It's Time to Breakdown-performed

[luke]

I always thought this was an underrated Supremes song-here they perform it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hg81hDv-AuM

[marv2]

The Supremes at their Soulful, Sexiest!!!!

[luke]

You got that! It's hard to believe Everybodys Got Right To Love and Automatically Sunshine released over this and Together We Can Make Such Sweet Music and Loving Country!

[jobeterob]

As I recall, there was no single subsequent to Stoned Love released off New Ways But Love Stays; I never understood that; I thought It's Time To Break Down was a good candidate for release. What makes the most sense is that as Mary said ~ the albums did not sell, and perhaps the group disarray had already started and Motown didn't know what to do with a group with no direction.

I notice Mark Ribowsky says in the Stevie Wonder book that by 1971, the only Motown acts that mattered were Diana Ross and the Jackson 5.

[marybrewster]

IMO "ITTBD" is too 'slow'. The Supremes were releasing fun/funky/soulful/upbeat songs; this one is a bore.

I would have released "Thank Him For Today" [[wasn't that the flip side of "Stoned Love"?) or "I Wish I Were Your Mirror". Overall, "NWBLS" doesn't have a lot of tracks, so there wasn't much to choose from. At least original material.

[reese]

IMO "ITTBD" is too 'slow'. The Supremes were releasing fun/funky/soulful/upbeat songs; this one is a bore.

I would have released "Thank Him For Today" [[wasn't that the flip side of "Stoned Love"?) or "I Wish I Were Your Mirror". Overall, "NWBLS" doesn't have a lot of tracks, so there wasn't much to choose from. At least original material.

I agree with IT'S TIME TO BREAK DOWN being too slow for a single, although its a great album track. I would have gone with I WISH I WERE YOUR MIRROR as a possible second single.

But Motown had gone on to release RIVER DEEP, MOUNTAIN HIGH by the girls with the Four Tops. So when that hit, that's probably why they never went back to NEW WAYS...

There was a lot of material being released that year [[1970), and in such a short time span. It was probably hard to promote it all effectively.

[topdiva1]

A true undiscovered and underrated classic showing The Supremes at their best. A deep and moody song - with a message and a difficult to perform track - all done flawlessly under the production of Frank Wilson.

[jobeterob]

Well River Deep Mountain High did decently ~ the biggest hit single version of the song; although it is mostly forgotten and dwarfed by Tina Turner and Phil Spector.

Perhaps if the Supremes and Four Tops albums had been a bit more than a lot of covers and filler, they might have sold better; but the albums from the Supremes and Supremes and Four Tops didn't do much.

I wonder if they should have had River Deep Mountain High on New Ways But Love Stay to perk it up a little bit.

You guys are probably right.......there weren't a lot of singles on it and maybe that is what Motown and the group thought.

[topdiva1]

New Ways But Love Stays was apparently an attempt at a Supremes concept album - that was moody, emotional, and a step or two ahead of it's time - It did show the Supremes in NEW WAYS - the vocals are all excellent. However, the fans did not understand this album - instead hey wanted HITS.

[marv2]

Well River Deep Mountain High did decently ~ the biggest hit single version of the song; although it is mostly forgotten and dwarfed by Tina Turner and Phil Spector.

Perhaps if the Supremes and Four Tops albums had been a bit more than a lot of covers and filler, they might have sold better; but the albums from the Supremes and Supremes and Four Tops didn't do much.

I wonder if they should have had River Deep Mountain High on New Ways But Love Stay to perk it up a little bit.

You guys are probably right.......there weren't a lot of singles on it and maybe that is what Motown and the group thought.

Here in New York, ONLY the Supremes and Four Tops version gets played on oldies radio. Never Ike and Tina Turners version as so few people have ever heard it.

[marv2]

"It's Time to Breakdown" was mature, sexy and soulful. It was modern R&B at it's finest. The bubblegum type music the Supremes were recording in the mid-sixties had ran it's course. They were now sexy grown women and I know we loved it! Here is the full recording:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1mS3Jb9nX4

[marv2]

You better breakdown baby.......this is them at their FINEST! hehehehehe!

[REDHOT]

Great song,[[It's time to break down) I think, Tgether we can make sweet music, Could have been a single.
Please stay positive

[ExGuyParis]

I love this song... fine, fine memories of my college days! Thanks so much for the link to the TV clip; I had not seen that before.

[arrr&bee]

With all respect to flo,the 70's supremes were just ...sexy,wow!!!

[captainjames]

New Ways But Love Stays was apparently an attempt at a Supremes concept album - that was moody, emotional, and a step or two ahead of it's time - It did show the Supremes in NEW WAYS - the vocals are all excellent. However, the fans did not understand this album - instead hey wanted HITS.

I am gonna have to agree with this, I loved the girls more than anything at this time but I did not understand this song. Cindy and Mary were so hot to me at this time but songs like Na Na Na Hey Hey Kiss him Goodbye and Come Together were painful to me. I wish Motown had of released "Is There A Place For Me" by them. That was the song I was hoping for. The Supremes were so HIGH ENGERGY and I wanted to slow it down a bit. Of courseI I wish [[and I am going to duck now) that Mary would have recorded "Is There A Place" instead of Jean. This is when I said Motown messed up.

[marv2]

with all respect to flo,the 70's supremes were just ...sexy,wow!!!

period! Lol!!!!

[jobeterob]

Wow............and the Captain bends toward Marv!

I liked New Ways a lot especially Break Down and Bridge Over Troubled Water. But the album definitely did not go over very well. And the albums with the Four Tops either were fast attempts at what worked with the Temptations or they were cheaply thrown together affairs, or both.

I can't quite see Is There A Place being a single.

