Come See About Me

"Come See About Me" is a 1964 song recorded by the Supremes for the Motown label.

"Come See About Me"
Single by The Supremes
from the album Where Did Our Love Go
B-side	"You're Gone, But Always in My Heart" "Long Gone Lover"
Released	October 27, 1964
Recorded	Hitsville U.S.A. (Studio A); July 13, 1964
Genre	Pop, rhythm and blues
Length	2:41
Label	Motown M 1068
Songwriter(s)	Holland–Dozier–Holland
Producer(s)	Brian Holland Lamont Dozier
The Supremes singles chronology
""Baby Love" (1964) "Come See About Me" (1964) "Stop! In the Name of Love" (1965)
Alternative cover
Denmark single
Audio sample
file help

"Come See About Me"
Single by Jr. Walker & the All Stars
from the album Home Cookin'
B-side	"Sweet Soul"
Released	November 1967
Recorded	Hitsville U.S.A. (Studio A); 1967
Genre	Soul
Length	3:01
Label	Soul S 35041
Songwriter(s)	Holland–Dozier–Holland
Producer(s)	Johnny Bristol
Jr. Walker & the All Stars singles chronology
"Shoot Your Shot" (1967) "Come See About Me" (1967) "Hip City, Pt. 1&2" (1967)

The song became third of five consecutively released Supremes songs to top the Billboard pop singles chart in the United States (the others are "Where Did Our Love Go", "Baby Love", "Stop! In the Name of Love" and "Back in My Arms Again"). It topped the chart twice, non-consecutively, being toppled by and later replacing the Beatles' "I Feel Fine" in December 1964 and January 1965.[1][2] The BBC ranked "Come See About Me" at number 94 on the The Top 100 Digital Motown Chart, which ranks Motown releases by their all time UK downloads and streams.[3]

History

Overview

Written and produced by Motown's main production team Holland–Dozier–Holland, it was the number one song on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart for two separate weeks: December 13, 1964, to December 18, 1964, and January 10, 1965, to January 16, 1965, and reached the number three position on the soul chart. The Supremes, whilst being the first to record the song, were not the first to issue it as a single. That distinction fell to Nella Dodds, and her version started selling, climbing to #74 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, but Motown Records quickly released the Supremes' version as a single, which killed sales of Nella Dodds' version. The group made their first of 17 appearances[4] live on the popular CBS variety program The Ed Sullivan Show performing this single on Sunday, December 27, 1964.[5]

The group also recorded a German version of the song, entitled "Johnny und Joe".

Personnel

• Lead vocals by Diana Ross
• Background vocals by Florence Ballard and Mary Wilson
• All instruments by the Funk Brothers

Chart performance

Weekly charts Chart (1964-1965) Peak position Australia (Kent Music Report)[6] 78 scope="row" Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[7] 20 scope="row" Canada Top Singles (RPM)[8] 1 New Zealand (Lever Hit Parade)[9] 2 Singapore (Billboard)[10] 1 scope="row" UK Singles (OCC)[11] 27 scope="row" US Billboard Hot 100[12] 1 scope="row" US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[13] 2 US Cashbox Top 100[14] 1 US Cashbox R&B[15] 2 US Record World 100 Top Pops[16] 1 US Record World Top 40 R&B[17] 2

Year-end charts Chart (1965) Rank Japan Foreign Hits (Billboard)[18] 8 US Cashbox Top 100[19] 8 US Cashbox R&B[20] 21

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United Kingdom	—	65,000[21]
United States	—	1,000,000[22][23]

Other versions

• The Supremes recorded a German-language version of the song, titled "Jonny und Joe" as the b-side of the 1965 single "Thank You Darling" (also sung in German) in Germany, Switzerland and the Netherlands.[24] "Jonny und Joe" was later included on two various Motown artists compilation albums Motown Around the World (1987, 1CD)[25] and Motown Around the World: The Classic Singles (2010, 2CD)[26] and also on Diana Ross & the Supremes compilation 50th Anniversary: The Singles Collection 1961–1969 (2011, 3CD).[27]
• In 1965, The Newbeats released a version of the song on their album Run Baby Run.[28]
• In 1967, the song was a repeat hit for Motown act Jr. Walker & the All Stars, whose version reached the top 10 on the R&B chart and the top 25 on the pop chart.[29]
• Neil Sedaka recorded a cover for his 1983 album of the same name. His version features Supreme Mary Wilson as a featured backup vocalist.
• Lloyd Charmers recorded, as Soul Stirrers, an early reggae version released in 1969 on the Tramp label in Jamaica.
• In 1987, Welsh rock and roll singer Shakin' Stevens covered the song on his album Let's Boogie, making it a hit in the UK and Ireland. Shakin' Stevens version surpassed the Supremes' original no. 27 chart placing by reaching no. 24.
• In 1992, a minor key version was released by the alternative band The Afghan Whigs on their Uptown Avondale EP.
• In 2001 the song was covered by fellow Detroit singer Freda Payne (whose sister Scherrie Payne became a member of the Supremes in 1973) on her fifteenth studio album Come See About Me.
• In 2012, the song was covered in the Glee episode "Thanksgiving", by Dianna Agron, Naya Rivera, and Heather Morris.
• American indie rock band Yo La Tengo performed a version of the song in March 2013 for The A.V. Club's A.V. Undercover series.[30]
• In 2013, the song was covered in the Nashville episode "You're No Angel Yourself" by Clare Bowen and Chaley Rose and it is included on the albums The Music of Nashville: Season 2, Volume 1 (2013, Deluxe edition) and Nashville Cast - Clare Bowen as Scarlett O'Connor: Season 2 (2014).[31][32]

