Search - Supremes :: This Is the Story

Good Memories

saint james | Boston, MA | 04/03/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"If you remained a Supremes fan after the departure of Diana Ross then you will absolutely want to have this 3 disc CD set. The last few years of the Diana Ross and the Supremes records mostly relegated the Supremes to mere whispers that could barely be discerned from the Andantes or any other two female fill-ins. The only exceptions were the Ashford and Simpson produced cuts. It is my understanding that Mary and Cindy didn't sing those either! My first compliment is the exqusite packaging. The ladies look so beautiful on the sepia toned photo on the front; the same photo used for their "Touch" album in the 70's but without the psychedelic enhancements.

My favorite cuts are "Thank Him For Today", "I Wish I Were Your Mirror", "5:30 Plane", "The Wisdom of Time", "But I Love You More" and several others. "Thank Him" and "Mirror" clearly displays Cindy Birdsong's churchy sounding soprano. She sounds great!

I certainly wish that there were more quotes from the ladies about this period in the group history. I'd really like to hear more from Jean and Cindy. Mary has already written on her 70's experience with the Supremes. The group went in a very different direction than the Diana Ross version of The Supremes. They moved into pop-infused rock, gospo-pop and soul music. The 70's Supremes experimented with many different sounds and producers which broadened their repetoire but may have moved them away from their fan base as a result. The background vocals included Mary's strong alto-tenor and Cindy's formal sounding soprano and her soft second soprano on many cuts. The "Promises Kept" section is of songs that had previously been unreleased. In the case of "If I Were Your Woman" it is abundantly clear to understand why. It is one of the worse cover songs I have ever heard!

I really liked hearing the Supremes tunes from my youth. I am always listening to the ladies in the background so its good to know the women singing are the same girls on the cover. I must say that after about an hour of listening to Jean's voice I have to take a break. The liner notes allude to the similarity between Diana and Ms. Terrell. There is a slight similarity in tone but Miss Ross' voice is far more textured than Jean's. It is true that Jean's is a more dynamic and soaring instrument but her tone is very tinny and sometimes she sounds like a little girl. On many of these songs, vocally, she is all over the place. When she is best she sounds a lot like a young Dionne Warwick. To my ear she is best on the Jimmy Webb cuts. Jean's soft voice is pretty. Her solo turn on A & M records from the late 70's presented a vocalist that had found a niche and a "sound" that could have given her a wider audience but sadly, it never happened. There is not much of Mary's dusky, sultry alto in leads that we have not heard already. I was disppointed to hear nothing from Cindy except her voice dependably holding up the rear, with the exception of her contribution on "Bridge Over Troubled Waters". I love Cindy. Die- hard fans will love and cherish this. If you were a casual fan you will probably only look for and appreciate the hits. I am so glad it is here to enjoy."

Some Triumph And Growing Frustration In These Years

Mr. Richard D. Coreno | Berea, Ohio USA | 04/07/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The early 1970s found the Supremes in arguably their best form as a true vocal trio since Florence Ballard, Mary Wilson and Diana Ross.



From the period chronicled in this outstanding boxed set released in December 2006, there are 68 tracks spanning five albums with Jean Terrell as lead vocalist. Thirteen of the selections are previously unreleased, including an alternate take of the Stevie Wonder-penned Bad Weather.



During this period, the Supremes released two outstanding albums under the guidance of producer Frank Wilson - Right On & New Ways But Love Stays. The final collaboration between the group and Wilson showed artistic strains with the album, Touch.



Floy Joy is the highly-anticipated album that was arranged and produced by Smokey Robinson, with The Supremes Produced and Arranged by Jimmy Webb a failed attempt to push the group into the rock/pop arena.



The unreleased songs - which take up most of the second disc - cover a wide range of material, and includes Eleanor Rigby, If I Were Your Woman and It's Too Late.



The liner notes and photographs supplement the music and make for a great package that clearly demonstrates the Supremes could continue delivering quality material if only given the opportunity by Motown Records.



This is a story of triumph, opportunities lost and great frustration for the Supremes, but it is a collection which shows beyond a doubt that the trio was striving to achieve new artistic heights while facing a growing indifference from record company executives.

"

The Supreme Supremes

Araph Keita | 04/15/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Supremes began to really be a group again in 1970, and the albums produced, while Jean was in the group, provided much needed soul and depth to the group. These albums are priceless despite the fact that the group got little promotion from Motown. They managed to have several major hits, including "Up the Ladder to the Roof," "Stone Love," and "Floy Joy." This package, which features all the tracks from those albums, include some gems like "Bill When Are You Coming Back," a filler and b-side song, which was recorded during a time that artists sang songs about the Vietnam War. Also, you should find songs like "This Is the Story" very interesting, and this cut could have easily been a single. For Mary Wilson fans, listen to her leads on "A Heart Like Mine," and "I Keep It Hid." She also shares the lead on "Bridge Over Troubled Waters," as well as hits "Touch," "Floy Joy," and "Automatically Sunshine." You will hear the additional voices of the Andantes on the album "Produced and Arranged by Jimmy Webb.""