The 1960s was a time for pop innovation, especially when it came to big productions. With just four tracks to work with in studios, producers had to be creative to flesh out their sound. During this time, songs written and/or produced by Phil Spector, Burt Bacharach, Joe Meek, and Holland-Dozier-Holland were brilliantly and lavishly dressed. These artists and producers helped establish the act of recording as its own art, capable of being as unique as the songs themselves.
Although many recordings featured such lush production practices, Holland–Dozier–Holland’s production on The Supremes’ “Come See About Me” sees the Motown production team peeling back the layers. The song is presented with a minimum of instrumentation in a simple, stripped-down manner. Thanks to the drums and harmonies, the song sounds frenetic, despite the tempo and mood being relatively clam. It’s all about minimalism on this one, and it’s beautiful:
