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It may sound a little hard to believe, but Motown was late to the "disco party."
Motown Founder and President Berry Gordy, Jr. was not a fan of disco, and although he was known for making odd decisions (as well making hits), his logic on disco was rather sound--or rather ABOUT "sound."
In short, he felt the music didn't "sound" like Detroit. It sounded like New York...or Miami...or Europe. And in 1976, that was pretty accurate.
But things were about to change.
Motown producer Hal Davis thought he'd give disco a try, so he gathered a crack squad of musicians, plied them with alcohol and recorded them in a dimly-lit studio in the middle of the night to get a slow, sexy groove that increased in speed and intensity as it went along (sort of like Donna Summer's "Love to Love You Baby," one of the sexiest songs ever recorded).
The next step: get Diana Ross to record "Love Hangover." Unfortunately, Diana wasn't a fan of disco, either. Plus she was extremely uncomfortable with the suggestive lyrics.
The solution? Another late night recording session and plenty of vodka for Diana (her favorite libation). Hal even had the studio decorated with flashing lights to suggest a disco atmosphere.
After a while--and a few drinks--Diana loosened up and started to enjoy herself, improvising and chuckling her way through the song.
Hal thought "Love Hangover" turned out to be a "Great Song," perfect for releasing as the lead single from Diana's 1976 self-titled album.
Berry, of course, disagreed.
Ignoring Hal's enthusiasm, and turning a deaf ear to club jocks around the country who were already playing and praising the song, Berry ordered the first single to be a ballad called "I Thought It Took a Little Time."
But then fate stepped in when The Fifth Dimension their own version of "Love Hangover."
Well, Berry was not about to be topped by a Motown song by a non-Motown group, so he pulled all promotion away from "I Thought It Took a Little Time," and released Diana's version of "Love Hangover."
Before you know it, The Fifth Dimension version tanked and Diana was sitting on top of Billboard's Hot 100 and Soul Charts! It also reached #19 on the Adult Contemporary Chart. In Canada, It went to #5 on the AC Chart and #9 on the Top 40. In the UK, it hit #10.
So Berry had another hit for Motown, but the real credit goes to Hal Davis and especially Diana Ross--who (with the help of a little alcohol) dragged Motown into the disco era with "Love Hangover," a Great Song of 1976!
And for the record, here's The Fifth Dimension's version:
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