Mother Dear

"Mother Dear"
Single by The Supremes
from the album More Hits by The Supremes
B-side	"He Holds His Own"/"Who Could Ever Doubt My Love"
Released	July 16, 1965 (withdrawn) July 23, 1965 (album) October 6, 1965 (withdrawn/canceled)
Format	Vinyl record (7" 45 RPM)
Recorded	Hitsville U.S.A. (Studio A); June 2 and June 21, 1965
Genre	Pop
Length	2:48
Label	Motown M 1080/1083
Writer(s)	Holland–Dozier–Holland
Producer	Brian Holland Lamont Dozier
The Supremes singles chronology
"Back in My Arms Again" (1965) "Nothing but Heartaches" (1965) --- "Mother Dear" (1965) (withdrawn) "I Hear a Symphony" (1965)

"Mother Dear" is a 1965 song recorded by The Supremes for the Motown label.

Written and produced by Motown's main production team, Holland–Dozier–Holland, it was an unreleased single for More Hits by The Supremes; it was canceled in favor of the single "Nothing but Heartaches", as it was considered too lightweight to follow their previous single, "Back in My Arms Again"^{[citation needed]}. The label decided instead to release it as a follow-up single, but when "Nothing But Heartaches" failed to make it to the Top Ten, missing it by just one position and breaking the string of number-one Supremes hits, it was canceled a final time in favor of "I Hear a Symphony."^{[citation needed]}

The song was re-recorded in 1966 in a totally different style that was more danceable and upbeat. The 1966 version would not be released until 2000.

Credits

• Lead vocals by Diana Ross
• Background vocals by Florence Ballard and Mary Wilson
• Instrumentation by The Funk Brothers

References

• The Complete Motown Singles Vol. 5: 1965 [CD liner notes]. New York: Hip-O Select/Motown/Universal Records.
• Ribowsky, Mark. "The Supremes: A Saga of Motown Dreams, Success, and Betrayal". New York: Da Capo Press, 2009.