The Temptations
50th Anniversary: The Singles 1961-1971
Motown/Universal
www.umusic.com

The Supremes
50th Anniversary: The Singles 1961-1969
Motown/Universal
www.umusic.com

The Supremes
More Hits By The Supremes: Expanded Edition
Motown/Universal
www.unmusic.com
By George W. Harris


Here’s a great retrospective of a pair of the greatest and most influential vocal groups since WWII: The Tempatations and The Supremes. Celebrating a half century since these two bands came onto the scene, Motown/Universal has put out a pair of 3 disc sets, and going one extra mile with a two cd limited edition for the ladies.

The Temptation collection consists off all of their A and B sides of singles with David Ruffin, Paul Williams, Otis Williams, Eddie Kendricks and Melvin Franklin. Their 5 part harmony, as well as their tag team approach to soloing, is still the standard by which others are compared. Yes, their definitive hits are all here, complete with the musical team of The Funk Brothers and James Jameson on bass. Nostalgia aside, there are few better vocal moments than “Just My Imagination,” with Kendricks delivering a luminous verse. What’s surprisingly pleasant about these releases is that the “pre-hit” era has the band doing some impressive doo wop and crooning R&B. Stuff like “Romance Without Finance” and “Mind Over Matter” are excellent in their own right. Their songs with the Supremes, such as “The Weight” are here as well. Not a bad group of tunes to play over and over again.

Ditto for the 3 disc Supreme set, which not only has their 12 #1 hits, but ALL of their A and B sides from the era before they were “Diana Ross and…” This collection is filled with collectibles, such as an interview with the ladies, and alternative takes on tunes such as “Love Child.” A take of “Dr. Goldfoot and The Bikini Machine” shows how well the other material has aged. The vocal harmonies of these three women defined and then transcended their time period.

The 2 Cd limited edition collection of “More Hits” is actually the most fascinating of the three. It has the Supremes’ first album in both mono and stereo here, as well as some live tracks that have a very hip feel to them. Like a lot of groups of that time period, they tried reaching out to other countries with their material, and the German versions of the tunes “Come See About Me” and “Where Did Our Love Go” are a veritable hoot. Some of the stuff on all three collections are must haves for stumping your friends on “Blindfold Tests.” The fascinating thing about retrospectives like this is how this type of music was able to break down cultural barriers, rather than create them.