The Supremes in disco era

Marcio** · December 16th, 2004, 10:09 PM

According to WCBSFM Hall Of Fame, the Supremes recorded some dance numbers during the disco era...

The Supremes continued their run in the pop, R&B, international and dance club charts through 1977. "Automatically Sunshine", another Smokey production, and the Stevie Wonder creation, "Bad Weather" were major U.K. hits for the group in the Seventies, and the Supremes welcomed Lynda Laurence to the lineup at Cindy Birdsong's departure. A new arrival in 1974, Scherrie Payne sang lead on the supercharged dance numbers "I'm Gonna Let My Heart Do the Walking", "You're My Driving Wheel" and "Let Yourself Go".

What song above do you recommend?

http://www.wcbsfm.com/hall_of_fame-a...00000000000074

**FrontPage22** · December 17th, 2004, 06:06 AM

Any of the three!

"Let Yourself Go" is my fave by far & away. A gem and sounds awesome today as it must've been back then. "High Energy" is great too, but more for the effects it uses and the laid back vibe it has. Def ahead of it's time.

**ComputerDisco** · December 17th, 2004, 09:39 AM

I think "I'm gonna let my heart do the walkin'" is a really good song, and if I recall, was a decent chart hit - on the dance charts, anyway, maybe not the pop charts. I first heard that song on one of those "Billboard" compliation discs, 1976 Dance Hits. Which, for a Billboard issued comp was excellent (the only thing I didn't like on it was "Mighty High" by Mighty Clouds of Joy).

Always liked that song ever since.

**markydefad** · December 17th, 2004, 12:49 PM

Don't forget "He's My Man" & "Where Do I Go From Here" from 1975. The same LP ( creatively titled "The Supremes") also charted "Color My World Blue" and "This Is Why I Believe."

These tunes are on the Billboard charts I'm typing now for the summer period of 1975. The following year "I'm Gonna Let My Heart Do the Walking" will be their biggest disco era hit.

"High Energy" also charted with "IGLMHDTW"....and is a nice one also.

**Mixmachine** · December 17th, 2004, 03:21 PM

Marcio, my fave is "I'm gonna let my heart.." off the "High Energy" '76 Lp, (this cut is available in Siano's Gallery CD), this was a popular club record BITD, I don't have this LP here with me so I don't recall the rest of it but the "Mary, Scherrie and Susaye" lp contains the other cuts, this Lp has other great danceable soulful 70's club tunes to offer, "Let yourself go" is an up-tempo number (128 bpm, featured in one of Levan's cd) with great vocals and very early disco sound, "Love I never knew you could feel so good" is another up-tempo fun cut (136 bpm) with heavy disco influence, great strings work and heavy bass, "you are my driving wheel" is more on the funky side reminiscent of the Pointer sisters style, another powerful cut "sweet dream machine" features soulful vocals with hypnotic bass line and “Come into my life” is also great with killer bass line and conga break, like I said this Lp (or Cd?) is great, if you can find it grab it!...

I need to check on that ’75 “The Supremes” Lp, don’t recall any of those cuts, need to find a cover scan to shake loose my memory…… :-?

**neonlights** · December 17th, 2004, 08:33 PM

It's great to see some love for The 70s Supremes here!

The Mary, Scherrie & Susaye album is just an awesome album all the way through - I just can't say that enough.. The album (including the ballads) is flawless in my opinion.. I entered it into the disco LP listings a few months ago: http://www.discomusic.com/records-more/2397_0_2_0_C/

So far it's not available on CD, but there are a bunch of Supremes fans (including myself) asking Motown/Hip-O Select to include this album in their next round of Supremes reissues (see: http://boards.motown.com/summary.asp...%5FAP551781707)

Aside from the tracks mentioned "Early Morning Love" from their self-titled album is great too .. I also love Mary Wilson's solo debut, the funky "Red Hot" from '79 - both the album and disco versions.. she's totally doing a James Brown on that one! 8)

**Paulo** · December 18th, 2004, 03:01 AM

Do you remember Marcio, The Supremes had a hit here in Brazil around 1972 with the song FLOY JOY. Not disco, but great R&B.

**jitm** · December 18th, 2004, 11:23 AM

Nathan Jones was a cut ahead of it's time. It had all the audio effects one would hear today on a dance number today. Just fierce!!!!

**jitm** · December 18th, 2004, 12:18 PM

Nathan Jones was ahead of it's time. All sound effects in that tune are heard in today's dance music. That cut is fierce!!!

**markydefad** · December 18th, 2004, 02:20 PM

For that matter, listen to "Stoned Love"--great dance record!!!! :D :D :D

**jitm** · December 18th, 2004, 02:37 PM

Stoned Love is a great song..BUT..it had no audio effects that you can still hear in dance music today...Nathan Jones is the an incredible song...

**markydefad** · December 18th, 2004, 05:16 PM

"Nathan Jones" is also extremely fast--over 150 bpms...not a great dance tempo...better for aerobics classes. Not that there's anything wrong with that!!!!

Or you could mix it between "Right Back Where We Started From" by Maxine Nightingale and "Maniac" by Michael Sembello!!! for an aerobic workout to rival Jane Fonda's!!!

**NickNack** · December 18th, 2004, 05:44 PM

Originally Written by markydefad

For that matter, listen to "Stoned Love"--great dance record!!!! :D :D :D

And then get the Hot Tracks remix titled, "Stoned Love '91". Remix was done in '89 or '90. Very nice extension of the song.

