SD Pretends Producer Series: The Supremes vs Diana Ross

[RanRan79]

It's 1974. Jean and Lynda are still Supremes. Motown has the idea to pair the Supremes and Diana up for an album together, similar to The Dells vs The Dramatics. But instead of an album of original tunes, The Supremes vs Diana Ross has the two acts doing each other's songs. You get eleven cuts: five for one and five for the other, with the last song being a duet between the two. What would your tracklist look like?

[[Please refrain from discussing the historical accuracy or legitimacy of the scenario. I am well aware that this would never have occurred in a million years. It's just a discussion about the music and which songs you think each artist could've covered well.)

[RanRan79]

My The Supremes vs Diana Ross album would've liked like this:

Side A
1.My Place- the Supremes w/ Jean on lead
2.Then I Met You- Diana Ross
3.Surrender- Supremes w/ Lynda on lead
4.Up the Ladder to the Roof- Diana Ross
5.All of My Life- Supremes w/ Mary on lead

Side B
1.This Is the Story- Diana Ross
2.And If You See Him- Supremes w/ Jean on lead
3.The Wisdom of Time- Diana Ross
4.Aint No Mountain High Enough- Supremes w/ Jean/Lynda on lead, Mary speaking parts
5.Nathan Jones- Diana Ross
6.Reach Out and Touch/Everybody's Got the Right to Love- Supremes and Diana Ross duet medley

[lucky2012]

^ Very intriguing premise! Very interesting album! I'll have to think, think, think on this. [[But first I'm gonna listen to your album in my head).

[sup_fan]

Side A
1. Touch me in the morning - Jean lead
2. All the befores - jean lead
3. We need you - jean lead
4. Baby it's love - mary lead
5. remember me - lynda lead

Side B
1. Bill When are you coming home - Diana
2. automatically sunshine - diana
3. here comes the sunrise - diana
4. together we can make such sweet music - diana
5. i got hurt trying to be the only girl in your life - diana

duet mashup - you gotta have love in your heart/these things will keep me loving you

notice i used all different tunes from Ran. that way i can buy both of our albums and get twice as much content! heheheeh

[144man]

Just to say I love the idea for this thread.

[RanRan79]

Side A
1. Touch me in the morning - Jean lead
2. All the befores - jean lead
3. We need you - jean lead
4. Baby it's love - mary lead
5. remember me - lynda lead

Side B
1. Bill When are you coming home - Diana
2. automatically sunshine - diana
3. here comes the sunrise - diana
4. together we can make such sweet music - diana
5. i got hurt trying to be the only girl in your life - diana

duet mashup - you gotta have love in your heart/these things will keep me loving you

notice i used all different tunes from Ran. that way i can buy both of our albums and get twice as much content! heheheeh

Right!:D I considered Mary for a jazzy version of "Touch Me In the Morning". I also considered Diana doing "Here Comes the Sunrise". I didn't think about Lynda doing "Remember Me" but that's an excellent choice. I think she really would've done it justice.

I believe that as much as Diana wanted to be rid of the Supremes and the Supremes wanted to be rid of Diana, their post each other catalog from 1970-73 would've largely worked interchangeably, of course tailoring them slightly to fit the lead. The Jean albums I think would've worked just as well had Diana stayed with the group and recorded the same leads.

[RanRan79]

Just to say I love the idea for this thread.

Looks like you're a minority there 144man. I was hoping that everyone would chime in with the songs that they could hear the ladies doing of each other's post 60s work, but guess it aint controversial enough to discuss.:rolleyes:

[daviddh]

floy joy...., diana n mary ....bad weather...…..diana lead..
i'm gonna make you love me...all
surrender.... jean

[RanRan79]

floy joy...., diana n mary ....bad weather...…..diana lead..
i'm gonna make you love me...all
surrender.... jean

With a different track, I think "Floy Joy" could've been an excellent duet between Diana and Mary.

[sup_fan]

I didn't think about Lynda doing "Remember Me" but that's an excellent choice. I think she really would've done it justice.

i actually think there's some similarity between Lynda's and Valerie Simpson. so i can hear Lynda's version being similar to the Val one we got on Surrender Expanded

[sup_fan]

Looks like you're a minority there 144man. I was hoping that everyone would chime in with the songs that they could hear the ladies doing of each other's post 60s work, but guess it aint controversial enough to discuss.:rolleyes:

it's really odd on here as to what topics people chime in on. i love the hypothetical threads. so many fun "what ifs" surrounding the history of the Sups and the girls individually. unfortunately unless it's something like this or the "you be the producer" topic, people get all crazy.

[sup_fan]

I believe that as much as Diana wanted to be rid of the Supremes and the Supremes wanted to be rid of Diana, their post each other catalog from 1970-73 would've largely worked interchangeably, of course tailoring them slightly to fit the lead. The Jean albums I think would've worked just as well had Diana stayed with the group and recorded the same leads.

actually i think much of the Jean work would have worked ok but not perfectly with Diana. she would have sounded fine enough on them but i think some of the more imaginative lyrics might not have fit her style of singing and her interpretations. many of the Frank Wilson pieces were heavy w imagery and jean just seemed to really connect with it. like Love It Came To Me This Time.

[RanRan79]

it's really odd on here as to what topics people chime in on. i love the hypothetical threads. so many fun "what ifs" surrounding the history of the Sups and the girls individually. unfortunately unless it's something like this or the "you be the producer" topic, people get all crazy.

I love most of the hypothetical threads also. It's a good way to talk about the music. But they don't seem to get a lot of participation. Now start a thread about what went wrong with Diana/Mary/Florence's careers, what was the real cause of the original Supremes breaking up, and all of that kind of thing and people swoop in, most of them in order to take potshots at the Supreme[[s) they hate the most. Well as long as even a few people chime in the music threads, I'll keep participating in them.

[RanRan79]

actually i think much of the Jean work would have worked ok but not perfectly with Diana. she would have sounded fine enough on them but i think some of the more imaginative lyrics might not have fit her style of singing and her interpretations. many of the Frank Wilson pieces were heavy w imagery and jean just seemed to really connect with it. like Love It Came To Me This Time.

Interesting take. Because Diana was a master at song interpretation I don't think she would've had a problem. There would've been some changes needed of course, to tailor the song to her. I think the same had Jean done Diana's songs. There are similarities in what they bring to the table which makes them doing one another's songs make sense, but Diana's songs would have to be tweaked for Jean and vice versa.