Tag Archives: The Supremes

The Supremes: The Supremes Sing Country, Western & Pop

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On February 22, 1965, “Motown” label released “The Supremes Sing Country, Western & Pop”, the fourth Supremes (The) studio album. It was recorded 1962 – 1965, at “Hitsville U.S.A.” in Detroit, and was produced by Clarence Paul.

Personnel:

  • Diana Ross, Florence Ballard, Mary Wilson – lead and backing vocals
  • Cranford Nix, Sr. – banjo
  • The Andantes – additional backing vocals
  • Lawrence Horn – co-producer

Track listing:

  1. Funny How Time Slips Away – Willie Nelson
  2. My Heart Can’t Take It No More – Clarence Paul
  3. It Makes No Difference Now – Floyd Tillman
  4. You Didn’t Care – Clarence Paul
  5. Tears in Vain – Clarence Paul
  6. Tumbling Tumbleweeds – Bob Nolan
  7. Lazy Bones – Johnny Mercer, Hoagy Carmichael
  8. You Need Me – Clarence Paul
  9. Baby Doll – Clarence Paul, Stevie Wonder
  10. Sunset – Clarence Paul, Stevie Wonder
  11. The Man With the) Rock and Roll Banjo Band – Clarence Paul, Berry Gordy, Jr.

The Supremes & The Four Tops: Dynamite

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In December 1971, “Motown” label released “Dynamite”, the third and last album between Supremes (The) and Four Tops (The). It was recorded in 1971, and was produced by Johnny Bristol, Joe Hinton, Bobby Taylor and Frank Wilson.

Personnel:

  • The Supremes – Jean Terrell, Mary Wilson, Cindy Birdsong – vocals 
  • The Four Tops – Levi Stubbs, Duke Fakir, Obie Benson, Lawrence Payton – vocals
  • The Funk Brothers – instrumentation
  • David Van DePitte, Gene Page, H.B. Barnum, Robert White – arrangements
  • Curtis McNair – art direction
  • Warren Linn – illustration
  • Tom Schlesinger – graphics

Track listing:

  1. It’s Impossible – Armando Manzanero, Sid Wayne
  2. The Bigger You Love (The Harder You Fall) – Jerry Marcellino, Mel Larson
  3. Hello Stranger – Barbara Lewis
  4. Love the One You’re With – Stephen Stills
  5. Good Lovin’ Ain’t Easy to Come By – Nickolas Ashford, Valerie Simpson
  6. Melodie – Deke Richards, Jerry Marcellino, Mel Larson
  7. If – David Gates
  8. If I Could Build My Whole World Around You – Harvey Fuqua, Johnny Bristol, Vernon Bullock
  9. Don’t Let Me Lose This Dream – Aretha Franklin, Ted White
  10. Do You Love Me Just a Little, Honey – Gladys Knight, Harvey Fuqua, Johnny Bristol, Vernon Bullock

The Supremes: Where Did Our Love Go

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On August 31, 1964, “Motown” label released “Where Did Our Love Go”, the second Supremes (The) studio album. It was recorded December 1962 – Augudt 1964, at “Hitsville U.S.A.” in Detroit, and was produced by Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, Smokey Robinson, Norman Whitfield and Robert Gordy.

Personnel:

  • Diana Ross, Florence Ballard, Mary Wilson – lead and backing vocals
  • The Funk Brothers – instrumentation
  • Robert White – guitar
  • Eddie Willis – guitar
  • Joe Messina – guitar
  • Earl Van Dyke – piano
  • James Jamerson – bass
  • Richard “Pistol” Allen – drums
  • Uriel Jones – drums
  • Jack Ashford – vibraphone
  • Andrew “Mike” Terry – baritone saxophone
  • Hank Cosby – tenor saxophone
  • Mike Valvano – footstomps
  • The Four Tops, and Holland–Dozier–Holland – backing vocals
  • The Love-Tones – backing vocals
  • Bernard Yeszin, Wallace Mead – design

Track listing:

All tracks by Holland–Dozier–Holland, except as noted.

  1. Where Did Our Love Go
  2. Run, Run, Run
  3. Baby Love
  4. When the Lovelight Starts Shining Through His Eyes
  5. Come See About Me
  6. Long Gone Lover – Smokey Robinson
  7. I’m Giving You Your Freedom
  8. A Breathtaking Guy – Smokey Robinson
  9. He Means the World to Me – Norman Whitfield
  10. Standing at the Crossroads of Love
  11. Your Kiss of Fire – Robert Gordy, Harvey Fuqua
  12. Ask Any Girl

The Supremes And Four Tops: The Return Of The Magnificient Seven

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On July 13, 1971, “Motown” label released “The Return of the Magnificent Seven”, the second Supremes (The) and Four Tops collaborative album. It was recorded in 1970, and was produced by Frank Wilson.

Personnel:

  • Jean Terrell – vocals
  • Mary Wilson – vocals
  • Cindy Birdsong – vocals
  • Levi Stubbs – vocals
  • Abdul “Duke” Fakir – vocals
  • Lawrence Payton – vocals
  • Renaldo “Obie” Benson – vocals
  • The Funk Brothers – instrumentation
  • David Van DePitte, Henry Cosby, Paul Riser, Tom Baird – arrangements
  • Frank Wilson – executive producer

Track listing:

