When The Lovelight Starts Shining Through His Eyes (Live 1964)
It's been 50 years since a group of four teenage girls calling themselves the Primettes nervously auditioned for Berry Gordy at Motown, then Detroit's new local record company. At first he sent them away, telling Diana, Ma... more »ry, Florence and Barbara to first graduate high school. They hung around anyway, doing handclaps in sessions, and finally got signed in January 1961 (a few months before graduation). The Primettes were re-named "The Supremes" - but it would be a little while before they became world-renowned superstars. Meet The Supremes: Expanded Edition, a new 2-CD set from Hipo-Select.com, tells the story of those early years, as the group evolved from a quartet to a trio, doing their best to gain traction at an fast-emerging label. The set features a newly remastered version of the Supremes' debut album, first issued in 1962, along with rare tracks from their first recording sessions, previously unreleased live shows and much more, including: On CD for the first time: the original mono version of Meet The Supremes On CD for the first time in more than 20 years: the stereo mix of the album A never-before-released live show recorded at the NY's Apollo Theater in 1962 - the earliest known Supremes live recording A second unreleased live show, a "Battle of the Stars" from Detroit's Graystone Ballroom in 1964, only six months before "Where Did Our Love Go" hit No. 1 16 additional studio tracks from their initial recording sessions, all in previously unreleased mixes, many in stereo for the first time Meet The Supremes: Expanded Edition is presented in a collector's digi-pak, a "series look" similar to the previous Supremes reissues on Select; it features the rare original 1962 "stools" cover - with the short-lived rectangular Motown logo - while the booklet cover shows the restyled image used for the LP's stereo reissue in '65. Inside the 20-page booklet are rare, early photos, an essay by Supremes historian George Solomon, a timeline outlining the group's beginnings, detailed annotations and recording dates, and another historic first: the first-ever interview with fourth Supreme Barbara Martin, conducted by original Supreme Mary Wilson. Before their extraordinary run of No. 1 hits, Meet The Supremes introduced Diana, Mary and Flo to the world. This new 2-CD set brings back the newness of that moment and offers a glimpse of what was to come.« less
It's been 50 years since a group of four teenage girls calling themselves the Primettes nervously auditioned for Berry Gordy at Motown, then Detroit's new local record company. At first he sent them away, telling Diana, Mary, Florence and Barbara to first graduate high school. They hung around anyway, doing handclaps in sessions, and finally got signed in January 1961 (a few months before graduation). The Primettes were re-named "The Supremes" - but it would be a little while before they became world-renowned superstars. Meet The Supremes: Expanded Edition, a new 2-CD set from Hipo-Select.com, tells the story of those early years, as the group evolved from a quartet to a trio, doing their best to gain traction at an fast-emerging label. The set features a newly remastered version of the Supremes' debut album, first issued in 1962, along with rare tracks from their first recording sessions, previously unreleased live shows and much more, including: On CD for the first time: the original mono version of Meet The Supremes On CD for the first time in more than 20 years: the stereo mix of the album A never-before-released live show recorded at the NY's Apollo Theater in 1962 - the earliest known Supremes live recording A second unreleased live show, a "Battle of the Stars" from Detroit's Graystone Ballroom in 1964, only six months before "Where Did Our Love Go" hit No. 1 16 additional studio tracks from their initial recording sessions, all in previously unreleased mixes, many in stereo for the first time Meet The Supremes: Expanded Edition is presented in a collector's digi-pak, a "series look" similar to the previous Supremes reissues on Select; it features the rare original 1962 "stools" cover - with the short-lived rectangular Motown logo - while the booklet cover shows the restyled image used for the LP's stereo reissue in '65. Inside the 20-page booklet are rare, early photos, an essay by Supremes historian George Solomon, a timeline outlining the group's beginnings, detailed annotations and recording dates, and another historic first: the first-ever interview with fourth Supreme Barbara Martin, conducted by original Supreme Mary Wilson. Before their extraordinary run of No. 1 hits, Meet The Supremes introduced Diana, Mary and Flo to the world. This new 2-CD set brings back the newness of that moment and offers a glimpse of what was to come.
