Nathan Jones” is a success single recorded by The Supremes, launched in spring 1971 (see 1971 in music) on the Motown label. Produced by Frank Wilson and written by Leonard Caston – a.okay.a. Leonard Caston, Jr. – and Kathy Wakefield, “Nathan Jones” was considered one of eight Prime 40 hits the Supremes recorded after its unique frontwoman, Diana Ross, left the group for a solo profession.
The track facilities round a lady’s eager for her former lover, a person named Nathan Jones, who left her practically a 12 months in the past “to ease [his] thoughts.” Struggling via the lengthy separation (“Winter’s previous, spring, and fall”) with none contact or communication between herself and Jones, the narrator is not in love with Jones, remarking that “Nathan Jones/you’ve been gone too lengthy”.
Nathan Jones” is an uncommon entry among the many Supremes’ singles repertoire for a number of causes, not the least of which is the truth that all three members of the group (Jean Terrell, Mary Wilson, and Cindy Birdsong) sing the track’s lead vocal in unison. Clydie King was requested to sing together with the group to provide the track a fuller vocal sound. Whereas engaged on the track, producer Frank Wilson had in thoughts a rock music model of phrasing for the track, ensuing within the unison vocals. The unison vocals would repeatedly be dubbed to create a layered harmonic tone just like that current within the manufacturing of vocal group ABBA.
As well as, Wilson had his engineer, Cal Harris, use what can (now) be thought-about traditional studio sensibilities to take The Funk Brothers‘ backing tracks for “Nathan Jones” and provides them a section shifting sound at varied factors in the course of the track. This was achieved by both utilizing a second recorder (because the Beatles would have carried out) or (much less possible) an outboard processor such because the blue confronted MXR flanger.
Launched as a single on April 15, 1971 with “Glad is a Bumpy Street” because the B-side, “Nathan Jones” peaked at quantity sixteen on the Billboard Pop Singles chart, number-eight on the Billboard R&B chart. Abroad, the one went to quantity 5 on the UK Singles Chart. “Nathan Jones” was essentially the most profitable single launched from the Supremes’ fourteenth common studio album, Contact.