  1. You Gotta Have Love in Your Heart – Nick Zesses, Dino Fekaris
  2. I Wonder Where We’re Going – Tom Baird
  3. Call Me – Tony Hatch
  4. One More Bridge to Cross – Nickolas Ashford, Valerie Simpson
  5. If You Could See Me Now – Janie Bradford, Joe Hinton, Henry Cosby
  6. I’ll Try Not to Cry – Nick Zesses, Dino Fekaris
  7. I’m Glad About It – Nickolas Ashford, Valerie Simpson
  8. Let’s Make Love Now – Nick Zesses, Dino Fekaris
  9. I Can’t Believe You Love Me – Harvey Fuqua, Johnny Bristol
  10. Where Would I Be Without You Baby – Clarence McMurray, Martin Coleman
  11. What Do You Have to Do (To Stay on the Right Side of Love) – Pam Sawyer, Leon Ware

Melvin Ragin

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On October 24, 2018, Melvin M. Ragin aka Wah Wah Watson died aged 67. He was musician (guitar), famous for his unique skills with wah-wah pedal. He was member of The Funk Brothers, the studio band for “Motown Records”, recorded and performed with Dizzy Gillespie, John Lee Hooker, Quincy Jones, Stevie Wonder, Vanessa Williams, Thelma Houston, The Four Tops, The Jackson 5, Gladys Knight & The Pips, Marvin Gaye, The Supremes, Michael Jackson, Maxwell, The Beach Boys, George Benson, Bobbi Humphrey, Janet Jackson, Yung Berg, Blondie, Norman Whitfield, The Undisputed Truth, Donald Byrd, Labelle, Love Unlimited, Cher, Meshell Ndegeocello, Gloria Gaynor, The Temptations (his guitar work on “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone”), Pointer Sisters, Martha Reeves, Rose Royce, Bob Scaggs and Herbie Hancock. As leader, Wah Wah Watson released one solo album (Elementary, 1976).

Hal Blaine

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On March 11, 2019, Harold Simon Belsky aka Hal Blaine died aged 90. He was musician (drums) regarded to be one of the most recorded studio drummers in the history of the modern music. He had more than 35,000 recording sessions in various music genres including big number of film and TV soundtracks. He worked with Shelley Fabares, The Crystals, Jan & Dean, The Beach Boys, Dean Martin, Lorne Greene, Gary Lewis & the Playboys, The Byrds, Sonny & Cher, Barry McGuire, Petula Clark, Nancy Sinatra, The Mamas & the Papas, Frank Sinatra, Johnny Rivers, The Supremes, The Association, Simon & Garfunkel, Tommy Roe, The 5th Dimension, Henry Mancini, The Carpenters, Neil Diamond, The Partridge Family, The Raiders, Barbra Streisand, John Denver, Captain & Tennille, Diana Ross, Sam Cooke, Van Dyke Parks, John Lennon, Lulu, Dennis Wilson, Paul Simon, Richard Harris, Glen Campbell, Emitt Rhodes, Art Garfunkel, Juice Newton, Michael Nesmith, Cher, Dusty Springfield, Aretha Franklin, J.J. Cale, José Feliciano, Bobby Darin, Rosanne Cash, Cass Elliot, Rodney Crowell, Dion DiMucci, Paul Anka, Barry Mann, Emmylou Harris, Jackie Lomax, Elkie Brooks, Helen Reddy, John Philips, Thelma Houston and Leonard Cohen. As leader Blaine released five albums.

Mike Terry

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On October 30, 2004, Andrew Alexander “Mike” Terry died aged 68. He was songwriter, musician (baritone saxophone), producer, and musical director. He was member of the bands Popcorn and the Mohawks, Joe Hunter Band, and The Funk Brothers. From 1960 – 1967, with The Funk Brothers he performed on thousands of “Motown” recordings. Terry worked with Martha and the Vandellas, Jackie Wilson, Mary Wells, The Four Tops, The Supremes, Kim Weston, The Isley Brothers, Marvin Gaye, J. J. Barnes, Rose Batiste, The Capitols, John Lee Hooker, Johnny Robinson, Sandra Phillips, The Little Foxes, Junior Walker & the All Stars, Clarence Carter, The Dells, The Mighty Clouds of Joy, Maxine Brown, The Parliaments, and Edwin Starr.

Gene Page

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On August 24, 1998, Eugene Edgar Page Jr. aka Gene Page, died aged 58. He was a conductor, composer, arranger, and record producer, one of the most successful arrangers and conductors from the mid-1960s through the mid-1980s, who worked on more than 200 Platinum and gold records. He created specific sound in the arrangements, and work with numerous artists including Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, George Benson, The Jackson 5, Jefferson Starship, The Righteous Brothers, The Supremes, The Four Tops, Roberta Flack, Elton John, Leo Sayer, Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, Frankie Valli, Helen Reddy, Lionel Richie, Barbra Streisand, Johnny Mathis, Donna Loren, Martha and The Vandellas, Cher, Barry White, The Love Unlimited Orchestra, and Dionne Warwick. Page released four solo albums and composed soundtracks for few movies.

The Supremes: Touch

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In June 1971, “Motown” label released “Touch”, the twenty-third Supremes studio album. It was recorded 1970 – 1971, and was produced by Frank Wilson.

Personnel:

  • Jean Terrell– lead and backing vocals
  • Mary Wilson– lead and backing vocals
  • Cindy Birdsong– lead and backing vocals
  • The Blackberries– backing vocals

Track listing:

  1. This Is the Story – Frank Wilson, Pam Sawyer
  2. Nathan Jones – Leonard Caston, Kathleen Wakefield
  3. Here Comes the Sunrise – Clifton Davis
  4. Love It Came to Me This Time – Leonard Caston, Kathleen Wakefield
  5. Johnny Raven- Billy Page
  6. Have I Lost You – Gloria Jones, Pam Sawyer
  7. Time and Love – Laura Nyro
  8. Touch – Frank Wilson, Pam Sawyer
  9. Happy (Is a Bumpy Road) – Frank Wilson, Pam Sawyer
  10. It’s So Hard for Me to Say Goodbye – Frank Wilson, Pam Sawyer