View source for Come See About Me

{{short description|1964 single by The Supremes}}
{{other uses}}
{{Infobox song
| name       = Come See About Me
| image      = Come see about me the supremes Australian single side-A.png
| alt        = side-A label
| caption    = Australian single of the Supremes recording
| type       = single
| artist     = [[the Supremes]]
| album      = [[Where Did Our Love Go (album)|Where Did Our Love Go]]
| B-side     = {{ubl|"You're Gone, But Always in My Heart"|"Long Gone Lover"}}
| released   = October 27, 1964
| recorded   = July 13, 1964
| studio     = [[Hitsville U.S.A.]], Detroit
| venue      =
| genre      = [[Pop music|Pop]], [[rhythm and blues|R&B]]
| length     = 2:39
| label      = [[Motown]]
| writer     = [[Holland–Dozier–Holland]]
| producer   = {{hlist|[[Brian Holland]]|[[Lamont Dozier]]}}
| prev_title = [[Baby Love]]
| prev_year  = 1964
| next_title = [[Stop! In the Name of Love]]
| next_year  = 1965
| misc       = {{External music video|header=Videos|{{YouTube|uVlrKnwGU0Y|"Come See About Me" (''The Ed Sullivan Show'')}}}}
{{External music video|header=no|{{YouTube|NkH_dm9NkxQ|"Come See About Me" (lyrics)}}}}
}}
{{Infobox song
| name       = Come See About Me
| cover      = Come see about me nella dodds US single.png
| alt        = side-A label
| caption    = US single of the Nella Dodds recording
| type       = single
| artist     = [[Nella Dodds]]
| album      = This Is a Girl's Life
| B-side     = You Don't Love Me Anymore
| released   = October 1964
| recorded   =
| studio     =
| venue      =
| genre      = 
| length     = 3:01
| label      = [[Wand Records|Wand]]
| writer     = [[Holland–Dozier–Holland]]
| producer   = Dyno-dynamic
| prev_title = 
| prev_year  = 
| next_title = Finders Keepers, Losers Weepers
| next_year  = 1964
}}
"'''Come See About Me'''" is a 1964 song recorded by [[the Supremes]] for the [[Motown]] label. The track opens with a [[Fade (audio engineering)|fade-in]], marking one of the first times the technique had been used on a studio recording.

The song became third of five consecutively released Supremes songs to top the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' pop singles chart]] in the United States (the others being "[[Where Did Our Love Go]]", "[[Baby Love]]", "[[Stop! In the Name of Love]]" and "[[Back in My Arms Again]]"). It topped the chart twice, non-consecutively, being toppled by and later replacing [[the Beatles]]' "[[I Feel Fine]]" in December 1964 and January 1965.<ref>{{cite magazine |year=1964 |title=''Billboard'' Hot 100 |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |volume=76 |issue=51 |pages=24 |publisher=[[Nielsen Company]] |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MyAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA24 |access-date=9 May 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |year=1965 |title=''Billboard'' Hot 100 |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |volume=77 |issue=3 |pages=20 |publisher=[[Nielsen Company]] |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rCgEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA20 |access-date=9 May 2011}}</ref> The [[BBC]] ranked "Come See About Me" at #94 on ''The Top 100 Digital Motown Chart'', which ranks [[Motown]] releases by their all time UK downloads and streams.<ref name="Top 100 Digital Motown UK">{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/1rDB1VRXGlrDpnJW9CSKrCZ/the-top-100-digital-motown-chart |title=The Top 100 Digital Motown Chart |work=[[BBC]] |access-date=1 January 2020}}</ref>

==History==

===Overview===
"Come See About Me" was written and produced by [[Motown Records|Motown]]'s main production team [[Holland–Dozier–Holland]].<ref name=allmusic>{{cite web|title=Come See About Me|author=Hogan, Ed|url=https://www.allmusic.com/song/come-see-about-me-mt0044845737|accessdate=2022-02-08|publisher=Allmusic}}</ref>  It was recorded during a two-week period in which the Supremes also cut "[[Baby Love]]", after "[[Where Did Our Love Go]]" became their most successful single to date.<ref name=allmusic/>  It was #1 on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] chart for two separate weeks: December 13, 1964, to December 18, 1964, and January 10, 1965, to January 16, 1965, and reached #3 on the soul chart.<ref name=allmusic/>

