A Go Go lp - thoughts?

[sup_fan]

so the A Go Go album is quite historic - first #1 by the sups and first #1 for an all girl group. i think it's an enjoyable album. but is it a great album? it doesn't seem to often rank as the top Sups lp by fans.

i think it was a matter of the alignment of all the right elements. a super hip title, a non-stop teen dance album, YCHL on it which was one of their biggest hits ever, nearly every track is known

but could it have been a better lp? i love that the EE booklet includes some of the alt line ups of songs considered.

[JimEMack]

If I were to play producer, I would have left "Boots" and "Sloopy" off and substituted "In My Lonely Room", "Uptight", and "Mickey's Monkey". Now that's a great album1

[rovereab]

I would have recorded all of the songs in Detroit Studio A!

[lakeside]

I rarely ever listen to this LP. Even when it came out. Those re-makes just didn't cut it.

[sup_fan]

i've made my playlist as

itching
this old heart
you can't hurry love
mother dear [[version 3)
in my lonely room
just a little misunderstanding

going down 3rd time
shake me
get ready
don't let true love die
money
there's no stopping us now

[RanRan79]

Sup I can get with that lineup. Mine is a bit different though.

Itching
This Old Heart of Mine
You Can't Hurry Love
Shake Me, Wake Me
Come On and See Me
These Boots [[with the Flo lead, though)

Mother Dear 66
Get Ready
Too Much A Little Too Soon
Satisfaction
Come and Get These Memories
Going Down For the Third Time

I went for more high energy cuts to replace a couple of the "low" energy ones. If the title is A Go Go, then a'go-go damn it.

I considered ending the album with "Slow Down", but listening to the playlist- and the fact that I just don't like the song- it didn't work for me.

[RanRan79]

Now the only reason I didn't include "Baby I Need Your Loving", which is a highlight of the original album for me, is because it's one of the "lower" energy songs IMO. So I would have added it to the HDH album.

Of course I had to re-do the HDH album. I would've titled it You Keep Me Hangin On.

You Keep Me Hangin On
Don't Let True Love Die
Love Is Here
Mother You, Smother You
I Guess I'll Always Love You
I'll Turn to Stone

Baby I Need Your Loving
It's Not Unusual
What Becomes of the Brokenhearted
Put Yourself In My Place
Let the Music Play
There's No Stopping Us Now

[jobucats]

My thoughts...

The Go-Go album was the first Supremes album I ever received. I became a fan of the group as a result of the previous years' single, "Back in My Arms Again." Funds were limited in my household, so I was given a used copy of the mono "Go-Go". I can recall how thrilled I was at not only the Motown catalogue of songs that were included, but also the other 'hits' such as "Hang on Sloopy" and "Ode to Billy Joe", the latter which was always such a 'creepy' song, lyrically.

A few months after receiving my mono copy, a friend of mine who was not necessarily a Supremes fan told me he had the stereo version, and he was happy just to swap albums with me, the fan. My elation turned into remorse when I found that "Baby, I Need Your Loving" did not have the same vamp towards the end as the mono version. Also missing was the drier version of "You Can't Hurry Love." So stereo is not always better. Now I must admit, I did enjoy "Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch aka I Can't Help Myself" because the mix had Mary and Florence on one channel and Diana on the other.

It wasn't until the expanded version came out that I was able to enjoy again the mono version of the Go-Go album. My other favorites are "This Old Heart of Mine" and "Put Yourself in My Place", the latter which was much shorter in length than the other cuts.

I did enjoy hearing Mary on "Come and Get These Memories". Because I don't have the expanded version booklet in front of me, I don't recall who is doing the background vocals on this. As a young teen back in the day, I thought it was just Mary and Florence because I didn't hear any voice that sounded like Diana's in the background vocals.

Oh, yeah, I love the cover!

[Spreadinglove21]

Pleasant enough album, but the Motown album formula of hits and covers and filler does not make for an innovative album of its time.

[floyjoy678]

Jobucats it is Mary and Flo doing the backgrounds on Memories. One time my stereo speakers went bonkers and only one side still worked which you could only hear the backgrounds and you could hear Mary pretty clearly back there with Flo. And the Andantes are in there too in some spots.

