BCB 100 - The Supremes

[geoffcowgill]

Being Berry Gordy's primary focus for a couple of years ensured that they got some of the best songs. If it hadn't been for that, they wouldn't have been much, would they? Diana Ross is no Gladys Knight. I think I've only heard one proper album by them, but it's a blinder. I love the full-on bombast of "You Keep Me Hangin' On" and "Some Things You Never Get Used To" and "Love Is Like An Itching In My Heart", but the simplicity of "Where Did Our Love Go" is fantastic. I love the bit where the music drops out to just Mary Wilson and Flo Ballard and their "baby baby"s, the claps, and Ross' "ooooh" to bring it all back.

Favorite Album - Sing Holland Dozier and Holland

Favorite Song - "Where Did Our Love Go"

[Mike Boom]

album - some best of or other
song - You Keep Me Hangin On - one of the bestest songs in the universe, especially the bit where everything stops for a second ..."and there aint nothing I can do about it....whoa oah..."

[Clippernolan]

Album - ?

Song - "Someday We'll Be Together"

[doctorlouie]

Couldn't pin down an LP, but the The Ultimate compilation is all I'm ever likely to need.

I have a big soft spot for "Up The Ladder To The Roof"

[The Modernist]

Reflections is probably for me their greatest moment.

Like a few others I'm a bit stumped when it comes to an album, their's is a difficult discography to navigate. So any hints as to a good collection is welcome, it must have a good representation of the post-Diana years though. I like what I've heard of that a lot.

[bixhenry]

Album - The Supremes Sing Holland-Dozier-Holland

Song - 'Reflections'

[K]

Easily 'You Keep me Hangin' On' Some of the greatest 2 minutes and 43 seconds ever committed to disc.

[yomptepi]

Album New ways , but love stays

single Nathan Jones

[andymacandy]

message to anyone who doesn't chose "stoned love":

throw away your entire music collection and take up tea towel collecting. you are only deluding yourself and in the long run you'll save a lot of money.

Is Diana Ross on that one?

Good call, fair enough, but is it better than "Love Child"?
Not quite.

[Beno]

Doesn't seem to get much acclaim these days as one of the great singers but I really do like her distinctive vocals.

Albumwise I wouldn't have a clue but I'll add another vote for 'Reflections'.

[Penk!]

Don't know anything about them really. Baby Love is a song I've always loved but that's because it was on a '60s comp I played to death when I was little, aside from that I've only knowingly heard a few songs.

[andymacandy]

message to anyone who doesn't chose "stoned love":

throw away your entire music collection and take up tea towel collecting. you are only deluding yourself and in the long run you'll save a lot of money.

Is Diana Ross on that one?

no. even more reason to love it.

Good call, fair enough, but is it better than "Love Child"?

yes, by a country mile. they did at least a dozen songs better than that, andy.

And you are usually so good on this stuff!

[Oscar]

message to anyone who doesn't chose "stoned love":

throw away your entire music collection and take up tea towel collecting. you are only deluding yourself and in the long run you'll save a lot of money.

Is Diana Ross on that one?

no. even more reason to love it.

Good call, fair enough, but is it better than "Love Child"?

yes, by a country mile. they did at least a dozen songs better than that, andy.

The answer is 'Love Child'. I know because I was there and took several photos to prove it. Now get back to bed you girl.

To be honest I have a big soft spot for 'Stoned Love'.

I may opt out of this one. Too difficult to choose.

[Jeff K]

message to anyone who doesn't chose "stoned love":

throw away your entire music collection and take up tea towel collecting. you are only deluding yourself and in the long run you'll save a lot of money.

I'll have to put my tea towel collecting on hold because 'Stoned Loved' is my favorite Supremes song. Who cares if Diana Ross didn't sing it, Nancy Wilson was a better singer anyway.

For the album - The Essential

[The Write Profile]

Reflections is probably for me their greatest moment.
.

Yes, although it's made a bit unpleasant here by the fact that a very muzak cover of that song features in an add for Viagra. Old people trying to get frisky is not the most pleasant associated images. But the intro to that song is rather strange isn't it? Must've sounded quite startling at the time. Good lyric, too, in the sense that it fits.

I've got the Supremes 2-Disc Anthology, so I have more than enough material by them. Diana Ross isn't much of a singer, perhaps, but she was very good at using what she had, listen again to even an old chestnut like "You Can't Hurry Love" and the manner she turns the song into a conversation. Another point being that the Supremes best songs feature some of the greatest basslines in pop, thanks to the one and only James Jamerson (I assume it's him most of the time).

Hell, I even like the sheer brashness of something like "When My Lovelight Comes Shining Through", a song that's bordering on a marching parade stomp. Actually, that first Disc might just go on the stereo now, so many great songs, even if it's all in the arrangements, rather than Ross's singing, for most of it.

"The Happening" is rubbish, though.

[The Write Profile]

Yes Reflections it is. Taken from any comp.

"The Happening" is rubbish, though.

What makes you say that ? It's quite good actually.

I don't know, perhaps it's the fact that everything else on the first disc is so good, but that sounds almost like a parody of people's perceptions of the Supremes. Perhaps not so much rubbish as overly chintzy, the intro is really leaden for one, and the singing is just rather trite. Not sure really, it just sounds so airheaded. But yeah, maybe it's not so bad- just inferior to pretty much everything that surrounds it on that comp.

"Nothing but Heartaches" is another classic, too, surprised that hasn't been mentioned yet.

[take5_d_shorterer]

Being Berry Gordy's primary focus for a couple of years ensured that they got some of the best songs. If it hadn't been for that, they wouldn't have been much, would they?

A long time ago, I heard a documentary on Atlantic Records in which they played the Leiber and Stoller track "On Broadway" in two versions. The second was the one that we all know by the Drifters. The first was by a not so well-known group that cut the track before the Drifters got ahold of the tune. I don't know anything about the Cookies, but the lead singer sounds a lot like Diana Ross. As the Cookies sang this, it's not a bad song, but it simply isn't the same as when the Drifters sing it. I mean, the way the band sounds on the hit, it almost sounds as if it were The Who playing behind them.

What about Diana Ross then? Listen to the tracks for Jamerson's bass lines. All this breathy stuff on top though feels like that recycled wind that you get standing next to the subway platform.

[BARON CORNY DOG]

All this breathy stuff on top though feels like that recycled wind that you get standing next to the subway platform.

Note to self: Leave the swamp for a place with subways.

[take5_d_shorterer]

You think I'm joking, but I'm not.

All that "baby, baby" reminds me of this: . All just endless tease and titillation, but it's all just air. There's no nourishment in this.

[BARON CORNY DOG]

You think I'm joking, but I'm not.

All that "baby, baby" reminds me of this: . All just endless tease and titilation, but it's all just air. There's no nourishment in this.

There's no nourishment in cotton candy, but it tastes good.