"Nothing but Heartaches" is a 1965 song recorded by The Supremes for the Motown label.
Written and produced by Motown songwriting and producing team Holland-Dozier-Holland, it was notable for breaking the first string of five consecutive number-one pop singles in the United States, peaking at number 11 from August 29, 1965 through September 4, 1965 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart.
By the spring of 1965, The Supremes had elevated from regional R&B favorites to an internationally successful pop group thanks to a series of five singles which consecutively topped the United States Billboard pop charts: "Where Did Our Love Go", "Baby Love", "Come See About Me", "Stop! in the Name of Love" and "Back in My Arms Again." Known for creating repetitive follow-ups, Motown at this time was relying on a formula to create songs with a similar sound present in records by The Temptations, The Four Tops and Marvin Gaye among other recording acts.
Confident that they had finally found a successful formula, Berry Gordy had Holland-Dozier-Holland created a song similar to several of their earlier hit singles. As expected, "Nothing but Heartaches" had a similar sound to "Stop! In the Name of Love" and "Back in My Arms Again." Gordy felt confident that the song would become their sixth consecutive number-one hit.
Reception
The lukewarm response to "Nothing but Heartaches" was not what Gordy had predicted, as it peaked at number eleven on the Billboard Hot 100. The song's more modest top 20 charting prompted Gordy to circulate a memo around the Motown offices:
| “ |
We will release nothing less than Top Ten product on any artist; and because the Supremes' world-wide acceptance is greater than the other artists, on them we will only release number-one records. |
” |
After canceling the planned subsequent release of "Mother Dear," Holland-Dozier-Holland produced "I Hear a Symphony."
Personnel
- Lead vocals by Diana Ross
- Background vocals by Florence Ballard and Mary Wilson .
- Instrumentation by The Funk Brothers
Chart history
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 |
11 |
| U.S. Billboard R&B |
6 |
| U.S. Cash Box Top 100 |
8 |
|
Year-end charts
|
| Chart (1965) |
Rank |
| U.S. Cash Box |
100 |
|
The Supremes - Nothing But Heartaches / He Holds His Own
UK Tamla Motown TMG 527 (1965).
Record produced by Holland and Dozier.
The vinyl record has remained in excellent condition.
Audio quality is very clear and strong throughout.
Both record centre labels are free from tears, stains or stickers.
The record comes with a company paper sleeve.
