Motown chief Berry Gordy was displeased with the performance of "Nothing but Heartaches," and circulated a memo around the Motown offices that read as follows: We will release nothing less than Top Ten product on any artist; and because the Supremes' world-wide acceptance is greater than the other artists, on them we will only release number-one records.Holland-Dozier-Holland therefore set about breaking their formula and trying something new.

The result was "I Hear a Symphony," a song with a more complex musical structure than previous Supremes releases.

"Symphony" was released as a single in place of another Holland-Dozier-Holland Supremes song, "Mother Dear", which had been recorded in the same style as their earlier hits.

[4] Billboard called the song a "blockbuster" as well as a "well-written rhythm ballad with pulsating beat and top vocal work.

"[5] Cash Box described it as a "rhythmic, medium-paced romancer about a lucky gal who’s head-over-heels in love with the special guy of her dreams.