potential Jean-era Greatest Hits lp

with the disappointing released of Dynamite and Jimmy Webb, both at the holiday time period, it's surprising motown didn't just throw together a quite GH package. that would have certainly sold better than either of these dismal sets. frankly it would have been easiest in fall 72 since there were more hits to choose from

was thinking what one could have been like.

i'd assume they would NOT have included the duets since that would have split royalties

Up the ladder
Everybody
Stoned Love
Nathan
Touch
Floy Joy
Auto Sun
YWSSL
I guess i'll miss the man

If you used the longer LP version of SL, then you could have dropped in maybe 2 unreleased songs. And that probably would have completed the run time. If you used the shorter 45 version, then maybe 3 unreleased songs and/or album filler

maybe use:
The Day Will Come Between Sunday and Monday
Life Beats
A Heart Like Mine [[to give mary a full lead)
Tears left over
Send him to me [[again for a mary lead)
Loving Country
Here comes the sunrise

Going by the albums being typically 12 tracks, here's how I would have done the Jean lead greatest hits:

1. Together We Can Make Such Sweet Music
2. Stoned Love
3. Floy Joy
4. The Day Will Come Between Sunday and Monday
5. Your Wonderful Sweet, Sweet Love
6. Touch
7. Nathan Jones
8. I Guess I'll Miss the Man
9. Everybody's Got the Right To Love
10. Automatically Sunshine
11. 5:30 Plane
12. Up the Ladder to the Roof

Motown did plan a greatest hits LP on the 70s Supremes and I think Diana too sometime around 1972 called Gold. I’m not sure if a track list was ever formed but something was in the works and then pulled.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by bradsupremes

Motown did plan a greatest hits LP on the 70s Supremes and I think Diana too sometime around 1972 called Gold. I’m not sure if a track list was ever formed but something was in the works and then pulled.

---

it's so bizarre that it was pulled. motown had long since understood that compilation packages could sell. hell - how many volumes of "Big Package of Hits" did they release in the 60s? and even the Marvelettes got a GH package in the mid 60s. and it could be easily argued that motown invested more in the 70s sups than the Ms. and the 70s sups had more big hits.

was thinking of another take on a GH package. a more deluxe concept. and i know motown would never have bothered with the 70s sups but just for fun. it would be a 2 disc set of Greatest Hits and More

Disc 1 - the hits
up the ladder
Everybody's got the right
Loving country
stoned love
touch

nathan jones
here comes the sunrise
floy joy
A heart like mine
automatically sunshine
YWSSL

Disc 2 - and more. side one would be highlights from Pippen
I Guess I'll Miss The man
Simple joys
No Time at all - Lynda lead
Morning Glow - mary lead
Corner of the Sky

side 2 could be unrelease tracks or maybe an abbreviated live show.
Tears left over
Life Beats
If you let me [[mary lead)
Oh my poor baby
The day will come between sunday and monday
I'll let him know

They did release an album in 1978 with seventies hits

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/s...or-Fgd0tWbVKVw

It had 14 tracks in the UK and only 10 tracks in the US.

UK Track Listing:

“Stoned Love” [[2:58)
“I’m Gonna Let My Heart Do the Walking” [[3:08)
“Floy Joy” [[2:31)
“Nathan Jones” [[3:01)
“Everybody’s Got the Right to Love” [[2:44)
“High Energy” [[4:13)
“Automatically Sunshine” [[3:08)
“Up the Ladder to the Roof” [[3:14)
“You’re My Driving Wheel” [[3:19)
“Bad Weather” [[3:01)
“Love Train” [[3:20)
“The Sha-La Bandit” [[3:40)
“He’s My Man” [[3:02)
“You’re What’s Missing in My Life” [[3:58)

US Track Listing:

“Stoned Love” [[2:58)
“I’m Gonna Let My Heart Do the Walking” [[3:08)
“Floy Joy” [[2:31)
“Nathan Jones” [[3:01)
“The Sha-La Bandit” [[3:40)
“Up the Ladder to the Roof” [[3:14)
“You’re My Driving Wheel” [[3:19)
“Everybody’s Got the Right to Love” [[2:44)
“Bad Weather” [[3:01)
“Love Train” [[3:20)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by sup_fan

with the disappointing released of Dynamite and Jimmy Webb, both at the holiday time period, it's surprising motown didn't just throw together a quite GH package. that would have certainly sold better than either of these dismal sets. frankly it would have been easiest in fall 72 since there were more hits to choose from

was thinking what one could have been like.

