Jean Supremes and Diana Ross Solo Recordings 1969

[RanRan79]

Does anyone know for a fact, or have strong evidence that suggests it, what songs the Jean Supremes recorded in 1969? Whether the backing vocals are Supremes or not makes no difference to my question, just any songs recorded under the group's name in 1969.

I know that Jean made some initial recordings after joining the group, and I've read that the box just has her name on it. If I'm not mistaken, her version of "Evening Train" is one of these recordings. Anyone know what else was a part of this session or sessions?

Same question for Diana's solo recordings, as in intended for her solo career, not recordings under the Supremes name but with no other Supremes on the recording. The only info I have is that "I Wouldn't Change the Man" and "You're All I Need" have 1969 recording dates, but beyond that I don't know.

Of course "Someday" was intended for Diana's solo career. Was that the intention when Diana walked into the studio that day? Or was it after the song was recorded that the decision was made to go ahead and release it on the group? So far, it appears that "For Once In My Life" was the last true Supremes recording with Diana and "Someday" was recorded in August. I would think Diana's recording solo tracks at this point would be more than two or three.

[marybrewster]

Not to hijack your thread to talk about Mary, but I've always wondered when she recorded "Send Him To Me" and "If You Let Me Baby" if those were intended as DRATS tracks, or "New" Supremes tracks. I seem to recall they were done in the fall of 1969. Diana was certainly headed out of the group by then, so there must not have been any intention to release them on an album. Maybe they were testing the waters for RIGHT ON? I'm sure some expert here knows.

[daviddh]

Was always hoping we would get an expanded Right On that would clarify what songs were recorded with dates...
I think she recording Standing Ovation ,cover of the Miracles song and a Vandellas song,loneliness is a Lonely Feeling.
But honestly not sure of the time line.
Maybe George ,Brad or Andy could jump in here.

[reese]

Of course "Someday" was intended for Diana's solo career. Was that the intention when Diana walked into the studio that day? Or was it after the song was recorded that the decision was made to go ahead and release it on the group? So far, it appears that "For Once In My Life" was the last true Supremes recording with Diana and "Someday" was recorded in August. I would think Diana's recording solo tracks at this point would be more than two or three.

I think SOMEDAY was meant to be Diana's first solo single but Shelley Berger convinced Berry to release it under the Supremes' name instead.

[blackguy69]

Someday was supposed to go to Jr. Walker as a follow up to what does it takes but it was reassigned to Diana

I think SOMEDAY was meant to be Diana's first solo single but Shelley Berger convinced Berry to release it under the Supremes' name instead.

[blackguy69]

I think You Move Me was one of the first Jean songs that Mary and Cindy sang on

[sup_fan]

i think your point about "intended" is worth discussing. as i see it, other than when the girls set about recording the R&H material or Sam Cooke or Xmas, there was no "intent" with ANY of their recordings. all of the acts just recorded and added to the proverbial pile of material sitting in the vaults. so i don't think there was a super defined start/stop to Diana's work with the group versus solo.

Diana had been working throughout 69 with a variety of in-house producers - Henry Crosby, Frank, The Clan, Johnny Bristol. A few with Deke but not a ton. according to the DR 70 booklet, A&S started to prepare some tracks by late 69. My guess is that the internal discussions probably mirrored what later happened with Floy Joy. motown was wanting something new and fresh, so an artist was open to a ton of producers. Diana in late 69 and the Sups in mid 71 recorded a bunch of stuff. it was sort of a competition - who's would rise to the top? in 71, the opted for FJ and it did well and so an album was created. in 69, my guess is the internal feelings were "hey this A&S stuff is really hot - let's have them do the lp"

it wouldn't have been a shock for diana's debut to be more like the Right On approach - a collaboration of producers showing her range and versatility. and if they went that route, i'm sure they would have had no problem utilizing songs from the "DRATS" era that were high-quality but still unreleased.

so a long answer to explain how i don't think it was "intent"

[floyjoy678]

Was the Day Will Come Between Sunday and Monday recorded as a Jean solo being that it's with the Andantes? How this amazing song remained unreleased for years is beyond me.

[sup_fan]

from a strategic standpoint, jean was never considered a "solo artist" at motown. of course lots of times she recorded songs without M or C. but that's no different than what the label was doing with Martha Reeves or DR. this wasn't a plan like what Smokey had been hoping for Wanda, recording an album as a solo artist but then at last minute thinking "no let's dust off the marvelette's name"

so jean doing The Day Will come as a supreme. it just happens that M and C weren't doing backing vocals.

[daviddh]

i think Between Sunday and Monday was on the original track line up but omitted along with Life Beats. i think EGTRTL replaced it.not sure now. i used to know this stuff but my age is catching up. we need a Right On Expanded

[BayouMotownMan]

Someday We'll Be Together was cut earlier in 1969. Gordy changed his mind every other day it seems on when to pull Diana out. He thought No Matter What Sign You Are was going to be a huge hit [[can you believe) and was going to pull Ross out in late summer of 1969, certain that Someday was going to be huge hit as her solo debut. While that was happening he was then going to have Ross introduce the J5 in early winter 1969.

Nothing went according to a plan. No Matter What bombed. For the rest of the summer Diana recorded a lot of material but nothing was suitable for her single launch. So Shelly Berger convinced Gordy to issue Someday as the final Supremes song and it would give them more time to court producers and find more material to chose from for Ross's debut single and lp

[RanRan79]

i think your point about "intended" is worth discussing. as i see it, other than when the girls set about recording the R&H material or Sam Cooke or Xmas, there was no "intent" with ANY of their recordings. all of the acts just recorded and added to the proverbial pile of material sitting in the vaults. so i don't think there was a super defined start/stop to Diana's work with the group versus solo.

I would think there had to be a definitive start/stop to the recordings, as there is probably no way a Diana/Mary/Cindy recording was going to end up in Diana's solo career, nor a Diana song in the 70s releases. Admittedly it does get complicated with Diana's recordings because who can know for sure whether a song in 1969 was being recorded for her career or the Supremes, since Mary and Cindy were so often substituted. But anything with Jean in 1969 would certainly have to have been an intended Supremes recording, since there were no plans to make Jean a solo artist.

[sup_fan]

I would think there had to be a definitive start/stop to the recordings, as there is probably no way a Diana/Mary/Cindy recording was going to end up in Diana's solo career, nor a Diana song in the 70s releases. Admittedly it does get complicated with Diana's recordings because who can know for sure whether a song in 1969 was being recorded for her career or the Supremes, since Mary and Cindy were so often substituted. But anything with Jean in 1969 would certainly have to have been an intended Supremes recording, since there were no plans to make Jean a solo artist.

i think they were safe with that since M and C weren't on most of the recordings anyway. But if there had been a super hot track with DMC, i don't think Berry would have blinked an eye about potentially including it on her album. of course once the lp was handed over to A&S, that took take of that. but if they'd approached her debut in a format similar to Right On, with a variety of producers, i don't think it would have been impossible to think that a DMC could have been used.

since they were really looking for something "new and fresh" by late 69, i think it would have been quite remote that they'd use anything from the DRATS days.