Album Content and Covers

[mofreaktown]

During the 60s at Motown, how was the content on albums decided and who developed the concept of the album covers. I know in many cases, an album was released riding on the coatails of a hit single. But was it an individual or committee that chose the songs and the concept for the cover. Also, who determined the specialty albums that were released on artists like Liverpool and Sam Cooke by the Supremes. I know that it was because of the British Invasion and Sam Cooke's death but who and how was it decided on.

[FloBallardFan2017]

I believe Berry Gordy came up with an album idea and then he had a group of people, Quality Control, decide what was release worthy or not. By the was, the 2 Supremes albums you mentioned, are 2 of my favorites.

[huntergettingcaptured]

What a GREAT question! Lately, I've really been getting into my Motown albums, almost studying them. I too wondered about how the albums were put together. Especially with all the unreleased material coming out, it makes me wonder even more what thought went into choosing songs for these LPs. I scratch my head sometimes when I hear an amazing song that went unreleased and then compare it to something that got onto an album. I'd love to hear too how they came up with the album titles/concepts. There are a few album covers that I sometimes think, wow, the creative juices were really dry that day, while others are just incredible [[The Original Spinners cover is as fascinating today as it was years ago when I found it.)

[nathanj06]

This is a great thread as I've often wondered on who decided on how an album cover should look. Most of them now are very dated but that's understandable. One that sticks in my mind is the overblown controversy regarding "Stoned Love" as a title then changing it to "New Ways But Love Stays", then releasing the single anyway. I totally agree with Mary Wilson's concept for the cover and here's my own mock up for it. That pink cover design was horrendous.
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[Mark Desjardines]

Nathan, superb job on your mock up cover for the new Supremes album. I've noticed that European ep disc covers used photos of the various Tamla/Motown artists that were way better and hipper than the North American album releases. Berry Gordy wasn't shy about going the full route with his Black Forum label releases, but seemed somewhat hesitant to go the distance with his more pop orientated releases as far as visual presentation. Thanks to modern technology we can now make our own cover designs, such as you've done, SO well!

[longtimefan]

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Great work, Nathan. I often pictured something similar, with the famous black and white pictures tinted dark blue. p.s. I always thought the silly pink cover looked like some junior high school student's art class project!! LOL [[Not to insult junior high students -- Ha Ha).

[nathanj06]

Thank you Mark & longtimefan. There were so many possibilities and the blue tint is another nice idea. This album and "Touch" should have both done so much better but they did well on the R&B chart. Then again at that time singles were sold more. Anyway, the above examples show a striking difference to that pink "mess". Don't be afraid to say it longtimefan, it's fact. lol And also I would never attempt to change the Touch cover. It was perfect.

[Boogiedown]

good cover mock up and a couple of them do indeed look stoned !! lol!

Diana tried a similar look months later:

https://i.ebayimg.com/thumbs/images/g/JEQAAOSwEeFU95YX/s-l225.jpg

with tepid results .

as an aside ,
I've always heard STONED LOVE as being sung stone love and wiki says that is indeed the case and that's what the title should be. Someone along the way at Motown screwed it up and nobody caught it !!!!:o:eek:

[nathanj06]

Thanks Boogiedown. It's true that it was to be "Stone Love" and then it was misprinted on label copy I believe and shipped that way so it was left as "Stoned Love". I always thought it was "Stone" as well. Don't forget, Diana did it again in 1976. I just happen to be a fan of b&w.

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[sup_fan]

I've had a lot of fun with iTunes playlists and have essentially created my own albums for much of the Sup output and several others

Supremes - played around with A Go Go through Cream and kept things more to full concepts. I switched some AGG and SHDH, Reflections focused more on the psychedelic stuff, Love Child becomes a full concept lp with serious and socially relevant songs, LSI goes two ways - one as a tribute almost to smokey and another heavy on the pop. cream becomes a bit more of a late 60s "mature" album with some of the various tracks taken from vaults and ones i'd replaced from other lps. Plus I've done a version of Promises Kept and a pop version of Sup 75 and a dance version of Sup 75. Or what if Sup 75 had been released as a 2 lp set? :)

Marvelettes - there should have been an album in early 65 with Too Many Fish, I'll Keep Holding On and Danger as the core songs. then pulling their vaulted material from that time and b sides. not really a concept lp but certainly stands up as a set

Vandellas - I think Riding High could have gone into what I call "country soul" with Honey Chile, Honey Love, Sweet Darlin', Forget me not and a bunch of others.

Ross 78 - I've done a Feelin Fun disco lp and a pop/ballad set

last Time I saw him - I know they were using this release to test out a variety of new producers, hence some of the disconnect. I've gone through this, Touch Me and To Baby and re-organized all three to be separate projects

[Boogiedown]

I just happen to be a fan of b&w.


Diana was too I guess
https://i.ebayimg.com/thumbs/images/g/VZAAAOSwRUhY-d6l/s-l225.jpg

[BigAl]

...the overblown controversy regarding "Stoned Love" as a title...
Even at the time, I thought "Stoned Love" was a very odd title, because I can't remember anyone ever using "stoned" as a superlative modifier like that. Everyone said, "stone," as in "stone groove," or "stone fox," without a "d." [[Remember the Stylistics' song, "I'm Stone in Love with you?") Had Wilson and Thomas dropped the "d" and titled the song "Stone Love," it's likely the controversy might not have happened at all. I've read that Kenny Thomas actually did originally title the song "Stone Love," and it remains a mystery why they changed it. "Stone Love," though odd, would have nonetheless encompassed the concept of a big, universal love, which is what the song is about, while "Stoned Love" instead connoted people toking up and screwing. Does anyone know what motivated the addition of the "d?"

[nathanj06]

Hi BigAl, I think I mentioned this somewhere on here but I had often wondered the same thing. Recently I did read that the title was "Stone Love" but records were being pressed and the label copy was misprinted as "Stoned Love" and it was simply overlooked and left go. How true that is, I don't know. Being very young at the time I was a little confused about the title until I was learning the lyrics and then I understood. Jean's first six singles [[including The Tops) were amazing.