I loved this album as a kid and still mostly do except for Money, Put Yourself In My Place and Boots [[This shouldve been Flo's feature). I enjoy I can't help myself but I think to when the group performed it live on Hullabaloo and it was so much better vocally there than on the album.

[daviddh]

I agree with first 2 comments in regards to it being recorded in detroit and using the Funk Brothers and replacing a few tracks.
the album comes out uneven to me. i would have liked a more dance oriented album then what got released. just seemed watered down to me.
in my playlist i combined Go Go and Sing HDH

[marybrewster]

I've always assumed "A Go-Go" was to present the young and fresh Supremes, after the adult and sophisticated "I Hear a SYMPHONY".

[RanRan79]

I've always assumed "A Go-Go" was to present the young and fresh Supremes, after the adult and sophisticated "I Hear a SYMPHONY".

They never should have gone in the adult direction with the Symphony album. IMO the Copa album succeeded in bringing into homes the well rounded entertaining abilities of the Supremes. No reason to mar what should have been another fresh contemporary album with all that MOR. Of course I have an alternate Symphony tracklist if anyone cares to see it.:cool:

[kenneth]

I think the two singles are the best songs from all the Diane years. But I never cared that much for the album. It seemed a little rush-recorded, kind of like the Liverpool album. But when the Expanded Edition came out it was like a brand new recording to me. Even the songs I hadn't much cared for such as "Boots" seemed to just jump out of the speakers with what the guys did on those remasters. The album became so much more immediate sounding. I love the album now. It's one of my favorites.

Come to think of it, the same thing happened to me with both the "Meet the Supremes" and "Funny Girl" EEs. I'm sure they were my least favorite Diane-led albums until they got the full treatment from our experts and friends and listening to these now bring all new kinds of discoveries "in the grooves" so to speak...

[RanRan79]

Kenneth you are so right about the EE. The guys breathed new life into AGG. Honestly, IMO, AGG is the fellas' crowning glory. None of the expandeds prior to or after AGG have the same kind of remastered and remixed magic. I loved the A Go Go album when I first got a copy in 1993. Of the handful of Supremes albums I had picked up at that point, AGG was quickly my favorite. Over the years it didn't hold the same magic it did when I first purchased it. Other albums just came across better, song for song, to me. I didn't hesitate to get a copy of the expanded edition, but I didn't think I'd enjoy it anywhere near as much as I ultimately did, and still do. They even managed to make "Sloopy" listenable to me! That was a feat in itself!

I'm curious to know, of all the Supremes expandeds, which sold the best. I know there are some that are out of print, but I don't know what that means regarding how many have been sold. Is it out of print because only 1000 copies were created, vs 10,000 for a different album set?

[thanxal]

No. It should not have been altered in any way. It is so iconic and so mid-60s perfection that to start “what-if” -ing it to death is pointless. The EE was the pinnacle of the series, IMHO. The lush offering of alternative tracks and the alternate composite takes of LILAIIMH were over the top Supreme-iness. I must have 10 copies of the Lp in every pressing and bought three copies of the EE [in addition to the 1991 copy I’ve had since 1991 and the Two-fer discs].

[RanRan79]

Al, there's always a point to our what iffing. It's cool to see how other fans' ideas shake out regarding the music, even someone with silly opinions like you.:p Now you think AGG is perfect as is...God bless you. I wish I held your opinion but I don't. "Sloopy"? Diana on "Boots" and not Flo? Mary on "Memories" and not...well anybody else? Some of those LA tracks instead of Funk Bros?

As you can see, I have some critiques and they must be discussed.:cool:

[Ollie9]

No. It should not have been altered in any way. It is so iconic and so mid-60s perfection that to start “what-if” -ing it to death is pointless. The EE was the pinnacle of the series, IMHO. The lush offering of alternative tracks and the alternate composite takes of LILAIIMH were over the top Supreme-iness. I must have 10 copies of the Lp in every pressing and bought three copies of the EE [in addition to the 1991 copy I’ve had since 1991 and the Two-fer discs].

