(The Hit Hammer is where I'm reviewing each #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100. Starting from when the chart started in 1958 and eventually working my way to the present. To see my inspiration and more information about this blog, please refer down below)
The Supremes - "The Happening"
Hit Number 1: May 13, 1967
Stay at Number 1: 1 Week
The Supremes were lost. They didn't know what they were doing anymore at this point. Once the excitement of the British Invasion ended, and the peak of Motown faded away, other groups like the Beatles and the Beach Boys embraced the psychedelic era. The Supremes could've never been psychedelic even if they tried. So instead, they released extremely underwhelming, nothings of songs. The good news here is that "The Happening" is not a complete nothing of a song that barely even exists. The bad news is that it's so aimless and crazy, it clearly shows just how lost the Supremes were. It's a song I can barely stand.
"The Happening" was used as the theme song from a 1967 movie of the same name. Even though the movie was an epic flop, the song prevailed, and it managed to snag the #1 spot on the Hot 100 for a week. Though just like the Supremes previous #1, "Love Is Here and Now You're Gone", I think that mostly had to do with the artist linked with the song. People only bought the record because they liked the Supremes. It's hard to believe that something like "The Happening" could've been written by Holland-Dozier-Holland, and performed by a great group like the Supremes, because the song is a whirlwind of circus-sounding music and aimless, random vocals by Diana Ross and the girls. If there's one thing the song has going for it, it's the intro. If you were a reader of this blog all the way back when I was in virtual 1961, you might remember a song by Elvis Presley called "Surrender". What "Surrender" and "The Happening" have in common is a cool "spy theme" kind of intro. I'll admit, that gets me intrigued, and gets me listening. But where "Surrender" steadily glides along to a steady groove, "The Happening" takes off running, and falls off a cliff into shark-infested waters.
I can't even begin to describe what the actual (bleep) is going on in the song, because I have no damn idea. We, the listeners, never get to know what "the happening" even is. All we know is that it's apparently not good, and it can also happen to us. That can be a thousand different things. But whatever "The Happening" is, it brought an end to Florence Ballard's tenure with the band, and she was replaced by Cindy Birdsong of Patti LaBelle & the Blue Belles. (They will eventually appear in this blog under the name "LaBelle") The story goes is that Ballard was kicked out due to her drug addiction, but she probably left under her own watch after releasing something like "The Happening". She probably wanted to get the hell out before they released something like this again. But alas, the new-look Supremes weren't done making hits just yet. They will appear in this blog again.
GRADE: 2/10
JUST MISSED:
Arthur Conley's spunky, groove-inducing song "Sweet Soul Music" peaked at #2 behind "The Happening". It's a 6.
SONGS REFERENCED:
The Supremes - "Love Is Here and Now You're Gone"
Elvis Presley - "Surrender"
MY INSPIRATION / MORE INFORMATION:
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