The Supremes Albums (19)
What The Critics Say
After Florence Ballard, Diana Ross and then Cindy Birdsong left the Supremes, the sole original member of the group was Mary Wilson. In Japan (1973) features Ross' replacement Jean Terrell -- sister of boxer Ernie Terrell -- alongside Wilson and the most recent addition Lynda Laurence, who took over when Birdsong flew the coop the previous year. The 'new' Supremes lineup didn't last very long as Terrell and Laurence split -- replaced by Scherrie Payne and the return of Birdsong several months later. Although unable to unleash the same torrent of hits as the earlier incarnations had done, the Supremes ably re-create some of the sweetest sounds to have emanated from within the Motown family. Their stage show remained polished, including not only soul classics, but familiar popular standards as well. While on tour supporting The Supremes Arranged and Produced by Jimmy Webb (1972), there are no representatives from that platter. The ladies do offer up a "New Hit Medley" with "Automatically Sunshine," "Floy Joy," "Nathan Jones" and "Up the Ladder to the Roof"." Of course there is an oldies congregate linking up "Reflections," "Where Did Our Love Go," "Baby Love" and "My World Is Empty Without You," not to mention the opening pairing of "T.C.B" and "Stop! In the Name of Love." Other worthwhile inclusions are the Stevie Wonder penned "Bad Weather," the light and breezy "Stoned Love" and Mary Wilson's intimate and affective interpretation of "I Can't Take My Eyes Off of You" joining a suitably samba-like "Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars." In 2004, Hip-O Select issued the Supremes In Japan on CD in a limited edition of 5,000 copies. Notably, the disc contains the sole concert recording by this trio. ~ Lindsay Planer, All Music Guide
'Mary, Scherrie and Susaye'
Release Date 1/1/1976
Tracks 8
Label Motown
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Things started to go downhill when they recorded this effort. This time they alternated leads (Payne on the uptempo tunes, Wilson and Greene on the ballads) and the Holland brothers continued on as producers. While Susaye Greene gets a chance to show off her power and range, Mary Wilson comes off as competent yet colorless. Although they had a minor hit with the disco number "You're My Driving Wheel," by then they'd lost their distinction and became an anonomyous echo of their former glory, as interchangable as the next group on the block. Sad. ~ John Lowe, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Perhaps the most vigorous (and best) album of their latter-day career, it helped that Payne was established as the centerpiece of the group. Also, multi-octative-voiced Susaye Greene replaced Cindy Birdsong in the group, though producers used her voice more for coloration than for substance. It also helped that Brian and Eddie Holland returned to the production helm, though they were past their artistic prime. A sturdy dance-oriented album, it is highlighted by the hard-driving dance hit "I'm Gonna Let My Heart Do the Walking," which became their last Top 40 hit in 1976. ~ John Lowe, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Their first studio album in nearly three years was a disappointment. By then Jean Terrell left the group, powerhouse singer Scherrie Payne (a former vocalist with the group the Glass House) replaced her and Mary Wilson took charge of the group, splitting leads with Payne. The result was a collage of production approaches that don't seem to jell as a unified whole. Another problem was that Mary Wilson wasn't (then) a particularly distinctive lead singer. (It wasn't until her 1979 self-titled solo album with Motown that she began to gain a clearer musical idenity.) The album's failure sent them scurrying back to the drawing board, quite appropriately as the album did nothing to establish a distinctive musical idenity for the group. ~ John Lowe, All Music Guide
'The Supremes Arranged and Produced by Jimmy Webb'
Release Date 1/1/1973
Tracks 11
Label Motown
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
An interesting but erratic set, co-written and produced by the prolific Smokey Robinson, then undergoing a transition phase in his career (he was getting ready to exit the Miracles). As usual, the highlights were the singles, particularly "Automatically Sunshine" and the bouncy title track. Unfortunately, there wasn't enough promotional push to maintain the group's viability, and thus a commercial decline reigned unchecked until the group disbanded in 1977. ~ John Lowe, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
The last of three albums together finds the Supremes and the Four Tops' producers reverting back to the formula of the first and most successful of the three with this set of remakes. "It's Impossible" builds on New Birth's recording and "Hello Stranger" is a melter; Jean Terrell syncs her soprano to your heart on this soul/pop classic where she swaps lead lines with Levi Stubbs. They get sweaty on Stephen Stills' "Love the One You're With" and gel on Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell's "Good Lovin' Ain't Easy to Come By" and "If I Could Build My World Around You." The last track, "Do You Love Me Just a Little Honey," is as creamy as "Hello Stranger" and as aching as the original by Gladys Knight & the Pips. Dynamite gassed at number 160 on Billboard's pop 200 chart, six rungs lower than their second together and 47 shy of their debut, The Magnificent Seven. ~ Andrew Hamilton, All Music Guide
'The Return of the Magnificent Seven'
Release Date 1/1/1971
Tracks 11
Label Motown
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Despite its title, The Return of the Magnificent 7 didn't simply offer more of the same: in fact, it took a considerably different tactic than the debut, emphasizing new songs instead of covers. This is a sharp move, since the Supremes and the Four Tops don't quite seem like an oldies act in hiding when they're singing new songs with modern productions courtesy of Clay McMurray, Henry Cosby, Johnny Bristol, Bobby Taylor, and Ashford & Simpson. That's a lot of producers for an 11-track album, but this isn't a case of two many cooks spoiling a soup: all the producers are complementary, with the glitzy, fuzz-toned '70s cuts from McMurray sitting nicely along the lightly funky "One More Bridge to Cross" and proto-quiet storm "I'm Glad About It" from Ashford & Simpson, and Taylor's deeply soulful "What Do You Have to Do (To Stay on the Right Side of Love)." Although there are no real knockouts here, the songs are all solid, adding up to a thoroughly underrated record and the best duets set the Supremes and the Four Tops recorded. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