I would say what iff’ing comprises most discussions being rarely pointless. It would be a dull old forum if all were deemed just perfect.

[thanxal]

I would say what iff’ing comprises most discussions being rarely pointless. It would be a dull old forum if all were deemed just perfect.
Very true. And what would Ran ever do?:p
But A Go Go is perfect as is, IMHO.

[thanxal]

Al, there's always a point to our what iffing. It's cool to see how other fans' ideas shake out regarding the music, even someone with silly opinions like you.:p Now you think AGG is perfect as is...God bless you. I wish I held your opinion but I don't. "Sloopy"? Diana on "Boots" and not Flo? Mary on "Memories" and not...well anybody else? Some of those LA tracks instead of Funk Bros?

As you can see, I have some critiques and they must be discussed.:cool:
It is Perfection in Pink.

[sup_fan]

No. It should not have been altered in any way. It is so iconic and so mid-60s perfection that to start “what-if” -ing it to death is pointless. The EE was the pinnacle of the series, IMHO. The lush offering of alternative tracks and the alternate composite takes of LILAIIMH were over the top Supreme-iness. I must have 10 copies of the Lp in every pressing and bought three copies of the EE [in addition to the 1991 copy I’ve had since 1991 and the Two-fer discs].

;) yeah the What Ifing is what makes this so fun lol

i think the concept of AGG is a great one but the execution was only average. there are quite obvious peaks and valleys to the album. While i might have selected a few of the canned tracks in place of some of the released ones, i don't have a problem with the track selection on the album. my issues would be:

1. it needed the funk bros
2. give Flo at least SOMETHING to do on the album
3. the backing vocals on several of the tracks are just too square, prim and ladylike. especially Money and Sloopy. i don't think two middle aged white ladies from the United Methodist Church's sewing circle from Smalltown, USA could have sounded any less enthusiastic or blah than F and M do on these

maybe that could have been Flo's spotlight - let her rip with some strong backing vocals. have her channel her "let me go the right way" vocals. Sloopy is such a party song but everyone sounds so bored.

[BobbyC]

I found the album to be just awful. Mary pulls off Memories, but Diana's Hang On Sloopy was an abomination. She is so off tune on the chorus I couldn't stand to get all the way through it. DR always sounds great on the hit singles but for reason some of her covers were just thin, weak, and completely boring. Flo should have sung Boots Are Made for Walking or they shouldn't have done it at all.

[thanxal]

;) yeah the What Ifing is what makes this so fun lol

i think the concept of AGG is a great one but the execution was only average. there are quite obvious peaks and valleys to the album. While i might have selected a few of the canned tracks in place of some of the released ones, i don't have a problem with the track selection on the album. my issues would be:

1. it needed the funk bros
2. give Flo at least SOMETHING to do on the album
3. the backing vocals on several of the tracks are just too square, prim and ladylike. especially Money and Sloopy. i don't think two middle aged white ladies from the United Methodist Church's sewing circle from Smalltown, USA could have sounded any less enthusiastic or blah than F and M do on these

maybe that could have been Flo's spotlight - let her rip with some strong backing vocals. have her channel her "let me go the right way" vocals. Sloopy is such a party song but everyone sounds so bored.
I mean...you might be correct. But A Go Go is just such an iconic album for me that I don't want to change it in any way. Would a track by Flo have been nice? Sure. But if memory serves, the last track she had on any album was the Sam Cooke album, so it wasn't like either she or Mary got any regular exposure, which annoys me.

[Boogiedown]

I mean...you might be correct. But A Go Go is just such an iconic album for me that I don't want to change it in any way. Would a track by Flo have been nice? Sure. But if memory serves, the last track she had on any album was the Sam Cooke album, so it wasn't like either she or Mary got any regular exposure, which annoys me.

I like that you like it as is. Point being at the time were people who bought it saying, "oh if only Flo sang more or if only Diana didn't ".....".....or did they buy it and accept it/ enjoy it as is.

I suppose I could now say something like "i wish HI records had explored piano more in Al Green's music .....but really, do I really feel that way?? Nah...
Al's music was made the way it was and I heard as pure pleasure perfect at the time ..... no regrets!!!

