Customer Reviews

Supremes

5 star:		(37)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have loved the Supremes for most of my 41 years on Earth. Though they were not the first girl group, the Supremes set the standard for those that followed including many of today's artists such as Destiny's Child, TLC and En Vogue. The music is timeless and this box set convincingly demonstrates how important and sometimes overlooked their influence has been both musically and culturally.

All of the hits are here and much more. There are many rarities, including several B-sides on CD for the first time, unreleased live tracks and many remixes. It is so wonderful to hear Diana Ross sing with uninhibited enthusiasm and innocence on "When The Lovelight Starts Shining Through His Eyes", "Baby Love" or on Sam Cooke's "Shake." Mary Wilson and Florence Ballard harmonize beautifully with Diana and show themselves as very capable lead singers on "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" and "People", respectively. Then there's the triple whammy of "Love Is Like An Itching In My Heart", "You Can't Hurry Love" and "You Keep Me Hanging On." Continuing through to "Reflections", the duets with the Temptations (including a remix of TCB-from their 1968 TV special of the same name), "Love Child", "Someday We'll Be Together"... I could go on and on!!

The post-Diana period is well represneted on Disc Four. As the replacement for Diana Ross, Jean Terrell brought a more soulful, yet elegant style to the group as evidenced on among others, "Up the Ladder to The Roof", "Stoned Love", and "Bad Weather." Mary had her shining moments in the 1970s as well with "Touch", "Floy Joy" and "You Are The Heart Of Me." Scherrie Payne (sister to Freda "Band of Gold" Payne) and Susaye Green both demonstrate their top notch vocal skills on "I'm Gonna Let My Heart Do The Walking" and "High Energy", respectively.

Finally, there is a bonus disc titled "An Evening with the Supremes' that has many unreleased live versions of their biggest hits recorded at various times in the 1960s assembled into a wonderful mini concert. I guess this is as close to a true Supremes reunion as we will ever get.

This lavishly packaged set includes a 76-page book with many wonderful photos, track by track notes, a very complete discography and essays including contributions from Berry Gordy. Plus the remastered sound is, with a few exceptions, excellent. All of this adds up to an wondereful documentation of an enduring legacy that still brings endless pleasure and inspiration. This is timeless magic!!

After years of shoddy and non-comprehensive greatest hits packages comes this excellent tribute to one of the greatest girl groups of all time, The Supremes. The 77 tracks featured on this package spans the years 1960 to 1977 including the A and B sides of the first single the group recorded for rival Detroit label Lupine Records. Besides all of the hits that we know and love, we get to hear early tracks that feature Mary Wilson and Florence Ballard singing lead, and alternate versions of classics like "Stop In The Name Of Love" and "Love Is Here And Now You're Gone". Even great album tracks like "Everything That's Good About You"(a previously unreleased mix) and "How Long Has That Evening Train Been Gone"(one of James Jamerson's greatest basslines ever on this one!!!)make this set great to listen to. The post Diana Ross years are also well represented here and prove the group made great records after 1970 as well. The limited version of this box I highly recommend for the bonus live disc that contains great live performances. All of the perfomances except for one track, have never been released before. The sound quality is great throughout, and package itself is beautiful. Any big Supremes fan will flip for this. Another first class reissue from the folks at Motown.

This is the box set tribute Supremes fans worldwide have waited more than a decade for. Primarily due to internal company politics, The Supremes are the last major Motown artists to have a box set career retrospective. But the wait was definitely worthwhile! "The Supremes" is the ultimate tribute to the ultimate girl group--and to its legion of legendary fans. Everything about this set--from the sumptuous velvet packaging, to the carefully annotated track listing, to the magnificent track selection--reflects The Supremes trademark elegance, glitter and talent. There are enough treats and previously unreleased songs woven among the familiar hits to satisfy even the most die-hard Supremes fan. And, even many of those hits come in new versions--including the demo version of "The Happening," with different lyrics. But, perhaps most significantly, this set pays tribute to The Supremes as a group--and for the first time, Florence Ballard and Mary Wilson are accorded their due as significant contributors to The Supremes legacy. Fittingly, Disc 1 ends with the superb 1964 studio version of "People," with Flo singing lead with her soaring soprano. And, the set closes appropriately with Mary Wilson's sensual ballad, "You Are The Heart of Me," from 1976. No one can deny that Mary Wilson was, is and always will be the heart of The Supremes! The accompanying 76-page booklet is chock-full of rare photos, essays focusing on The Supremes place in history, and never-before released details about recording sessions. But, the real treat for fan will be the bonus fifth disc--"An Evening With The Supremes." This is a collection of 12 hits recorded live between 1964 and 1969, cleverly packaged to run like a full, live concert. This is the Return To Love tour that fans yearned for this summer! "The Supremes" is a must-have not only for Supremes fans, but also for anyone truly interested in a concise--and important--chapter in American musical history! Place your order before the limited edition set is gone!

