Tune Tuesday – The Happening

Today is the 80th birthday of Diana Ross! She was born in Detroit, Michigan and naturally is one of the greatest artists to come out of our state! Fun fact: when she was born, she was named Diane, but a spelling error on the paperwork led to Diana.

As a member of the Supremes, they enjoyed amazing success and a dozen number one records, including the song I picked to feature today. What’s the connection between the Supremes the Lee Marvin/Ernest Borgnine movie The Dirty Dozen, and the hit TV series The Brady Bunch? The answer is film and television composer Frank DeVol. He was behind those theme tunes among many others, and joined Holland, Dozier and Holland as the co-writer of the Motown trio’s tenth US pop No.1, “The Happening.”

The song was written for the Anthony Quinn film of the same name. The film flopped, but the song soared to the top of the charts in just 5 weeks! They have the honor of bumping Frank Sinatra out of the top spot (His duet with Nancy, “Something Stupid”). Admittedly, the song is a bit more “peppy” and less “soulful” than many Supreme songs, but I think that’s why I like it so much.

According to Songfacts.com:

This was a milestone song for The Supremes. It was:

1) Their last hit released under the name “The Supremes.” Later in 1967, they became “Diana Ross & the Supremes.” They reverted back to “The Supremes” in 1970 when Ross left the group.

2) The last of their 10 #1 hits written by the Holland-Dozier-Holland team. They left Motown a year later in a dispute over royalties.

3) Their last hit with Florence Ballard, who was fired soon after and replaced with Cindy Birdsong.

For you music lovers who like to hear things a bit differently, I will post two versions of the song. First, from the 20th Century Masters collection:

Now listen to the 2003 remix from “The Number 1’s” collection. What I love about this remix is that the background instruments are much more clear. You hear the playful call and answer between the vocals and the background in an entirely different way. If you can, listen in headphones.

Happy 80th Birthday, Diana Ross!!!

The Happening

Hey, life, look at me
I can see the reality
‘Cause when you shook me, took me out of my world
I woke up
Suddenly I just woke up to the happening
When you find that you left the future behind
‘Cause when you got a tender love
You don’t take care of
Then you better beware of the happening

One day you’re up, then you turn around
You find your world is tumbling down
It happened to me, and it can happen to you

I was sure, I felt secure
Until love took a detour
Yeah, riding high on top of the world
It happened, suddenly it just happened
I saw my dreams fall apart
When love walked away from my heart
And when you lose that precious love you need
To guide you
Something happens inside you, the happening

Now I see life for what it is
It’s not all dreams, ooh, it’s not all bliss
It happened to me and it can happen to you

Once
Ooh, and then it happened
Ooh, and then it happened
Ooh, and then it happened
Ooh, and then it happened

Is it real, is it fake
Is this game of life a mistake?
‘Cause when I lost the love I thought was mine
For certain, suddenly I started hurting
I saw the light too late
When that fickle finger of fate
Yeah, came and broke my pretty balloon
I woke up
Suddenly I just woke up to the happening

So sure, I felt secure
Until love took a detour
‘Cause when you got a tender love you don’t
Take care of, then you better beware of the happening