I Hear a Symphony explained

I Hear a Symphony
Type:single
Artist:the Supremes
Album:I Hear a Symphony
B-Side:Who Could Ever Doubt My Love
Released:October 6, 1965
Recorded:September 22, 28–30, 1965
Studio:Hitsville U.S.A. (Studio A)
Genre:Pop, R&B
Length:2:38
Label:Motown
Prev Title:Nothing but Heartaches
Prev Year:1965
Next Title:My World Is Empty Without You
Next Year:1965

"I Hear a Symphony" is a 1965 song recorded by the Supremes for the Motown label.

Written and produced by Motown's main production team, Holland–Dozier–Holland, the song became their sixth number-one pop hit on the Billboard Hot 100 pop singles chart in the United States for two weeks from November 14, 1965, through November 27, 1965.[1] [2] On the UK singles chart, the single peaked at number thirty-nine.

History

Overview

The Supremes enjoyed a run of hits through 1964 and 1965 under the guidance of writer/producers Holland–Dozier–Holland. In mid-1965, the producers came to realize they had fallen into a rut when the Supremes' "Nothing but Heartaches" failed to make it to the Top Ten, missing it by just one position and breaking the string of number-one Supremes hits initiated with "Where Did Our Love Go." Motown chief Berry Gordy was displeased with the performance of "Nothing but Heartaches," and circulated a memo around the Motown offices that read as follows:

Holland-Dozier-Holland therefore set about breaking their formula and trying something new. The result was "I Hear a Symphony," a song with a more complex musical structure than previous Supremes releases. "Symphony" was released as a single in place of another Holland-Dozier-Holland Supremes song, "Mother Dear", which had been recorded in the same style as their earlier hits.

In a 1968 interview, Diana Ross said that this was one of her favorite songs to perform, even though its key register posed some challenges.

Billboard called the song a "blockbuster" as well as a "well-written rhythm ballad with pulsating beat and top vocal work."[3] Cash Box described it as a "rhythmic, medium-paced romancer about a lucky gal who’s head-over-heels in love with the special guy of her dreams."[4] Record World said that "The Supremes will hear a symphony of coin for 'I Hear a Symphony.'"[5]

"I Hear a Symphony", later issued on an album of the same name, became the Supremes' sixth number-one hit in the United States. After the number-five hit "My World Is Empty Without You" and the number-nine hit "Love Is Like an Itching in My Heart," the Supremes began a run of four more number-one hits: "You Can't Hurry Love," "You Keep Me Hangin' On," "Love Is Here and Now You're Gone," and "The Happening." The group performed the hit song on The Mike Douglas Show on November 3, 1965.[6]

Personnel

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1965–1966)Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[8] 48
Canada (Billboard)[9] 1
scope="row"
scope="row"
New Zealand (Lever Hit Parade)[10] 5
scope="row"
scope="row"
scope="row"
US Cashbox Top 100[11] 1
US Cashbox R&B[12] 2
US Record World 100 Top Pops[13] 1
US Record World Top 40 R&B[14] 3

Year-end charts

See also

Notes and References

  1. 1965 . Billboard Hot 100 . . 77 . 47 . 22 . . 10 May 2011 .
  2. 1965 . Billboard Hot 100 . . 77 . 48 . 20 . . 10 May 2011 .
  3. News: Billboard. 2021-03-09. October 23, 1965. 16. Spotlight Singles.
  4. CashBox Record Reviews . October 23, 1965 . 14 . 2022-01-12 . Cash Box.
  5. Single Picks of the Week. Record World. October 23, 1965. 1. 2023-07-19.
  6. November 3, 1965. The Mike Douglas Show. Guest co-host: Zsa Zsa Gabor. CBS. KYW-TV. Cleveland. 3 November 1965. 4. 43.
  7. Liner notes. The Complete Motown Singles Vol. 5: 1965, Hip-O Select – B0006775-02, USA, 04 Aug 2006
  8. Web site: Every Unique AMR Top 100 Single of the 1965. Top 100 Singles. 31 December 2020.
  9. Billboard HITS OF THE WORLD. Billboard. 30. 4 December 1965 .
  10. Web site: flavour of new zealand - search lever. Flavour of New Zealand.
  11. Web site: CASH BOX Top 100 Singles. Cashbox. November 1, 1965. 31 December 2020.
  12. Web site: The CASH BOX Top 50 In R&B Locations. Cashbox. November 27, 1965. 31 December 2020.
  13. 100 TOP POPS: Week of November 27, 1965. Record World. worldradiohistory.com. November 27, 1965. 29 January 2021.
  14. TOP 40 R&B: Week of December 11, 1965. 20. Record World. worldradiohistory.com. December 11, 1965. 29 January 2021.
  15. Web site: The CASH BOX Year-End Charts: 1966. Cashbox. 31 December 2020.