THE SUPREMES SING RODGERS & HART TML 11054 (-67) UK MONO

Their last album as "Supremes". From the next "Reflections" (see earlier post) they would be billed as "Diana Ross & The Supremes". It was also Florence Ballard's last recording with the gang and she was later replaced by Cindy Birdsong. It's not my favorite Supremes LP. The backing - produced by Berry Gordy and Gil Askey - mostly imitates classic recordings of the songs and as such becomes very revealing. All numbers are from the twenties and thirties and had since been sung and recorded by many great aritsts. When Diana Ross gets about the same arrangements and backing she's competing with the best on classic ground and my feeling is it don't measure up. She does her thing properly, but it's not heartfelt enough. I miss the sincerity of the Lena Horne, Ella Fitzgerald or Billie Holiday recordings. The few tracks with more regular Motown backing works good though. The best thing with it is the mono reproduction - loud, clear and natural - one of the better I heard so far. Premiere US on Motown (MS/MT 659). First UK as shown here with laminated flip/back cover. (TÖMÖ*)(FÄV*)(ZYZÖ*)