The Supremes The Final Session,The Mary Cindy Scherrie and Susaye years,

[Sacramento John]

I received my copy yesterday from amazon. Andy, Harry & George: superb work gentlemen! A deservedly Supreme offering from the "Supreme" Catalog Team. I so remember going into a record store in May of 1975 and being thrilled after such a long, long time to be able to get a new Supremes LP. I loved that LP to death, then I bought an 8 track player & the Supremes 8 track for my Mazda so I could have Supremes wherever I went. I was 21 when this album came out & today listening to disc 1 [[haven't had enough time to get to the other 2 yet) I am 21 all over again..[[till I pass by a mirror!!!!) Everything about this set is so so perfect. Andy, Harry & George, you definately get my nomination for the "Promises Kept" Award!!!!! If Only "Mr. Boogie" would of been released back then along with "Dance Fever." IMHO those releases would have most certainly been game changers for the ladies...hard to believe/accept they didn't get released. We would have been disco-ing like crazy to those songs.

[kenneth]

The other day I put one of those CDs on that thing Ken calls a "phonograph".
The sound was Horrible!
I don't know how you stood for that way back then, Ken.

Okay, Ramone, you can stop anytime!

[chestersong]

don't worry. i must be the oldest as i have an old Edison cylinder player in the basement. needs needles.

[Motown_M_1056]

After this, if we can get Funny Girl on CD we should just about have everything.

I was ambivalent about a lot of the mid 70s material because it was just too disco. I'd have to say though that the High Energy lp was impressive and has held up well. Mary, Scherrie and Susaye has some great moments [[Sweet Dream Machine, We Should Be Closer Together). But I felt the first lp with Scherrie just had too many divergent songs, as though they were trying to find a sound [[which they were). Color My World Blue is a standout and if the ladies had stuck with dePasse's pick of It's All Been Said Before as the first release, things might have been different. I reiterate...MIGHT have been

My wife and I had not heard The Supremes album in a long time. Playing and hearing it today, brought back a lot of memories from that year, 1975. My wife graduated from high school in Detroit that May. I bought the LP while in Detroit where I was visiting for her commencement. I was excited to get a Supremes album after they had gone through a long period away from recording . I met long time Supremes' fan CJ, actually Carl Jenkins, that summer too. I called every Jenkins in the phone book and amazingly got him. He was playing The Supremes' when we spoke for the first time.
I had known that Carl lived in the same Ohio town, but we had never met. I was pleased to know another Supremes/Motown fan lived in the same town. Aggressive, pushy me decided that summer we should finally meet.

It was a fun summer of cruising, parties, Friday night dates at the movies, concerts, Discos and just hanging out. I turned 21 during the summer of 1975.

My wife talked her parents into allowing her to come to Ohio with me for the summer. She was enrolled at Ohio State that upcoming Fall and we convinced her folks, she could get adjusted to a new state and life by staying with my family and me for the summer. My in-laws let her go...It was either that or commit us both. .I couldn't believe they trusted me. If they only knew.

We played the Supremes album all of the time as the summer of 1975 began. We both liked Scherrie Payne and she didn't disappoint us. If this new set does nothing more, it will allow people to hear just how brilliant Scherrie Payne was and still is.

In 1975, the surprise was Mary Wilson's ballads, especially Where Is It I Belong. I still get goose bumps when I hear Mary sing "we made love awhile in a special style." My wife and I certainly did a lot of that that summer. Where Is It I Belong is still one of our songs. Listening to it today brought back those same feelings. This summer, My wife and I will have been married 35 yrs.
Thanks to everyone involved in reissuing The Supremes [[1975) and the other albums.

[kenneth]

Congrats to Motown_M and his wife! What a great set of memories.

I always loved that album as well. It seemed the group finally moved into more adult territory with the MOR ballad "Where is it I Belong" and especially "Early Morning Love." I thought Mary put both those ballads over very well.

I didn't really know about the comings and goings at the time though. But isn't it true that Cindy is on the front cover but Lynda is on the back? Or am I mistaken about that? Was Lynda ever briefly in the group with Scherrie? I know that Mary was pregnant at the time the front photo was taken; hence the other two girls kind of hovering in front of her. So later I figured that even if Lynda wasn't on the LP, they just used an older photo because they didn't have more of Mary, Scherrie and Cindy. But someone feel free to set me straight if I'm off base.

[Jimi LaLumia]

Got my set from Amazon, spent an entire day reliving all these great tracks: I will devote my entire column in the next issue of NY area music mag GOOD TIMES to this amazing release;
by the way, here's my vote for "Funny Girl" and "G.I.T>" getting proper CD releases...

[luke]

No it's only Cindy though I remember the pic on back and Cindy looked different than usual.

