Today’s classic song of the day is one of many top ten hits by the Supremes. The song, released as a single in April of 1966, is “Love is Like an Itching in My Heart” and it peaked at #9 on both the Billboard Hot 100 and Cash Box Top 100, and #7 on Billboard’s R&B chart.
Supreme Mary Wilson said that “Love is Like an Itching in My Heart” was her favorite of all the group’s songs. In her own words:
“[Supremes A Go-Go was] a massively successful album (#1 for two weeks), though the single only went to #9 in 1966. But I’m a sucker for its bottom sound.”
That bottom sound was supplied, as usual, by the ever-masterful James Jamerson on bass. The bari sax solo was by Mike Terry and Benny Benjamin provided that driving four-on-snare drum beat. Like many of the Supremes’ hits of that era, this one was penned and produced by the super team of Holland-Dozier-Holland.
Interestingly, the track was recorded in 1965 but not released by Motown until 1966. It’s a little more gritty than the Supremes’ other singles, more of a real soul stomper. And, as Mary noted, it was one of the rare H-D-H/Supremes collaborations that didn’t make it to the number-one position on the charts, for whatever reason.
And here’s your daily bonus video of the day, Diana Ross, Mary Wilson, and Florence Ballard singing “Love is Like an Itching in My Heart” on the May 1, 1966, episode of The Ed Sullivan Show. Man, this one cooks—and the girls really get into it.
