An observation.....2 LP's in one day.....

[marybrewster]

Not too long ago there was a discussion about the Supremes releasing "Merry Christmas" and "The Copa" as well as "Funny Girl" and "TOTT" on the same day. A question was posed if there were any other artists that released albums on the same day [[I looked for the original thread, but couldn't find it).

Today I came across information on "Together" by Diana Ross & the Supremes and the Temptations. This LP was released on September 23, 1969, the same day The Temptaions released their "Puzzle People" LP.

The reason for me coming across this is:

Besides maybe the obvious, does anyone know why the DRATS were given top billing over the Temptations? Also: do you suppose in this day and age where an artist will release several versions of a CD with different cover artwork, that Motown would have released a "Together" by The Temptations and Diana Ross & the Supremes?

[RossHolloway]

No. The Supreme's were simply more popular and the bigger act than the Temps.

But it's also hard not to imagine that releasing two albums on the same day caused them to compete with one another and cut into both their sales. I can't imagine an artist doing that today.

[marybrewster]

I wonder what the up side is to releasing two different albums on the same day. More exposure? Strike while the iron is hot? Since there was only one single release from these 4 albums, I don't know why the "rush"? I can see releasing "Merry Christmas" in November, but would "Copa" have done better released in January? I can only guess that "kids" had to make a choice of the two and sales were split. Being released after Christmas, maybe "Copa" would have done better with Christmas money burning a hole?

And as far as "Funny Girl" and "TOTT"; I can see the probability of rushing "FG" [[wasn't Babs' LP coming out at the same time?) but maybe "TOTT" would have done better a month later? Did anyone in the US even know what "TOTT" was?

[ejluther]

As I think was covered on the other thread, both Bruce Springsteen and Guns n' Roses put out 2 new studio albums on the same day [[Bruce w/Human Touch and Lucky Town, GnR w/Use Your Illusion I & II) but that was years and years ago. If someone's done it since, it's not springing to mind.

As for The Supremes doing it - it can't be a coincidence that neither time were the releases "real" Supremes albums. All I mean by "real" albums is they weren't studio albums with new chart-oriented material - it's not like they released "A' Go-Go" and "Sing Holland-Dozier-Holland" on the same day. Perhaps the thinking was that a live album + theme record were best released at the same time because the audience for them could be very different? For instance, I could see the teenagers in the family buying the live records with the parents opting for the theme albums.

Just to be clear again, I'm not saying these albums weren't good or worthy or even somehow substandard in the Supremes catalog [[I like all four of them very much and think FUNNY GIRL is sadly underrated. In fact, AT THE COPA was an early LP in my house and one of the reasons I still love the group to this day and am here posting on this very forum!), I'm just commenting on the types of albums they were.

[stephanie]

At the Copa is the album that made me like Flo as a kid when I could hear her high soprano.

[robbert]

"Did anyone in the US even know what "TOTT" was?"

I'm Dutch, don't wanna look it up [[stubborn, I know), cracked my brains, but... TOTT stands for ...?
Thank you.

[BayouMotownMan]

It wasn't so much that the Supremes were more popular, I think everyone knew both groups and the Tempts were outselling the Supremes by this time, all these things - the duet lps, the tv specials together were used to showcase Miss Ross from within the framework of the Supremes and the Temptations. In later years several of the Tempts voiced opposition to this idea and went along with it against their better wishes

[ejluther]

TOTT = [[Live at) TALK OF THE TOWN