''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' said the song has a "pronounced Detroit beat, steady and exacting" and that the "gals weave silky and controlled vocal through beat."<ref name=bb>{{cite news|newspaper=Billboard|accessdate=2021-04-02|date=November 7, 1964|page=16|title=Singles Reviews|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/60s/1964/Billboard%201964-11-07.pdf}}</ref>  ''[[Cash Box]]'' described it as "a pulsating stomp-a-rhythmic… that the gals carve out in ultra-commercial manner" and in which the group was "in top-of-the-chart form."<ref name=cb>{{cite magazine |title=CashBox Record Reviews |date=November 7, 1964 |page=8 |access-date=2022-01-12 |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/60s/1964/CB-1964-11-07.pdf |magazine=Cash Box}}</ref>

The Supremes were the first to record the song, but not the first to issue it as a single. That distinction fell to [[Nella Dodds]]: her version climbed to #74 on the ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' [[Hot 100]], but Motown quickly released the Supremes' version as a single, which killed Dodds' sales. ''Cash Box'' described Dodds' version as "an exciting pop-r&b, choral-backed handclap-shuffler about a gal who pleads for her ex-boyfriend to return to her," hailing the singer as "a new talent who promises to be an important wax name in the coming weeks".<ref name=cb/>

The Supremes made their first of 17 appearances<ref>{{cite news |last=Yusuf |first=Nilgin |title=The Supremes on show |newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |date=26 April 2008 |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/3672929/The-Supremes-on-show.html |access-date= 27 March 2010}}</ref> live on the [[CBS]] [[variety show|variety program]] ''[[The Ed Sullivan Show]]'', performing this single on Sunday, December 27, 1964.<ref>{{cite episode |title=The Supremes/The Serendipity Singers/Leslie Uggams |url=http://www.tv.com/the-supremes---serendipity-singers---leslie-uggams/episode/106589/summary.html |series=[[The Ed Sullivan Show]] |network=[[CBS]] |station=[[WCBS-TV|WCBS]] |location=[[New York City]] |airdate=24 December 1964 |season=18 |number=14}}</ref>

The group also recorded a German version of the song, entitled "Johnny und Joe".

"The words had a real sad weight," observed [[Bloc Party]] frontman [[Kele Okereke]], "but the music was bouncy. Great!"<ref>{{cite journal|title= All Back to My Place |journal= [[Mojo (magazine)|Mojo]] |date=July 2005|issue=140|page=9}}</ref>

==Personnel==
* Lead vocals by [[Diana Ross]]
* Background vocals by [[Florence Ballard]] and [[Mary Wilson (singer)|Mary Wilson]]
* All instruments by [[the Funk Brothers]]<ref>Liner notes. ''The Complete Motown Singles Vol. 4: 1964'', Hip-O Select – B0005946-02, USA, 24 Feb 2006</ref>
**[[Earl Van Dyke]] – piano
**[[Joe Messina]] – guitar
**[[James Jamerson]] – bass
**[[Uriel Jones]] – drums
**[[Jack Ashford]] – [[vibraphone]]
**[[Hank Cosby]] – tenor saxophone 
**[[Andrew "Mike" Terry]] – baritone saxophone 
* Footstomps by Mike Valvano

