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October 22, 2019 8:42 pm  #1


Big Hits The Artists Never Wanted You To Hear

I always find it fascinating to hear the story behind a hit song and then discover that the groups that recorded it as a single either hated it or were dead set against its release. Here are a few samples of the songs the artists never really wanted you to hear.
 
Where Did Our Love Go? The Supremes
 
By 1964, the trio, which would become the world’s most successful all-girl group, had begun to be known in Motown circles as the No-Hit Supremes. After releasing record after record with no success, it looked like their careers might be on a short leash. And then came “Where Did Our Love Go?” their last chance at getting that elusive hit.
 
Only problem was that the Supremes hated it, especially the “baby, baby, baby” refrain. They thought it would destroy their last shot at getting on the charts. Instead, it was the first of many #1s and they likely never complained about having to sing the tune again.
 
Monday Monday, The Mamas & Papas
 
The story goes that the Mamas and The Papas owed the record company a single, and John Phillips wanted “Monday Monday.” The other members didn’t like the song and were dead set against its release, arguing it would be a failure and hurt their blossoming career. But it was put out anyways and – despite not being able to “trust that day” – it became their biggest hit.
 
Bennie & The Jets, Elton John
 
Elton thought this was just an album cut and nothing else. But then it started getting airplay on an R&B station in Detroit, of all places. When music director legend Rosalie Trombley at CKLW in Windsor heard it, her golden ear assessed it as an instant hit and when it landed on the Big 8’s massive 50,000 watt airwaves, it took off.
 
Elton John couldn’t believe it would have made it as a single. But it was a huge record and opened the door to further R&B tunes from the English singer.
 
Cara Mia, Jay & The Americans
 
It’s not that Jay Black didn’t like the song. He just thought it was too operatic to ever be considered as a single. It was released anyway, and became one of the group’s greatest hits and most requested songs, much to their stunned surprise. It also remains one of the great vocal performances of all time.
 
Na Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye, Steam
 
Perhaps my favorite “don’t-you-dare-release-that” story of all time. As outlined in the “The Billboard Book of #1 Hits,” the song’s composer convinced the record company to sign one of his friends, and promptly recorded a few singles with him. They wanted to be sure those tunes would be the A-side, so they went back to record a one-off composition written in 1961.
 
But the thing wasn’t complete, so they just ad libbed “na na na” to fill in the blank spaces and basically spliced together several tracks to finish it off. They also made it extra long to be sure it would never get airplay.
 
When the record company execs heard it, they wanted it put out immediately. The artist and producer were horrified, calling the song “an embarrassment.” So they agreed to release it under the name Steam, based on what was coming out of a manhole that the writer had seen.
 
Well, you know what happened next. The thing went straight to #1 and was later picked up by sports organists around the world. And the guy who was too red-faced to put his name on the song? He never managed another hit under his own name. (You might say of his career, that he could “kiss it goodbye.”)

 

October 23, 2019 3:38 pm  #2


Re: Big Hits The Artists Never Wanted You To Hear

Some pressings of Na Na Hey Hey do credit Garrett Scott (Gary DeCarlo) on the label.


Tom Diehl
 

October 23, 2019 7:50 pm  #3


Re: Big Hits The Artists Never Wanted You To Hear

Billy Joel listed We Didn't Start The Fire as a low/low/low point in his career.  Though he is often requested to do it at his concerts, he is VERY reluctant.  When interviewed about it, he criticized the melody, stating "...it's not much of a song, comparing it to his The Longest Time.  Further, "...the melody, by itself, is terrible, like a dentist drill."  Whew!  And it actually stayed at #1 for two weeks.  Ironically, IMHO, it's quite a tribute to his ingenuity in mixing two things he loves - music and history.  I think he likes the words and went to great lengths to be historically accurate.  But his opinion of melody - B-A-D.

As for The Longest Time - IMHO  that's the closest to doo wop that Joel ever did.  Besides, it's another example of his diversity within the rock spectrum.  He released different songs of different subgenre which, when I first heard them, sounded like something from The Stones, doo wop, Ray Charles. 

Last edited by Little Rich (October 23, 2019 7:56 pm)

 

October 24, 2019 5:07 am  #4


Re: Big Hits The Artists Never Wanted You To Hear

I can't give particulars on how high Shimmy Shimmy Ko Ko Bop by Little Anthony & the Imperials charted, but at a do wop concert several years ago, Little Anthony told us that he hated the song and didn't want to record it.

 

October 24, 2019 2:40 pm  #5


Re: Big Hits The Artists Never Wanted You To Hear

I guess one of the favorite teen idols, by the name of Dion, ABSOLUTELY HATED one of his top songs, Abraham, Martin and John and initially refused to record it because it wasn't his style. 

 

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