Limited Edition Japanese pressing of this album comes housed in miniature LP sleeve. 2007.
CD Reviews
MANDATORY FOR SUPREMES FANS
D.V. Lindner | King George, VA, USA | 06/10/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"You're looking at the most successful non-greatest hits album in Motown's catalog from 1964 until Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On" came along in mid-1971. Originally LP number 621, Motown lists its release date as August 31, 1964. That jibes with my memory as a 10-year-old at the time, and I recall seeing it in records stores just before school started up again ( 5th grade for me ) after that wonderful summer. The album's title track had been a massive hit over those vacation months, putting the Supremes name on the lips of every teen and pre-teen whose ears caught it. This was no easy feat given the chart competition at the time - the Beatles had only begun to storm America that January, and Where Did Our Love Go shared chart company with A Hard Day's Night by summer. But the appeal of the record was irresistible and all of us just about played the 45 till the grooves were flat.
According to the liner notes, the next hit, even larger, barely made it to the album in time for release. An earlier, slower version of "Baby Love" ( included on the second disc ) was re-recorded in a slightly upbeat version at Berry Gordy's instruction, made it into the album, and was released as 45 too on Sept. 17. This Supremes fan, to this day, remembers exactly where I was ( a clothing department store ) the first time I heard it over a radio. It spent four weeks at No. 1 on Billboard, and Come See About Me was right on its heels, giving the Supremes three No. 1's in a row, all on the same album. ( By mid 1965, the number would be five in a row ). Come the New Year, in any home with young people, the Supremes were now a household word. If soul music had its own "Meet The Beatles" that year, "Where Did Our Love Go" is surely it, and its historic value and still-undiminished pleasures cannot be overstated.
The brief `coming home' concert on the second, bonus disc is of particular interest too. Berry Gordy hadn't yet begun the habit of having the group's hits rearranged to sound like Vegas show tunes for their stage shows, something that always disappointed teen buyers of their live albums. Here however, "Where" and it's modestly successful antecedents, "Lovelight Shining Through His Eyes" and "A Breath Taking Guy" are given sincere and unhurried readings, sonically faithful to the studio versions.
Hip-O Select's painstaking and loving approach to historic Motown material is the best thing to happen to soul music since Rhino tackled Aretha's classic Atlantic recordings in the early `90s. My vinyl versions of this album, stereo and mono, are still in capable shape ( yes I have the 45s too ), but whether or not you still have your own, the re-issue of this Motown milestone ( especially the mono version ) on wear-proof and indestructible CD amounts to the group themselves summoning you to the `record store' again, as they surely did the first time you ever heard "Baby Love" on the radio too."
Great to hear original mono version of this landmark Motown
John Doe | mesa, AZ | 01/17/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Great to finally hear this album in it's original monophonic spendor after 40 plus years. Almost like listening to the actual 33 1/3 vinyl release, which I still have a copy of! Not too cleaned-up and remastered to death, like most Motown compilations currently on CD. Hope more original MONO and 45RPM mixes will find their way onto CD."
What A Treat For Supremes Fans
Louis R. Cappello | Portland, Or. | 06/06/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I know this CD is a little pricey now,but well worth it!
If your a fan get it before it becomes A CD on E-Bay auction. Disc 2 is worth the price alone of early Supremes singing as a true group many gems and on top of that you get the 12 track album in mono (sounds wonderful)and in stereo. Dig into your pocket for this one don't miss out on this limited release, I'm very glad I did."
FABULOUS REMASTERED SOUND
BOB | LOS ANGELES, CA | 09/26/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Since the 1981 advent of the compact disc, Motown has shamelessly released reissue after reissue of its extensive catalog. For The Supremes, just like most of the major Motown acts, there is an endless plethora of albums, compilations and box sets, all of which had wildly-varying audio quality, regardless of mono or stereo content.
These ten 2007 Japanese mini-sleeve CD's are the best sounding stereo Supremes CD's I've heard yet. The separation and clarity is absolutely nothing short of miraculous and revelatory.
For me, the real joy of these new remasters is the ability to hear James Jamerson's playing in perfect, note-for-note clarity. That cat may have been one of the greatest to ever play the instrument, and being able to hear him so clearly is so enjoyable in a manner I haven't experienced before with any other release.
I own the 2000 box set, several of the latest anthologies, and the 2006 HIP-O "Where Did Our Love Go" 2CD. None of these sound as good as these Japan issues.
I just checked my Japan-based source for mini-sleeves, and as of this writing, six of these Supremes CD's are already OOP (all `sleeves are limited edition). If you're a fan, don't delay in getting these, as they are priceless.
Link by title to the 2007 Japan mini-sleeve Supremes catalog:
More Hits by The Supremes
I Hear A Symphony
Supremes A Go-Go
Sing Holland Dozier Holland
Reflections
Join The Temptations
Love Child
Aquarius / Let The Sunshine In
Cream Of The Crop
WHAT IS A JAPAN "MINI-LP-SLEEVE" CD?
Have you ever lamented the loss of one of the 20th Century's great art forms, the 12" vinyl LP jacket? Then "mini-LP-sleeve" CD's may be for you.
Mini-sleeve CDs are manufactured in Japan under license. The disc is packaged inside a 135MM X 135MM cardboard precision-miniature replica of the original classic vinyl-LP album. Also, anything contained in the original LP, such as gatefolds, booklets, lyric sheets, posters, printed LP sleeves, stickers, embosses, special LP cover paper/inks/textures and/or die cuts, are precisely replicated and included. An English-language lyric sheet is always included, even if the original LP did not have printed lyrics.
Then, there's the sonic quality: Often (but not always), mini-sleeves have dedicated remastering (20-Bit, 24-Bit, DSD, K2/K2HD, and/or HDCD), and can often (but not always) be superior to the audio on the same title anywhere else in the world. There also may be bonus tracks unavailable elsewhere.
Each Japan mini-sleeve has an "obi" ("oh-bee"), a removable Japan-language promotional strip. The obi lists the Japan street date of that particular release, the catalog number, the mastering info, and often the original album's release date. Bonus tracks are only listed on the obi, maintaining the integrity of the original LP artwork. The obi's are collectable, and should not be discarded.
All mini-sleeve releases are limited edition, but re-pressings/re-issues are becoming more common (again, not always). The enthusiasm of mini-sleeve collecting must be tempered, however, with avoiding fake mini-sleeves manufactured in Russia and distributed throughout the world, primarily on eBay. They are inferior in quality, worthless in collectable value, a total waste of money, and should be avoided at all costs."
The Supremes have arrived
Sebastian | 08/11/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is the album that took The Supremes to the top. I love the classy album cover with Florence, Mary and Diana (top left to right). Includes the hits Where Did Our Love Go, Baby Love and Come See About Me. Florence's voice soars on Long Gone Lover. A must have cd."
Track Listings (24) - Disc #1