[kenneth]

No it's only Cindy though I remember the pic on back and Cindy looked different than usual.

Thanks Luke. Cindy is so distinctive looking especially in the eyes that it's surprising. My set is arriving tomorrow so I'm anxious to see the photos again. I'm assuming the booklet includes repros of the front and back covers of the three LPs.

[telekin]

i can't confirm this, but as if i recall reading somewhere [[perhaps on a supremes forum years back) that cindy wasn't too happy with the back cover photo. evidently, they had airbrushed her beyond recognition.. funny thing; while looking at my record collection, i've had people look at the supremes '75 cover out of curiosity and not be able to correspond the image of cindy on the front with the one on the back.

[aarondillon2011@gmail.com]

telekin.....I have always wondered the same thing.....It did not look like Cindy at all. Believe it or not this is the first time I myself have said anything about. I thought something seemed off about her picture. :-[[

[theboyfromxtown]

My wife and I had not heard The Supremes album in a long time. Playing it today, brought back a lot of memories from that year, 1975. My wife graduated from high school in Detroit that May. I bought the LP while in Detroit where I was visiting for her commencement. I was excited to get a Supremes album after a long time. I met long time Supremes' fan CJ, actually Carl Jenkins, that summer too. I called every Jenkins in the phone book and amazingly got him. He was playing The Supremes' when we spoke for the first time.
I had known Carl lived in the same Ohio town, but we had never met. I was pleased to know another Supremes/Motown fan lived in the same town. Aggressive, pushy me decided that summer that we should finally meet.

It was a fun summer.

My wife talked her parents into allowing her to go back to Ohio with me for the summer. She was enrolled at Ohio State that Fall and we convinced her folks, she could get adjusted to a new state and life by staying with my family and me for the summer. My in-laws let her go...It was that or commit us both. .I couldn't believe they trusted me. If they only knew.

We played the Supremes album all of the time as the summer of 1975 began. We both liked Scherrie Payne and she didn't disappoint us. If this new set does nothing more, it will allow people to hear just how brilliant Scherrie Payne was and still is.

In 1975, the surprise was Mary Wilson's ballads, especially Where Is It I Belong. I still get goose bumps when I hear Mary singing about "making love in a special style." My wife and I certainly did a lot of that that summer. Where Is It I Belong is still our song. Listening to it today brought back those same feelings. This summer, My wife and I will have been married 35 yrs.
Thanks to everyone involved in reissuing The Supremes [[1975) and the other albums.

I love stories like this. Thank you for posting.

Here's to the next 35 years!

[theboyfromxtown]

Got my set from Amazon, spent an entire day reliving all these great tracks: I will devote my entire column in the next issue of NY area music mag GOOD TIMES to this amazing release;
by the way, here's my vote for "Funny Girl" and "G.I.T>" getting proper CD releases...

You got my vote too especially for GIT

[Ramone Verona]

I thought it interesting that on JP's radio interview about the Final Sessions, Andy said that one of the reason's we, as fans, are confronted with so many repackaged greatest hits sets with the same 10 to 12 hits, i.e."Baby Love", was that sellers such as Walmart and Target require sets that are no older that 2 or 3 years.
So if Universal wants to keep the Supremes alive in stores, they MUST repackage the same stuff to make it look "new".
That explains That!

[theboyfromxtown]

Ramone

Are these convenience stores? And are we now suggesting that convenience stores dictate what is or isn't released?

If so, I am gonna have to have a word with my local Waitrose shop manager for some live Roostertail concerts.

[kenneth]

Ramone

Are these convenience stores? And are we now suggesting that convenience stores dictate what is or isn't released?

If so, I am gonna have to have a word with my local Waitrose shop manager for some live Roostertail concerts.

Sadly, in the US, the big "box" chain stores as they're known, such as Walmart and Target, do dictate a lot of what is or isn't available. They have a lot to do with the smaller stores going out of business, almost as much as does downloading and purchases online. Walmart and [[I think also) Target sometimes have exclusive deals with artists where you can only get certain tracks in the "Walmart" version. As much as I love music, I can safely say that browsing in a Walmart, I would find absolutely nothing to buy. It is barely even the top 40, at that, more like the top 20.

In the US, there's almost no "record" stores anymore [[by that I mean a store that sells CDs). Tower, Wherehouse, Virgin, have all gone out of business. There may be a couple Virgins left [[hmmm...) but very few. There's still a few great independents in Los Angeles such as Amoeba which sell both new and used merchandise, but the chains are all gone.

[theboyfromxtown]

Kenneth

Where the USA leads, us Brits follow.

HMV is holding on by a thread!

