The Motown Sound Collection, Part 1 The Supremes
Some of the greatest pop and soul music of all time was released by the vaunted Motown label and its subsidiaries and now thanks to the folks at Elemental Music fans can add newly-reissued titles on vinyl to their collection. Elemental's reissue program is extensive so we'll tell you about the rereleases in several parts; here in the first part we listen to titles from one of Motown's mightiest groups: the Supremes. All pressings are on 140-gram vinyl.
The Supremes - A Bit of Liverpool - (Mono)
This title is not one of the better-known releases from the Supremes but it has long been highly sought after by those in the know and will make fans very happy now that it is once again available on wax. Originally released in 1964 as the Beatles were taking over the world, the trio of Diana Ross, Mary Wilson and Florence Ballard here pay tribute to the "Merseyside" sound with covers of hits by the Fab Four, Mitch Murray and the Dave Clark Five. The girls sound bright and chipper on Murray's "How Do You Do It" to open the effort; other Side 1 standouts include a take on "House of the Rising Sun" where the group gets a chance to sound uncharacteristically eerie, a rocking take on "A Hard Day's Night" and, on a non-Merseyside take, a sultry cover of Smokey Robinson's "You've Really Got a Hold on Me." Side 2 is a real gem stacked with three Beatles hits including "I Want to Hold Your Hand" and finishing with a charming rendition of Dave Clark's "Bits and Pieces."
The Supremes - We Remember Sam Cooke
This album was originally released in early 1965 just months after Cooke had passed away in December of 1964. Consisting of 11 songs in all, mostly self-penned (a few are written by others but deeply associated with Cooke), the set contains the biggies that you would expect including a gently swinging take on "You Send Me," the hopeful whimsy of "Cupid," the soul workout of "Chain Gang" complete with the gals mimicking grunts coming from the hard working chain gang, and the tender "Bring it On Home to Me." Usually relegated to background and harmony vocals, Florence Ballard handles lead vocals on the album's closing track "(Ain't That) Good News."
The Supremes - I Hear a Symphony - (Green colored vinyl)
The girls began developing their own sound here as they utilized the vaunted songwriting team of Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier and Eddie Holland who provided four tunes including the big hits "My World is Empty Without You" and title cut "I Hear a Symphony." Holland-Dozier-Holland also produced the album and their easily identifiable sound informs the entire album including on the upbeat pop of "He's All I Got," a cover of the Beatles hit "Yesterday" and a take on the oft-covered "Unchained Melody" with backing by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. Other guests on the album include the Funk Brothers and singers the Andantes.
Diana Ross and the Supremes - Love Child
Released in 1968, this was the 15th album released by the trio, now going by Diana Ross and the Supremes to give Ross the top billing she deserved. The album is notable for a couple of reasons; it found the group moving away from the Holland-Dozier-Holland sound and did not work with them at all on this effort, and also because the song "Love Child" took them to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, a place they hadn't seen for a while. Besides that big hit the girls turned in solid takes on several Ashford & Simpson songs, "Keep an Eye," "Some Things You Never Get Used To" and "You Ain't Livin' Till You're Lovin'" as well as a delightful take on Smokey Robinson's "He's My Sunny Boy" and the horn-enhanced lilt of "How Long Has That Evening Train Been Gone."
