Outside of Motown, competitors included such the duo of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller from New York and Phil Spector of Los Angeles.

Holland-Dozier-Holland responded with "When the Lovelight Starts Shining Through His Eyes", a song that was both modeled after and crafted as a response to Spector's Wall of Sound production methods.

Released on October 31, 1963, "When the Lovelight Starts Shining Through His Eyes" was the Supremes' first Top 40 pop hit since signing with Motown in 1961.

Allmusic critic William Ruhlmann stated that the song "has many of the elements that would contribute to the group's amazing string of major hits between 1964 and 1967, including a massive drum sound augmented with handclaps, driving music anchored by a saxophone, and Diana Ross' keening voice.

"[5] Ruhlmann attributed the relative lack of success compared to later Supremes hit to a less "streamlined sound" and to perhaps being "too busy, with the glorified 'Bo Diddley' beat of the verses changing to a more regular one for the choruses and a mix of instruments that sometimes overwhelmed the singers.