==Chart performance==
{{col-begin|width=65%}}
{{col-2}}

===Weekly charts===
{|class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
!scope="col"|Chart (1964–1965)
!scope="col"|Peak<br>position
|-
!scope="row" | Australia ([[Kent Music Report]])<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.top100singles.net/2013/02/every-amr-top-100-single-in-1964.html#show|title=Every Unique AMR Top 100 Single of the 1964|website=Top 100 Singles|access-date=31 December 2020}}</ref>
|align="center"| 78
|-
!scope="row" {{single chart|Flanders|20|artist=The Supremes|song=Come See About Me}}
|-
!scope="row" {{single chart|Canadatopsingles|1|artist=The Supremes|song=Come See About Me|chartid=5576}}
|-
!scope="row" {{single chart|Dutch40|17|artist=Supremes The|song=Come See About Me}}
|-
!scope="row" | New Zealand (''Lever Hit Parade'')<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.flavourofnz.co.nz/index.php?qpageID=search%20lever&qartistid=476#n_view_location|title=flavour of new zealand - search lever|work=Flavour of New Zealand|access-date=2020-12-31|archive-date=2021-02-08|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210208155546/http://www.flavourofnz.co.nz/index.php?qpageID=search%20lever&qartistid=476#n_view_location|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|align="center"| 2
|-
!scope="row" |Singapore ([[Billboard (magazine)|''Billboard'']])<ref name="Billboard, March 13, 1965">{{cite magazine |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lygEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA22|title=Billboard Magazine, March 13, 1965 |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|date=13 March 1965 }}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|1
|-
!scope="row" {{single chart|UKsinglesbyname|artistid=11282|27|artist=Supremes|song=Come See About Me}}
|-
!scope="row" {{single chart|Billboardhot100|1|artist=The Supremes}}
|-
!scope="row" {{single chart|Billboardrandbhiphop|2|artist=The Supremes}}
|-
!scope="row" |[[Cashbox (magazine)|US ''Cashbox'' Top 100]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cashboxmagazine.com/archives/60s_files/19641226.html |title=CASH BOX Top 100 Singles|work=[[Cashbox (magazine)|Cashbox]]|date=December 26, 1964|access-date=31 December 2020}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|1
|-
!scope="row" |[[Cashbox (magazine)|US ''Cashbox'' R&B]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://cashboxmagazine.com/archives-r/60s_files/19641226R.html |title=The CASH BOX Top 50 In R&B Locations|work=[[Cashbox (magazine)|Cashbox]]|date=December 26, 1964|access-date=31 December 2020}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|2
|-
!scope="row" | US [[Record World|''Record World'' 100 Top Pops]]<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Archive-Record-World-IDX/IDX/60s/64/RW-1964-12-26-OCR-Page-0003.pdf#search=%22come%20see%20about%20me%22 |title=100 TOP POPS: Week of December 26, 1964|magazine=[[Record World]]|publisher=worldradiohistory.com|date=December 26, 1964|access-date=29 January 2021}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|1
|-
!scope="row" | US [[Record World|''Record World'' Top 40 R&B]]<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Archive-Record-World-IDX/IDX/60s/64/RW-1964-12-26-OCR-Page-0016.pdf#search=%22come%20see%20about%20me%20top%2040%20r%20b%22 |title=TOP 40 R&B: Week of December 26, 1964|page=34|magazine=[[Record World]]|publisher=worldradiohistory.com|date=December 26, 1964|access-date=29 January 2021}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|2
|}
{{col-2}}

===Year-end charts===
{|class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|-
! Chart (1965)
! Rank
|-
!scope="row"| Japan Foreign Hits (''Billboard'')<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mSkEAAAAMBAJ&q=billboard+supremes+japan&pg=RA1-PA16|title=FOREIGN HITS IN JAPAN 1960-1969|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|page=J-32|date=December 19, 1970|access-date=2016-09-27}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|8
|-
!scope="row"| US ''Cashbox'' Top 100<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cashboxmagazine.com/archives/60s_files/1965YESP.html |title=The CASH BOX Year-End Charts: 1965|work=[[Cashbox (magazine)|Cashbox]]|access-date=31 December 2020}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|8
|-
!scope="row"| US ''Cashbox'' R&B<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cashboxmagazine.com/archives-r/60s_files/1965YESR.html|title=The CASH BOX Year-End Charts: 1965|work=[[Cashbox (magazine)|Cashbox]]|access-date=31 December 2020|archive-date=16 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210416085644/https://cashboxmagazine.com/archives-r/60s_files/1965YESR.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|21
|}
{{col-end}}