[Boogiedown]

Which’s not to say that imagining what ifs is somehow a bad thing .

[daviddh]

;) yeah the What Ifing is what makes this so fun lol

i think the concept of AGG is a great one but the execution was only average. there are quite obvious peaks and valleys to the album. While i might have selected a few of the canned tracks in place of some of the released ones, i don't have a problem with the track selection on the album. my issues would be:

1. it needed the funk bros
2. give Flo at least SOMETHING to do on the album
3. the backing vocals on several of the tracks are just too square, prim and ladylike. especially Money and Sloopy. i don't think two middle aged white ladies from the United Methodist Church's sewing circle from Smalltown, USA could have sounded any less enthusiastic or blah than F and M do on these

maybe that could have been Flo's spotlight - let her rip with some strong backing vocals. have her channel her "let me go the right way" vocals. Sloopy is such a party song but everyone sounds so bored.

i totally agree.i just could never get into this album. just so uneven .but agree 100% on everthing you stated. why were the Funk Bros not used? huge mistake.huge.
as far as vocals ,yes,come on Diana gets almost 12 leads per album.
lets be fair and give Mary one and Flo on each per album. it would have been the right thing to do.
not until the expanded edition ,did i like this album. thank you Kevin Reeves for your great new mixs.
this could of been a strong effort but ,somebody just decided to phone it in. vocals are lifeless,boring. its like ,lets get this session over with . thats how i feel about the lp.

[jobucats]

i totally agree.i just could never get into this album. just so uneven .but agree 100% on everthing you stated. why were the Funk Bros not used? huge mistake.huge.


Here is my guess as to why the Funk Brothers were not used on all of the Go Go selections. The way I see is that the Funk Brothers were not able to keep up with the schedule of the many recordings that were being done at Hitsville during the mid 60s. I've often wondered if there was ever any time in which the Snakepit was not being occupied by instrumentalists as well vocalists. Thus, the West Coast musicians were utilized to keep up with the productions.

I've also viewed that the complaints made that some artists did not receive as much attention as the Supremes/Diana might also be because Motown was a relative new company in the mid 60s. I would suppose that there were not enough expert support people to develop individual members of groups or to manage/guide each of the groups as meticulously as the Supremes/Diana were managed. Berry Gordy had his hands full. Just my thoughts.

[sup_fan]

Here is my guess as to why the Funk Brothers were not used on all of the Go Go selections. The way I see is that the Funk Brothers were not able to keep up with the schedule of the many recordings that were being done at Hitsville during the mid 60s. I've often wondered if there was ever any time in which the Snakepit was not being occupied by instrumentalists as well vocalists. Thus, the West Coast musicians were utilized to keep up with the productions.

I've also viewed that the complaints made that some artists did not receive as much attention as the Supremes/Diana might also be because Motown was a relative new company in the mid 60s. I would suppose that there were not enough expert support people to develop individual members of groups or to manage/guide each of the groups as meticulously as the Supremes/Diana were managed. Berry Gordy had his hands full. Just my thoughts.

that's my thought too along with the idea that Frank Wilson was relatively new to the motown fold so these tracks were at least his first on the girls'. Frank was out of LA so if he was asked to prepare productions for the girls then he would have been using LA musicians.

[vgalindo]

Well it did go to #1. So Motown was doing something right.

[reese]

I've shared my thoughts about this album a few times. My first encounter with it was when my kindergarten teacher brought it to our Halloween party, many years after its release. That was the first time I heard LOVE IS LIKE AN ITCHING IN MY HEART and it left such an impression on me. I never heard it again until I bought ANTHOLOGY in 1974.

Over the years, it seemed I was always two steps from getting a copy of A GO GO but something always happened. Finally, I bought the 1981 reissue. It was all that I dreamed it would be. I don't think I would change a thing about it. I might drop MONEY and THIS OLD HEART OF MINE but even those are fine. Yeah, it would be great if the Funk Brothers were on all the tracks but they aren't and I can deal with it.

I do think that Flo should have been given a lead, especially since Mary got one. Denying Flo the same seems rather petty. Most of the covers are from the Jobete catalog but I could hear Flo tearing up RESCUE ME.

