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Revision as of 08:50, 11 January 2005 by 67.49.57.242 (talk)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)"Where Did Our Love Go" is the name of a 1964 hit song recorded by The Supremes for the Motown label. Written and produced by Motown's main production team Holland-Dozier-Holland, "Where Did Our Love tGo" was the first single by the Supremes to go to the #1 position on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, a position it held for two weeks, from August 16, 1964 to August 29, 1964. It was also the first of five Supremes songs in a row to go #1 (the others are "Baby Love," "Come See About Me," "Stop! In the Name of Love," and "Back in My Arms Again").
Holland-Dozier-Holland had originally composed the song and prepared the instrumental track for The Marvelettes to record it. The Marvelettes rejected the song, thinking it childish, and H-D-H offered it to the Supremes, who by now had only one Top 40 hit, "When the Lovelights Starts Shining Through His Eyes," and eight flopped singles. Although the Supremes were apprehensive at first about the song, they decided that they really didn't have a choice in the matter.
Upon learning the Supremes had chosen to record "Where Did Our Love Go," the Marvelettes warned the girls to stand up for themselves and not just take anything H-D-H would give them. As a result, when the song was recorded on April 8, 1964, there was a bit of animosity on the part of the Supremes towards singing the song. Lamont Dozier was forced at one point to redo the arrangement of the background vocals, replacing the original, more complex backing with simple repetitions of the word "baby."
One of the most famous aspects of "Where Did Our Love Go" was its rhythm section, comprised primarily of what sound like handclaps because of the Motown recording equipment. These are actually footstomps, performed by an Italian teenager named Mike Valvano, who stomped down upon two wooden boards suspended by strings, to create the aural illusion of a group of foot-stompers.
Since the lead vocal was originally written to be sung by the Marvelettes' lead singer Gladys Horton, it was in a register lower than that the Supremes' lead singer Diana Ross was used to singing. The resulting vocal track had a sensual appeal not present in Ross' earlier, more juvenile-sounding work, and she elatedly rushed to Motown chief Berry Gordy's office, and dragged him to the basement studio at Hitsville U.S.A. to hear it. Upon hearing the finished song, Gordy remarked that the song had potential, possibly enough to make it to the Top 10.
"Where Did Our Love Go" was released as a single on June 17, 1964, while the Supremes were on tour as part of Dick Clark's Caravan of Stars. The girls began the tour at the bottom of the bill; by the conclusion of the tour, they were at the top.
The song became the focal point and title track of the group's second album, Where Did Our Love Go?, released later that year.
Credits (The Supremes)
- Lead Vocals by Diana Ross
- Background Vocals by Florence Ballard and Mary Wilson
- All instruments by The Funk Brothers
- Footstomps by Mike Valvano
- Written by Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, and Edward Holland, Jr.
- Produced by Brian Holland and Lamont Dozier.