[redlabs]

i got my cd finally, the package and photos are beautiful.
i like most of th eout takes including the SHOOP SHOOP SONG[ IT'S IN HIS KISS and the extended BEND A LITTLE. also I CAN NEVER RECOVER.
i was never a fan of HIGH ENERGY with the exception of two songs, GONNA LET MY HEART and DONT LET MY TEARDROPS BOTHER U. however, this cd changes my mind about the album all together. i really like the RUSS TERRANA mixs of High Energy much better. also the out takes are really cool. both Mary and Scherries solo versions of YOU'RE WHATS MISSING IN MY LIFE are great.
the extended versions of GONNA LET MY HEART and YOUR MY DRIVING WHEEL are a nice treat.
i can now see how Susaye lifted the songs up as you can hear the difference in the songs without her vocals.
i also like the alternate LOVE I NEVER KNEW YOU COULD FEEL SO GOOD. like the ending.

[Ramone Verona]

Ramone

, I am gonna have to have a word with my local Waitrose shop manager for some live Roostertail concerts.

Xtown, I believe Andy mentioned with George that there are wonderful "live" performances in the vaults from '66 to '68!

[Ramone Verona]

I see this thread now has over "15,000 views"!
The Supremes from 1973, onward, must be pretty popular!

Wanted to make sure I mentioned to thank Andy about something.
George said that Andy was responsible for all the detailed track annotations that feature such information as "this track was first released on such & such release; stereo mix found on such & such; an outtake of this album; originally titled as; and so on and so forth.
This information really helps to identify quickly if we already have certain tracks in our collections or to put together some unreleased album of the girls or even fashion what the original plan might have been like.
Sounds as though the original track plan for the RIGHT ON album was quite different AND that Motown really made sure they had a vast amount of knockout songs for the launching of the New Supremes!
Please keep doing these annotations and MORE, MORE, MORE!
Can't wait for the "Mother Dear" story coming up!

[aarondillon2011@gmail.com]

"Mother Dear" story? What's that?

[theboyfromxtown]

Ramone

We can make a shopping list that will beat all shopping lists. I'll start....

2 Velvelettes -Detroit Roostertail
1 Temps/Contours-Detroit Graystone
1 week of the Supremes-New York Copa
1 Gladys Knight & The Pips-Chicago Regal

........

[theboyfromxtown]

I see this thread now has over "15,000 views"!
The Supremes from 1973, onward, must be pretty popular!

Ramone

I reckon 14,990 of those views are me and you...........

°smile°

[Ramone Verona]

Ramone

We can make a shopping list that will beat all shopping lists. I'll start....

2 Velvelettes -Detroit Roostertail
1 Temps/Contours-Detroit Graystone
1 week of the Supremes-New York Copa
1 Gladys Knight & The Pips-Chicago Regal

........

You know more about these live shows than I do; I'm sure they are all great.
I want something from the latter day Vandellas and also latter day Marvelettes with Ann and Wanda.

[Ramone Verona]

"Mother Dear" story? What's that?

George and Andy said that there was a long story about the track "Mother Dear" that would be on the upcoming MORE HITS BY THE SUPREMES.
About how the song came to be and how it changed and was slated to be their next number one and so on.

This is in sharp contrast to the "Mommy Dearest" story, however.

[aarondillon2011@gmail.com]

Ooooo now I am really excited. Is More Hits still coming out soon?

[theboyfromxtown]

Add to the shopping list from the Isley thread..

Isley Brothers-Motown Monday shows

On the old Motown Bulletin Board there was a Roostertail of the Marvelettes with Jimmy Ruffin....put that on the shopping list too.

"This is in sharp contrast to the "Mommy Dearest" story, however"

No problem, Waitrose don't sell coat hangers!!!!!

[Ramone Verona]

Ooooo now I am really excited. Is More Hits still coming out soon?

Seems like Andy said in the radio interview that he was in the studio last week working on "it".
Only George was allowed to say that "it" was MORE HITS.
Hopefully "soon" means within 2011.
I'm about "disco'ed out".
It will be a nice contrast, with MORE HITS, to get back to the "Jerk", the "Twist", the "Swim", the "Funky Chicken", the "Mashed Potato", the "Gravy", the "Jeannie Blink", that whole Land of 1000 Dances routine!
My wife currently keeps getting hit by my boogie gold-chain necklace.

[Kamasu_Jr]

I wonder why Motown didn't go with You Can't Stop a Girl In Love b/w Give Out, on't Give Up as a single? "...Can't Stop..." did sound a little like Supremes hits of the Sixties. But maybe that's why it chose to go with something different. Still" ...Can't Stop..." is pretty good.

[bradsupremes]

There are a lot of great songs on the 75 album that could have been singles. "It's All Been Said Before" is a great song, but it doesn't do anything for me and I think they made the right choice by pulling the single from release. Personally, I would have released either "Give Out, But Don't Give Up," "You Can't Stop A Girl In Love," or "Color My World Blue," [[which sounded like a throwback to their 60's material). I wish they would have included "The Sha-La Bandit" because that would have made a great single too.

