Come See About Me is the 1964 single by The Supremes, written by Holland-Dozier-Holland.
Motown released it on October 27, 1964.
It was the group's third straight No. 1 in the US.
Table of Contents
The Story Behind Come See About Me
A Cover That Forced Motown's Hand
The Supremes cut the song first, as part of the sessions that followed their breakout hit.
It sat on their August 1964 album Where Did Our Love Go.
Then Wand Records got hold of it.
Wand put out a close copy sung by a young singer named Nella Dodds in October 1964.
Dodds' single reached only No. 74 on the Hot 100, according to Wikipedia.
Motown answered by rushing out the Supremes' own version, which hurt her sales.
A Sad Lyric on a Bouncy Beat
The singer has lost her man and asks him to come back to her.
She sounds sure she can win him over.
Kele Okereke of Bloc Party has said the words carry a sad weight while the music stays bouncy.
That gap between the lyric and the stomping beat is a big part of the record's pull.
Recording at Hitsville
The Team
Holland-Dozier-Holland wrote the song, and Brian Holland and Lamont Dozier produced it.
The track was cut at Hitsville U.S.A. in Detroit.
It came out of the same two-week stretch that produced "Baby Love."
Diana Ross sang lead, with Florence Ballard and Mary Wilson on the call-and-response parts.
The Funk Brothers
The band was Motown's house crew, the Funk Brothers.
The lineup on this record is listed as:
- Earl Van Dyke on piano
- Joe Messina on guitar
- James Jamerson on bass
- Uriel Jones on drums
- Jack Ashford on vibraphone
- Hank Cosby on tenor sax and Mike Terry on baritone sax
Handclaps land on every beat, which gives the song its stomping Detroit feel.
How It Charted
In the US
Billboard praised its "pronounced Detroit beat, steady and exacting" in November 1964.
Cash Box called it a "pulsating stomp" and said the group was in top-of-the-chart form.
The single hit No. 1 on the Hot 100 in December 1964.
The Beatles' "I Feel Fine" then took over, and the Supremes returned to the top in January 1965.
It was the third of five straight No. 1 singles for the group.
It also topped the Cash Box Top 100.
On Television
The Supremes sang it on The Ed Sullivan Show on December 27, 1964.
That was the first of their 17 live appearances on the show.
Around the World
It reached No. 1 in Canada.
In the UK it peaked at No. 27.
| Measure | Detail | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Billboard Hot 100 | US pop peak, 1964 and 1965 | No. 1 (2 non-consecutive weeks) |
| Cash Box Top 100 | US peak | No. 1 |
| US R&B | Hot R&B peak | No. 2 |
| Canada (RPM) | Peak | No. 1 |
| UK Singles Chart | UK peak | No. 27 |
Legacy and Covers
Covers
Plenty of artists have returned to the song:
- Junior Walker and the All Stars cut a saxophone-led version that reached the pop top 25.
- Neil Sedaka named a 1984 album after it, with Mary Wilson singing backup, per Songfacts.
- Martina McBride recorded it for her 2014 covers album Everlasting.
- The cast of Glee sang it in a 2012 Thanksgiving episode.
Where It Fits
It belongs to the run that made 1964 the Supremes' breakthrough year.
The full story of the trio is in our Supremes biography, and the label's wider sound is covered in the Motown, Soul & R&B hub.
The hits on either side are told in our Baby Love and Stop! In the Name of Love stories.
FAQ
Who wrote this Supremes song?
Holland-Dozier-Holland wrote it: Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier and Eddie Holland.
Brian Holland and Lamont Dozier produced it.
When did this Supremes song come out?
Motown released it as a single on October 27, 1964.
It first appeared on the album Where Did Our Love Go in August 1964.
Who is Nella Dodds?
Nella Dodds was a singer whose cover of the song came out on Wand Records in October 1964.
It peaked at No.
74 on the Hot 100, after Motown rushed out the Supremes' version.
Did this Supremes song hit No. 1?
Yes.
It topped the Billboard Hot 100 for two non-consecutive weeks, in December 1964 and January 1965.
It was the third of five straight Supremes No.
1 singles.
Who has covered this Supremes song?
Junior Walker and the All Stars recorded a saxophone-led version that reached the pop top 25.
The Glee cast also sang it in a 2012 episode.
A cover meant to steal its thunder ended up pushing the original to No. 1.
Wikipedia's entry on the song covers its history and charts in more depth.
Press play above and hear why Come See About Me still sounds so alive.