Back In My Arms Again - Single Version

This was The Supremes' fifth consecutive #1 hit in the US, following "Where Did Our Love Go," "Baby Love," "Come See About Me" and "Stop! In The Name Of Love." All five were written by the Motown team of Eddie Holland, Lamont Dozier and Brian Holland, known collectively as Holland-Dozier-Holland. "Back In My Arms Again" finds lead singer Diana Ross reunited with her man and determined to keep him, even if it means ignoring her friends' pleas to leave him.

Supremes Mary Wilson and Florence Ballard get a mention in the third verse, starring as two of the friends hectoring Ross to dump her man: How can Mary tell me what to do When she lost her love so true? And Flo, she don't know 'Cause the boy she loves is a romeo In real life, their friendship was strained around this time, with Wilson and Ballard frustrated because Ross had become the focal point of the group. They were happy to get their names mentioned though.

The acoustics in Motown's studio are on display in this track, with a warm, organic reverb that was impossible to replicate elsewhere. Among the musicians on the track were Earl Van Dyke on piano and Mike Terry on saxophone.