CD Reviews
The early Supremes: Standing at the Crossroads of Stardom
Franjoy | BROOKLYN NY | 05/25/2010
(5 out of 5 stars)
"By the time you heard the last track on disc 2 of this CD "When the Lovelites start shinning in his eyes" Live at the Greystone Ballroom in Detroit, the Supremes were standing at the crossroads of stardom indeed by Feb 1964, they just didn't know it, and loosing to the Velvelttes didn't help, especially since "Lovelites" had outsold more copies than "Needle in A Haystack", the public at the Greytone appreciated more soul over style and substance.
But before they got there the Supremes had to go through three grueling years of turning out 8 releases only one of which neared the top 20, while the rest got no higher than #75. This collection of supremes songs are what made the Supremes the supremes, the early workings of the group the sound was raw with diane, mary, barbara & Flo, Barbara left in late 61 and appears on only 7 of the tracks from the original LP release and most of the other songs like "Afterall" with all four Supremes leading she is heard on the third verse, and also the monologue of He's Seventeen. These songs reveal that the Supremes had real talent, Flo had the raucnhy vocals, ala "Buttered Popcorn" and hearing these versions i am convinced now more than ever that the record could have been a hit (the single version is the cleaned up version) had Gordy not been so one sided with what he perceived as crossover, this is also true of Let Me go the right way with a little more push it could have went up higher than #90. The live versions of the Supremes "Run, Run, Run" "Go the right way" and "Lovelites" were the Supremes' showstoppers (but what happened to the live version of "Buttered Popcorn" why was it omitted from this collection). Also of great note are the live recording of their b-sides Like "Time changes Things" "Standing at the Crossroads of Love", showed that the girls cared about their songs whether they were b sides or a sides. Diana's solo versiion of "I Want A Guy" an alternate version showed that Ms. Ross indeed had the goods to carryon as a solo act had the supremes failed,and that version is superior in sound than the one that was released.. Mary & Flo are well represented here with Flo's torcher "Save Me A Star" & "Heavenly Father (also one her solo cd issued in 2001), while Mary graced "The tears" with diane Flo and Barbara backing her, and "Baby Don't Go" from the original LP. the girls "Anyone Who Had a Heart" and "Make someone Happy" put the supremes on a course for a long history of showing off their club act that really propelled them along with their hits, & flawless stage presentation of course. I am delighted to have this collection in my possession it shows the early greatness that was yet to be developed and it showed in their live act where diana's aggressive leads and Flo's surging soprano, and Mary's soft alto, made the supremes Supremes. Finally Meet the Supremes get a long deserved expanded treatment long overdue, and yes these no hits (on the most part) sound like raw talent waiting to excel: when diana was singing "Your Heart Belongs To Me" issued in the spring of 62 you can already hear an emerging sound that made the Supremes a force, and the Girl Group sound would forever be changed when the summer of 64 presented itself.
Now to make the Supremes releases complete lets hear it for the The Supremes" the final Sessions the Late 70's amen."
Florence picks supremes
Diana von zech | ATLANTIC CITY N.J. | 05/18/2010
(5 out of 5 stars)
"meet the supremes is a look back to when the girls sang as a group,and shared leads.also the fans get to meet barbara martin,who left in 1962 to get married. she sang on many early recordings and can be heard solo on after all and the spoken word on hes seventeen.this lp was released in 1962 while motown was at the apolo(new york).this expanded edition also includes rare live shows from 62 and early 64 before they became the #1 girl group in the WORLD.also it is nice to have all of flos early recordings together. sadly no live recording of buttered popcorn was available for this set.mary wilson sings lead on the tears this is one of her fan favorites,i wish she would do this in her live show.dianas surprise is TOO HOT why this wasnt considered for single ill never know.the booklet shows pictures of the supremes in white dresses ckeck out motowns complete singles 1962 the marvelettes have on the same dress i guess thats why gladys horton said her dress (diana) looked like a night gown. miss ross had a habit of buying the same dresses as the other acts martha and the vandellas and patti labelle both mention this in there books. i must thank hippo-select for a wonderful reissue,please release country,western,and pop in stereo with out takes.florence would have loved this."
