"Buttered Popcorn" is a 1961 song written by Motown president Berry Gordy and songwriter Barney Ales, produced by Gordy, and released as a Tamla label single by Motown singing group The Supremes. It was the group's second single after signing with Motown Records (and their third overall) as well as their second, and last, single for the Tamla label, before moving to the Motown label. Recording This is not only one of the rare singles to feature Florence Ballard on lead, but the only one with her as the sole lead. The song talks of a woman who's worried that her man is more concerned with eating "buttered popcorn" than anything else, as he eats it "For breakfast, lunch and a dinner too" as well his health "Well it worries me so I don't know what to do" . In the group's early days all of its members got a chance to sing lead on stage and in the recording studio, with Ballard having the role of main lead singer on stage. However Berry Gordy felt that the vocals of Diana Ross had a better chance at the targeted cross-over audience, as Ross had the most pop-sounding voice of the group. 1 line for the verse "more butter" is for the all girls from the group: Florence: When I asked him what was happenin' in the world today. He said... Florence: A more butter; Florence and Mary: More butter; Florence, Mary and Barbara: More butter; Florence, Mary, Barbara and Diane: More. Despite the fact that Ballard's leads were deemed "too soulful", Buttered Popcorn was considered by Motown's Quality Control department to be the best song to be issued as the Supremes' second Motown single. However, Berry Gordy was determined that Ross should be the group's main lead and wanted the group's cover of The Miracles' "Who's Lovin' You" to be the single's A-side. In the end, Gordy and Quality Control compromised; the Ballard-led song would remain the single's A-side, but the single would be promoted as if it was a "double A-side" one. Critical reception Retrospectively, Stevie Chick of The Guardian, listed "Buttered Popcorn" as one of the best 10 Supremes songs. Chick expressed that Ballard was 'A bold, big-voiced belter' and described the song as 'A piece of raw, ribald soul lacking the polish that gilded their [The Supremes'] later hits'. Also, 'Ballard growls salaciously on Buttered Popcorn that