the follow up to a hit vs Lovelight from 3 unknowns. It may be complex - but, well, my itunes has Lovelight at 4 plays and Run Run Run at 93.

Funny, supremester... my iTunes count has Run, Run, Run at 12 and Lovelight at 96! Diana's vocal on Run, Run, Run creeps me out a bit; it's a bit too adenoidal and off key for my taste. Lovelight, on the other hand, is the first Supremes song I ever heard, and I still vividly remember hearing it for the first time, picking up CKLW on my transistor radio, from upstate New York. I was 12, and it was love at first sound!

For me, it is impossible to be objective in any way listening to any Motown song, because every song brings a flood of fine memories from long ago.