"Up the Ladder to the Roof" opens the album with enticing voices and Frank Wilson's underappreciated first-class production. Right On is a textbook on how to come back from the brink of disaster. The Supremes achieved something the Doors, Big Brother & the Holding Company, Creedence Clearwater, the Guess Who, and so many others could not, go Top Ten and survive the loss of the star who the world recognized and assumed was the key element of their success. Even more stunning is that they did it two months before Diana Ross would go Top 20 with her first solo hit. Jean Terrell brought a terrific voice and new emotion to a group that would rack up eight Top 40 hits without Diana Ross. This is not your Holland-Dozier-Holland Supremes; Wilson creates a sublime stereo mix for the debut single, a wonderful-to-this-day headphone mix with sounds swirling left and right. The follow-up single, "Everybody's Got the Right to Love," went Top 25 with its politically correct theme and clever R&B pop flavors. It gives Mary Wilson and Cindy Birdsong a chance to use their voices to interact with Terrell, creating a true group sound. A new team, a united front. Where producer Wilson would give the girls cover tunes to sing on the follow-up -- which came eight months after this debut -- they experiment with all sorts of styles on Right On. Among its generous selection of 12 titles, "I Got Hurt" gives a nod to the Honeycombs, "Baby Baby" seems to be a response to Diana's vocal work on "Where Did Our Love Go," and the Supremes take on the sounds of Dionne Warwick with "Then I Met You" (Warwick later hitting with "Then Came You," but this is more the Warwick of Bacharach/David, not the Philly sound). "Bill, When Are You Coming Back" is the Fifth Dimension meets Martha & the Vandellas by way of Laura Nyro. This is Frank Wilson and the Supremes having fun, and Right On holds up today as a solid pop album that is both adult contemporary and girl group pop. "But I Love You More" ends side one, a powerful composition co-written by producer Wilson, performed with enthusiasm by the Supremes. They would rack up four hits in 1970, double the tally by Diana Ross, and between 1971 and 1976 an additional four Top 40 titles. Eight hit singles is a major accomplishment for any recording act, more so for one that endured after the departure of a superstar. Right On is thoroughly enjoyable. ~ Joe Viglione, All Music Guide
'New Ways But Love Stays'
Release Date 1/1/1970
Tracks 11
Label Motown
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
In 1970 a determined Supremes recorded three albums -- unprecedented for a band who lost a superstar lead singer. That all three albums launched hits in the Top 25 is amazing as well. New Ways But Love Stays is the second volume of this film as directed by producer Frank Wilson, containing the post-Diana Ross Supremes biggest hit, "Stoned Love." Co-written by Frank Wilson, as was the other Top Ten smash, "Up the Ladder to the Roof" from their debut with Jean Terrell on lead vocals, Right On, the two albums were recorded almost simultaneously. "Everybody's Got the Right to Love" was recorded on April 22, 1970 and released almost immediately; "Stoned Love" began recording on March 2, prior to the second hit from the Right On album. The two works deserved to be combined on one CD with liner notes by Frank Wilson, they are extraordinary girl group recordings. The cover of "Bridge Over Troubled Water" is a reinterpretation, the way a good cover should be, with sound effects, and a sultry vocal, a mixture of rock and gospel. It's wonderful. Here is the genius of the Supremes on their own. With Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye making inroads and developing their skills as producers and songwriters, Frank Wilson broke the girls out of the Holland-Dozier-Holland formula, bringing different flavors and styles to this class act. Vindication comes in the form of The Supremes four-CD boxed set, an entire disc given to the artists who were part of the latter day Supremes. "Come Together," "Love the One You're With," and "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye" are the other three covers on New Ways But Love Stays, however this is no mere marketing ploy of putting familiar tunes on a Motown album. The Supremes' light version of "Come Together" is one of the strangest, and most unique, Beatles covers in music history. The production has a bit of the feel of "I Am the Walrus" thrown in; they do a splendid job with "Love the One You're With," a song title given to Stephen Stills by singer Doris Troy of "Just One Look" fame. But it is the originals on the album which really sparkle, "Shine on Me" proving producer Frank Wilson had a truly amazing ear for writing songs as well as recording them. It, along with "I Wish I Were Your Mirror," which he co-wrote with Pam Sawyer, who penned two songs for the previous Right On album, are stunning pop/R&B tunes. Another Frank Wilson co-write, "It's Time to Break Down" has "groundbreaking hit" written all over it. The elements in this composition are pure genius and why Motown didn't push this one song, and push again after the success of "Stoned Love" is a mystery. Vincent DiMirco, who co-wrote "Up the Ladder to the Roof," gets another chance with his gospel/R&B/pop number "Thank Him for Today." As this song fades at two-minutes-and-fifty seconds there's an additional 20 seconds of "Stoned Love" tagged on to the end of the CD. It's a nice touch for the band in transition with the loving, guiding hand of Frank Wilson steering them through uncharted waters in a wonderful way. ~ Joe Viglione, All Music Guide