"The Supremes" is the definitive collection for anyone who wants the story of The Supremes. The general listener consensus is "I love it, but I wish they'd included....." Everyone has their own personal favorites, but 40 albums' worth of material (and literally hundreds of unreleased tracks) could never have fit into a 4 CD box set (5 if you count the limited edition with bonus disc). It's the story of the group, and it's told with just the right amount of songs and pictures to satisfy everyone. So nothing is really "missing". Therefore, I call it PERFECT!

If you know relatively little about the Supremes and are afraid of getting something this big, fear not. This collection is the PERFECT introduction for you. If you are already a Supremes fan, then this collection is a must have, from the rare A and B sides as The Primettes, to the previously unreleased "The Boy That Got Away" (which had been listed, but not included on their first album, "Meet The Supremes"). The compilation starts from the beginning, and finishes off when the group disbanded in 1977 with the B side of their last US single, "You Are The Heart of Me".

The incredible remastering of these songs is BETTER THAN ANY VERSION OF ANY SUPREMES SONG ISSUED PREVIOUSLY! There are original mono 45 mixes, to brand new Stereo mixes, and when compared to any album or CD, they just sound incredibly better... PERFECT!

Fans have asked Motown for years to release a box set or compilation worthy of the Supremes, and for the first time, they've done it. So, instead of saying, "I loved it, but I wish they'd included...," I'll just say, I love it, it is PERFECT, and now we want a rarities disc with lots of unreleased material, and reissues of each of the albums with bonus tracks. Hey Motown, we want MORE SUPREMES!!! Just like the box set, that would be PERFECT! Producer Harry Weinger and Associate Producer Andy Skurow deserve tremendous praise for what they've accomplished. They've accurately painted a picture of the Supremes as a group... SUPREMELY PERFECT.

This is the best Supremes set ever. It gives focus to the entire group.You get to hear Florence Ballard in all of her glory belting out "People" in her beautiful soulful voice. We also hear Florence on an alternate take of the Supremes second single "Buttered Popcorn". We get Mary Wilson on "Pretty Baby". The alternate version of "Stop in the name of love" is also very refreshing to the ear as well as all of the other remastered tracks. They all sound so fresh and crisp. The bonus disc with the live performances is a dream come true for any real Supremes fan to hear Flo,Diana and Mary when they were at their peak, with a strong group sound and group effort is a rare treat, since on most of the live material currently available have Flo and Mary turned down really low. That's not the case here. The pictures and essays are just fantastic. This box is definetly worth every penny. It's a must have for sure.

At last a proper CD retrospective of The Supremes. This should prove to be not only the one-stop purchase for first time listeners but also contains enough unheard mixes and unreleased studio tracks to also tempt the seasoned collector.

From the early teen angst of "Tears of Sorrow" and "I Want A Guy" through the classics of "Where Did Our Love Go?", "Baby Love" and "Come See About Me" to their under-rated 1970's hits such as the colossal "Stoned Love", this anthology is a fitting tribute not only to all the Supremes line-ups and the genius of the writing team of Holland-Dozier-Holland but also to the unsung Motown studio musicians. There are so many treasures in this 4 CD set that it is unfair to point out favourites but I must mention the jaw-dropping "Surfer Boy" from the movie 'Beach Ball'. At first look a campy novelty but Diana Ross turns in such a cracking vocal it becomes a real find.

Most heartening is the CD given over to their post-Ross recordings. I became aware of Motown at the start of the '70s as a young fan of The Jackson 5 and was lucky enough to see the Jean Terrell, Mary Wilson and Cindy Birdsong Supremes line-up when they played concerts in London at the time of the "Nathan Jones" chart success. Jean Terrell brought The Supremes out of the supperclubs and back to reality - her deliciously sensual voice suited the times and her vocals on "Up The Ladder To The Roof", "Stoned Love", "Nathan Jones" and "Bad Weather" (represented here by the full studio recording) are still thrilling to hear. Terrell's singing on the exquisite "5:30 Plane" by Jimmy Webb is also particularly fine. One of my personal favourites, the haunting ballad "Touch", is represented in the collection in a previously unreleased mix which was a particular joy. And, after many years without it, it is great to finally have "Your Wonderful, Sweet Sweet Love" on CD.

The late '70s are also well represented by tracks which feature the fine vocals of Scherrie Payne and, as is rightly the case, the final track is sung by Mary Wilson, the last-remaining member of the original line-up at the group's demise.

