By Bong-Man (198.111.56.128) on Friday, April 02, 2004 - 12:06 pm:

I left work early yesterday...about 3:15pm, and didn't have any cds for the ride home. So I started perusing the Detroit radio stations looking for something/anything to listen to. Lo and behold I come to WOMC-FM (104.3) and I hear the intro to "You Can't Hurry Love"....and Diana starts singing in Spanish ! After getting over my initial shock, I really started getting into this version. Her vocals in Spanish were not only well pronounciated, they came across as even sexier than the original single. The background vocals of the Supremes didn't always mesh with what Diana was singing...I'm sure due to translation, but it was a great listening experience and it made me think of some questions related to Motown and foreign distribution.

A.) Did the Supremes have to be coached by someone to make this version ? Was there someone in-house responsible for that ?

B.) This version appeared to be a total re-mix. This became obvious when a flute noise came in...possibly made by an actual flute, or a recorder of some type. There was also a longer instrumental break than the original single. Am I on track here ?

C.) I know foreign versions of Beatles singles were put out often in various countries. How often did Motown do this besides England ?? Did they use a subsidiary label ? Were just certain succesful singles chosen to be released, or did certain artists make entire albums for foreign release ?

Just trying to start a discussion about an aspect of Motown I've never heard discussed. Hats off to WOMC for bringing out the vinyl and making my ride home.

By Livonia Ken (136.1.1.101) on Friday, April 02, 2004 - 12:16 pm:

Stevie Wonder released a number of Spanish language versions of his singles as well.

Regards,
Ken

By Reese (12.15.168.160) on Friday, April 02, 2004 - 12:21 pm:

There was a cd that was released back in the 80s called MOTOWN AROUND THE WORLD. It contained foreign language versions of many Motown hits.

I must admit I wasn't too thrilled. I gather the artists could invest only so much emotion into lyrics that they didn't understand. I found most of the vocals rather lame compared to those on the original English versions.

In MAr Wilson's first book, she wrote that they learned the lyrics phoneticially.

By Steve Litos (209.100.86.4) on Friday, April 02, 2004 - 01:34 pm:

The oldies station in Chicago WJMK (104.3) was having a foreign language promotion this past weekend. I bet it's the same parent company as WJMK.

"It's A Beautiful Morning" sounds pretty good in Spanish.

By BankHouseDave (195.93.34.12) on Friday, April 02, 2004 - 04:37 pm:

I remember hearing some of these things on French stations in the 60s and thinking the French are much better at imitating Motown groups than the people who do it on Top Of The Pops cover albums here in the UK. Of course it was the backing tracks that made all the difference, but it never occured to any of us it was the original artists. When we heard the otherwise beautiful rendition of Michelle on Four Tops On Top (I think), it did not provide any clues to Levi and others being able to speak or sing in French. Sah lay mah kee vah tray be ah sah. You can't argue with that.

By Juicefree20 (68.161.24.39) on Friday, April 02, 2004 - 06:41 pm:

I've heard The Tempts sing in French or Italian & as Bankhouse mentioned, The Four Tops in French.

By Des (217.42.228.232) on Friday, April 02, 2004 - 07:59 pm:

Diana Ross was/is never a great vocalist.
Whether she sang in Spanish or Swahili is of little consequence.
A Spanish-language version of'You Can't Hurry Love' is laughably irrelevant.
Des

By Uptight (24.55.0.68) on Friday, April 02, 2004 - 08:19 pm:

Bong-Man, you are on track and have a good ear.

- Of course they were re-mixed to incorporate the new vocals.

- There was originally a longer break (with extra English lyrics) recorded in "You Can't Hurry Love" than appeared on the original single. The hit release was edited.

By Robb_K (66.81.179.24) on Saturday, April 03, 2004 - 04:44 am:

I've heard several Four Tops songs in both French and German, and was surprised at how well they did on them. I know they were sung phonetically, but they sounded quite close to "natural" (with a bit of a foreign accent, of course, but, nevertheless quite listenable (unlike foreign language versions of songs by many other English-speaking artists, which are often laughable).

By John Lester (81.132.167.15) on Saturday, April 03, 2004 - 04:47 pm:

I think you will find that the classic Motown songs were recorded in French (Stevie's Castles In The Sand and 4 tracks by the Velvelettes), Spanish (on Martha and Stevie) and the rest are in Italian or German. Some have yet to see release such as Martha's German Dancing In The Street. When Martha was asked about it the other week, she sang the German b-side..now aint that something! WOW! I loves me my Martha

The Four Tops did Keeper of the Castle in Spanish and Italian but I wasn't aware of a French version. Robb-K can you recall the titles of any of their French songs?

By MaisondeBanqueDave (195.93.34.12) on Saturday, April 03, 2004 - 05:44 pm:

La Bernadette
Aiment toi, c'est plus doucement que jamais
Bebe, j'ai besoin de ton amour
Si j'etait charpentier
Va t'en, Renee
C'est le meme ancien chanson
Je ne peut pas aidez moi-meme
Sept salles de tristesse
Depuis ton depart
Je suis dans un monde different
Derange-moi, agite-moi, quand c'est termine
Soyent loco la-bas en Acapulco

Oui, d'accord. Je suis only 'ow you say? - joking

By TRI-PHI (68.5.143.49) on Saturday, April 03, 2004 - 05:49 pm:

IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN YOU CAN HURRY LOVE IN ITALIAN FROM THE CD MOTOWN AROUND THE WORLD, WITH THE TEPMP DOING MY GIRL IN ITALIAN, MARVIN DOING HOW SWEET IT IS IN GERMAN THE SUPREMES DOING WHERE DID OUT LOVE GO IN GERMAN, ALONG WITH OTHERS, THE CD IS HARDER THAN HELL TO FIND, MY TIA GAVE ME MY COPY WHEN I WAS 11

By BankHouseDave (195.93.34.12) on Sunday, April 04, 2004 - 06:42 am:

It'd be something great to have in the collection, Tri-Phi.

By STONEWALL (68.237.125.253) on Sunday, April 04, 2004 - 06:55 am:

I'm assuming the "Des" is short for "Desecration".
Over four decades of success for the Queen of Motown proves otherwise than your negative obsession and sad nightmare. Contrary to your quiet storm, Diana was/is a great vocalist. U must have heard "Buttered Popcorn" -- that's Flo!

Let's pray that Diana Ross & The Suprenmes reunite at "M-45". The viewership will go up by millions.

By randybmore (205.188.117.14) on Monday, April 05, 2004 - 12:06 am:

Hello Bong_Man
The version you heard of "You can't Hurry Love' was done in Italian and is from a Cd called, "With Love (from us to you)on a label called Marginal Records from Brussells. I came across it accidentally in a record store a few years ago. It also has them doing Where Did Our love Go and Come See About Me in German and You Keep Me Hanging On in Italian. The Cd also has a lot of unreleased stuff that's om the 25th anniversary CD and Mother You, Smother You done by Christine Shumacker whoever she is.
Randy

By Bong-Man (198.111.56.128) on Monday, April 05, 2004 - 08:33 am:

I mistook Italian for Spanish ??? Paulie's gonna have my hide !!

I'm all for that reunion...let's hope.

By STONEWALL (68.237.93.170) on Saturday, April 10, 2004 - 04:02 am:

Shame on U, Mr. Randy B. More. U don't know who Mrs. Schumacker is/was? Christine Schumacker is a non-singer (white) housewife from Detroit who won a Motown contest to record The Supremes' album cut "MUSU". For more 411, enter her name in an internet search engine.

By STONEWALL (68.237.93.170) on Saturday, April 10, 2004 - 07:01 am:

Re: Christine Schumacher & The Supremes!!!

Bi the way, a little more "411" on "CSTS" b/4 U check further, if needed after this. The contest was sponsored by a Detroit radio station and supported by Motown Record Corp. The D.J. was Scott Regen. "Sing a Song with The Supremes" was the name of the contest. Ms. Christine won the radio contest and then it was on to Hitsville. Lucky her! The "newest Supreme" at that time got to sing lead on The Supremes song "Mother U, Smother U" with a backing track of Mari Wilson and Florence Ballard. In effect, Christine was filling in for Diana. "MUSU" -- the real one -- was on the DIANA ROSS & THE SUPREMES album "Sing Holland-Dozier-Holland". In fact, M-town considered that song for a single release.

In its good spiritedness, and promise to record the winner and release the record to some degree, Motown issued it on the flipside of a promotional interview of D.R.S.

The only question now, all these years later, is: why didn't they have Christine "fill in" for Diana again for the recent "Motown 45", instead of a girl w/ no experience as a Supreme?