Forever Came Today

"Forever Came Today" is a 1967 song written and produced by the Motown collective of Holland–Dozier–Holland, and was first made into a hit as a single for Diana Ross & the Supremes in early 1968. A disco version of the song was released as a single seven years later by Motown group The Jackson 5.

"Forever Came Today"
Single by Diana Ross & the Supremes
from the album Reflections
B-side"Time Changes Things"
ReleasedFebruary 29, 1968
FormatVinyl record (7" 45 RPM)
RecordedApril 21, 1967, December 20, 1967, January 1 and January 23, 1968; Hitsville U.S.A., Detroit, Michigan
GenrePop, psychedelic pop
Length2:59 (Single version)
3:13 (Album version)
LabelMotown
M 1122
Songwriter(s)Holland–Dozier–Holland
Producer(s)Lamont Dozier
Brian Holland
Diana Ross & the Supremes singles chronology
"In and Out of Love"
(1967)		 "Forever Came Today"
(1968)		 "Some Things You Never Get Used To"
(1968)
Reflections track listing
12 tracks
Side one
  1. "Reflections"
  2. "I'm Gonna Make It (I Will Wait For You)"
  3. "Forever Came Today"
  4. "I Can't Make It Alone"
  5. "In and Out of Love"
  6. "Bah-Bah-Bah"
Side two
  1. "What the World Needs Now Is Love"
  2. "Up, Up and Away"
  3. "Love (Makes Me Do Foolish Things)"
  4. "Then"
  5. "Misery Makes Its Home in My Heart"
  6. "Ode to Billie Joe"
Audio sample
"Forever Came Today"
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Alternative cover

Overview

The Supremes version

The release of "Forever Came Today" was the result of a work slowdown by Holland-Dozier-Holland in late 1967. The song was originally cut in April 1967 with vocals added in December, 1967 and January, 1968. HDH, and particularly lyricist Eddie Holland, had become dissatisfied with both their pay and the working atmosphere at Motown, and resultantly created very little music during the latter half of the year.[1]

With no other Supremes singles ready for release, Motown had "Forever Came Today" prepared for release as a single.[2] Mary Wilson, in her autobiography Dreamgirl: My Life as a Supreme, reported that "Forever Came Today" was the first of a series of Supremes singles she did not sing on.[3] Motown used their in-house session singers, The Andantes, to provide background vocal instead.

The single stalled for two weeks at number twenty-eight on the Billboard Hot 100 pop singles chart in spring 1968.[4][5] It was their first American single not to reach the top 10 since "Nothing but Heartaches." The song's lyrics feature a woman who is amazed by her boyfriend's love that she has waited 'forever' for, hence the saying "my forever came today." In spite of its showings on the pop charts, Holland-Dozier-Holland uphold "Forever Came Today" as one of the best Motown songs they ever wrote.[6]

By the time of the single's release in early 1968, Holland-Dozier-Holland had staged a work slowdown and eventually no longer came to Motown's Hitsville U.S.A. studio. Motown sued for breach of contract in August 1968; HDH countersued.[1] The trio went on to eventually start their own labels, Invictus Records and Hot Wax Records. Meanwhile, Berry Gordy was forced to find a new songwriting team for the Supremes, since Holland-Dozier-Holland had written all of the group's hit singles since 1963.

Track listing
  • 7" single (29 February 1968) (North America/United Kingdom/Germany)
  1. "Forever Came Today" – 2:59
  2. "Time Changes Things" – 2:22

Chart history
Chart (1968) Peak
position
US Billboard Hot 100 28
US Billboard R&B Singles 17
US Cash Box Pop Singles 13
UK Singles Chart 28

The Jackson 5 version
"Forever Came Today"
Single by The Jackson 5
from the album Moving Violation
B-side"All I Do Is Think of You"
ReleasedJune 10, 1975
FormatVinyl record (7" 45 RPM)
RecordedMarch 1975
GenreDisco, funk
Length6:05
LabelMotown
M 1356
Songwriter(s)Holland–Dozier–Holland
Producer(s)Brian Holland
The Jackson 5 singles chronology
"I Am Love"
(1974)		 "Forever Came Today"
(1975)		 "All I Do Is Think of You"
(1975)

The single was revived eight years later in a disco version by another Motown group, The Jackson 5. The Jacksons had replaced the Supremes as the label's top-selling act during the early 1970s and by 1975 were going through problems with Motown and making plans to leave the company. In the US, The Jackson 5's version peaked at number six on the soul chart and at number sixty on the pop chart.[7] On the Billboard dance chart, it was the first of two releases, by The Jacksons, to hit number one.[8] The single's B-side, "All I Do Is Think of You", was later extensively covered and sampled by contemporary R&B and hip hop artists.

Chart positions
Chart (1975) Peak
position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 60
U.S. Billboard Disco File Top 20 1
U.S. Billboard Hot Black Singles 6

References
  1. George, Nelson (1985). Where Did Our Love Go: The Rise and Fall of the Motown Sound. New York: St. Martin's. pp. 152–154. ISBN 0-312-01109-1.
  2. Posner, Gerald (2002). Motown: Music, Money, Sex, and Power. New York: Random House. p. 205. ISBN 0-375-50062-6.
  3. Wilson, Mary. Dreamgirl, My Life as a Supreme. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1986. ISBN 0-312-21959-8 p. 214
  4. "Billboard Hot 100". Billboard. Nielsen Company. 80 (17): 54. 1968. Retrieved 10 May 2011.
  5. "Billboard Hot 100". Billboard. Nielsen Company. 80 (18): 61. 1968. Retrieved 10 May 2011.
  6. Chin, Brian and Nathan, David (2000). "Reflections Of..." The Supremes [CD boxed set liner notes]. New York: Motown Record Co./Universal Music.
  7. Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 287.
  8. Whitburn, Joel (2004). Hot Dance/Disco: 1974-2003. Record Research. p. 132.
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