High Energy the album - a discussion

These have been pretty fun so far! so here's the next one

High Energy

we have 2 versions of the lp plus a handful of alt tracks released in the Let Yourself Go cd set. which do you prefer - the released lp or the original unreleased?

thoughts on the Side 1 dance and Side 2 ballad concept?

What should have been single #2? or do you agree with the idea to hurry into the MSS content?

Had Cindy remained in the group and they were looking to evolve into 3 leads, which track or material might have best suited her on this lp?

I must admit I never really got into this album. I prefer its predecessor, THE SUPREMES.

Aside from the great I'M GONNA LET MY HEART DO THE WALKING ,YOU'RE WHAT"S MISSING IN MY LIFE, and possibly DON'T LET MY TEARDROPS BOTHER YOU, I find the rest of the album somewhat ordinary, especially side 2 . I can see why Motown had trouble picking a second single. If they had, I would have gone with YOU'RE WHAT'S MISSING IN MY LIFE.

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Originally Posted by reese

I must admit I never really got into this album. I prefer its predecessor, THE SUPREMES.

Aside from the great I'M GONNA LET MY HEART DO THE WALKING ,YOU'RE WHAT"S MISSING IN MY LIFE, and possibly DON'T LET MY TEARDROPS BOTHER YOU, I find the rest of the album somewhat ordinary, especially side 2 . I can see why Motown had trouble picking a second single. If they had, I would have gone with YOU'RE WHAT'S MISSING IN MY LIFE.

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It was an album lacking in potential hits. Maybe an edited version of the title track could have been a 2nd single? Your whats missing in my life would have worked better with Scherrie on lead vocals. Side 2 was a snooze fest with too many dull and dreary ballads which were not The Supremes forte.
I far preferred the previous album and the one that followed it. Not one of my favorites.

I too would have trimmed some of the ballads. i think a stronger lineup would have been:

High Energy
I'm Gonna Let My Heart Do The Walking
Don't Let My Teardrops Bother Your
You're What's Missing in My Life

Only You
Bend A Little
Can We Love Again
You Keep Me Movin' On

with the original lp, i enjoy the added Susaye background vocals on I Don't Want To Lose You. it's almost a precursor to the superior We Should Be Together.

High Energy is one of my favorite albums by the ladies. Certainly the best album of the Scherrie Payne years and up there with Right On and New Ways. I know a lot of people love The Supremes, but I feel like that album was a hodgepodge of different sounds and seeing what would work best for the new group. It presents an overall disjointed album. High Energy was the complete opposite bring forth a very cohesive album with great songs, arrangements, and vocals. Aside from “I’m Gonna Let My Heart Do The Walking,” there was some potential singles on this especially “You’re What’s Missing In My Life” which would have made a perfect follow up to “Walking.” As for the mixes, I actually prefer Russ Terrana’s original mix that was released on the Final Sessions over the Lawrence Horn mix that was issued in 1976. I’m not sure what made Motown reject his mix and have it be redone.

I just wish Mary, Scherrie & Susaye was as equally as good as High Energy, but the Holland Brothers got a little too carried away with disco on that one.

I truly do not wish to be disrespectful, but hasn't the HG lp had about 3,347 threads already?

"High Energy" was, in my opinion one of the best albums by the Supremes. It is one of only maybe 2-3 I can listen to all the way through over and over. The music was top notch and the vocals superb throughout. The title track, "High Energy" is ageless. The 2nd single should have been "You're What's Missing In My Life".

Everyone seems to think Missing in My Life and High Energy were reasonable follow ups

I think HE could have been somewhat successful

I know it’s been said at that stage, a single with a lead by a new Supreme would not be allowed by Mary Pedro or Motown

Something certainly went commercially wrong after this album because MSS didn’t even chart on the Top 200

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Originally Posted by reese

I must admit I never really got into this album. I prefer its predecessor, THE SUPREMES.

Aside from the great I'M GONNA LET MY HEART DO THE WALKING ,YOU'RE WHAT"S MISSING IN MY LIFE, and possibly DON'T LET MY TEARDROPS BOTHER YOU, I find the rest of the album somewhat ordinary, especially side 2 . I can see why Motown had trouble picking a second single. If they had, I would have gone with YOU'RE WHAT'S MISSING IN MY LIFE.

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I think it was a real bland album with two real good highlights. Im Gonna Let My Heart Do the Walkin and Till the Boat Sails away. I also thought 8 tracks for an album was cheating the public imo.

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Originally Posted by bradsupremes

High Energy is one of my favorite albums by the ladies. Certainly the best album of the Scherrie Payne years and up there with Right On and New Ways. I know a lot of people love The Supremes, but I feel like that album was a hodgepodge of different sounds and seeing what would work best for the new group. It presents an overall disjointed album. High Energy was the complete opposite bring forth a very cohesive album with great songs, arrangements, and vocals. Aside from “I’m Gonna Let My Heart Do The Walking,” there was some potential singles on this especially “You’re What’s Missing In My Life” which would have made a perfect follow up to “Walking.” As for the mixes, I actually prefer Russ Terrana’s original mix that was released on the Final Sessions over the Lawrence Horn mix that was issued in 1976. I’m not sure what made Motown reject his mix and have it be redone.

I just wish Mary, Scherrie & Susaye was as equally as good as High Energy, but the Holland Brothers got a little too carried away with disco on that one.

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Fantastic album. My fav of all Sups album. HE is absolutely timeless and the production was top notch. I guess 4 Sups on this output! Walking should have been a much bigger success. Holland Bros Did a great job.

The only songs that stuck out to me and that I can listen to frequently are High Energy, I'm Gonna Let My Heart and Dont Let My Teardrops Bother You. The latter is Mary at her finest and my all time favorite vocal of hers. What a shame she didn't do it live throughout her career, it really could have been a showstopper for her.

It should be noted that High Energy charted on Billboard's Top 200 LP chart at #42 and on the R&B chart at #24. This was their second highest charting album in the 70s behind Right On in 1970. It actually was their highest charting 70s album in Canada and even did better than the last DRATS albums [[with the exception of Love Child). There had to have been some draw to this album.

The title song "High Energy" received radio airplay on the "overnight" format. This was during the pre-"Quiet Storm". R&B stations were taking the Supremes seriously again once this album came out. "Don't Let My Teardrops Bother You" was also a great track and one Mary often dedicated to Florence Ballard in concert.

Here's one of the tracks from the album that is also rather good, but is overlooked sometimes. "ONLY YOU [[CAN LOVE ME LIKE YOU LOVE ME)":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afCeXpt-QLI

This version is an alternate mix of "Only You" by Russ Terrrana. Mary, Scherrie and Cindy Birdsong are doing all the vocals.

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Originally Posted by sup_fan

I too would have trimmed some of the ballads. i think a stronger lineup would have been:

High Energy
I'm Gonna Let My Heart Do The Walking
Don't Let My Teardrops Bother Your
You're What's Missing in My Life

Only You
Bend A Little
Can We Love Again
You Keep Me Movin' On

with the original lp, i enjoy the added Susaye background vocals on I Don't Want To Lose You. it's almost a precursor to the superior We Should Be Together.

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Motown had to have been nuts at this time! LOL! "We Should Be Closer Together" was every bit as good, if not better than the Emotions, "Don't Ask My Neighbors" which was released one year after the Supremes song and became a hit. Motown squandered some great opportunities for the Supremes during those years.

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Originally Posted by marv2

"Don't Let My Teardrops Bother You" was also a great track

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it is a great track and performance. only to be beaten by her live version on Mike Douglas! that has to be one of the greatest Mary live performances ever!

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Originally Posted by sup_fan

These have been pretty fun so far! so here's the next one

High Energy

we have 2 versions of the lp plus a handful of alt tracks released in the Let Yourself Go cd set. which do you prefer - the released lp or the original unreleased?

thoughts on the Side 1 dance and Side 2 ballad concept?

What should have been single #2? or do you agree with the idea to hurry into the MSS content?

Had Cindy remained in the group and they were looking to evolve into 3 leads, which track or material might have best suited her on this lp?

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It was a bad move trying to turn the Supremes into a dance group. It's not that they couldn't or shouldn't have done any uptempo numbers, but lets be real, those uptempo songs they were doing were mostly definitely disco. That was never gonna be accepted by the public under the brand "Supremes", "Heart Walking" being an exception, and still wasn't a major hit. The Supremes should have been doing stuff similar to the Emotions or Natalie Cole even. Both of those acts easily did slow cuts and uptempo songs that were big hits but not necessarily disco during the disco years.

I will admit that with a serious push "High Energy" as a second single could have hit. "You're What's Missing In My Life" might have also made some noise. "Don't Let My Teardrops Bother You" I think would have also made a great single.

I don't hear Cindy singing lead on any of the tracks on this album. Her voice really wasn't suited to this stuff.

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Originally Posted by marv2

Motown had to have been nuts at this time! LOL! "We Should Be Closer Together" was every bit as good, if not better than the Emotions, "Don't Ask My Neighbors" which was released one year after the Supremes song and became a hit. Motown squandered some great opportunities for the Supremes during those years.

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"We Should Be Closer Together" aint no "Don't Ask My Neighbors", but you're onto something here. I made a similar statement [[comparing the Sups to the Emotions) a few minutes ago. Admittedly "Closer" is a song I haven't paid much attention to, but I'm listening to it right now and I have to say, with a tweak here or there, and again with Motown giving it a push, I think the song could've caught on. But it's definitely the kind of sound the Supremes should've been going for at the time, straight r&b/pop and leave the disco tunes to true disco acts or artists who could afford to branch out, like Diana Ross, who had proven herself already, or Thelma Houston, who didn't yet have that huge identifiable catalog that the public had grown accustomed to.

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Originally Posted by sup_fan

it is a great track and performance. only to be beaten by her live version on Mike Douglas! that has to be one of the greatest Mary live performances ever!

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Absolutely in agreement here.

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Originally Posted by RanRan79

It was a bad move trying to turn the Supremes into a dance group. It's not that they couldn't or shouldn't have done any uptempo numbers, but lets be real, those uptempo songs they were doing were mostly definitely disco. That was never gonna be accepted by the public under the brand "Supremes", "Heart Walking" being an exception, and still wasn't a major hit. The Supremes should have been doing stuff similar to the Emotions or Natalie Cole even. Both of those acts easily did slow cuts and uptempo songs that were big hits but not necessarily disco during the disco years.

I will admit that with a serious push "High Energy" as a second single could have hit. "You're What's Missing In My Life" might have also made some noise. "Don't Let My Teardrops Bother You" I think would have also made a great single.

I don't hear Cindy singing lead on any of the tracks on this album. Her voice really wasn't suited to this stuff.

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i disagree about the disco. i think had they had a more refined approach to the group overall during this time, it could have worked. See my recent post in the Worst TV Performances thread. but their image and stage/tv work was a hot mess during this time, partly because Mary and Pedro were trying to make a platform to launch a mary solo career. the approach was not like it was in 1970 when it was a rebirth of the group. had it been, things might have been different.

Walking was a hot track and 1) had there not been so much inter-group fighting and 2) had it not had the misfortune of being released THE SAME DAY as Diana's Love Hangover, it might have been the track to put the Scherrie grouping back in the public's mind.

Also this was over a year prior to Saturday Night Fever which is when all of the US went bonkers for disco. Had the group maintained itself and not imploded, they might have been able to ride that wave a while

had it been more successful AND if there was the effort to focus on the group and not Mary solo, you're idea of their branching out might have worked. They had the legacy name and brand to help them. i like you're idea that they could have done more than just disco. these experimental tracks [[HE, Sweet Dream, Come into life, Closer together) would have helped keep them from being pigeon holed as just a disco act.

Scherrie Payne was once told from people inside Motown that the label pressed DJs to stop playing “Walking” and push “Love Hangover” instead. Whether that was Motown not wanting the Supremes to get a hit over Diana’s latest single [[released the same day) or their push to get Diana’s “Love Hangover” on top over the 5th Dimension’s version and the Supremes suffered at the hand of it is unclear, but I think it was a mix of both. Without the push from DJs and getting radio airplay, “Walking” had a harder time charting. I firmly believe Motown prevented “Walking” from becoming a bigger hit than it deserved to be. It really is a top 10 hit.

i'm guessing it was just their indifference to the Sups. their priority was to get Diana's hit out there and charting. and it was probably just a "oh who cares about the supremes anyway"

BEST*SUPREMES*ALBUM*EVER!!!!!

Mary Wilson shines on this album more than on any other Supremes' release. Her trio of leads on side 2 - "Don't Let My Teardrops Bother You" and the Medley of "Till The Boat Sails Away" and "I Dont' Want To Lose You" - are absolutely superb! [[Mary could have gone on to have some hit records as a solo artist if she had recorded material similar to the "High Energy" tracks. Shame she didn't.)

The really great thing about the "High Energy" album is that all of the members were present, represented, could be heard. The Supremes were a group, as opposed to a solo singer with a few background vocals tossed in.

There isn't a weak track on the album. Motown could have issued any of them as a second single and with a tad of promotion, had a hit. Shame they stopped promoting the album after just one single.

I loved, loved, STILL LOVE the "High Energy" album.

As I said, BEST*SUPREMES*ALBUM*EVER!!!

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Originally Posted by bradsupremes

Scherrie Payne was once told from people inside Motown that the label pressed DJs to stop playing “Walking” and push “Love Hangover” instead. Whether that was Motown not wanting the Supremes to get a hit over Diana’s latest single [[released the same day) or their push to get Diana’s “Love Hangover” on top over the 5th Dimension’s version and the Supremes suffered at the hand of it is unclear, but I think it was a mix of both. Without the push from DJs and getting radio airplay, “Walking” had a harder time charting. I firmly believe Motown prevented “Walking” from becoming a bigger hit than it deserved to be. It really is a top 10 hit.

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That happened while she was at a radio station in Virginia. Someone from Motown called the station and told them to pull "I'm Gonna Let My Heart Do the Walking" and start playing "Love Hangover" instead. The DJ told Scherrie to her face!

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Originally Posted by mistercarter2u

BEST*SUPREMES*ALBUM*EVER!!!!!

Mary Wilson shines on this album more than on any other Supremes' release. Her trio of leads on side 2 - "Don't Let My Teardrops Bother You" and the Medley of "Till The Boat Sails Away" and "I Dont' Want To Lose You" - are absolutely superb! [[Mary could have gone on to have some hit records as a solo artist if she had recorded material similar to the "High Energy" tracks. Shame she didn't.)

The really great thing about the "High Energy" album is that all of the members were present, represented, could be heard. The Supremes were a group, as opposed to a solo singer with a few background vocals tossed in.

There isn't a weak track on the album. Motown could have issued any of them as a second single and with a tad of promotion, had a hit. Shame they stopped promoting the album after just one single.

I loved, loved, STILL LOVE the "High Energy" album.

As I said, BEST*SUPREMES*ALBUM*EVER!!!

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I think that is what made the album a standout. They were a group again.....on record! I only wished there were perhaps 2 more songs on the album. It was the type of album that I just did not get bored listening to.

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Originally Posted by bradsupremes

It should be noted that High Energy charted on Billboard's Top 200 LP chart at #42 and on the R&B chart at #24. This was their second highest charting album in the 70s behind Right On in 1970. It actually was their highest charting 70s album in Canada and even did better than the last DRATS albums [[with the exception of Love Child). There had to have been some draw to this album.

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I saw the reaction to "I'm Gonna Let My Heart Do the Walking" when they debuted it on American Bandstand. I knew then they had a winner.

i think having a whole side predominantly ballads wasn't a wise choice. it makes the whole side too slow and ponderous. while i like the songs, i think mixing them among the dance tracks would have made for a more balanced record

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Originally Posted by sup_fan

i disagree about the disco. i think had they had a more refined approach to the group overall during this time, it could have worked. See my recent post in the Worst TV Performances thread. but their image and stage/tv work was a hot mess during this time, partly because Mary and Pedro were trying to make a platform to launch a mary solo career. the approach was not like it was in 1970 when it was a rebirth of the group. had it been, things might have been different.

Walking was a hot track and 1) had there not been so much inter-group fighting and 2) had it not had the misfortune of being released THE SAME DAY as Diana's Love Hangover, it might have been the track to put the Scherrie grouping back in the public's mind.

Also this was over a year prior to Saturday Night Fever which is when all of the US went bonkers for disco. Had the group maintained itself and not imploded, they might have been able to ride that wave a while

had it been more successful AND if there was the effort to focus on the group and not Mary solo, you're idea of their branching out might have worked. They had the legacy name and brand to help them. i like you're idea that they could have done more than just disco. these experimental tracks [[HE, Sweet Dream, Come into life, Closer together) would have helped keep them from being pigeon holed as just a disco act.

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Yes, disco fever wouldn't really explode for about another year or so, which in my mind is all the more reason to deem the disco Supremes as a bad idea. They were not the group to put disco on the map. Perhaps had the group continued on past 1977 they could've ventured off into disco and been accepted for branching out. But the term disco and it's sound was so far off of the brand Supremes that I just don't see any situation in which this direction of the group was a resounding success. Maybe, just maybe, it would've worked if the leading disco producers of the time had taken over the group, but two of their three albums [[Scherrie years) were produced by the Hollands, and unless I'm missing something, they never had a big disco hit.

Of the songs, do any of them even stand up next to a "Love Hangover" or "Don't Leave Me This Way"? I personally don't think so, even though there are some great tunes. Could the Supremes have taken "Don't Leave Me This Way" to number one? With Scherrie singing lead, probably. But they would've had to luck up on that. And honestly, with that track, just about anyone with half a voice could've taken it to the top.

I like the idea of the Supremes doing what the Pointer Sisters or the Emotions were doing. Even a song like "You Can't Turn Me Off" by High Inergy would've been a good fit for the Supremes had it been given to them instead.

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Originally Posted by bradsupremes

Scherrie Payne was once told from people inside Motown that the label pressed DJs to stop playing “Walking” and push “Love Hangover” instead. Whether that was Motown not wanting the Supremes to get a hit over Diana’s latest single [[released the same day) or their push to get Diana’s “Love Hangover” on top over the 5th Dimension’s version and the Supremes suffered at the hand of it is unclear, but I think it was a mix of both. Without the push from DJs and getting radio airplay, “Walking” had a harder time charting. I firmly believe Motown prevented “Walking” from becoming a bigger hit than it deserved to be. It really is a top 10 hit.

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I can understand Motown not pushing "Walking" out of disinterest, but it's hard to imagine them actively fighting against what might have been a big hit record. This is the same Motown [[theoretically) that once had several songs in the top 10 at the same time. Surely they weren't dumb enough to think "Walking" and "Hangover" somehow cancelled each other out because it's the same label. Or am I missing something?

That was common practice. Look at the A Song For You album by the Temptations. Side 1 uptempo songs and side 2 slow songs.

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Originally Posted by sup_fan

i think having a whole side predominantly ballads wasn't a wise choice. it makes the whole side too slow and ponderous. while i like the songs, i think mixing them among the dance tracks would have made for a more balanced record

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Originally Posted by RanRan79

I can understand Motown not pushing "Walking" out of disinterest, but it's hard to imagine them actively fighting against what might have been a big hit record. This is the same Motown [[theoretically) that once had several songs in the top 10 at the same time. Surely they weren't dumb enough to think "Walking" and "Hangover" somehow cancelled each other out because it's the same label. Or am I missing something?

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I'd guess it had more to do with budget. no company, big or small, has unlimited funds. there's a cost to promotional activity and so when they were panicked over LH and 5th D, they probably pulled all funds from all other secondary priorities.

Do i think Walking would have been #1, probably not but certainly would have charted better. promotion aside, do i though Walking would have ever outsold LH, no. So if you have a total promotional budget of $X, where would you spend it?

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Originally Posted by RanRan79

Yes, disco fever wouldn't really explode for about another year or so, which in my mind is all the more reason to deem the disco Supremes as a bad idea. They were not the group to put disco on the map. Perhaps had the group continued on past 1977 they could've ventured off into disco and been accepted for branching out. But the term disco and it's sound was so far off of the brand Supremes that I just don't see any situation in which this direction of the group was a resounding success. Maybe, just maybe, it would've worked if the leading disco producers of the time had taken over the group, but two of their three albums [[Scherrie years) were produced by the Hollands, and unless I'm missing something, they never had a big disco hit.

Of the songs, do any of them even stand up next to a "Love Hangover" or "Don't Leave Me This Way"? I personally don't think so, even though there are some great tunes. Could the Supremes have taken "Don't Leave Me This Way" to number one? With Scherrie singing lead, probably. But they would've had to luck up on that. And honestly, with that track, just about anyone with half a voice could've taken it to the top.

I like the idea of the Supremes doing what the Pointer Sisters or the Emotions were doing. Even a song like "You Can't Turn Me Off" by High Inergy would've been a good fit for the Supremes had it been given to them instead.

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actually i think the Sups fit very well with disco. Disco had a bit of a glamour image to it. it was cosmopolitan and "of the big cities." Glittery and flashy. which of course are synonymous with the Supremes. Disco also originated in the black and gay clubs, two audiences that could definitely identify with the Sups

I think Let Yourself Go is a top disco/dance track. certainly not on a par, lyrically, with a song like I Will Survive. but it's a stupendous dance song and irresistible beat. a party song. IMO on a par with Dancing In the Street.

As i've said, i think a variety of forces [[internal and external) prevented the supremes from reaching broader success during the late 70s.

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Originally Posted by mistercarter2u

BEST*SUPREMES*ALBUM*EVER!!!!!

Mary Wilson shines on this album more than on any other Supremes' release. Her trio of leads on side 2 - "Don't Let My Teardrops Bother You" and the Medley of "Till The Boat Sails Away" and "I Dont' Want To Lose You" - are absolutely superb! [[Mary could have gone on to have some hit records as a solo artist if she had recorded material similar to the "High Energy" tracks. Shame she didn't.)

The really great thing about the "High Energy" album is that all of the members were present, represented, could be heard. The Supremes were a group, as opposed to a solo singer with a few background vocals tossed in.

There isn't a weak track on the album. Motown could have issued any of them as a second single and with a tad of promotion, had a hit. Shame they stopped promoting the album after just one single.

I loved, loved, STILL LOVE the "High Energy" album.

As I said, BEST*SUPREMES*ALBUM*EVER!!!

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Agree....anyone who I lent it out to was suprised at the quality. Should MSS bailed from Motown at this point?

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Originally Posted by sup_fan

I too would have trimmed some of the ballads. i think a stronger lineup would have been:

High Energy
I'm Gonna Let My Heart Do The Walking
Don't Let My Teardrops Bother Your
You're What's Missing in My Life

Only You
Bend A Little
Can We Love Again
You Keep Me Movin' On

with the original lp, i enjoy the added Susaye background vocals on I Don't Want To Lose You. it's almost a precursor to the superior We Should Be Together.

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I like this track line up. wasn't my fav lp but I do like the Russ mixs better than the disco meets the Symphony mixs. side 2 was BORING
my choice for 2nd single Youre Whats Missing In My Life.
I do prefer Supremes 75 or MSS to this ,mostly because of side 2 being a snoozefest.
how did Bend A Little stay in the can????? seriously. Can We Love Again.