Joined Together - the unreleased tracks

[sup_fan]

it seems on here that, out of the various duet work, the Sup/Tops generates the most discussion, followed by the Sup/Temps tv specials. but the very first lp is the one with the biggest hit and the most sales. yet we rarely really discuss the Sup/Temps studio work

what are your thoughts on the UNRELEASED tunes from these two albums?

Hits Medley of YCHL and YKMHO - this is just ODD. why didn't they add a Temps hit to this to at least sort of balance it out? it is kind of nice hearing a more gospel approach to YCHL and the heavy rock version of YKMHO. but still...

Got To Get You Into My Life - i think this one is a bit more interesting that most of the tunes on the released lps. completely agree this isn't magical or a lost hit. but i do appreciate hearing others doing a few lead lines

You Gave Me Something - i think this one is also very strong. frankly it's superior to many of the released tunes and maybe could have even been a single. wouldn't have been a #1 but it might have charted better than I'll Try Something New

A House is not a Home - not bad. but not a duet. it is nice hearing the full groups backing Diana

If you should walk away - this is a fav of mine. although again, clearly not a duet. in my playlists, i've added this to my revised Love Child album

Amen - the jury is still out on this one for me. i like it but i also think it's sloppy. to my ear, this is Take 1 and they needed to do another couple to get everything working. it's great to hear the individual singers again and had it been cleaned up, this could have been a strong closing to the albums

[reese]

My favorite of the unreleased tracks is YOU GAVE ME SOMETHING... Both Diana and Paul sound great on it and it would have made a nice addition to the album.

I also really love Diana's A HOUSE IS NOT A HOME but it isn't a duet. It would have worked just as well on a Supremes album.

The opening medley was nice and well-done. It might have made an interesting start to the JOIN album although it seems strange that they didn't do any Tempts songs. Also, what was the fascination with LOVELIGHT at this time? They performed it on TCB as well [although it was cut] when they had so many other hits they could have included.

The YOU CAN'T HURRY LOVE/YOU KEEP ME HANGIN' ON medley sounds unfinished. Dennis gets a brief little bit in the middle but again, why isn't a Tempts tune included? It is interesting to hear the difference in Diana's vocals between 1966 and 1968.

AMEN sounds like the two groups getting together and having a lot of fun, although it stretches Diana to the absolute top of her range by the end.

[RanRan79]

I agree that the outtakes are largely better than what ended up on the album. "House" and "Walk Away" are very good and deserved to be included on a Supremes album. [[This version of "House" was actually the only version for a very long time that I liked of a song that I couldn't stand, but Luther's performance of it on an NAACP Awards show back in the 80s has officially joined this version as the only two versions that I like.)

The medleys are so cool to me, but I would never have greenlit them for release on the original album unless the Tempts also had one. That outro to "Hangin On", with the guitar, is fantastic. I would have loved to hear them actually cut the song that way, with that rock feel to it.

I love "Amen". I actually add it to my Christmas playlists. In fact, some years ago when I handed out Christmas mix CDs I had made, this version of "Amen" was on it.

[Ollie9]

“A House is Not A Home” is one of those timeless Bacharach/David songs that conveys all the heartache and pain of finding oneself alone when a relationship has ended.
For me Diana’s delivery is just too light and polite in conveying the emotion needed for the song to really work. She may as well be singing “Moon River”. To name a few, Dionne, Streisand and in particular Luther all do a much better job in conveying those emotions.
”You Gave Me Something” is a solid enough song with excellent vocals from both groups. that really should have found a place on the album.

[reese]

This version of "House" was actually the only version for a very long time that I liked of a song that I couldn't stand, but Luther's performance of it on an NAACP Awards show back in the 80s has officially joined this version as the only two versions that I like.

You might want to take a listen to Mavis Staples' version. I heard it many many years ago and had no idea who it was, as I didn't know that she had actually done some secular recordings as well. But it is probably my fave of the various versions I heard, although Luther singing it as a tribute to Dionne on the NAACP Awards is almost impossible to beat.

[BayouMotownMan]

I feel the songs best suited for release were the ones chosen. The other songs mentioned here were best left in the vault. As someone else said the medley of YCKL and YKMHO was odd.

But for me the real telling point of how the groups were playing up to Ross was the omitted Opening Medley. This is so corny that it turns out being cute. It has both groups at a party waiting for the girls to show with Ross, of course, being the life of that party. I have a feeling the Temptations probably didn't like doing this lp.

[RanRan79]

You might want to take a listen to Mavis Staples' version. I heard it many many years ago and had no idea who it was, as I didn't know that she had actually done some secular recordings as well. But it is probably my fave of the various versions I heard, although Luther singing it as a tribute to Dionne on the NAACP Awards is almost impossible to beat.

I just took a listen to it. Mavis is as impressive as always, but nope, don't like her version either. Lol I don't know why I hate this song Reese, but I can't stand it. I forgot to mention there is a third version of the song that I like, Glass House version with Scherrie on lead. As I was writing my earlier post I kept thinking I'm missing a version. I think what happened was discovering Luther's NAACP version relatively late, my mind was still processing two versions of the song that I like. Anyway, GH's version might be my favorite version, although, as you say, Luther's tribute is almost impossible to beat.

And in case you're wondering, no I don't like Luther's recorded version. Lol That's actually the version I was most familiar with, as that was the version of the song I grew up with. Hated it then, hated it now. Don't ask me why, I just do.

[Thornton]

If you should walk away - this is a fav of mine. although again, clearly not a duet. in my playlists, i've added this to my revised Love Child album

I also have "If You Should Walk Away" on my Love Child mix. I think it's a solid song. I think "A House Is Not A Home" and "Got To Get You Into My Life" would have worked on Cream of the Crop.

[bradsupremes]

"A House Is Not A Home" - I've heard an unreleased alternate mix of this that's 10x better than the mix that appeared on Join Together. Background vocals are more upfront and instrumentation is a bit clearer.

"You Gave Me Something" - I'm surprised Motown didn't use this on Together after not being used on Join. This was a strong track although the one downside is the lack of the Supremes on this. I can hear the Andantes faintly on this, but it would have served better if Mary & Cindy were added to it.

"Got To Get You Into My Life" - I've always considered this a Supremes recording with background assistance from the Temptations. I'm pretty sure there are two sets of backgrounds by Mary & Cindy on this. You can hear them in each channel. I think a new mix of this with just DMC could be really good. Some people have dogged on this, but I've always enjoyed it.

[daviddh]

I like House is not a Home and Got To Get You Into My Life.
Both are ,I think best of the out takes

[Circa 1824]

I love Diana’s version of A House is Not A Home. I just listened to it, and don’t remember hearing it before.

Ditto with Got To Get You Into My Life. This one has background vocals much too loud. Diana’s voice gets lost behind unremarkable singers. I also think Diana was still learning the song because her vocals are not as dynamic as they usually are.