best or favorite cover song

[sup_fan]

we all know the group did a LOT of covers. sometimes too many or sometimes albums needed more Sup content. But often times the covers were really excellent

which are your favorites?

This Old Heart Of Mine is probably my fav. it was originally intended for the group and i wish they had recorded/released it.

Na Na i think is a very well done cover but would have fit better on a different lp. maybe on Right On

[gman]

I really enjoy almost all of the covers....exceptions: Boots, Misery Makes My Heart, Up Up, and Heat Wave....
LIVERPOOL is a complete answer in itself...I love A Hard Days Night...hate the other 2 Beatle covers Can't Buy Me Love [[this song is up there with Love The One Your With...hate it by anyone) & I Want To Hold Your Hand...would have loved a more MOTOWN sounding cover of You've Really Got A Hold...I love the song....and I have no idea why Mickey Mouse has to sing How Do You Do It on a Supremes LP...although some tracks sound like a real rush job, there is some beautiful harmony work on LIVERPOOL..it was at the time of its release the 2nd largest selling LP the company had behind WDOLG?....soon to lose the #2 position to several other Supremes LPs...
Had more familiar well known material been used on Webb, I am sure I would have had a few favorites listed from that...I love his songwriting...but the LP being what it is, I hate it but will have to add 5.30 Plane to my list of favorites....it is on Jimmy's vocal debut Lp...so it is a cover....I've said it before...5.30 PLANE is a Terrell masterpiece and is always on my 70's comps made for friends and playlists.

[RanRan79]

Who did "5:30 Plane" originally?

Ignoring the standards, "Shake Me, Wake Me" is one of my absolute favorites. The ladies did the Tops proud there.

Surprisingly, I think the Supremes' version of "Get Ready" is nearly as good as the Tempts, which is unusual because usually the Supremes' covers of other Motown songs are kind of "blah" in comparison.

"I'm Gonna Make You Love Me" is as good as any of the versions that came out before it.

"Is There a Place In His Heart For Me" is gorgeous and IMO better than Martha's.

"Aint That Good News" bested even Sam's version, IMO, a feat unto itself.

[sup_fan]

Good News really was a great one for Flo. I do think it would be sensational to hear it withthe Funk Bros jamming behind her.

[reese]

Shake Me, Wake Me
Baby I Need Your Loving
Put Yourself in My Place
I'll Turn to Stone
A Place in the Sun [with the Tempts]
Then [with the Tempts]
Hey Western Union Man
Stubborn Kind of Fellow Then [with the Tempts]
Till Johnny Comes
The Beginning of the End

[TNSUN]

"Stormy" is a gem!

[daviddh]

Stormy
This old heart of mine
Love makes me do foolish things
Shake me wake me
Living you is sweater than ever
Whisper you live me boy

[Spreadinglove21]

Someday We'll Be Together
5:30 Plane
Stormy
Shake Me, Wake Me When It's Over
Bridge Over Troubled Water
Don't Let my teardrops bother you
Ain't That Good News
A Lover's Concerto

[gman]

forgot A PLACE IN THE SUN....Diana is great on this, and the TCB version of The Impossible Dream [[IMHO, there is nothing special at all about the Join version..and the march? totally unnecessary) ...but...there is ample greatness from Paul Williams...he was a amazing singer...rougher than Dennis...and Diana sang with more power than her usual...but was still smooth. It was a great combination....

[lockhartgary]

I like their cover of "Money".

[Bluebrock]

Who did "5:30 Plane" originally?

Ignoring the standards, "Shake Me, Wake Me" is one of my absolute favorites. The ladies did the Tops proud there.

Surprisingly, I think the Supremes' version of "Get Ready" is nearly as good as the Tempts, which is unusual because usually the Supremes' covers of other Motown songs are kind of "blah" in comparison.

"I'm Gonna Make You Love Me" is as good as any of the versions that came out before it.

"Is There a Place In His Heart For Me" is gorgeous and IMO better than Martha's.

"Aint That Good News" bested even Sam's version, IMO, a feat unto itself.

5.30 plane was originally recorded by a group called Picardy who were a studio group put together by Jimmy Webb. He wrote and produced the song specially for them in 1968. The Love Generation also recorded a version which was released around the same time, and there was also another version by a lady called Marilyn Maye.

[Spreadinglove21]

Picardy's version. Doesn't hold a candle to JML's version.

[floyjoy678]

Ain't That Good News
Baby I Need Your Loving
Got To Get You Into My Life
Shake Me, Wake Me

And if 5:30 Plane is a cover then that too. That's one of my favorite top songs from the Jean era. In fact I'm probably in the minority in that I like the Jimmy Webb album [[waits for the cabbage and tomatoes to be thrown).