Added to the main 4 CD set is a bonus CD of live recordings taken from their 1960s concerts which make fascinating listening. The plush packaging and fine booklet, which features many stunning shots, make this a must for any CD collection.

The package is well worth the exhorbitant cost! There is a stereo version of I HEAR A SYMPHONY, which eluded all previous compilations except the first greatest hits package. Other rare stereo tracks include NO MATTER WHA T SIGN YOU ARE, EVERYTHING IS GOOD ABOUT YOU, ANY GIRL IN LOVE, and ALL ABOUT YOU. The version of MY HEART CAN'T TAKE IT NO MORE is the mono cut from the COUNTRY, WESTERN & POP LP. Thank God for well preserved vinyl. The high-bit remastered tracks from the 1986 25th ANNIVERSARY sound much better. Hopefully, someday we'll get the unreleased studio albums from 1965 - 1967 in their entirity. Disc 4 which includes the 1970 -1976 material is a great compliment to the GREATEST HITS & RARE CLASSICS issue from 1991. Any serious fan will enjoy this collection.

First off: To the reviewer who claimed that the Supremes without Diana are not worth a listen, wake up! Have you ever listened to the background of the song "Love is Here and Now You're Gone". I rest my case.

I have been a fan of the Supremes for 28 of my 31 years on earth. I have every album (40+), every single (55+), and every piece of Supremes memoribilia I could get my hands on. I have been waiting for this box set ever since I purchased "The Supremes - 25th Anniversary" fourteen years ago when it was first released. The 25th Anniversary collection is also a fabulous set with a complete CD of 26 unreleased gems. Too bad it is out of print...WHY? Anyway, the first thing that grabbed my attention about this new set was the name. "The Supremes" Someone at Motown needs to be kissed just for that alone. The set treats everyone fair, as it should be. The selection of songs is a revelation as is the sound, packaging is excellent. A prior reviewer claimed that many of the "unreleased" songs have been released before, yes, but with very different mixes. Buy this set before it goes out of print. Thank You Diana, Mary, Florence, Betty, Barbara, Cindy, Jean, Lynda, Sherrie and Susaye. You have made the world a nicer place.

Kudos to the producers for taking on the task of a Supremes box set. After the multitudes of 'greatest hits,' 'anthologies,' 'best of,' and 'ultimate collections' that have been released over the years, trying to satisfy Supreme fans is brave to say the least.

If you don't have a Supremes set -THIS is definitely the one to get. The inclusion of the pre-Motown recordings is very much appreciated. This alone makes this set a superb standout from other Supreme collections. The big and mild hits are all present and accounted for and it is great to have them all in one convienient package.

The sprinkling of never-before-released material is welcomed but slightly disappointing. A majority of these songs have appeared in alternate versions on other collections (ARE YOU SURE LOVE IS THE NAME OF THIS GAME, TAKE ME WHERE YOU GO), so the meaning of 'never' is being stretched. There are other titles that probably should have stayed in the vault (DR. GOLDFOOT AND THE BIKINI MACHINE and the re-recording of MOTHER DEAR).

There are a few good selections representing the non-hit albums, SHAKE from "We Remember Sam Cook", FALLING IN LOVE WITH LOVE from "The Supremes Sing Rogers and Hart" and SOMEWHERE from "Live at the Copa." However, there is nothing from "The Supremes Sing and Perform Funny Girl" or "A Bit Of Liverpool." These two albums showcase the Supremes' versatility and deserve at least one representative.

The most disappointing aspect of this collection is the lack of post-Diana Supreme recordings. Four discs (of studio recordings), three with Diana and one without. After Diana went solo, The Supremes recorded a vast amount of GREAT music. If such filler songs as SUNNY BOY, DOES YOUR MOMMA KNOW and HOW LONG HAS THAT EVENING TRAIN made it into this collection, certainly WAIT A MINUTE, LOVE IT CAME TO ME THIS TIME, and IT'S ALL BEEN SAID BEFORE should have been included.

The post-Diana Supremes disc does contain two long awaited and sorely missed tunes: HIGH ENERGY and YOU ARE THE HEART OF ME. These two songs came from two great albums. But again - only one never-before-released song from that era? That it simply not fair. Rumor has it that there are enough unreleased songs to fill entire albums. Oh well.

The 5th 'Live' disc is fantastic! The girls had talent and personality to spare. Individually they were fantastic, but as a team they were sensational - and this disc showcases it beautifully. As does a majority of this great boxed set of the greatest girl group in musical history.

The supremes live out there name with countless number of hits that will have you feeling great. This is also a collectors item for any true Supremes fan. It includes songs in which Flo and Mary sing lead. They both have extremely beautiful voices. I'm 18yrs old and although the Supremes are no in my era, I know great music and the Supremes fit this category to the fullest.