[kenneth]

The other day I put one of those CDs on that thing Ken calls a "phonograph".
The sound was Horrible!
I don't know how you stood for that way back then, Ken.

Well, Ramone, all I can think of is that you were playing the wrong side of the CD!

[theboyfromxtown]

Ha-ha-ha-ha

[Ramone Verona]

It wasn't even that.
It was a "Certificate-of-Deposit"!!

[smark21]

Now that a number of us have the set and have heard the vaulted recordings, how would you change the line up of songs on Supremes 75 album? I think the one time side 2 [[songs6-10) represent one of the best album sides ever issued for The Supremes, but I would change up Side 1--remove Early Morning Love and This is Why I Believe in You, and replace them with Bend a Little and Can We Love Again.

[redlabs]

i would add SHA LA BANDIT,BEND A LITTLE, and IT 'S IN HIS KISS and remove EARLY MORNING LOVE, WHERE IS IT I BELONG, YOU TURN ME AROUND.

[Ramone Verona]

No one want to "reggae"; no one wants to "boogie"?

[redlabs]

i also like DANCE FEVER. i think had they used more of the dance songs it may have done better. i thought WHERE IS IT was kinda MOR. not that it is a bad song ,i just dont think it was contemporary.

[chestersong]

boy, no one is mentioning "Seed of Love". there's a better song "in there" somewhere, but the track is a bit awkward. i'm enjoying it more with additional listens. the bootleg copy i had was shorter and did not contain the "speaking" parts. i like how well Cindy is featured, though. perhaps we will get more Cindy parts when they get around to releasing FUNNY GIRL outtakes and G.I.T. outtakes and the rest of the JMC material. looking forward to the new supremes blog. or is it "vlog"? what's the difference?

[chestersong]

Russ or Ralph has yet to comment on the "russ mixes". how can we snake them out? should we start a rumor that Final Sessions included a spot where Russ is heard flirting with Mary?

[carlo]

This set is the ultimate tribute to The Supremes [[as are all of the previous Supremes releases). I would like to thank Andy, George, Harry and of course The Supremes: Mary, Scherrie, Cindy and Susaye. NO ONE could have done a better job on this release than these gentlemen. A lot of albums are being reissued on third party labels in a "direct-to-CD" manner these days. I am so happy that this particular release received a lot of love, time and care from everyone involved. Thank you gentlemen for giving a loving tribute that these ladies deserve. The packaging is sparkling and beautiful.

This release is a MUST HAVE for all TRUE and LOYAL Supremes fans! It's here and it's time to dance, groove and celebrate! 'Cause it ain't nothin but a party!!

[carlo]

I'm listening to Susaye's unreleased lead on "I'm Gonna Let My Heart Do The Walking" for the first time! WOW!!!

[luke]

It's growing on me; doesnt Mary's voice sound more faint at the beginning of High Energy?

[thesupremes]

I'm back! And loving this collection.

[thesupremes]

I'm listening to Susaye's unreleased lead on "I'm Gonna Let My Heart Do The Walking" for the first time! WOW!!!

I told you Carlo. Susaye posted the other day that Gordy was in the studio while she recorded this one.

[redlabs]

i love both Mary and Scherrie's solo of YOURE WHAT'S MISSING IN MY LIFE but i think Scherries wins out for me. i love how her voice starts in before the music and the ending as well.
i didnt like PLANT THE SEED OF LOVE at first but now ,its growing on me.i think ITS ALL BEEN SAID BEFORE should have beena single.love it.
i also love THE SHOOP SHOOP SONG
david

[luke]

For years I had no idea Scherrie and Mary were both on You're Whats Missing...thought it was all Scherrie!

[Ramone Verona]

Sounds like George and Andy are already impressed with how this set has sold!

[1382hitsville]

After reading all of this just order my copy from Amazon. Expected delivery June 13th....ahhh..can't wait...

[thesupremes]

You're not going to believe this...I still haven't opened my CD yet.

So, I patiently wait the whole day for the CD to arrive, and when it finally does, I don't want to open it because I don't want to touch the pretty packaging. So I go to iTunes and download the entire collection for another 30 bucks. Which I should have done in the middle of the night when it became available.

Like a fool I put you through hell...and now I'm suffering for what I did so well.

[redlabs]

theres one verse to PLANT THE SEED OF LOVE, where Scherrie does WE ARE RIPPLES IN A STREAM, that doesnt seem to fit,??? the rest of the song i like but that verse seems awkward to me.

[Ramone Verona]

That is one thing I was hoping for with these volumes 1 & 2; printed lyrics.
I hear it's expensive to do that. ;[[