And Don't Let My Teardrops Bother You. For me this is Mary's signature song and lost hit.

[lucky2012]

Ain't That Good News
Baby I Need Your Loving
Got To Get You Into My Life
Shake Me, Wake Me.

I really like their cover of Baby I Need Your Loving. It is a welcome, different take on an HDH classic that works for me.

I agree with a lot of choices in this thread:
Ain't That Good News [also my opinion that it bests Sam Cooke's original ]
Whisper You Love Me Boy [also better than Mary Wells' original imo ]
Shake Me Wake Me [maybe not better than the original but the duet version on A GoGo EE comes close]
Then [I heard DRATS version first and still prefer it to the slower Four Tops original]

I think the most significant cover must be Someday We'll Be Together [I haven't heard the original].

I didn't know these were covers:
Put Yourself In My Place
I'll Turn To Stone
Till Johnny Comes

[Boogiedown]

eccch, Melba Moore on a bad day... ..... hardly characteristic "Supremes", if there is such a thing . Jean Terrell backed by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir ...



also echhh ..... maybe the Mamas And The Papas could have had a modest charter with it.

[daviddh]

I forgot Someday Well Be Together that was a cover.
This is a great song.
Some covers have good vocals, but are LA musicians, not the Funk Brothers.
If the Funks were on Liverpool n Go Go , they would have been much better.
I tied to listen to 530 plane ,but I just can't.sorry.

[lockhartgary]

Another favorite: "I Guess I'll Always Love You".

[Ollie9]

we all know the group did a LOT of covers. sometimes too many or sometimes albums needed more Sup content. But often times the covers were really excellent

which are your favorites?

This Old Heart Of Mine is probably my fav. it was originally intended for the group and i wish they had recorded/released it.

Na Na i think is a very well done cover but would have fit better on a different lp. maybe on Right On

I have always felt “Na Na Hey Hey” would have made for a brilliant single. It was a nice change of pace for the group, being playful yet slick. Would love to have seen them performing it live.

[sup_fan]

I have always felt “Na Na Hey Hey” would have made for a brilliant single. It was a nice change of pace for the group, being playful yet slick. Would love to have seen them performing it live.

hmmm - wonder if they'd done a treatment similar to Nathan Jones with the synthesizers and phased vocals? might have been interesting. the existing version is a very solid cover, although i don't think it fits NW. would have been perfect on Right On. maybe swap Baby Baby and move that to NW, with it's big heavy rock feeling.

[RanRan79]

I have always felt “Na Na Hey Hey” would have made for a brilliant single. It was a nice change of pace for the group, being playful yet slick. Would love to have seen them performing it live.

I agree. As is I really like it, but I'm betting a single mix would have really amped up the fun. But then Motown didn't always get the single mixes right, so there is that.

[johnjeb]

hmmm - wonder if they'd done a treatment similar to Nathan Jones with the synthesizers and phased vocals? might have been interesting. the existing version is a very solid cover, although i don't think it fits NW. would have been perfect on Right On. maybe swap Baby Baby and move that to NW, with it's big heavy rock feeling.

Na, Na...works well in my New Ways album playlist:
Side1
Together, Stoned Love, Breakdown, Shine, Thank Him
Side 2
Life Beats, Mirror, Bridge, Day Will Come, Pay The Price, Na-Na

I put Is There A Place on Touch instead of Time And Love...

Although, as much as I love the Touch album I feel it was more a showcase for Jean rather than a Supremes album, which we did get with Floy Joy. I've often thought that maybe an album featuring Nathan Jones might have been a good project for a 70s Supremes A' Go-Go type album. So maybe Na-Na would have fit an album with that format. Other songs might be hits of recent years, primarily Motown, like Signed-Sealed-Delivered, You Met Your Match, or other Stevie Wonder hits, also I Can't Get Next To You, Friendship Train, Grapevine, You Made Me So Very Happy, and non-Motown like Band Of Gold, for example. So many songs from 1968 through early 1971 might have worked as an album of cover songs for the group, featuring shared vocals, creating a new identity for The Supremes. I think it would have been better received than the album of cover songs with the Tops.

[sup_fan]

Na, Na...works well in my New Ways album playlist:
Side1
Together, Stoned Love, Breakdown, Shine, Thank Him
Side 2
Life Beats, Mirror, Bridge, Day Will Come, Pay The Price, Na-Na

I put Is There A Place on Touch instead of Time And Love...

