I Hear a Symphony (album)
Encyclopedia
I Hear a Symphony is a 1966
album released by Motown girl group
The Supremes
on the Motown label.
Positioned as a successful attempt to further bridge the gap between traditional pop music
, the traditional Motown sound and soul
, the album included the title track
, The Supremes' sixth number-one single, and the Top Ten single "My World Is Empty Without You". Also included are the group's covers of pop standards such as "With A Song In My Heart", "Without A Song", "Stranger In Paradise", and "Wonderful! Wonderful!". The original plan was to have The Supremes record an entire album of pop standards, to be entitled There's a Place for Us
. The album was indeed recorded, but shelved and left unreleased by Motown until 2004.
Also included are originals such as "Everything Is Good About You" and "Any Girl In Love (Knows What I'm Going Through)", and covers of the then-current hits "Yesterday
" (originally by The Beatles
) and "Unchained Melody
" (popularized by The Righteous Brothers
). The I Hear a Symphony album peaked at number-eight on the Billboard 200
album chart, on the strength of the title track and the top 5 "My World Is Empty Without You." "I Hear a Symphony" the album showcased a more sophisticated group and proved to be yet another multi-million seller.
The album was also re-released together with The Supremes Sing Holland–Dozier–Holland, in 2009 by SpeakersCornerRecords for the 50th anniversary of Motown.
.
1966 in music
-Events:*January 3 – Hullabaloo shows promotional videos of The Beatles songs "Day Tripper" and "We Can Work it Out".*January 8 – Shindig! airs for the last time on ABC, with musical guests the Kinks and the Who...
album released by Motown girl group
Girl group
A girl group is a popular music act featuring several young female singers who generally harmonise together.Girl groups emerged in the late 1950s as groups of young singers teamed up with behind-the-scenes songwriters and music producers to create hit singles, often featuring glossy production...
The Supremes
The Supremes
The Supremes, an American female singing group, were the premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s.Originally founded as The Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, The Supremes' repertoire included doo-wop, pop, soul, Broadway show tunes, psychedelic soul, and disco...
on the Motown label.
Positioned as a successful attempt to further bridge the gap between traditional pop music
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
, the traditional Motown sound and soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
, the album included the title track
I Hear a Symphony
"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 the sixth number-one pop hit on Billboard Hot 100 pop singles chart in the United States for two weeks from November 14,...
, The Supremes' sixth number-one single, and the Top Ten single "My World Is Empty Without You". Also included are the group's covers of pop standards such as "With A Song In My Heart", "Without A Song", "Stranger In Paradise", and "Wonderful! Wonderful!". The original plan was to have The Supremes record an entire album of pop standards, to be entitled There's a Place for Us
There's a Place for Us
There's a Place for Us is an album recorded by Motown girl group The Supremes in 1965, for many years the most famous of the trio's unreleased albums...
. The album was indeed recorded, but shelved and left unreleased by Motown until 2004.
Also included are originals such as "Everything Is Good About You" and "Any Girl In Love (Knows What I'm Going Through)", and covers of the then-current hits "Yesterday
Yesterday (song)
"Yesterday" is a song originally recorded by The Beatles for their 1965 album Help!. The song first hit the United Kingdom top 10 three months after the release of Help!. The song remains popular today with more than 1,600 cover versions, one of the most covered songs in the history of recorded...
" (originally by The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
) and "Unchained Melody
Unchained Melody
"Unchained Melody" is a 1955 song with music by Alex North and lyrics by Hy Zaret. It has become one of the most recorded songs of the 20th century, by some counts having spawned over 500 versions in hundreds of different languages....
" (popularized by The Righteous Brothers
The Righteous Brothers
The Righteous Brothers were the musical duo of Bill Medley and Bobby Hatfield. They recorded from 1963 through 1975, and continued to perform until Hatfield's death in 2003...
). The I Hear a Symphony album peaked at number-eight on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
album chart, on the strength of the title track and the top 5 "My World Is Empty Without You." "I Hear a Symphony" the album showcased a more sophisticated group and proved to be yet another multi-million seller.
