Are we to assume that the Supremes release will be released the same day as the 50th Anniversary version with Barbara Streisand?
Are we to assume that the Supremes release will be released the same day as the 50th Anniversary version with Barbara Streisand?
I'm assuming no release period. Even a mere announcement about a release has been delayed for months. The only reason why we know it's "Funny Girl" is because of J. Randy Taraborelli, and even so, we don't have a tentative release date. Universal needs to get it together.
I agree and it sort of baffles me and it is irritating because Andy or Harry has said, that Motown/Universal is pushing for some digital releases including "Sing and Perform Funny Girl". We already have had many delays in the physical release department in the past and now there seems to be a delay in releasing adigital only release? As far as an announcement there should have been one by now or at least a track list. I do believe it is coming but there should not be any excuses for a delay when it comes to a digital only release.
Could all the delays be related to the reorganization of the label? Probably out of everyone's control...
If these releases mattered, the reorganization would be seamless and the release schedule wouldn't be ignored.
Beyond George and Andy and Harry, these guys probably don't know that Barbra Streisand sang Funny Girl let alone Diana Ross.
Supremes Expanded Edition Facebook page says official announcement coming this week.
With no offense, don't we all already know it's coming? And since it seems as though it will be digital only, there's no real "rush" to purchase.
My disappointment with this has actually given me the chance to focus on other companies and other artists. There is a buffet of physical releases out there; I'm putting on my eatin' dress.
Is this Facebook page an arm of the music company or run by a fan who will be publicizing this on his own? Where are Motown upcoming and new releases "officially" announced and listed?
Look at those bonus tracks and 2014 mixes! And a undoubtedly superb digital booklet, too? I am very excited! Thanks for the link, Jimi...
Last edited by ejluther; 04-21-2014 at 08:18 AM.
A remix of every song on the album? I don't get it!
Isn't that basically sharpening up the sound for tracks that are 40 years old?
Last edited by longtimefan; 04-21-2014 at 12:27 PM.
I'm The Greatest Star was cut from TCB?? That's really interesting.
The bonus tracks are highly disappointing...I guess we are scraping the bottom of the barrel.
while this is not my favorite Supreme's album, I will definitely be purchasing this. I'm not sure what people were expecting with this release. I hope fans do support this release.
For starters, I think we were expecting a physical CD. Have I beaten that horse dead yet, LOL.
I thought I recall hearing that this concept LP was very much a "rush" job. I can't imagine there were a lot of outtakes from these sessions, but I could be wrong.
In my perfect world, I wish they would have skipped the remixes and gone with just a straight release. Perphaps then it would have made it on disc. This is never to knock Andy or George or Kevin's hard work. They clearly put a lot of love into their expanded editions.
A CD = I would be pre-ordering as we speak. A download = no sale!
If you look on the inside of TCB album, that sequence of pics in the Always gowns, is from I'm The Greatest Star. I think they also did a second hits medley and a few other songs. Ditto The Tempts. Also, Mas Que Nada with Mary, Cindy, Otis & Eddie was prepared and was the one song Mary carped about being cut. Often TV specials shoot way more than they will use and then edit it down into the best hour. TCB could not have been better.
From Andy Skurow's Facebook page...
The new booklet contains nearly 40 incredible photos. Most never-before-seen!
The original album had a chorus of background singers. Berry Gordy loved it, Jule Styne hated it. Mr. Styne tells the story in the booklet. For the bonus track versions, we have removed the chorus, which in most places was used in lieu of Mary and Cindy. Except for only three key moments, on the 2014 remixes, you will now hear only Diana, Mary and Cindy on the entire album for the first time ever!
That's worth it right there. I'm on board. Thanks. What is the date?
I agree. If you're a hardcore completist Supremes fan, you may want this. If you're a Diana Ross completist fan, you definitely want this. Yes, many of us have it on vinyl and yes, we've ripped it to mp3, etc. etc. etc. and yes, it would look divine on our shelves with the other Expanded Editions. At least we're getting it remastered AT ALL and I suspect we'll see more physical CDs for the bigger sellers [['A Go-Go, HDH, Reflections) and probably digital only for items such as this, Liverpool, CWP, etc.
I'm psyched that we will be hearing Jule Styne's vision with only DMC. I'm fine using The A's on pop records and, definitely, singles, but for this type of sound, I think DMC would have a better feel. Mary's rich voice would bring identity and depth to the bg - making it sound less generic. And, since he wrote the music, Styne's version should be given a spin. It also gives us insight to how BG saw/heard the group. Can't wait!
Not my first choice either but I will be purchasing this just because I hope it will eventually lead to my 2nd favorite Supremes album, Sing HDH, into getting the special treatment.
I've always assumed it is Mary's voice on that solo "star!!!!" note around 3.45 on "I'm The Greatest Star", but am still not absolutely sure - especially if there was 'a chorus of background singers' available...
Don't shout that assumption too loud from the treetops or we'll have another thread devoted to that particular "star". Maybe someone could do a mashup of Mary saying and singing "star" on every song recording, television and talk show appearance and live concert!
Too late! It sounds "like" Mary, but I don't think it is, I'm not as good as many on here detecting voices.
I need to add my vote to the non buyers of mp3 download. I cannot begin to describe how utterly disappointed I am that this isn't a physical cd. I've waited years for this. And now it appears as compressed 320. With cds still outselling digital downloads surely there's still a market for minimum run cds. I hope this isn't the future.
