![]() (1969), Joe Harnell (1969), The Ding Dongs (1970), Gladys Knight & the Pips (1973)Īlso in 1967, Tony Bennett's recording of the song peaked at number 91 on the Billboard Pop Singles chart (number 8 on the Easy Listening survey) and was the title track of his album For Once in My Life. The song would become the most covered song in the Motown catalog by fellow Motown artists: Billy Eckstine (1966), Martha & the Vandellas (1967), Soupy Sales (1968), Jonah Jones (1968), Smokey Robinson & the Miracles (1969), Blinky (1969), Kiki Dee (1969), Sammy Davis Jr. After celebrating The Temptations' (and Motown's) first Grammy Award win for " Cloud Nine", the actor who portrays Paul Williams ( Christian Payton) sings the slow ballad version.ĭiana Ross & the Supremes recorded a mid-tempo bossa nova inspired version in early 1969 that wasn't discovered until the 2010s and not released until 2019. The song also made its way into The Temptations 1998 made-for-television miniseries on NBC. Williams' most famous performance of the number was during The Supremes and Temptations' TCB television special in 1968, a performance cited as the apex of Williams' career. Baritone singer Paul Williams sings the lead vocal on the song, and it subsequently became his showcase number in the Temptations' live shows. The Temptations also recorded the song for their pop standards based album The Temptations in a Mellow Mood, released in July 1967. The Four Tops recorded the song on their album 4 Tops On Broadway, released in March 1967 and, like McNair's recording, produced as a slow ballad by Frank Wilson. The record was never released and was permanently shelved in the Motown archives. ![]() Singer Jack Soo claimed that he was the first male artist to record a version of the song, after he joined Motown in 1965 as one of their first non-African American artists. In later years, McNair re-recorded the song with a faster tempo. It was also released as the B-side of her 1968 single, "Where Would I Be Without You". However, her version was not released until it appeared on her November 1966 album, Here I Am. Some sources suggest that the song was originally written for McNair others that Gordy, hearing the song, insisted that she record it. Her original version remained unreleased for 50 years until it was released on an MP3 download album Motown Unreleased 1965 in 2015.īarbara McNair "For Once in My Life"īarbara McNair's version of the song was recorded as early as October 1965, and backed up by a symphony orchestra and produced by Frank Wilson. It wasn’t mine anymore." Connie Haines Ĭonnie Haines was a contracted singer signed to Motown in 1965 and as indicated by the Motown session logs and tape information, she recorded the first version of the song at the label in July 1965. I stopped singing it ‘cause I didn’t have the song. DuShon dropped "For Once in My Life" from her nightclub act and later said: "It was a very big disappointment in my life. Although the record label gave the sole songwriting credit to Murden, Motown CEO Berry Gordy discovered that Miller – who was contracted to Motown – had co-written the song, and reportedly asked Chess not to promote the single. It was chosen "Pick Hit of the Week" by Detroit's WXYZ radio. Miller was impressed by DuShon's rendition, and her version, produced by Esmond Edwards, was issued as a single on Chess Records' Cadet label in October 1966. Jean DuShon was one of the singers who was originally tapped by Ron Miller to demo the song as he was fine-tuning the composition. Among those who, it is claimed, heard and performed the song in about 1966 – but did not record it – are Jo Thompson, a club singer in Detroit Sherry Kaye, who may have performed it in a musical revue at the Gem Theater and Johnny Hartman, who turned it down. Miller and Murden wrote the song in 1965 as a slow ballad, and passed it around various singers so that it could be tried out and refined. Wonder's version, issued on Motown's Tamla label, was a top-three hit in the United States and the United Kingdom in late 1968 and early 1969. The most familiar and successful version of "For Once in My Life" is an uptempo arrangement by Stevie Wonder, recorded in 1967. Other early versions of the ballad were issued by Nancy Wilson, the Four Tops, the Temptations, Diana Ross and Tony Bennett, whose recording was the first to reach the pop charts. There are differing accounts of its earliest versions, although it seems that it was first recorded by Connie Haines, but first released in 1966 by Jean DuShon. It was written and first recorded as a slow ballad. " For Once in My Life" is a song written by Ron Miller and Orlando Murden for Motown Records' Stein & Van Stock publishing company, and first recorded in 1965.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |