The music history books are vast and full of interesting bits of knowledge.
“Big” Jay Sorensen gives you a recap of the biggest and most interesting music news from the week; something from the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s.
This week, Big Jay highlights Diana Ross & the Supremes, Bachman-Turner Overdrive’s “Not Fragile,” and John Cougar’s “Jack & Diane.”
1960’s
“Diana Ross & The Supremes”
Diana Ross & The Supremes
The last album released by The Supremes came out on May 27, 1967. Wait, what? Read on Record Pigs. As a unit, that last LP was The Supremes Sing Rodgers & Hart. The act’s name changed to Diana Ross & the Supremes with the release of this week’s No. 1 R&B album in America on Motown Records. This No. 1 double album set called Diana Ross & The Supremes: Greatest Hits, featured almost all of their hit singles (to date) and a couple of superb 45 ‘B’ sides. The gate-fold bright blue double album would also become the biggest LP in the land next week on the Pop Top LP’s chart; staying there for five total survey-phases. But perhaps more tellingly, this week was the third of an eventual 12 back-to-back survey-periods as the biggest R&B LP in America. Motown kept the group’s latest 45 RPM release, “Reflections,” for a future album inclusion (**see below) but the NAME of the vocal group had already changed by the time of that 45’s release earlier in 1967. The moniker was officially altered in late June of ’67; surprising both Mary Wilson and Florence Ballard, co-founding members. This set is sometimes called Diana Ross & the Supremes: Greatest Hits, Vols. 1 & 2—because there was a Greatest Hits, Vol. 3 released in 1969. “Reflections” was the first 45 featuring the new name released on July 27, 1967. But this week’s No. 1 on the Best Selling R&B LP’s listing was the album to have that marquee; released on August 29, 1967. It featured, “The Happening”—the newest song placed on this set—and the LAST song released as just plain “The Supremes” on a 45 for a few years.
Motown held back the group’s newest single, “Reflections” for a future album of the same name, which was released on March 25, 1968. Another Big Jay fave that was used on this album was yet another Holland-Dozier-Holland mini-masterpiece called “There’s No Stopping Us Now.” It was the B side of the No. 1 single “Love Is Here And Now You’re Gone.” Because I can, here is that magnificent B side.
This name change for the leading act in the Motown roster happened during a tumultuous time for the group, as founding member Florence Ballard was terminated (or asked to leave) after she turned up drunk and slovenly (according to Berry Gordy, Jr.) and was replaced temporarily by a singer named Marlene Barrow from the Motown backing group the Andantes. As early at 1966, Gordy was even considering Motown singer Barbara McNair to replace Flo. Gordy then had intended that Cindy Birdsong from the group the Bluebelles (of Patti LaBelle-fame) would eventually join the Supremes once her contract was ready to be purchased from her label. After leaving the Supremes, Ballard had a rough time, but seemed poised for a comeback when she died suddenly at a Detroit hospital on February 22, 1976 of coronary thrombosis according to the autopsy. By the way, the first Supremes album without Ms. Ross was called Right On, featuring new lead singer Jean Terrell, Cindy Birdsong and original member Mary Wilson released on April 26, 1970 on Motown Records. That album featured “Up The Ladder To The Roof” (No. 10 Pop) and the largely forgotten “Everybody’s Got The Right To Love” reaching only No. 21. Their next hit was the last Top 10 Pop hit for the group (No. 7 Pop & No. 1 Soul) “Stoned Love,” another Big Jay fave!
