July 21, 2024

45 RPMs 83: The Supremes – Buttered Popcorn w/Florence Ballard lead

   ~   
45 RPM record  
photo by Styrous®
 
    
On Friday, July 21, 1961, Tamla records released Buttered Popcorn, a song written by Motown executives Berry Gordy and Barney Ales, produced by Gordy, and released as a Tamla label single by the Motown singing group The Supremes
 
Buttered Popcorn featured Florence Ballard on lead, rather than Diana Ross, but it is the only song with Ballard as the sole lead by The Supremes.            
       
Buttered Popcorn was considered by Motown's Quality Control department to be the best song to be issued as the Supremes' second Motown single. However, Berry Gordy was determined that Ross should be the group's main lead and wanted the group's cover of The Miracles song, Who's Lovin' You to be the single's A-side. In the end, Gordy and Quality Control compromised; the Ballard-led song would remain the single's A-side, but the single would be promoted as if it was a "double A-side" one.         
 
 
 
 
Stevie Chick of The Guardian, said that Ballard was 'A bold, big-voiced belter' and described the song as 'A piece of raw, ribald soul lacking the polish that gilded their [The Supremes'] later hits'. Also, 'Ballard growls salaciously on Popcorn that her boyfriend "likes it greasy, and sticky, and salty, and gooey", a knowingly saucy performance that somehow escaped the interference of Motown's infamous Quality Control department.' Bonnie Stiernberg of Paste wrote, 'the innuendo-laced track is not unlike buttered popcorn—salty, fluffy, and oh so good'      
 
Both sides of the single received a lot of airplay on local Detroit stations, but problems arose. The first version of the song was withdrawn because it was considered "too raw", and a smoother take was released. Gordy did little to promote the single's A-side, and, some time later, the label discovered that the song could be conceived to have a scandalous "double meaning", and switch to pushing the B-side alone before ceasing promotion of the single altogether.  (link to lyrics below). 
       
Buttered Popcorn was considered by Motown's Quality Control department to be the best song to be issued as the Supremes' second Motown single.         
      
Third Man Records, a new website, has started up and has announced an ongoing partnership with Universal Music to bring Tamla's classic early Motown records back to vinyl (link below).        


        
Tracklist:

Side 1:

A - Buttered Popcorn, written by Barney Ales, Berry Gordy Jr.* - 2:34

Side 2:

B - Who's Loving You, written by William Robinson* - 2:44

Companies, etc.

    Pressed By – American Record Pressing Co.

 Notes:
 
Disc Jockey Advance Sample
 
Supremes* – Buttered Popcorn / Who's Loving You
Label:    Tamla – T-54045
Format:    Vinyl, 7", 45 RPM, Promo
Country: US
Released: Jul 21, 1961
Genre:    Funk / Soul, Pop
Style:    Soul
        
        
Viewfinder links:       
         
Nella Dodds          
Berry Gordy         
The Miracles            
The Supremes         
Temptations
     
Net links:       
         
Classic Motown ~ The Supremes – Buttered Popcorn        
Motown Junkies ~ The Supremes – Buttered Popcorn        
Third Man Records ~ The Supremes – Buttered Popcorn                 
     
YouTube links:      
                
The Supremes w/Florence Ballard ~ Buttered Popcorn        
The Supremes ~ Who's Loving You   
        
         
        
        

Styrous® ~ Monday, September 7, 2020






      

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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