[sup_fan]

yeah i'm not sure how well Flo would have done on Boots. Nancy Sinatra definitely had a lighter sound and vocals. Flo could certainly have added some sass to it but she might have been better on Rescue Me as you suggest. Or Nitty Gritty would have been a fun one.

[lucky2012]

Well it did go to #1. So Motown was doing something right.

This is true. Supremes A Go Go was an album for and of its time. 1966 was one of the best years in Pop music history. The Motown Sound was at its peak. The Supremes reigned with the Beatles, Beach Boys, Simon & Garfunkel and the Mamas & Papas on the pop charts and on pop radio.

Yes, I would have definitely preferred the Funk Brothers on the tracks, but the released album was successfully aimed at the Pop market and Top Forty radio. At least we Motown fans got two of the best Supremes singles!

So I do like the album as is. I LOVE George & Andy’s EEs!
My AGG playlist would be remixed tracks of pop and recent Motown hits on side 1 and all Motown songs on side 2.

Love Is Like An Itching In My Heart
Get Ready
Uptight [Everything’s Alright]
[I Can’t Get No] Satisfaction
These Boots Are Made For Walkin’

You Can’t Hurry Love
This Ole Heart Of Mine
Shake Me, Wake Me
I Can’t Help Myself
Baby I Need Your Lovin’

,

[sup_fan]

This is true. Supremes A Go Go was an album for and of its time. 1966 was one of the best years in Pop music history. The Motown Sound was at its peak. The Supremes reigned with the Beatles, Beach Boys, Simon & Garfunkel and the Mamas & Papas on the pop charts and on pop radio.

Yes, I would have definitely preferred the Funk Brothers on the tracks, but the released album was successfully aimed at the Pop market and Top Forty radio. At least we Motown fans got two of the best Supremes singles!

So I do like the album as is. I LOVE George & Andy’s EEs!
My AGG playlist would be remixed tracks of pop and recent Motown hits on side 1 and all Motown songs on side 2.

Love Is Like An Itching In My Heart
Get Ready
Uptight [Everything’s Alright]
[I Can’t Get No] Satisfaction
These Boots Are Made For Walkin’

You Can’t Hurry Love
This Ole Heart Of Mine
Shake Me, Wake Me
I Can’t Help Myself
Baby I Need Your Lovin’

,

now lucky - you're wasting wax! lolol

the typical run time for one of their lps would allow for 12 tracks total, so you got room to add 1 more to each side :)

[thanxal]

Well it did go to #1. So Motown was doing something right.
And didn't it stay there for more than one week? That's part of my resistance to wanting to change anything about it.

[RanRan79]

At the end of the day the album was a success, so I don't think the conversation is really one about if it worked or not. Of course it worked. It was the first number one album by a female group. That was nothing to sneeze at, especially considering the times.

But artistically speaking, I think any work of art can be up for debate regarding making it better, whatever "better" means to each individual person. And for me AGG could definitely be better in quite a few ways. In fact I don't think there's an album that I own from any time period that I would categorize as perfect with no criticisms or room for improvement.

I might have to think about that a little bit though. That's a lot of albums to make a blanket statement about.:cool:

[daviddh]

side 1 i think i would leave as is,.
itching in my heart
this old heart
hurry love
shake me wake me
baby i need your lovin
get ready
side 2
heatwave, version 2
mother dear version 3
hes all i got
in my lonely room
can i get a witness
uptight everything is alright or you really got a hold on me[[ the only track i like from Liverpool)
maybe Do You Love Me

[sup_fan]

And didn't it stay there for more than one week? That's part of my resistance to wanting to change anything about it.

A Go Go was #1 for 2 weeks. it was in the Top 10 for 15 weeks, 10 of which were in the top 5. in total it was on the charts for 52 weeks

[lucky2012]

now lucky - you're wasting wax! lolol

the typical run time for one of their lps would allow for 12 tracks total, so you got room to add 1 more to each side :)


Lol. I find that most albums [especially in the 60s] had too many fillers which were “substandard” or did not fit in and seemed to be just thrown in for length. So on my fantasy album playlists I’ve found that ten tracks make a more satisfying experience. I’m such a Motown nerd ��.

