You Can't Hurry Love by The Supremes

Album: The Supremes A' Go-Go (1966)

Charted: 3 1

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This was written by the prolific songwriting team of Holland-Dozier-Holland. It was based on a gospel song entitled "You Can't Hurry God," which was sung by Dorothy Love Coates and the Gospel Harmonettes, a gospel group based in Birmingham, Alabama. >>>
Suggestion credit:
Jerro - New Alexandria, PA
Eddie Holland came up with the title to Brian Holland's melody for this song. Lamont Dozier recalled in 1000 UK #1 Hits by Jon Kutner and Spencer Leigh: "We were trying to reconstruct 'Come See About Me' and somehow it turned into 'You Can't Hurry Love.' It was basically a gospel feel we were after."
This was the first of a second string of consecutive #1 American hits for the Supremes. At the end of 1964 and into 1965, they charted five consecutive #1s. In 1966, starting with "You Can't Hurry Love," they charted four more.
A cover by Phil Collins reached US #10 and UK #1 in late 1982. His version was used as the main theme for the 1988 film of the same name, and inspired Andy Rourke's bass in The Smiths' "This Charming Man."

Such was his love for the label that Phil inscribed "Motown, we salute you" on the sleeve of the album Hello, I Must Be Going, which included "You Can't Hurry Love." In addition, his black-and-white video showing three Phil Collinses standing in a line was a homage to The Supremes.

Collins would later enlist Lamont Dozier to co-write the song "Two Hearts," which was used in a movie Collins starred in called Buster that was set in the '60s. That song went to #1 US, giving Dozier his 14th Hot 100 chart-topper as a songwriter.
The Dixie Chicks covered this for the soundtrack of the 1999 movie Runaway Bride.
The working title for this song was "This Is Where I Came In." >>>
Suggestion credit:
Jerro - New Alexandria, PA
Phil Collins explained to Mojo magazine February 2009 that he covered this track as "a tribute to Motown." He added: "We needed to get everything right on it, but we didn't really succeed. There were no naff strings on the original to start with. Motown is where I lived musically when I was growing up. I was a regular at the Marquee Club in Wardour Street (London) in the '60s. I always went to see The Action and The Who, and they both did great Motown covers. The Motown tracks were always an inspiration. The opening chords and groove of 'Heatwave' always sounded like sun had come out to me. It was so uplifting and positive. Even the names - The Supremes, the Four Tops, The Marvelettes, The Miracles - sound like their glasses are half full! The musicians on all the Motown tracks, they didn't play like the other Pop session guys. Benny Benjamin, James Jamerson - all of them were really Jazz musicians. And every day they would go to work and know they'd be playing on a huge hit record and it would be classic material; it must have been wonderful."
Asked by Music Business Worldwide what he thought of Phil Collins' version, Lamont Dozier replied: "I think he was being respectful because he loved the song and he loved Motown. He had his own interpretation and his own style. I thought it was well done."