See also

• List of Billboard Hot 100 number ones of 1964
• List of Billboard Hot 100 number ones of 1965

References

1. "Billboard Hot 100". Billboard. Nielsen Company. 76 (51): 24. 1964. Retrieved 9 May 2011.
2. "Billboard Hot 100". Billboard. Nielsen Company. 77 (3): 20. 1965. Retrieved 9 May 2011.
3. "The Top 100 Digital Motown Chart". BBC. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
4. Yusuf, Nilgin (26 April 2008). "The Supremes on show". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 27 March 2010.
5. "The Supremes/The Serendipity Singers/Leslie Uggams". The Ed Sullivan Show. Season 18. Episode 14. New York City. 24 December 1964. CBS. WCBS.
6. "Every Unique AMR Top 100 Single of the 1964". Top 100 Singles. Retrieved 31 December 2020.
7. "Ultratop.be – The Supremes – Come See About Me" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
8. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 5576." RPM. Library and Archives Canada.
9. "flavour of new zealand - search lever". Flavour of New Zealand.
10. "Billboard Magazine, March 13, 1965". Billboard. 13 March 1965.
11. "Supremes: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.
12. "The Supremes Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
13. "The Supremes Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard.
14. "CASH BOX Top 100 Singles". Cashbox. December 26, 1964. Retrieved 31 December 2020.
15. "The CASH BOX Top 50 In R&B Locations". Cashbox. December 26, 1964. Retrieved 31 December 2020.
16. "100 TOP POPS: Week of December 26, 1964" (PDF). Record World. worldradiohistory.com. December 26, 1964. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
17. "TOP 40 R&B: Week of December 26, 1964" (PDF). Record World. worldradiohistory.com. December 26, 1964. p. 34. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
18. "FOREIGN HITS IN JAPAN 1960-1969". Billboard. December 19, 1970. p. J-32. Retrieved 2016-09-27.
19. "The CASH BOX Year-End Charts: 1965". Cashbox. Retrieved 31 December 2020.
20. "The CASH BOX Year-End Charts: 1965". Cashbox. Retrieved 31 December 2020.
21. Copsey, Rob (August 26, 2019). "The Official Top 100 Motown songs of the Millennium". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 26, 2019.
22. MAKE IT BIG first girl vocal trio to make million-seller record list with three consecutive hits. Ebony. 20. Johnson Publishing Company. June 1965. p. 81. ISSN 0012-9011. Retrieved 23 January 2020.
23. Dafydd Rees (1991). Rock Movers & Shakers. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 9780874366617. Retrieved 23 January 2020.
24. The Supremes - "Thank You Darling" / "Johnny und Joe" (1965) single releases & credits at Discogs
25. Various Artists - Motown Around the World: The Classic Singles (2010) album releases & credits at Discogs
26. Various Artists - Motown Around the World: The Classic Singles (2010) double CD review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine, credits & releases at AllMusic
27. Diana Ross & the Supremes compilation 50th Anniversary: The Singles Collection: 1961-1969 (2011) triple CD review by Steve Leggett, credits & releases at AllMusic
28. The Newbeats, Run Baby Run Retrieved April 28, 2015
29. Jr. Walker & the All Stars - "Come See About Me" / "Sweet Soul" (1967) single releases & credits at Discogs
30. "Yo La Tengo covers The Supremes". Retrieved 2013-03-19.
31. Clare Bowen & Chaley Rose - "Come See About Me" (2013) video from Nashville episode "You're No Angel Yourself" at YouTube
32. Nashville Cast - Clare Bowen as Scarlett O'Connor: Season 2 (2014) album review by Thom Jurek, credits & releases at AllMusic

External links

• Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics