Supremes anthology

This album was my introduction into the Supremes.
My first album of theirs .it remains a favorite to this day.
My thoughts.
I thought side 5 was strange to include the two beatle tracks when there were far superior tracks available.
But then...the 80 version came along.i think this help rectify a few faults by including good news
It makes no difference now
This old heart of mine
But then there was a third Anthology .
Any surprises .any thought s.
Love this time capsule. They had a box set before it was the in thing.

To this day, the 1974 Anthology is my favorite of all Supremes compilations. I can still remember the day I bought it with my birthday money. Everything about the collection was first-rate from the album design to the booklet and of course, the classic music.

Re Side 5, I thought it was a clever idea to include one song from each of the group's specialty albums. When I bought the album, I hadn't heard any of them previously except for I'M THE GREATEST STAR. So it was nice to hear them doing another kind of material.

overall i think the Anthology series was a masterful stroke of genius for Motown. let's face it - as a label, they've ALWAYS excelled at repacking up the hits. the Big 16 series in the 60s through to today.

I do wish that the 74 release had included some of the 70s work.

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Originally Posted by sup_fan

overall i think the Anthology series was a masterful stroke of genius for Motown. let's face it - as a label, they've ALWAYS excelled at repacking up the hits. the Big 16 series in the 60s through to today.

I do wish that the 74 release had included some of the 70s work.

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I thought the ANTHOLOGY series was first rate. The Supremes' edition was the first that I purchased but I eventually bought them all with the exception of the Commodores and Grover Washington, Jr. I thought the inclusion of full-color booklets was a nice and classy touch. I was really disappointed that the Marvelettes and Jackson 5 sets didn't include one, as well as the later set by Diana.

Re the Supremes' set, I was glad that it ended with SOMEDAY. It was probably one of the few sets besides the Marvelettes and the Vandellas that had a definite beginning and end. The 70s hits were a nice addition to the 1986 cd version but including them on the 1974 vinyl would have meant either deleting the Versatile Stylists section or adding a 4th disc, which would have been too much IMO.

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Originally Posted by sup_fan

overall i think the Anthology series was a masterful stroke of genius for Motown. let's face it - as a label, they've ALWAYS excelled at repacking up the hits. the Big 16 series in the 60s through to today.

I do wish that the 74 release had included some of the 70s work.

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I think Motown was celebrating DRATS.

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Originally Posted by reese

I thought the ANTHOLOGY series was first rate. The Supremes' edition was the first that I purchased but I eventually bought them all with the exception of the Commodores and Grover Washington, Jr. I thought the inclusion of full-color booklets was a nice and classy touch. I was really disappointed that the Marvelettes and Jackson 5 sets didn't include one, as well as the later set by Diana.

Re the Supremes' set, I was glad that it ended with SOMEDAY. It was probably one of the few sets besides the Marvelettes and the Vandellas that had a definite beginning and end. The 70s hits were a nice addition to the 1986 cd version but including them on the 1974 vinyl would have meant either deleting the Versatile Stylists section or adding a 4th disc, which would have been too much IMO.

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I'm not a completist, but I felt I needed Anthology. The blue & gold double GH album was essential but Volume 3 was quite disappointing.

The fact that this 3-disc album earned gold status indicates Motown was right to release it and the public still loved DRATS.

it's odd that the J5 set didn't get a booklet. not surprised they jipped the Marvelettes. they had a long history of doing that. didn't the inside of the Marvelettes package at least have more pics and stuff? versus the Sups which just had the reproduction of D,M and C's pics?

As much as motown loved to milk money with greatest hits packages, it's curious they didn't do a US 70s Sups album in 73. sure the 70s Sups weren't as big as DRATS but they def sold more and had more chart success that the Marvelettes, Jr Walker and many other motown artists. Easily could have found 10 or 12 cuts - the A-sides alone of their non-duet singles brings you to 10. they could have maybe skipped I Guess or Your Wonderful Sweet and included an lp track or two, maybe an unreleased couple of tracks.

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Originally Posted by sup_fan

it's odd that the J5 set didn't get a booklet. not surprised they jipped the Marvelettes. they had a long history of doing that. didn't the inside of the Marvelettes package at least have more pics and stuff? versus the Sups which just had the reproduction of D,M and C's pics?

As much as motown loved to milk money with greatest hits packages, it's curious they didn't do a US 70s Sups album in 73. sure the 70s Sups weren't as big as DRATS but they def sold more and had more chart success that the Marvelettes, Jr Walker and many other motown artists. Easily could have found 10 or 12 cuts - the A-sides alone of their non-duet singles brings you to 10. they could have maybe skipped I Guess or Your Wonderful Sweet and included an lp track or two, maybe an unreleased couple of tracks.

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Yes, the Marvelettes had a lot of nice photos inside so at least Motown did get creative without including a booklet in that one. In fact, it was in that set that I saw the only professional photo of them as a quintet.

Loved the Anthology series from the 70s. I had all of them.

There was a plan for a 70s album. Called Gold.....in 1973 ish.....with songs up to bad weather

Over all my introduction to the Supremes. Was top notch with this Anthology series.
My only regret it didn't included buttered popcorn.
I personally would have dropped the beatle songs and included the young folks.....
Overall great album collection

Well there was the At Their Best album for the 70's Supremes

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Originally Posted by jobeterob

Well there was the At Their Best album for the 70's Supremes

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true - i just think it would have sold better had they done a similar concept in 73. I believe EMI did one overseas around this time, using the Live In Japan cover art

You guys are too knowledgeable....I think I have all of these, can someone post pictures of each of the Anthologies that have been discussed? That would make identifying the strengths of each easier, thanks,

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Originally Posted by sup_fan

true - i just think it would have sold better had they done a similar concept in 73. I believe EMI did one overseas around this time, using the Live In Japan cover art

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Yes they did. I still have the cassette version.

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Originally Posted by drlorne

You guys are too knowledgeable....I think I have all of these, can someone post pictures of each of the Anthologies that have been discussed? That would make identifying the strengths of each easier, thanks,

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i'll give a try

1974 version - this was the first one and focused on the Diana era only. Includes a couple early songs and then every single starting with Lovelight. plus a few B sides thrown in. includes 1 selection from each of the concept albums too

1986 - this was the first cd version. in terms of Diana era, quite similar. a few changes with non-hit songs. but they also include a healthy dose of 70s material. i believe all of the Jean singles A sides [[excluding duets) are including along with It's All been Said and Walking

1995 - a lot more "non hit" material is included. isn't this the release that used the mono versions of the songs too? added some addition 70s stuff

2001 60s - all of the 70s content was removed as they were planning a 70s Anthology. that allowed them to add a lot more material from 60s. more early tracks, unleased songs,

2002 70s - the first comprehensive review of the group's 70s material.

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Originally Posted by sup_fan

i'll give a try

I hope you don't mind that I added pictures

Attachment 18195


1974 version - this was the first one and focused on the Diana era only. Includes a couple early songs and then every single starting with Lovelight. plus a few B sides thrown in. includes 1 selection from each of the concept albums too

Attachment 18196




1986 - this was the first cd version. in terms of Diana era, quite similar. a few changes with non-hit songs. but they also include a healthy dose of 70s material. i believe all of the Jean singles A sides [[excluding duets) are including along with It's All been Said and Walking

Attachment 18197

1995 - a lot more "non hit" material is included. isn't this the release that used the mono versions of the songs too? added some addition 70s stuff

Attachment 18198

2001 60s - all of the 70s content was removed as they were planning a 70s Anthology. that allowed them to add a lot more material from 60s. more early tracks, unleased songs,


Attachment 18199

2002 70s - the first comprehensive review of the group's 70s material.

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Sorry that the pictures are of varied size.

Thank you so much. Happily I have all of those. Now I can appreciate the comments more and replay them. Thanks again, I really appreciated this.
Lorne

My first release that I owned by The Supremes was the 1995 edition of the Anthology. As a young kid, I loved that cover photo, but now looking back, I wonder what made them choose that particular photo? Flo looks tired and possibly pissed off. :)

I never noticed before that the 86 and 95 cover pics are the same:)

Thanks for posting cover art.
I remember hating the gray cover art in 74. Why gray.looks like a battleship.imo.
But of course the music was great

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Originally Posted by jack020

I never noticed before that the 86 and 95 cover pics are the same:)

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The cover pics for the 95 and 2001 versions are the same :)

Thnx Carlo: the posts are too small on my Ipad:)

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Originally Posted by jack020

Thnx Carlo: the posts are too small on my Ipad:)

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The 1974 anthology was my true introduction to Diana Ross’ Supremes years; the music and especially the booklet were my history books. I’d just begun to explore Diana at 9 years old in the fall of 1975, but knew little of the Supremes story. l remember my dad bringing the LP home for me a few days after Florence’s death. I knew so little at the time. From my father’s Farewell LP, I knew Mary and Cindy’s names, but I didn’t know they were first called the Supremes and had never heard Florence’s name until her death was announced on the radio...

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Originally Posted by jobeterob

Well there was the At Their Best album for the 70's Supremes

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I was thinking the same thing. Even though that album was really short and only had 10 songs on it, there were a few tracks which hadn’t been heard before, at least by me, and it was the only album to include “bad weather”.

@sup_fan,

thank you for taking the time to post all those photos. It’s great to compare them side-by-side. That 1974 vinyl version was my first intro to the group. I had no idea there were so many differences between these releases. The only other one I have is the last one that covers the Jean Terrell and Scherrie Payne years.

Thanks again!