This song made me so happy when I was six years old and it still makes me feel like a kid again. The 60's were tumultuous and this music was focused on keeping you distracted and dancing around the radio. My brother was more into the Beatles, I love the Beatles too but for sheer joy of music to dance to, The Supremes win hands down. Especially this period before they became Diana Ross & The Supremes when they were super glamorous, they sounded like girls who were having a great time making great music.
The group once known around Motown as the "No hit Supremes" had by 1966 become the biggest stars in the Motown stable with "You Can't Hurry Love" becoming their ninth #1 Hot100 hit for two weeks starting September 10, 1966.
The song came about when Holland, Dozier and Holland were riffing of off an earlier #1 hit for the Supremes, "Come See About Me" that involved some gospel style vocals. That coupled with the go-go music beat in full swing led to their 1966 LP "The Supremes A Go Go" that contained blistering Motown dance songs like "Love Is Like An Itching In My Heart" and "You Can't Hurry Love".
It was harder for the three women to crack the UK #1 spot and "Baby Love" became their only #1 UK hit. In the US, it was so strong a single that it stopped the Beatles "Yellow Submarine" #2 single from topping the chart.
Phil Collins covered the song in 1982 and it peaked at #10 on the Hot100. There has also been comparisons made between the nearly identical opening bass lines of "You Can't Hurry Love" with "Maneater" by Hall & Oates.