But if you insist, I’ll add Money That’s What I Want to side one and It’s The Same Old Song [not the too-fast Sing HDH version] to side two ��.

[BayouMotownMan]

At the time of its release I was a kid and thought the lp was brilliant. As an adult it just doesn't hold up as well as the other albums.

Too many covers, and it's easy to tell which tracks were cut in LA. Mainly because of that aggravating one note guitar twang on every other beat [[Money, This Ole Heart, Sloopy).

Since You Keep Me Hangin' On was already cut and planned to follow up Can't Hurry Love, had they included it on A Go-Go along with a couple other original tracks in the can, the lp would have been No. 1 longer.

I'll say that promotion had a lot to do with the lp's No. 1 success. Gordy was concerned that the two singles following Symphony stalled in the Top Ten and he was determined to put the group back into the stratosphere as he was considering pulling Ross out even at that period. Therefore his Motown machine concentrated on YCHL and A Go-Go with the stellar results.

But Gordy's advisors told him it was too early to pull Ross out. While the teenagers knew who Diana was by name, mainstream America did not. So he agreed the following year to first name the group Diana Ross and the Supremes to get her name out there before pulling her out.

[rovereab]

I find Motown's approach to covers very strange. When recorded in Detroit, covers can end up sounding like originals, consider the covers on Four Tops Reach Out. The LA covers just don't cut it in comparison. As BayouMotownMan says above, the guitar twang is so annoying, especially when compared to the Detroit equivalent.

If the A Go-Go covers had been recorded in Detroit we could have ended up with a consistent sounding album like Reach Out!

[sup_fan]

covers would always be an issue for a group. I do think This Old Heart holds up very well. yes the bass line could be stronger but it's still a fav track of mine

but thinks like It's The Same Old Song and Heatwave just sound too thin and weak. maybe they were trying to not completely mimic the original. so the faster tempo and "LA sound" helped to at least make it unique.

but since the originals were so big and so iconic, it makes the covers struggle to keep up. frankly unless they're doing something totally different and radical with the song, it would probably have been best to stick closer to the original hit version.

[BayouMotownMan]

Actually Baby I Need Your Loving and Heat Wave are the Funk Bros. I feel like These Boots and I Can't Help Myself are the Funks as well.

When you compare Shake Me, Wake Me with Baby I Need...and they are back to back on the lp you just see a huge difference in production values.

[kenneth]

Didn’t the expanded edition notes state which tracks were recorded on the West Coast versus those recorded in Detroit? For some reason I recall it was with the two bands alternating tracks on the original album, but I’m not sure.

[sup_fan]

here are the A Go Go & Sing HDH tracks, by producer. i don't know if this exactly means Detroit vs West Coast.

HDH
Mother You, Smother You
Blowin' in the wind
i guess I'll always love you
There's no stopping
What the world needs now
Heatwave
Don't let true love die
Love is in our hearts
I'll turn to stone
going down third time
You can't hurry love
Love is like an itching
Baby i need your loving
Come and get these memories
let the music play
its the same old song
You keep me hangin on
Love is here and how you're gone [[although HDH, didn't they record this in LA?)
Put yourself in my place
Love makes me do foolish things

Frank Wilson & Hal Davis
Get Ready
This Old Heart
Sloopy
Money
Shake Me
Satisfaction
it's not unusual
Mikey's Monkey
Uptight
These Boots

Frank Wilson
Can i get a witness

Frank Wilson & Smokey Robinson
Misery makes its home

William Weatherspoon
What becomes of the brokenhearted

Clarence Paul
slow down

Clarence Paul & Mickey Stevenson
Just a little misunderstanding

Ivy Hunter, Harvey Fuque & Johnny Bristol
Come on and see me

Henry Cosby
With a child's heart

Smokey & Warren Moore
My Guy

[jobucats]

Didn’t the expanded edition notes state which tracks were recorded on the West Coast versus those recorded in Detroit? For some reason I recall it was with the two bands alternating tracks on the original album, but I’m not sure.

That's what I remember also.