Originally Posted by
benross
The black-and-white photo of the trio on the back of We Remember Sam Cooke should have been used as the front cover shot. Not only do the three look great, but their outfits add texture, depth and a sense of life and movement to the image, with Diana and Florence in polka dots flanking Mary in stripes.
The Sing Country, Western & Pop cover shot was clearly a second-rate outtake from the Where Did Our Love Go photo session. Presumably Motown thought the similar image would cause shoppers to buy the "new" album, thinking it would include similar sounds. It would have been better to use another picture entirely.
The Rodgers & Hart hodgepodge cover was dreadful; the picture was old, Mary's upraised fist suggested she was about to begin a melee, and the blue wash made each of the young women look like a witch.
The More Hits extended issue CD showed that the alternate cover photos version was used at least on a 45-sleeve. Was it also used on a European [[?) vinyl album release? Mary's alternate photo was much more flattering than the one used on the U.S. album release.
The best early covers were those on the Where Did Our Love Go and [[revised) Meet The Supremes albums, and the A Bit Of Liverpool photo demonstrated thought and care; it's too bad that this album itself demonstrated less time and care, however.
Good covers or bad, though, I bought all the albums and was better for having done so.
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