[marv2]

The Sexy Seventies Supremes!

[rod_rick]

I am gonna have to agree with this, I loved the girls more than anything at this time but I did not understand this song. Cindy and Mary were so hot to me at this time but songs like Na Na Na Hey Hey Kiss him Goodbye and Come Together were painful to me. I wish Motown had of released "Is There A Place For Me" by them. That was the song I was hoping for. The Supremes were so HIGH ENGERGY and I wanted to slow it down a bit. Of courseI I wish [[and I am going to duck now) that Mary would have recorded "Is There A Place" instead of Jean. This is when I said Motown messed up.

I somewhat agree. I could not or can not stand Come Together, but I liked NA NA NA Hey Kiss Him Goodbye. I also think "Is There A Place" would have been a great lead for Mary. I play it in my spin class from time to time as a cool down. The song is so sexy to me. The entire lp with the exception of Come Together is a great lp imo.

[stephanie]

Im glad I am not the only one who thinks Its Time to Break Down would have been a hit single. It is very moody and precursors the kinds of things Donna Summer was going to do although Donna and her productions did it a little better. This record was way ahead of its time and I wish they had done the whole thing instead of breaking into another song. Mary Wilson seems to be the only Supreme who doesnt make mistakes when doing dance steps her movements are fluid and she adapts to each and every personnel change. Very professional in every clip I have seen her in. I Wish I were Your Mirror would have made a good single as well. Come Together ruined that album.

[marv2]

Im glad I am not the only one who thinks Its Time to Break Down would have been a hit single. It is very moody and precursors the kinds of things Donna Summer was going to do although Donna and her productions did it a little better. This record was way ahead of its time and I wish they had done the whole thing instead of breaking into another song. Mary Wilson seems to be the only Supreme who doesnt make mistakes when doing dance steps her movements are fluid and she adapts to each and every personnel change. Very professional in every clip I have seen her in. I Wish I were Your Mirror would have made a good single as well. Come Together ruined that album.

Stephanie, you must be psychic! I was thinking Donna Summer when posting about this great song. The Supremes were forerunners.....

[daviddh]

i thought the lp, NEW WAYS, was a good album but, the covers of COME TOGETHER and BRIDGE OVER... were a bit much and thought Frank Wilson should have used more original songs. loved TOGETHER WE CAN ....TIME TO BREAK DOWN...SHINE ON ME...THANKS HIM FOR TODAY.....and anyone of them could have been a single [imo]. i also think MAY HIS LOVE SHINE ON would have fit this lp much better than COME TOGETHER. i have never cared for this song no matter who sings it but it does have a nice groove. had a second single been issued ,most likely january 71..[as Nathan JONES wasnt issued until may 71], the album may have done much better. why not have a song that was more laid back????? they did release EVERBODYS GOT THE RIGHT and GUESS ILL MISS THE MAN????? i would have preferred more songs from NEW WAYS.
ps IS THERE A PLACE IN HIS HEART FOR ME is an out take from RIGHT ON just for fyi. have a good holiday sdf

[luke]

Is There A Place didnt do much for me--kind of retro and soooo slow. Come Together, Bridge...way over the top but pretty typical for the times.

[bradsupremes]

They should have released "Together We Can Make Such Sweet Music" as the second single from "New Ways But Love Stays." To me, it had potential to be a big hit and was the perfect single material. It was the right song to follow "Stoned Love" as it gave a positive message of unity and love. I always found the Supremes' version to be WAY better than the Spinners' original which was slow and boring. The same goes for the Supremes' version with the Four Tops'. The version they recorded for the "New Ways" album was the right speed, had a groove to it, excellent vocals by Jean, Mary and Cindy and an outstanding string arrangement.

"It's Time To Break Down" is an excellent album cut, but I'm not sure it would have been the right choice to follow "Stoned Love." Maybe if "Together We Can Make Such Sweet Music" was released and became hit, then "It's Time To Break Down" could have been a third single off the album, but there were other songs on the album that were single-worthy like "Shine On Me." "Shine On Me" deserved a shot to be a single. It's one of my favorite tracks by the 70's Supremes and showed Frank Wilson's brilliance as songwriter and producer.

[daviddh]

together we can ...was given to the Spinners as a single 1971 but it bareley made the pop charts but im sure had the supremes released it would have done better

[smark21]

Is There A Place didnt do much for me--kind of retro and soooo slow. Come Together, Bridge...way over the top but pretty typical for the times.

Is There a Place for Us sticks out like a sore thumb on New Ways as it's the song not produced by Frank Wilson. It's a pleasant song, but inconsequential. Bridge may suffer from some overproduction, but it's one of my favorites on the album and I like Come Together [[excellent song). All in all, the Jean era Supremes produced the best body of work, in terms of album quality [[not counting the Supremes/4 Tops), of all the incarnations of the Supremes as more thought was put into what songs should be placed on the album, the sound, production quality and lyrical content. There may not have been as many hits, but the musical content was much better.

[captainjames]

Is There A Place didnt do much for me--kind of retro and soooo slow. Come Together, Bridge...way over the top but pretty typical for the times.

Perhaps I am thinking of when Gladys Knight and The Pips did it and did it so well. I think Mary should have got the lead on this one. It was such a tear jerker.

[marv2]

Do any of you guys realize that this song and the album came out 40 years ago this Fall? ! Amazing!!!!

[jobeterob]

Frightening! I wasn't born yet!

[topdiva1]

Perhaps I am thinking of when Gladys Knight and The Pips did it and did it so well. I think Mary should have got the lead on this one. It was such a tear jerker.

And is anyone can deliver a tear jerker it is Mary Wilson - her delivery of ballards is always on point.