Meet The Supremes All Over Again!
R. M. Desjardins | Vancouver, B.C. Canada | 05/27/2010
(5 out of 5 stars)
"That Diana Ross, Florence Ballard and Mary Wilson were the voice of teenage longing in the mid sixties has never been in question, but the recently expanded reissue of their 1962 debut recording "Meet The Supremes" is revelatory in that it fully exposes the raw, hungry passion of the original trio and soon to be gone member, Barbara Martin.
While one could not consider the Supremes the first female garage vocal group, the fire and ice emitting from Diana Ross' vocals as evidenced in "Too Hot" are steamy indeed, and hint at the inferno that future fine tuning at the hands of writing and production team Holland-Dozier-Holland would unleash.
The steely determination of a young Diana Ross is fully captured in her live lead vocals of "Run, Run, Run","Let Me Go The Right Way", and "Your Heart Belongs To Me". Two standout live selections, from The Battle of the Stars, Live at the Graystone Ballroom from 1964 which pitted the Supremes against the Velvelettes "Anyone Who Had A Heart", and "Make Someone Happy" foreshadow the broad appeal the group that would become the group's trademark.
When these seminal recordings were re-released with a new cover in 1965, fans of the HDH made over group may have been startled at the raw edgy energy of these first recording sessions, and even Mary Wilson has reflected that "these songs sound better than I remembered."
Hip-o Select has gone all out with this high quality expanded edition, that they are so well known for, featuring the original mono and stereo sessions, alternative takes, leads featuring Florence and Mary, and live selections from the Motortown Special Review from 1962. As well as the long sought after track, "The Boy That Got Away" that was listed on the original barstool cover, but pulled at the last moment in favor of the rocking "Let Me Go The Right Way", is included here.
Meet The Supremes is essential listening for anyone wanting to witness the birth, polishing and harnessing of the sheer kinetic energy of the young Supremes and what was to become the soundtrack of an entire generation."
The first album at last!
T. A. Shepherd | Palmdale, Ca. 93550 | 05/21/2010
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Having been a fan since grade school (that would be 1962--"Your Heart Belongs To Me"), seeing the re-issue of these early recordings is not only rewarding to me personnaly, but most importantly, The Supremes finally has the recognition they deserve. A young Diana Ross was putting together a unique vocal sound, incorporating her phrasing with her training in gospel singing. Listen, for instance, to the mono vocal on "Who's Lovin' You". And people thought the Jackson 5 was the definitive version. Nonsense. Ms. Ross reaches for the depths of her soul and pours out a vocal that's as pure as it gets. On "You Bring Back Memories", the ladies do some three part harmony vocals that step into The Barrett Sisters territory. The songs on the original album are penned mostly by Berry Gordy or Smokey Robinson, as was the practice in the early days. "Your Heart Belongs to Me" was either passed up by Mary Wells, or written for the Supremes. I don't recall. I'm so glad The Supremes did it instead. "Time Changes Things", I believe, features Eddie Willis playing the funky Latin guitar rhythm, as in the Mary Wells classic, "Old Love". The singles include "I Want A Guy" b/w "Never Again", "Buttered Popcorn" b/w "Who's Lovin' You" (a grave mistake), "Your Heart Belongs To Me" b/w "(He's) Seventeen", "Let Me Go The Right Way" b/w "Time Changes Things" and "You Bring Back Memories", relgated to the B-side of "My Heart Can't Take It No More". My favorite track remains Mary Wilson's beautiful recording of Gordy's "Baby Don't Go". Florence Ballard is featured on a couple of fine ballads on Disc 2: "Heavenly Father" and "Save Me A Star". But her finest moments wouldn't be realised until two years later when she stunned the night club crowd with her performance of "People". She would go on to take Sam Cooke's "(Ain't That) Good News" to the revival, and also turned in two stunning unreleased vocals on "Silent Night" and "O Holy Night" from the "Merry Christmas" sessions. Beyond that, very little essentials remain of Ms. Ballard. Some outtakes of "Buttered Popcorn" are interesting for reference purposes. There were four complete takes made of B.P., just for the record. Also on disc 2, is an extended stereo re-mix of "I'm Giving You Your Freedom", a tour de force for guitarist Robert White. This would mark the very first song they recorded written by Holland-Dozier-Holland, who would pen a great deal of their monster hits from 1964-1967. The alternate version of "I Want A Guy", whether by design or fate, features Diana in her very first solo performance on record. A new stereo mix of the mono vocal of "Who's Lovin' You" also appears. Wonder if they'll do the same with "Standing At The Crossroads", or the Miracles' "I'm The One You Need". With so many of their albums already in print, here we have the first album at last!"
