SUPREMES: "I Hear a Symphony"

Original released on LP Motown S 643

(US 1966, February 18)

"I Hear a Symphony" has some great soul numbers on it, mostly by the Holland-Dozier-Holland songwriting team, including not only the title track but also "Any Girl in Love (Knows What I'm Going Through)," "My World Is Empty Without You," and "He's All I Got" - the latter is one of the greatest album tracks the group ever recorded, with stunning vocals by Mary Wilson and Florence Ballard behind Diana Ross, showing the trio in just about its peak form. Other parts of "I Hear a Symphony" seem to take its title track almost literally, with the inclusion of the majestic "Unchained Melody" and the Bach-based "A Lover's Concerto"; the latter, in particular, is a Diana Ross tour de force, with very sweetly understated accompaniment by Wilson and Ballard. And elsewhere, Berry Gordy was pushing his vision of the Supremes as a mainstream pop trio, covering "A Stranger in Paradise," "With a Song in My Heart," "Without a Song," and "Wonderful, Wonderful." None of these are bad, but neither are they terribly distinguished - the group even adds a certain fresh sparkle to "Wonderful, Wonderful," but realistically, people were paying their money for the Holland-Dozier-Holland and Eddie Holland-authored songs, any of which would have made about as fine singles as anything the trio ever put out, and all of which are still a chunk of the best part of the group's legacy. (Bruce Eder in AllMusic)

DIANA ROSS & THE SUPREMES: "Let The Sunshine In"

Original released on LP Motown MS 689

(US, May 1969)

"Let the Sunshine In" appeared deceptively late, given some of its content in the history of Diana Ross & the Supremes. Released in the spring of 1969, by which time the Supremes were already seeming a bit old-hat, it generated relatively little excitement, and its late placement in their discography still makes it suspect, at first glance, to historically minded listeners. The fact that it's also from the group's post-Holland/Dozier/Holland period also makes it automatically less interesting in a musical/historical context. Actually, it's a pretty strong pop-soul effort - Diana Ross is the obvious focus, and given the chaotic circumstances surrounding the group during this period, it's difficult to say at all times who is singing with her (Mary Wilson and Cindy Birdsong are obviously present somewhere, and the Andantes are, no doubt, backing Ross up at some points); but it does contain one track, the hauntingly beautiful "Let The Music Play," dating all the way back to 1967 and including founding member Florence Ballard. The album is still solid listening 40-plus years later, and it's not easy to explain why it performed poorly on the pop charts, especially with three hit singles present to help drive sales; "I'm Livin' in Shame" had been a Top Ten single and was making its LP bow, and "The Composer" (authored by Smokey Robinson) easily made the Top 30. The one weak link in the AM radio department was "No Matter What Sign You Are," a Berry Gordy composition that was more a catchy inventory of trends - including a sitar in the arrangement that was dated by 1969 - than a new horizon in pop music. The album does embrace more of a soul sound than early Supremes efforts, and audiences (and radio stations) were perhaps picking that up more succinctly here; thus, it got to number seven on the R&B charts but only a paltry number 24 as a pop album. Ross is in excellent form throughout, and the arrangements reach for the lush side of soul, which would become her trademark as a solo artist. Ironically, the weakest link is the title track, Ross' cover of the Hair medley "Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In" - Ross just doesn't do well (or much) with the songs. Fortunately, it is followed by "Let the Music Play," which more than makes up for the lost opportunity, as well as offering a poignant look back at the original trio. (Bruce Eder in AllMusic)

SUPREMES A' GO-GO

Original Released on LP Motown MT-649

(US 1966, August 25)

"Supremes A' Go-Go" was the group's first number one pop album, propelled to that place with help from a chart-topping single ("You Can't Hurry Love") and a marketing ploy that generated an irresistible song lineup. And along with "The Supremes Sing Holland-Dozier-Holland", "Supremes A' Go-Go" has held its value better than almost any of the trio's most successful albums (which excludes "We Remember Sam Cooke") - in fact, back in the days when vinyl was the only game in town, used copies of this record sold faster and better than any of their other common '60s LPs, and for good reason. Various hits compilations had skimmed the most familiar songs off of "Where Did Our Love Go", "I Hear a Symphony", etc., but the very concept behind "Supremes A' Go-Go" - getting the group to cover some of the top hits of other (mostly Motown) acts - dictated that every song on this album was familiar in name, and only "You Can't Hurry Love" was culled for any hits packages. There was a lot to recommend it musically, including the trio soaring rendition of "Shake Me, Wake Me" and a version of "Get Ready," which, even if it was no threat to the Temptations, still could have been a hit. Similarly, "Baby I Need Your Lovin'" and "I Can't Help Myself" will always belong to the Four Tops, but Diana Ross, Mary Wilson, and Florence Ballard throw themselves into both (in a less weighty version of the former) with enough spirit to make them work as album cuts; "Money" is diverting if less successful, and "Come and Get These Memories" is worth checking out just to hear Florence Ballard and Mary Wilson step forward. And even the non-Motown covers, like "These Boot Are Made for Walkin'" and "Hang on Sloopy," make worthwhile listening, with Ross turning in a surprisingly strong, passionate performance on the latter. A number one album in its time on the pop and R&B charts, "Supremes A' Go-Go" also benefited from the fact that there were no pop standards or slow ballads here, just solid R&B dance numbers. (Bruce Eder in AllMusic)