Nothing but Heartaches
| "Nothing but Heartaches" | |||||||||||||||
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| Single by The Supremes | |||||||||||||||
| from the album More Hits by The Supremes | |||||||||||||||
| B-side | "He Holds His Own" | ||||||||||||||
| Released | July 16, 1965 | ||||||||||||||
| Format | Vinyl record (7" 45 RPM) | ||||||||||||||
| Recorded | Hitsville U.S.A. (Studio A); May 13 and May 17, 1965 | ||||||||||||||
| Genre | Pop, R&B | ||||||||||||||
| Length | 2:59 | ||||||||||||||
| Label |
Motown M 1080 | ||||||||||||||
| Writer(s) | Holland–Dozier–Holland | ||||||||||||||
| Producer(s) | Lamont Dozier, Brian Holland | ||||||||||||||
| The Supremes singles chronology | |||||||||||||||
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"Nothing but Heartaches" is a 1965 song recorded by The Supremes for the Motown label.[1]
Written and produced by Motown songwriting and producing team Holland–Dozier–Holland, it was notable for breaking the first string of five consecutive number-one pop singles in the United States, peaking at number 11 from August 29, 1965 through September 4, 1965 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart.[2]
Overview
Recording
By the spring of 1965, the Supremes had elevated from regional R&B favorites to an internationally successful pop group thanks to a series of five singles which consecutively topped the United States Billboard pop charts: "Where Did Our Love Go", "Baby Love", "Come See About Me", "Stop! In the Name of Love" and "Back in My Arms Again." Known for creating repetitive follow-ups, Motown at this time was relying on a formula to create songs with a similar sound present in records by The Temptations, The Four Tops and Marvin Gaye among other recording acts.
Sure that they had finally found a successful formula, Berry Gordy had Holland–Dozier–Holland create a song similar to several of their earlier hit singles. As expected, "Nothing but Heartaches" had a similar sound to "Stop! In the Name of Love" and "Back in My Arms Again." Gordy felt confident that the song would become their sixth consecutive number-one hit.
Reception
Response to "Nothing but Heartaches" was less of a success as Gordy predicted, as it peaked at number eleven on the Billboard Hot 100. The song's more modest top 20 charting prompted Gordy to circulate a memo around the Motown offices:
| “ | We will release nothing less than Top Ten product on any artist; and because the Supremes' world-wide acceptance is greater than the other artists, on them we will only release number-one records. | ” |
After canceling the planned subsequent release of "Mother Dear," Holland-Dozier-Holland produced "I Hear a Symphony."
Personnel
- Lead vocals by Diana Ross
- Background vocals by Florence Ballard and Mary Wilson
- Instrumentation by The Funk Brothers
Chart history
| Chart | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 11 |
| U.S. Billboard R&B Singles Chart | 6 |
| U.S. Cash Box Pop Singles Chart | 8 |
Year-End Charts
| Chart (1965) | Position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Cash Box Year End Chart | 100 |
Gallery
References
- ↑ Steel, Bert (20 August 1965). "Bob Dylan's Lyrics Catchy on New Disc". Windsor Star. Retrieved 26 March 2011.
- ↑ "Billboard Hot 100". Billboard (Nielsen Company) 77 (36): 36. 1965. Retrieved 10 May 2011.