The album was also re-released together with The Supremes Sing Holland–Dozier–Holland, in 2009 by SpeakersCornerRecords for the 50th anniversary of Motown.
Track listing
All songs produced by Brian Holland & Lamont Dozier, except for "Yesterday", produced by Norman WhitfieldNorman Whitfield
Norman Jesse Whitfield was an American songwriter and producer, best known for his work with Berry Gordy's Motown label during the 1960s...
.
Side one
- "Stranger in ParadiseStranger in Paradise (song)"Stranger in Paradise" is a popular song from the 1953 musical Kismet and is credited to Robert Wright and George Forrest. Like all the music in that show, the melody was based on music composed by Alexander Borodin, in this case, the "Gliding Dance of the Maidens," from the Polovtsian...
" (Alexander Borodin, Robert C. Wright, George Forrest) – 3:03 - "YesterdayYesterday (song)"Yesterday" is a song originally recorded by The Beatles for their 1965 album Help!. The song first hit the United Kingdom top 10 three months after the release of Help!. The song remains popular today with more than 1,600 cover versions, one of the most covered songs in the history of recorded...
" (John LennonJohn LennonJohn Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
, Paul McCartneyPaul McCartneySir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
) – 2:28 - "I Hear a SymphonyI Hear a Symphony"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 the sixth number-one pop hit on Billboard Hot 100 pop singles chart in the United States for two weeks from November 14,...
" (Holland–Dozier–Holland) – 2:41 - "Unchained MelodyUnchained Melody"Unchained Melody" is a 1955 song with music by Alex North and lyrics by Hy Zaret. It has become one of the most recorded songs of the 20th century, by some counts having spawned over 500 versions in hundreds of different languages....
" (Alex NorthAlex NorthAlex North was an American composer who wrote the first jazz-based film score and one of the first modernist scores written in Hollywood ....
, Hy ZaretHy ZaretHy Zaret was an American Tin Pan Alley lyricist and composer best known as the co-author of the 1955 hit "Unchained Melody", one of the most recorded songs of the 20th century.-Biography:...
) – 3:47 - "With a Song in My HeartWith a Song in My Heart (song)"With a Song in My Heart" is a show tune from the 1929 Rodgers and Hart musical Spring is Here.In the original Broadway production it was introduced by John Hundley and Lillian Taiz...
" (Richard RodgersRichard RodgersRichard Charles Rodgers was an American composer of music for more than 900 songs and for 43 Broadway musicals. He also composed music for films and television. He is best known for his songwriting partnerships with the lyricists Lorenz Hart and Oscar Hammerstein II...
, Lorenz HartLorenz HartLorenz "Larry" Milton Hart was the lyricist half of the famed Broadway songwriting team Rodgers and Hart...
) – 2:02 - "Without a SongWithout a Song"Without a Song" is a popular song with music by Vincent Youmans and lyrics by Billy Rose and Edward Eliscu, published in 1929. It was included in the musical play, Great Day....
" (Vincent YoumansVincent YoumansVincent Youmans was an American popular composer and Broadway producer.- Life :Vincent Millie Youmans was born in New York City on September 27, 1898 and grew-up on Central Park West on the site where the Mayflower Hotel once stood. His father, a prosperous hat manufacturer, moved the family to...
, Edward Eliscu, Billy RoseBilly RoseWilliam "Billy" Rose was an American impresario, theatrical showman and lyricist. He is credited with many famous songs, notably "Me and My Shadow" , "It Happened in Monterey" and "It's Only a Paper Moon"...
) – 2:59
Side two
- "My World Is Empty Without YouMy World Is Empty Without You"My World Is Empty Without You" is a 1965 song recorded and released as a single by The Supremes for the Motown label.-Overview:Written and produced by Motown's main production team of Holland–Dozier–Holland, the song's slow tempo accompanies a somber lyric which delves into the feelings of...
" (Holland–Dozier–Holland) – 2:33 - "A Lover's ConcertoA Lover's Concerto"A Lover's Concerto" is a pop song written by American songwriters Sandy Linzer and Denny Randell and recorded in 1965 by The Toys. Their version of the song was a major hit in both the United States and the UK during 1965. It peaked on the Billboard Hot 100 chart at #2.Critic Dave Thompson wrote,...
