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Supremes

The Supremes (LP)

Motown Record Corporation (US) / 1975 / M6-828S1
12" LP-album 33 ⅓ rpm vinyl record

Producers: Greg Wright, Brian Holland, Mark Davis, Michael Lloyd, Hal Davis, Clayton Ivey, Terry Woodford

Songwriters: G. Wright, K. Patterson, Harold Beatty, Brian Holland, Eddie Holland, S. Brown III, R. Brown, E. Brown, D. Lambert, B. Potter, M.B. Sutton, Pam Sawyer, T. Woodford, G. Soule', F. Johnson, C. Ivey, B. Wyrick, B. Mann, C. Weil

Engineers for Holland/Dozier/Holland Productions, Inc.: L.T. Horn and Fred Ross
Mixing Engineers: Russ Terrana and Arthur Stewart
Art Direction: Katarina Pettersson
Cover Photo: Lisa Powers

SIDE 1:
1-He's My Man (2:55)
2-Early Morning Love (3:11)
3-Where Is It I Belong (3:53)
4-It's All Been Said Before (2:30)
5-This Is Why I Believe In You (3:10)

SIDE 2:
1-You Can't Stop A Girl In Love (2:31)
2-Color My World Blue (2:32)
3-Give Out, But Don't Give Up (2:33)
4-Where Do I Go From Here (3:29)
5-You Turn Me Around (2:30)

After lead singer Jean Terrell and short-term Supreme Lynda Laurence left The Supremes in 1973, original Supreme Mary Wilson (the only Supreme from beginning to end) regrouped with returning Supreme Cindy Birdsong, and a new lead singer, the powerhouse Scherrie Payne; former co-lead singer of Glass House, and sister of Freda Payne. This grouping of The Supremes is usually noted as the "sexiest" incarnation of the group.

It had been nearly two years between their last album, 'The Supremes Produced And Arranged By Jimmy Webb', and 'The Supremes', so the girls had to step up their game and catch up with the times - disco. After lots of recording, the finished product was an uneven mixed bag that unfortunately didn't go over too well, charting at #152 pop; #25 R&B. Songs from the album were promoted on American Bandstand and other shows.

Originally, the first single was to be "It's All Been Said Before", but was cancelled. In place of that track, "He's My Man" was released, charting #1 dance and #69 R&B. The second single "Where Do I Go From Here" charted #3 dance, and #93 R&B. The remainer of this album is mostly disco-oriented tracks, and 2 ballads ("You Turn Me Around" and "Where Is It I Belong" - both leads by Mary Wilson).

The album was only 10 tracks long, but other songs from the sessions have later surfaced. First, a Scherrie Payne lead version of "The Sha-La Bandit" surfaced on the hits compilation 'At Their Best' in 1978. A different mix with the same lead surfaced on 'The Supremes 70's Greatest Hits And Rare Classics' in the early 90's. A shared-lead version featuring all 3 members of "The Sha-La Bandit" was issued on 'The Supremes - The 70's Anthology' in 2002, along with the unreleased tracks from these sessions - "Bend A Little" and "Can We Love Again"

Other known unreleased tracks from this album have been in circulation as bootlegs over the years, such as "Give Out, But Don't Give Up" (featuring Mary Wilson on lead, instead of Scherrie Payne, who sang on the LP version), "Mr. Boogie", "Dance Fever" aka "I Can't Stop Dancing", "Plant The Seed Of Love", and an alternate version of "Color My World Blue".

'The Supremes' (possibly along with unreleased tracks) will be issued on CD for the very first time via Hip-O Select/Motown Select in late 2005 or sometime in 2006, in "Volume 2" of a 2-part 70's Supremes boxed set.

Submitted by scottb1976 (7)