1970’s
Randy Bachman + Fred Turner (AP Photo/The Canadian Press)
“Not Fragile”
Bachman-Turner Overdrive
What Billboard Hot 100 1974 No. 1 record was not intended to be released at all, as it was a joke intended only for the writer’s stuttering brother? “You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet” by Bachman-Turner Overdrive. Not only did that song become a No. 1 Hot 100 chart topper, the album it came from, Not Fragile, was sitting at the pinnacle of the Top LPs & Tape listing for this sole week in ’74. The band was originally called Brave Belt, formed after Randy Bachman had left the very popular group the Guess Who. He and former Guess Who singer (on their early recordings) Chad Allan were founding members of that new band Brave Belt. Allan left after their second album failed to ignite any interest. Lead guitarist (classically trained) Randy Bachman brought in his brother Robbie Bachman on drums along with C.F. Turner on vocals and bass plus two other guitarists, another brother Tim Bachman and Blair Thornton. An exec at Mercury Records had a conversation with Randy Bachman, saying if he had a new demo tape, he’d listen to it. He did, but the Mercury Records guy had been out of the country and the tapes piled up. He dumped them all into a big garbage pail, and only one hit the floor. They were still called Brave Belt at this point, but when they were signed by Mercury, they thought the band needed a new moniker. That tape that landed on the ground was the demo for what became known as Bachman-Turner Overdrive. The “Overdrive” came from a trucking magazine of the same name. That LP featured a lowly charting hit (No. 68 Pop) in the U.S. called “Blue Collar.” The next album was called appropriately Bachman-Turner Overdrive II and contained the group’s breakout hits, “Let It Ride” (No. 23 Pop) and “Takin’ Care Of Business” (No. 12 Pop) in early ’74. Another brother Tim Bachman was initially in the band, but left after the second LP (kicked out) as the band had a strict rule about no drugs, drinking or sex on the road. Reportedly, he broke all three rules. Mercury knew what they had in the band by this point and their third album was named Not Fragile (a not so subtle dig on the Yes album called Fragile) containing the No. 1 Hot 100 single “You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet” backed with another charting song “Free Wheeling” dedicated to the late guitarist Duane Allman of the Allman Brothers, who was killed in a motorcycle crash in 1971. “You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet” would become the No. 1 song in the U.S.A.—two weeks down the highway from this survey-phase in ’74. This week it was at No. 17 and climbing rapidly. Here’s a live version of the song, sung by Bachman, who usually didn’t sing lead. That chore was left to C.F. Turner on most occasions.
The genesis of “You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet” happened when Randy Bachman (the song’s composer) was fooling around with some rhythm guitar sounds along the lines of Dave Mason’s work; then, just an instrumental. Bachman added the stuttering later as a gift intended for his other brother Gary. Mercury Records company execs didn’t recognize a standout hit from this album when they reviewed for release, and asked for more material. Randy Bachman reluctantly let them hear this song—and the rest is No. 1 history. Another single from Not Fragile was a decent sized rocker and certainly not a fragile-sounding screaming Rock & Roll track called “Roll On Down The Highway” (No. 14 Pop) in early ’75. Minor hits followed, including their last Top 20 U.S. hit, “Hey You” only reached No. 21. Litigation has prevented a full-blown Bachman-Turner Overdrive reunion, as other members own the licensing of the name. So Randy Bachman and C. F. Turner (the group’s namesakes) have toured under another name. B.T.O. (as they are often called) is in the Canadian Music Hall of Fame and they have won numerous Juno® Awards in their native Canada.
1980’s
John Mellencamp (Larry Busacca/Getty Images for NARAS)
“Jack & Diane”
John Cougar
“Jack & Diane”—from the still called John Cougar—was in the last of four continuous survey-cycles as the biggest 45 RPM in the land on the Hot 100 Singles chart this week in ’82. Cougar’s album, American Fool, was also in the prime position on the Top LPs & Tape chart this week. To date, this has been his biggest hit single. The song reportedly is loosely-based on the motion picture from 1962, Sweet Bird Of Youth, starring Paul Newman, Geraldine Page and Ed Begley; which was based on the 1959 play by Tennessee Williams, with Newman and Page reprising their Broadway roles. Hold on to 16 as long as you can kids, and clap along while ya watch and listen to “Jack & Diane” right now.
Speaking about the clapping on “Jack & Diane”—it wasn’t supposed to remain on the finished track as John Cougar Mellencamp couldn’t get his band to follow the odd tempo changes in the song. He claimed without the clapping, it sounded even more like crap. So they stayed. Mellencamp’s—oops—Cougar’s LP was No. 1 this week as well. Coinciding with the success of “Jack & Diane”—this was the seventh of nine adjoining weeks at the pinnacle of the Top LPs & Tape chart for Mellencamp’s album American Fool. The album almost didn’t get completed, as Riva Records’s execs thought they were getting a sterile Pop album to promote. Instead, what they heard was something they didn’t know what to do with. The co-producer with Mellencamp was Don Gehman, who says he and John had put together over 20 songs, but the A&R (Artists & Repertoire) guy just didn’t like what he heard; almost dumping Gehman. Mellencamp somehow got them to let them finish the tracks with his co-producer and he was on his way to having an album that would go on to sell over five million copies.
–Big Jay Sorensen/WCBS-FM