" (Sandy Linzer and Denny RandellSandy Linzer and Denny RandellSandy Linzer and Denny Randell are American songwriters who wrote numerous pop and rock songs in the 1960s and 1970s, generally working together and with Bob Crewe...
) – 2:35 - "Any Girl in Love (Knows What I'm Going Through)" (Holland–Dozier–Holland) – 2:59
- "Wonderful! Wonderful!Wonderful! Wonderful!"Wonderful! Wonderful!" is a popular music song written by Sherman Edwards, with lyrics by Ben Raleigh. The song was first published in 1957....
" (Sherman EdwardsSherman EdwardsSherman Edwards was an American songwriter.-Biography:Edwards was born in New York City and was raised in Weequahic, New Jersey, where he attended Weequahic High School. He attended Columbia University, where he majored in history. Throughout college, Edwards moonlighted, playing jazz piano for...
, Donald Meyer, Ben Raleigh) – 2:51 - "Everything is Good About You" (James Dean, Eddie HollandEdward Holland, Jr.Edward Holland, Jr. is an American singer, songwriter and record producer....
) – 2:59 - "He's All I Got" (Holland–Dozier–Holland, Dean) – 2:46
Credits
- Lead vocals by Diana RossDiana RossDiana Ernestine Earle Ross is an American singer, record producer, and actress. Ross was lead singer of the Motown group The Supremes during the 1960s. After leaving the group in 1970, Ross began a solo career that included successful ventures into film and Broadway...
- Background vocals by Florence BallardFlorence BallardFlorence Glenda Ballard Chapman was an American singer and a founding member of the Motown group The Supremes. From 1963 until 1967, Ballard sang on 16 Top 40 hit Supremes' singles, ten of which hit number-one on the Billboard Hot 100. In 1967, Motown CEO Berry Gordy decided to remove Ballard from...
and Mary WilsonMary Wilson (singer)Mary Wilson is an American singer, formerlymember of the Motown female singing group The Supremes during the 1960s and 1970s. Wilson was the only singer to be a consistent member of the group in its eighteen-year tenure... - Brian HollandBrian HollandBrian Holland is an American songwriter and record producer, best known as a member of Holland–Dozier–Holland. That songwriting and production team that was responsible for much of the Motown sound and numerous hit records by artists such as Martha and the Vandellas, The Supremes, The Four Tops,...
, Lamont DozierLamont DozierLamont Herbert Dozier is an American songwriter and record producer, born in Detroit, Michigan. Dozier has either co-written or produced several US Billboard #1 hits.-Career:...
, Norman WhitfieldNorman WhitfieldNorman Jesse Whitfield was an American songwriter and producer, best known for his work with Berry Gordy's Motown label during the 1960s...
: producers - Instrumentation by The Funk BrothersThe Funk BrothersThe Funk Brothers was the nickname of Detroit, Michigan, session musicians who performed the backing to most Motown Records recordings from 1959 until the company moved to Los Angeles in 1972...
and assorted musicians
Singles history
- "I Hear a Symphony" b/w "Who Could Ever Doubt My Love" (b-side taken from More Hits by The SupremesMore Hits by the SupremesMore Hits by The Supremes is a 1965 studio album by Motown singing group The Supremes. The album, their third regular studio LP, includes two number-one hits: "Stop! In the Name of Love" and "Back in My Arms Again", as well as the Top 20 single "Nothing but Heartaches". The album peaked at #6 on...
) (Motown 1083, October 6, 1965) - "My World is Empty Without You" b/w "Everything is Good About You" (Motown 1079, December 29, 1965)
Album
| Name | Chart (1966) | Peak position |
|---|---|---|
| I Hear a Symphony | U.S. Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
8 |
| U.S. Billboard R&B Albums Chart Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999... |
1 |
Singles
| Name | Chart (1965 - 1966) | Peak position |
|---|---|---|
| "I Hear a Symphony" | U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
1 |
| U.S. Billboard R&B Singles Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,... |
2 | |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
39 | |
| "My World is Empty Without You" | U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
5 |
| U.S. Billboard R&B Singles Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,... |
10 |