Comments: 16

Floy Joy From Usa from Brgn Cnty, NnjRoger, a song writer can take editorial license when writing lyrics and that is why it is keeps instead of keep.
Roger from BelgiumI have loved this song since the sixties.
But as a non-English speaker I've always wondered about the lyrics "these precious words keeps me hanging on".
Shouldn't that be "keep"? That's the way Phil Collins sang it.
Jennifur Sun from RamonaFyodor - have read and heard that the Funks used two drummers, on most of their recordings, that is why drummers had such a hard time learning how to play their stuff. don't know if that is Benny or Pistol but the drums rock.
Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn September 25th 1966, the Supremes performed "You Can't Hurry Love" on CBS-TV program 'The Ed Sullivan Show'...
At the time the song was in its second of two weeks at #2 on Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart; earlier on September of the 4th it had peaked at #1 {for 2 weeks} and it stayed on the chart for 13 weeks...
And on August 28th it also reached #1 {for 2 weeks} on Billboard's R&B Singles chart...
As stated above it was the first in a string of four straight #1 records by the trio; after this one came, "You Keep Me Hangin' On" for two weeks, then "Love is Here and Now You're Gone" for 1 week, and finally "The Happening" for 1 week...
The string was broken by "Reflections", but it came close, it reached #2* for two weeks...
* The two weeks that "Reflections" was at #2, the #1 record for both those weeks was "Ode to Billie Joe" by Bobby Gentry.
Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn October 31st 1982, Phil Collins' covered version of "You Can't Hurry Love" entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart at position #77; and thirteen weeks later on January 30th, 1983 it peaked at #10 {for 3 weeks} and spent 21 weeks on the Top 100...
And on January 15th, 1983 it reached #1 {for 2 weeks} on the United Kingdom's Singles chart; it also peaked at #1 in Ireland & Holland and at #3 in Australia, Austria, Germany, and Switzerland...
The day it entered the Top 100 at #77, exactly sixteen years earlier on October 31st, 1966 the original version of the song, by the Supremes, was at #50 on the Top 100, earlier in the year on September 4th, 1966 it peaked at #1 {for 2 weeks}.
Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn August 20th 1966, Stevie Wonder, the Supremes, and the Temptations performed at the Forest Hills Music Festival in Queens, New York; attendance was 14,000 concert goers...
At the time of the concert Stevie Wonder's "Blowin' in the Wind" was at #11 on Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart; eight days later on August 28th it would peak at #9 {for 1 week}...
The Supremes' "You Can't Hurry Love" was at #28, and on September 4th it would reach #1 {for 2 weeks}...
The Temptations' "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" was sitting at #42, five weeks earlier it had peaked at #13 {for 1 week} on the Top 100, but on the R&B Singles chart it had reached #1 for 8 non-consecutive weeks...
And the Temps next release, "Beauty Is Only Skin Deep", had just entered the Top 100 chart at #80; eventually it would peak at #3 on the Top 100 and at #1 {for 5 weeks} on the R&B Singles chart.
Kat from Adelaide, Australia"love" = "orgasm"
Cyberpope from Richmond, CanadaPhil Collins did an acceptable rewrite & sing of this one
Camille from Toronto, OhHa, ha, Brian from Sheffield, England, I just agreed with your comment on another Diana Ross tune, and I'm going to agree with what you say about this song: 40 years hence, it still sounds...fresh and vibrant. This is a terrific, upbeat song with the message: "not everything in life is about instant gratification." Even tho it's a catchy song, what makes it so great is that every word rings true! It's singing about emotions and feelings that can be applied people from all walks of life, one reason for its popularity. I also love Phil Collins' version.
Kristin from Bessemer, AlThis record was such a strong #1 song, it prevented the Beatles' "Yellow Submarine" from reaching the top of the Hot 100 in 1966.
Kristin from Bessemer, AlThis record was such a strong #1 song, it prevented the Beatles' "Yellow Submarine" from reaching the top of the Hot 100 in 1966.
Kristin from Bessemer, AlThis record was such a strong #1 song, it prevented the Beatles' "Yellow Submarine" from reaching the top of the Hot 100 in 1966.
Kristin from Bessemer, AlAt the time when a lot of teens carried around transistor radios, Motown and H/D/H wanted to capture a sound that would get all the teens to know what the song was- the "boom-boom-boom, boom-boom, boom-boom" really drove the point home.
Tony from Charleston, ScAccording to Holland/Dozier/Holland this song was derived from a gospel song, You can't hurry God by Dorothy Coates. "HDH" borrowed much of their material from thier church background.
Brian from Sheffield, EnglandPerhaps the most perfect expression of The Motown Sound of the 1960s. Holland/Dozier/Holland were at the peak of their form, and The Supremes never had a better song. 40 years later it sounds just as fresh and vibrant.
Fyodor from Denver, CoI like how the music stops except I think for the drums and bass and then the other layers get added back in one at a time, including two different rhythm guitars, one of which gets strummed through and the other, which has a sharp, bright sound, gets played in a staccato fashion on the upbeat, very typical of soul pop music of the day, but I wonder how they got that bright yet punchy sound!

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