You Can't Hurry Love

"You Can't Hurry Love" is a number-one single originally recorded by The Supremes for the Motown label, released during the summer of 1966. Sixteen years later, the song again became a number-one hit when Phil Collins rerecorded the song. It reached number-one on the UK Singles Chart for two weeks beginning in January 1983.

Overview
The song itself, a memory of a mother's words of encouragement ("My mama said 'you can't hurry love/No you just have to wait'") telling her daughter that with patience she will find that special someone one day, is an example of the strong influence of gospel music present in much of R&B and soul music. "You Can't Hurry Love" also showcases the developing sound of The Supremes, who were progressing from their earlier teen-pop into more mature themes and musical arrangements. This song and "You Keep Me Hangin' On" were finished together; when it came time to choose which single would be issued first, Motown's Quality Control department chose "You Can't Hurry Love".

Written and produced by Motown's main production team, Holland–Dozier–Holland, "You Can't Hurry Love" is one of the signature Supremes songs, and also one of Motown's signature releases. The single became The Supremes' seventh number-one hit, topping the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart for two weeks, from September 4, 1966 to September 17, 1966, and reaching number one on the soul chart for two weeks. The girl group performed the song on the CBS variety program The Ed Sullivan Show on Sunday, September 25, 1966.

"You Can't Hurry Love" was the second single from the Supremes' album The Supremes A' Go-Go. It reached the #1 position on the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart in the United States, and #3 in the United Kingdom. The Supremes' version of the song is honored by inclusion in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's permanent collection of 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.

In 1967 has been recorded an Italian language version, entitled L'amore verrà (Love will come). Five years later (1972) it was recorded in French by Claude François, entitled "Une Fille et des Fleurs" ("A girl and flowers")

Personnel

 * Lead vocals by Diana Ross
 * Credited background vocals by Mary Wilson and Florence Ballard (Actual background vocals by Mary Wilson and Marlene Barrow)
 * Instrumentation by The Funk Brothers

Phil Collins version
The most notable cover of the song was released in late 1982 as a single by Phil Collins from his second solo album, Hello, I Must Be Going! Collins' version reached number-one on the UK Singles Chart (becoming his first number-one solo hit in the UK and peaking two positions higher than the original song did in that country), and reached number 10 in the United States. Although Collins had previously done covers as album tracks (of Genesis' "Behind the Lines" and The Beatles' "Tomorrow Never Knows" on Face Value), "You Can't Hurry Love" was the first cover he released as a single. Collins' version was the first track on the very first Now That's What I Call Music CD. On the second repeat of the chorus, he replaces "How Much More Can I Take" with "How Much More Must I Take."

Personnel

 * Phil Collins - drums, vocals, tambourine
 * Daryl Stuermer - guitars
 * John Giblin - bass
 * Peter Robinson - piano, glockenspiel, vibraphone
 * Strings arranged by Martyn Ford

Other Cover versions
Other notable recordings of "You Can't Hurry Love" include versions by Stray Cats, who released their cover as the flipside of their "Rock This Town" single and the Dixie Chicks (on the soundtrack of the film Runaway Bride). Konami's GuitarFreaks/DrumMania Bemani music video game series also includes a cover, sung by Paula Terry. In the popular sitcom Sister, Sister, Tia Mowry, her sister Tamera Mowry, and Alexis Fields cover the song. Carmen Rasmusen on Season 2 of American Idol, Brandon Rogers on Season 6, and Scott MacIntyre on Season 8 performed live covers of "You Can't Hurry Love".

The song was also sung by Whoopi Goldberg's character in the 1986 film Jumpin' Jack Flash, when she attempts to infiltrate a party at the British Embassy in New York, disguised as the evening's entertainment.

The song is covered by the company Wavegroup for the game Karaoke Revolution Presents: American Idol Encore.

During a weekend getaway on an episode of A Different World, Ron, Dwayne, Kim, Freddie and Ernest sing "You Can't Hurry Love," with Whitley imitating Diana Ross' stage persona.

In 2008, Toni Gonzaga and Vhong Navarro did a duet version of the song. It was used as the soundtrack for their movie My Only U.

In 2009, MySpace/DGC recording artist Meiko recorded a remake of the song for use in an ABC Family made-for-TV film titled My Fake Fiance.

In 2010, pop punk band A loss for Words recorded this song for their albun Motown Classics.

The song's drum beat has also been used in Iggy Pop's "Lust for Life", Hall & Oates' "Maneater", The Strokes' "Last Nite", The Jam's "Town Called Malice", Jet's "Are You Gonna Be My Girl", and Hanson's "Lost Without Each Other".