Although, as much as I love the Touch album I feel it was more a showcase for Jean rather than a Supremes album, which we did get with Floy Joy. I've often thought that maybe an album featuring Nathan Jones might have been a good project for a 70s Supremes A' Go-Go type album. So maybe Na-Na would have fit an album with that format. Other songs might be hits of recent years, primarily Motown, like Signed-Sealed-Delivered, You Met Your Match, or other Stevie Wonder hits, also I Can't Get Next To You, Friendship Train, Grapevine, You Made Me So Very Happy, and non-Motown like Band Of Gold, for example. So many songs from 1968 through early 1971 might have worked as an album of cover songs for the group, featuring shared vocals, creating a new identity for The Supremes. I think it would have been better received than the album of cover songs with the Tops.

interesting playlist. i might copy that and see what i think

my playlist was

Side 1 - together, stoned, break down, bridge, mirror
Side 2 - time and love, is there a place, baby baby, shine on me, thank him

there's such a fusion of pop and soul and classical here. these massive productions with huge orchestras, harps, the soaring backing vocals and of course Miss Terrell's sensational leads. I've described it in the past as an most a Pop/R&B Opera. plus the lyrical themes of peace, love, god, and all

Time and love isn't my fav track and it's wildly out of place on Touch. but within the context of my revised NW, it seems to fit a bit better. Na Na and some of the other tunes are great but didn't really meet that soul/opera level IMO.

[sup_fan]

I agree. As is I really like it, but I'm betting a single mix would have really amped up the fun. But then Motown didn't always get the single mixes right, so there is that.

in general i almost never have been a fan of the 45 mix since it's typically a mono mix. the stereo versions are IMO just so superior and just explode from your speakers. especially as HDH and other producers learned to play with sounds and have them travel from channel to channel. you also typically have much better clarity of the backing vocals on the stereo mixes.

there are a few exceptions

the mono mix of This Old Heart has a delayed entrance of the tambourine in the intro and MAN!! that just really adds to the sound. the stereo has the tambourine start right at the very beginning

Someday - wasn't the tambourine intro the mono version? or was that just the lp version?

Ladder - this is a time where the single version has the backing vocals more prominent. the stereo version is just so elegant though. but the mono is very good

Bill Coming Home - the alt vocal take by Jean on the single version of Bill is a better take than the stereo version. both are great but she scoops a few more notes and does a bit more embellishment on the mono version which just lifts it up

[RanRan79]

I've often thought that maybe an album featuring Nathan Jones might have been a good project for a 70s Supremes A' Go-Go type album.

Oh wow, I have never thought about that! After reading your post I had to make a playlist and see what I come up with. In no particular order:

Can't You Hear Me Knocking
Wait a Minute Before You Leave Me [[I would have had "Day Will Come" on RO instead)
Stepping On My Dream
If You Let Me Baby
Na Na Na
Nathan Jones
Johnny Raven
Eleanor Rigby
Oh My Poor Baby
Tears Left Over
Take Your Dreams Back

Maybe call the album Can You Dig It? or something hip like that, of the time, as A GoGo was to it's time.

On New Ways, I would've replaced "Na Na Na" with "Witchi-tai-to".

Of course taking tracks from Touch for this conceived album leaves room open for that project. Gonna go back to the drawing board in a bit when my free time is open again shortly and see what album I can make. Probably a "quiet storm" type album.

[sup_fan]

Although, as much as I love the Touch album I feel it was more a showcase for Jean rather than a Supremes album, which we did get with Floy Joy. I've often thought that maybe an album featuring Nathan Jones might have been a good project for a 70s Supremes A' Go-Go type album. So maybe Na-Na would have fit an album with that format. Other songs might be hits of recent years, primarily Motown, like Signed-Sealed-Delivered, You Met Your Match, or other Stevie Wonder hits, also I Can't Get Next To You, Friendship Train, Grapevine, You Made Me So Very Happy, and non-Motown like Band Of Gold, for example. So many songs from 1968 through early 1971 might have worked as an album of cover songs for the group, featuring shared vocals, creating a new identity for The Supremes. I think it would have been better received than the album of cover songs with the Tops.

see i do see the Touch album as being very Supremes. true - other than the title track, Jean is doing all of the leads. but there's so much group work and that work is so essential to the tunes. in Bad Weather, I felt it was really a Jean song, that Stevie really wasn't focusing on a group. i don't know how much experience he really had with producing a group as opposed to producing a soloist with backing vocals

but anyway, songs like Sunrise, This is the Story and others have so much group work and they elevate the whole song

i do think you're idea though of a more dance oriented album being a great fit for the girls. RO was a pretty solid dance sound, although several ballads too. NW and Touch were really more about the overall concept and while some great beats there, they weren't really about dancing.

Tears Left Over is a great track. Bayou mentioned on FB something about it not being a truly finished version of the song. but even as is, it's great. it's funkier. got a great beat. and this sound could have easily anchored a new album and new direction

[Ollie9]

Admittedly not Supremes songs, but two of the greatest cover versions ever has to be Diana’s “To Shy To Say” and “Come In From The Rain”.