Supremes "Take A Look Inside"

[RanRan79]

Here's one of my favs from the Promises Kept sessions. I think it would've been a highlight of the album. Anyone else a fan?

[lakeside]

Oh yes.....a fan, indeed. Also, Tears Left Over, though it's a little rough and apparently
not finished. The Promises Kept album is my often 'go to' on the Terrell Years set.

[RanRan79]

Oh yes.....a fan, indeed. Also, Tears Left Over, though it's a little rough and apparently
not finished. The Promises Kept album is my often 'go to' on the Terrell Years set.

Yeah, I think "Tears Left Over" had the potential to be a big hit with a final mix. The PK album might have ended up their best album had it been released when scheduled. I think it was shelved when "Floy Joy" went out and Motown knew it had a hit on it's hands. Giving Smokey a full album makes sense. But I think a lot of the tracks for PK would've still sounded relevant had it been the follow up to Floy Joy.

[TYK1986]

Need to re-listen to all the tracks. For some reason I've never listened to this song but it's not bad at all. Some of the tracks are difficult to listen to and feel as if they need a final clean up or mix. When looking at all the tracks it seems there are too many covers and unlike Floy Joy there doesn't seem to be theme to the album. Just random songs from random producers. Maybe it's my ears but I don't seem to hear Mary and Cindy on many of the tracks and guess they are mixed with session singers.

[blackguy69]

Keep in mind that all of these tracks are unfinished so all of the vocals aren’t on it. It’s safe to say these are a mix of both with and without Mary and Cindy.

Need to re-listen to all the tracks. For some reason I've never listened to this song but it's not bad at all. Some of the tracks are difficult to listen to and feel as if they need a final clean up or mix. When looking at all the tracks it seems there are too many covers and unlike Floy Joy there doesn't seem to be theme to the album. Just random songs from random producers. Maybe it's my ears but I don't seem to hear Mary and Cindy on many of the tracks and guess they are mixed with session singers.

[sup_fan]

the PK sessions are hit or miss in my opinion. of course, if some are unfinished, that might play into it a bit. but really there's nothing here nearly as strong as the Frank Wilson work on the previous albums. even the Tears Left Over [[which is a Frank Wilson production) isn't a Stoned Love or Ladder

Of the PK material, i do agree that Tears is the strongest. also i think the work of Pam and Gloria are right up there too. Oh My Poor Baby and I'll Let Him Know I Love Him are also quite good. Of course Pam had been working with Frank on some of the previous Touch songs.

the one A&S track, Can't Get You Out of My Mind is another good one.

Given Pam's and Gloria's strong work at the company to date, i'm a bit surprised they weren't given an opportunity to do an album with the Supremes. Perhaps chauvinism was just running too strong and deep. but wow - the top girl group being produced by the top female in-house producers. could have been some great publicity around that

[daviddh]

Agree. Some gems on PK sessions and the 73 frank wilson sessions.
Would of been a good album

[sup_fan]

what other 73 sessions did Frank produce, besides Love Train? I think some have speculated that he also did Remote Control but i don't know that we have any actual data on that track, as to recording dates or producer.

[RanRan79]

Need to re-listen to all the tracks. For some reason I've never listened to this song but it's not bad at all. Some of the tracks are difficult to listen to and feel as if they need a final clean up or mix. When looking at all the tracks it seems there are too many covers and unlike Floy Joy there doesn't seem to be theme to the album. Just random songs from random producers. Maybe it's my ears but I don't seem to hear Mary and Cindy on many of the tracks and guess they are mixed with session singers.

I think there's like 20 songs cut that could've gone on the PK album, so any cohesiveness would have to come from the song selections as opposed to what all was cut at the time. There are a lot of covers, but some of them are impressive. Sucks that "Still Waters" appears to be either a demo or simply unfinished. A finished version would've been a great addition.

[sup_fan]

I think there's like 20 songs cut that could've gone on the PK album, so any cohesiveness would have to come from the song selections as opposed to what all was cut at the time. There are a lot of covers, but some of them are impressive. Sucks that "Still Waters" appears to be either a demo or simply unfinished. A finished version would've been a great addition.

it is a lovely version. of course it's just a lovely song. but they seem to up the "lushness" for the sup version, which works really well

of the 20 songs or so recorded in 2nd half of 71, i don't know that i can find 10 - 12 that really are all that excellent. certainly most of them are fine enough. but out of the material we've received, i don't know that i could assemble an album that really stands out. and after the 3 excellent Frank Wilson albums, any combination of the 20 PK tracks would be a huge let down

now Smokey didn't have the whole FJ ready in Dec. he recorded the track with the girls in October - basically in the midst of all the Promises Kept tracks. frank was still working on Tears Left Over when FJ was released.

My opinion on the situation is that Frank Wilson had somewhat exclusive work with the girls from mid 70 - mid 71. they started out strong with Ladder and RO. then hit paydirt with SL. but New Ways bombed. meanwhile they pushed out the duets which had a decent single [[River) but the lp bombed. Nathan was so hot and new that they pushed it out quickly and it did so-so. only top 20. then Touch lp and Touch single bombed. and the duet #2 bombed. as did the next two duet albums [[which frank and bobby taylor mostly worked on).

so now you're approaching fall of 71 and you're wondering "ok the girls are still popular on tv and in concert but they seem to be struggling on the radio"

a bunch of producers now try to experiment with ideas:

smokey with FJ
Frank with Tears and a funkier sound
Pam and Gloria with My poor baby and I'll have to let him know
Henry Cosby on Take your dreams back, make it with you
The Clan on Chained to Yesterday
A&S Can't get you out of my mind
Dean Taylor on I don't want to own you
Clay on Take a look inside, never can say goodbye
Bobby taylor on eleanor rigby and still water, and i thought you loved me

[daviddh]

I think the PK sessions could have produced a hit or two.
I like Love Train. Still could have but the OJs took it to the top

[sup_fan]

I think the PK sessions could have produced a hit or two.
I like Love Train. Still could have but the OJs took it to the top

while Love Train was recorded well after PK, you bring up an interesting point. no one said that the 19 or so tracks we've received and dubbed "the PK songs" would have been the only material to choose from.

there was TONS of Jean material in the can from the RO period that could have been pulled forward. Life Beats for one. The Day Will Come, Mind Body and Soul, Steppin on a Dream. these four songs are IMO much stronger than many of the PK tracks. only question is were they fresh enough? were they a bit dated already?

Also PK pre-dates the release of Dynamite. The third duet set was released in Dec 71 and was released IMO because there was no new Sup album for the holiday rush. they needed something to throw out there. of the duets, it's possible some of the tunes were recorded with both full Levi and full Jean leads. and then edited together as a duet. Love The One You're With is all Jean lead so that track certainly could have been on PK