~
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was withdrawn because it was considered "too raw", and a smoother take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.
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
Label: Tamla – T-54045
Format: Vinyl, 7", 45 RPM, Promo
Country: US
Released: Jul 21, 1961
Genre: Funk / Soul, Pop
Style: Soul
Viewfinder 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
Styrous® ~ Monday, September 7, 2020
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