A *Must* Have For Supremes Fans!
Alex Honda | Los Angeles, CA USA | 05/20/2010
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Hip-O-Select's expanded edition two CD set of MEET THE SUPREMES is a must for fans who are familiar with the early beginnings of the fabulous trio that would eventually help establish Motown as truly "the sound of young America." Needless to say, Hip-O-Select has done another fantastic job of remastering the original tracks.
Although the songs have the same Motown feel they're different than the monster hits the Supremes would become known for and some might find this a little disappointing. So for new fans who are more familiar with hits like "Where Did Our Love Go," "Baby Love," "Love Child," among others and are looking for those songs, I suggest getting the compilation CD Gold, which has the group's big hits--including after Diana Ross left--and it has a few of their early recordings, so you can get a taste of their earlier sound.
Even though the songs on MEET THE SUPREMES aren't in the "Supremes" mold (that they would become known for), they're delightful to listen to. They harmonize beautifully and there's a hunger and youthful energy that you can hear in these recordings. Each Supreme--Diana Ross, Mary Wilson, Florence Ballard--sounded young but there was no mistaking that these girls had talent. There are some really catchy tunes on CD 1 like "Buttered Popcorn" and "Let Me Go The Right Way," and ballads that stay in mind like "Your Heart Belongs To Me," and "Baby Don't Go." Ross sings lead on most, but Ballard (Buttered Popcorn) and Wilson (Baby Don't Go) sing lead on some songs.
CD 1 includes the album, "Meet The Supremes," with both the mono and stereo versions of the songs, and includes four live previously unreleased bonus tracks from the "Motor Town Revue" concerts that the Motown acts would take on the road.
CD 2 contains all previously unreleased tracks/versions and Florence Ballard sings lead on some of the songs like "Hey Baby," "Save Me A Star," and "Heavenly Father." Mary Wilson sings lead on "After All" and "The Tears." I might have this mixed up but these tracks have either Wilson or Ballard doing lead, or vocal duties are split evenly between the three. The last seven tracks are performed live from the Graystone concert hall in 1964, and according to the liner notes, this was a "battle of the groups" with the Supremes squaring off against The Velvelettes (their performance is captured on Motown Anthology).
MEET THE SUPREMES comes with a booklet with expanded edition liner notes by George Solomon, which also includes "Supremes" timeline from 1959-1963 and a 10/31/09 discussion between Mary Wilson and Barbara Martin (who was part of the original Supreme lineup and recorded with the group and is on most of the recorded songs on these two CDs). The booklet also contains song information, though it doesn't say who sang lead but you can decipher from the notes and by listening to the tracks, and some pictures. The two CDs are housed in a tri-fold out cardboard case with plastic CD holders, attached to the cardboard, which keeps each CD securely in place. The original liner notes by Billie Jean Brown are printed on inside and back jacket of the case, and the front cover is a replica of the original album jacket.
Anyway, this set is worth buying as long as you're familiar with pre-Holland-Dozier-Holland (HDH) Supremes. Listening to this CD now and it amazes me that they weren't a hit right off the bat. It was a toss up as to who should be singing lead at this early stage of the game--each one sounded great--but Ross sounded more youthful, whereas Ballard and Wilson sounded mature, and that may have been a prime reason why Gordy chose Ross to do more of the leads."
Track Listings (26) - Disc #1