==Certifications==
{{certification Table Top}} 
{{certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|type=single|artist=Supremes|title= Come See About Me|award=|relyear=|certyear=|id=|nocert=yes|note=Digital sales and streams only|salesamount=65,000|salesref=<ref>{{cite web|first= Rob |last= Copsey |title= The Official Top 100 Motown songs of the Millennium  |publisher= [[Official Charts Company]] |date= August 26, 2019 |access-date= August 26, 2019 |url= https://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/the-official-top-100-motown-songs-of-the-millennium__27106/}}</ref>}}
{{certification Table Entry|region=United States|type=single|artist=Supremes|title=Come See About Me|award=|relyear=|certyear=|nocert=yes|id=|salesamount=1,000,000|salesref=<ref>{{cite book|title=MAKE IT BIG first girl vocal trio to make million-seller record list with three consecutive hits|issn=0012-9011 |work=[[Ebony (magazine)|Ebony]] |publisher= [[Johnson Publishing Company]] |date=June 1965 |access-date= 23 January 2020 |page=81 |volume=20 |issue= 8|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Nd4DAAAAMBAJ&q=supremes+million+seller&pg=PA81}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author=Dafydd Rees |title= Rock Movers & Shakers  |isbn=9780874366617 |publisher= [[ABC-CLIO]] |date=1991 |access-date= 23 January 2020 |page= |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=t5oYAAAAIAAJ&q=supremes+million+seller}}</ref>}}
{{end}}

==Other versions==
[[File:Come see about me jr walker and the all stars UK single solid centre.png|thumb|alt=side-A label; solid centre variant|UK single of the Jr. Walker & the All Stars recording]]
* The Supremes recorded a German-language version of the song, titled "Jonny und Joe" as the b-side of the 1965 single "Thank You Darling" (also sung in German) in Germany, Switzerland and the Netherlands. "Jonny und Joe" was later included on two various Motown artists compilation albums ''Motown Around the World'' (1987, 1CD) and ''Motown Around the World: The Classic Singles'' (2010, 2CD)<ref>[https://www.allmusic.com/album/motown-around-the-world-the-classic-singles-mw0001974288 Various Artists - ''Motown Around the World: The Classic Singles'' (2010) double CD review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine, credits & releases] at [[AllMusic]]</ref> and also on Diana Ross & the Supremes compilation ''[[50th Anniversary: The Singles Collection 1961–1969]]'' (2011, 3CD).<ref>[https://www.allmusic.com/album/50th-anniversary-the-singles-collection-1961-1969-mw0002222807 Diana Ross & the Supremes compilation ''50th Anniversary: The Singles Collection: 1961-1969'' (2011) triple CD review by Steve Leggett, credits & releases] at [[AllMusic]]</ref>
* In 1967, the song was a repeat hit for Motown act [[Junior Walker|Jr. Walker & the All Stars]], whose version reached the top 10 on the R&B chart and the top 25 on the pop chart.{{citation needed|date=July 2024}}
* In 1987, [[Wales|Welsh]] [[rock and roll]] singer [[Shakin' Stevens]] covered it on his album ''[[The Epic Masters#Let's Boogie (1987)|Let's Boogie]]'', making it a hit in the [[United Kingdom|UK]] and [[Ireland]]. Shakin' Stevens version surpassed the Supremes' original #27 chart placing by reaching #24.{{citation needed|date=May 2021}}
* In 2012, American [[Musical film|musical]] [[Comedy drama|dramedy]] ''[[Glee (TV series)|Glee]]'' featured a cover of this song for its [[Glee (season 4)|fourth season]]'s [[Thanksgiving (Glee)|Thanksgiving episode]]. The cover was recorded by [[Dianna Agron]] as her character [[Quinn Fabray]] with [[Naya Rivera]] and [[Heather Morris]] providing backup vocals.

==See also==
* [[List of Billboard Hot 100 number ones of 1964]]
* [[List of Billboard Hot 100 number ones of 1965]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{YouTube|7Hy7mLqQv-A|The Supremes - Come See About Me}}

{{The Supremes}}
{{Carol Lloyd}}
{{Holland–Dozier–Holland}}
{{Shakin' Stevens}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:1964 songs]]
[[Category:1964 singles]]
[[Category:1983 singles]]
[[Category:The Supremes songs]]
[[Category:Junior Walker songs]]
[[Category:Carol Lloyd songs]]
[[Category:Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles]]
[[Category:Cashbox number-one singles]]
[[Category:RPM Top Singles number-one singles]]
[[Category:Songs written by Holland–Dozier–Holland]]
[[Category:Song recordings produced by Brian Holland]]
[[Category:Song recordings produced by Lamont Dozier]]
[[Category:Motown singles]]
[[Category:Shakin' Stevens songs]]
[[Category:1967 singles]]
[[Category:Song recordings produced by Johnny Bristol]]
[[Category:Wand Records singles]]