UP THE LADDER TO THE ROOF from their "Right On" album also got some club play.

The album version of 'IGLMHDTW' is better, I should say, longer, than the version on the Siano CD. The intro runs a full 16-beats before the vocals come in.

**markydefad** · December 18th, 2004, 05:53 PM

Nicky, I swear I could dance to the original "Stoned Love" with no updating or beat-enhancement. of any sort. I played all my old Supremes stuff recently and this record stood out above the crowd. It rocks!!!! :D :D :D

**jitm** · December 18th, 2004, 06:05 PM

Yeah, it is kind of fast, BUT..so is Thompson Twins..Lies..Evelyn King..Shame..B52's...Love Shack..just to name a few...all club hits..Nathan Jones would fit right in with them...on the dancefloor...not in a gym.

**Stan** · December 18th, 2004, 07:23 PM

Nicky, I swear I could dance to the original "Stoned Love" with no updating or beat-enhancement. of any sort. I played all my old Supremes stuff recently and this record stood out above the crowd. It rocks!!!!

Just had to say that this was the first ever record i bought from NEW.
We were all into tape recorders then (reel to reel you know the ones). But i begged my parents for a record player & got the one, you know like a suit case with a hinged lid. So at first i bought bought ex jukebox from the shop where i did my paper round (cheaper).
But then, i went out & bought my first ever NEW record.
Such a memory & Tamla Motown, what a start, you must be born into liking certain types of music & fortunately i was into the right stuff.
I could have ended up a heavy metal freak aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhggggggggggggggg!!!! !!!!!!!!
Brings back such memories, brilliant track, sorry to rant on but........................
Given my age away now, nearly :oops:

**jitm** · December 19th, 2004, 10:59 AM

We all have moments in discodum that we cherish. I remember when I had Donna's 45 of "Try me..." which was a little over 4 minutes long, then finding the album version..over 17 minutes of pure heaven. A feeling I will never forget.

**markydefad** · December 20th, 2004, 03:10 PM

For the record, Nathan Jones by The Supremes is 160 bpm. That's around the tempo of Joe Jackson's " Steppin' Out.

It be reeeeeeeal FAAAAAAAST.

OH, and BTW, I actually went out and found a sealed copy of that last Supremes LP : "Mary, Scherrie & Susaye" on Saturday at Amoeba. I never had this LP before. :oops:

**Mixmachine** · December 20th, 2004, 08:34 PM

I'm trying to find a scan and/or info on the '75 "The Supremes" Lp and found this un-flattering review instead, was this Lp this bad?

"Flailing wildly, the company brought in a horde of producers, hoping somebody could make a hit with the group, which now featured Scherrie Payne on lead vocals (Birdsong also made a brief comeback). But nothing works: Brian Holland contributed a couple of weak ballads ("Early Morning Love"), Hal Davis ponied up with a ridiculous attempt at gospel shouting ("This Is Why I Believe In You"), and track after track is totally generic ("Color My World Blue"). Payne's voice is fine, but not nearly enough to save this pile of hackneyed compositions, mostly midtempo or slow. One of the only signs of life is the frantic "He's My Man," which climbed to #1 on the Disco chart despite (or because of) mindless lyrics. Even fans of the post-Diana group should hesitate before buying this. (DBW)"

**markydefad** · December 20th, 2004, 08:40 PM

That review is WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY TOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO HARSH!!!!

:evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil:

It's not their greatest LP--but if ya like em, you will like it.

**neonlights** · December 20th, 2004, 09:20 PM

yeah that review was much too harsh.. That must have come from Wilson & Alroy's Record Reviews site.. I find they're way too harsh on a lot of things, particularly when it comes to anything disco... sometimes I'm not even sure if they know what they're talking about, because "Early Morning Love" is certainly not a ballad.. granted some of the tracks are generic, but it's nowhere near as bad as they put it out to be..

OH, and BTW, I actually went out and found a sealed copy of that last Supremes LP : "Mary, Scherrie & Susaye" on Saturday at Amoeba. I never had this LP before. :oops:

wow it's about time! :) Hope you like it!

**Mixmachine** · December 20th, 2004, 10:37 PM

Well, it pays to check my own CD collection first :lol: :lol: I found an '83 "compact command performances" Greatest hits CD, (very early CD issue?) with "Up the ladder.." "Stone love" :D and "Nathan Jones" the effects in this song are what we called in the DJ world "phasing" (sp?) BITD. Anyways, I had forgotten all about this cuts :cry: I found a pricey Motown double CD "70's Anthology" The Supremes, that has all the 70's hits (49 songs)including all those that charted on Billboard off "The Supremes" LP, let's see if I can find a better deal....

**Mixmachine** · February 3rd, 2005, 01:53 PM

Originally Written by NickNack

Originally Written by markydefad

For that matter, listen to "Stoned Love"--great dance record!!!! :D :D :D

And then get the Hot Tracks remix titled, "Stoned Love '91". Remix was done in '89 or '90. Very nice extension of the song.

I used to play but forgot all about another fine version by 'Sweet Brandy' out of Canada ('82) , this one adds bass similar to Bobby Orlando's productions but still keeps the 4 on the floor drums, vocals are fine but without the intro on the Motown original, on side A the bass is less prominent and vocals are pushed forward better revealing the vocalists, especially the lead, funny how today side A sounds much better to my ears than AA my pick back then..... All and all pretty decent cover....

http://bellsouthpwp.net/m/i/mixmach/Stone_Love.jpg