This is starting to make this interesting and worth having and worth listening to ~ taking out whoever the chorus was [[Andantes?? others?) and replacing them with Supremes for the background.
Who was it that kept saying it was Mary & Cindy on this album? Do they want to make an admission now?
I think the cost of doing it well, classy and with a 40 page booklet is why they opted not to do a CD. I'm disappointed as well, but it's not like those cheap 9.99 Touch me In The Morning Cds someone was doing. This would have needed to be a 19.99 release and I think they got scared. I bought my Supremes in The Japan cd years after it came out and got #758. Fringe product that costs a lot may be a thing of the past. If Funny Girl does well, I think it would help our cause. Lots of people don't care about a physical CD, mostly us oldies but goodies.
oh, my......seems I opened a can of beans this morning, eh?... [[yes, I'm buying it!)..
Will this be available internationally on iTunes/Amazon? Or just Amazon U.S.?
Can someone explain to me how a downloadable booklet with forty pictures works? I know how to download and print, naturally. What kind of resolution will all of these small pictures have? Do we cut out pages and staple them together? Do we use matte paper that affects quality? If we use glossy paper, the "booklet" would be rather thick. Is printing front to back needed? This all sounds kind of "messy" to me.
I've avoided this debate thus far since the media format of music is a personal taste, but let's inject a little reality here. First, this music is not becoming more popular. The "kids today" don't rock out to the Supremes. I know, I know, they should, but sadly, they don't. And they drive music sales. CDs are expensive propositions, even for popular artists. Digital downloads cut the cost of production to music companies who are serving an ever shrinking fan base. Second, digital downloads can approach the same sound quality as CDs. Therefore, from a technical point of view, there is no difference. Ever since music switched from vinyl, the physical media has become less and less important. As such, if companies can cut costs in this area, why wouldn't they. Like it or not CDs and DVDs, like vinyl before them are becoming obsolete. Finally, it is quite straightforward these days to quickly burn a CD to use in ones antiquated car sound system. New cars sync automatically with your phone, even eliminating this need. I have a vinyl collection immediately to the right of this keyboard. It contains some of the rarest and best jazz and Motown classics. On the back wall is a rack of about the same number of CDs. Some of the early Motown pressings from the 90s are equally rare. Guess what powers my sound system most days? My iPod Classic. Why? Playlists. I can sit and play and play and play to 160gb worth of space and never have to physically change a disc. I do like doing that with the vinyl and CDs but I am an odd duck. Most kids my children's ages are perfectly happy to have their single experience with music come through an iPod or iPhone. Granted, its not what I grew up with or prefer, but it is the way things are. I'd rather download "Funny Girl" than not have it at all. That's why as soon as my download is complete, it will be played, on my hi-fi seven speaker sound system...from my iPod. We're lucky to get any classic releases so I'll take them any way I can get them. Thanks Andy. Thanks George.
Why oh why can't they release this on eight track? All kidding aside. I can't believe all the fans that have wanted this music, talking about it for years. You finally have a chance to own it and now no one wants it because it is not on a physical CD? Times are a changing. The powers that be found a way to release this for the "die hard" Supreme fans, and it is being boycotted. Not saying that you should just accept anything, but you must realize that this was the least selling release by the Supremes [[I think). I think for fans of this set, you are lucky they found a way to release it.
A digital booklet is a PDF file that is laid out just like a physical booklet with sequential pages and full formatting.
you can always store and look at the pages on line..and since many of the limited pressing expanded editions STILL never sold out [[remember everyone here, "oh, I'm NOT buying 'Copa', I'm not buying 'Symphony', so your diva fits led to dead inventory, then guess what?...no NEW inventory.. and it's thanks to all the drama queens , so get over it..it's a business..if they don't see the dollars, then you don't see any more product..plain and simple..)
I happily bought them all and I'm happily buying this one because I love the music. Will I miss having a physical CD in the beautiful deluxe packaging? Sure. Hell, I still miss physical vinyl! But I would never miss out on the remastered music - that's what it's all about after all. As for the quality of the release [[sound and otherwise), George/Andy and their team have not disappointed yet so I have no reason to think they'll start doing so now...thanks for all the obvious love, hard work and persistence, gentlemen - it's much appreciated!
How about 78s?
I'm not buying the album as I don't care for the music from Funny Girl. But I do find the issuing of versions with just DMC on vocals noteworthy. Perhaps the same could be done for the Webb album--erase the extra voices of the Supreme Tabernacle Choir and just have Jean, Mary and Lynda on the songs? That I would buy and if it could be done, it would be a worthy digital only project.
Thanks for this very thoughtful post. I feel the same. The amount of "TLC" that goes into these releases is so evident and everyone from Andy and George to Mary have provided us all with a unique capsule into these beloved recordings. This was, as we all know THE WORST selling album in DRATS history [[and maybe even Diana Ross's whole career!) so just to have it remastered is a blessing! I can't wait to dish with you guys next Tuesday!!!
I understand that it is a PDF with high resolution from your feedback. Thanks. That said, after you print them out, I assume you just assemble and staple them in some way, but there is no need to print front to back? Just regular paper?
Also, I am unclear what "in the form of liner notes" means.
Thanks for your help.
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