i'd assume they would NOT have included the duets since that would have split royalties

Up the ladder
Everybody
Stoned Love
Nathan
Touch
Floy Joy
Auto Sun
YWSSL
I guess i'll miss the man

If you used the longer LP version of SL, then you could have dropped in maybe 2 unreleased songs. And that probably would have completed the run time. If you used the shorter 45 version, then maybe 3 unreleased songs and/or album filler

maybe use:
The Day Will Come Between Sunday and Monday
Life Beats
A Heart Like Mine [[to give mary a full lead)
Tears left over
Send him to me [[again for a mary lead)
Loving Country
Here comes the sunrise

---

I think by the 70s many albums, including many greatest hits collections, had 10 tracks or less, depending on the lengths of the tracks. In a parallel late 1972 [no Jimmy Webb or Dynamite!!], I can see a successful greatest hits album with the 70s singles up till then, including River Deep Mountain High [which is the one duet single I feel must be included because it was indeed a greatest hit]. Of your "maybes", I would include The Loving Country and Here Comes the Sunrise, because they were or could have been potential singles.

Up the Ladder
Stoned Love
Nathan Jones
Floy Joy
Everybody's Got the Right
River Deep Mountain High
Automatically Sunshine
Touch
Here Comes the Sunrise
Your Wonderful Sweet Sweet Love
I Guess I'll Miss the Man
The Loving Country

Oh, and I would use the beautiful, artistic dandelion photograph for the album cover! Just kidding!

There was some talk of a GH package of Jean material and Diana solo in 1974. Instead, Britain got the excellent 16 track Greatest Hits, Diana was making a comeback off of Lady Sings and was hot with new product. What we got instead was the Anthology lp.

I guess we were lucky to get At Their Best in 1978, released with no fanfare or promotion. It coincided with Motown declaring there would be no more Supremes.

Supremes GH 1973:

Side A:

Stoned Love [[LP version)
River Deep, Mountain High
Your Wonderful Sweet, Sweet Love
Nathan Jones
Everybody's Got the Right to Love
Touch

Side B:

Bad Weather
Floy Joy
I Guess I'll Miss the Man
Automatically Sunshine
You Gotta Have Love in Your Heart
Up the Ladder to the Roof

Just for the Terrell years:
Side 1
Up the ladder to the roof
Stoned Love lp version
Nathan Jones
Your Wonderland Sweet Sweet Love
Bad Weather
Side 2
Everybody's Got the Right to Love
Floy Joy
Automatically Sunshine
Touch
I Guess I'll Miss the Man
River Deep Mountain High

GOLD

Up the ladder
Everybody
Stoned Love
Nathan
Touch
Floy Joy
Auto Sun
YWSSL
River Deep Mountain High [[w/Tops)
Love Train [[live)

Would have been better if they had a one-off hit single [[or a new duet - even a cover) to boost it. I always wished the Supremes/Tops had done a version of something like 'Everlasting Love' - it probably would've gone top 10/20 in the UK at least.

Clip of 'Everlasting' for those that don't know it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JaYTNsS_m2w

and a later duet

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKmKHkxVlPg

To piggyback off your post Levi, I wonder if a GH would have been a good vehicle for the "Bad Weather" single.

Wasn't THE HAPPENING featured on the 1967 GH release?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by marybrewster

To piggyback off your post Levi, I wonder if a GH would have been a good vehicle for the "Bad Weather" single.

Wasn't THE HAPPENING featured on the 1967 GH release?

---

I was thinking the exact same thing. So easy to see in hindsight. The Happening was on the Greatest Hits Vol. 1 & 2 LP set. Reflections was also supposed to be on it, but Motown opted to give the song its own album.

In 1974, UK Tamla Motown issued The Supremes Featuring Mary Wilson "Greatest Hits", STMR 9010.

It had 15 tracks and included their biggest duets with Four Tops.

It opened with "Up The Ladder To The Roof", and closed with "Reach Out And Touch [[Somebody's Hand)".

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by marybrewster

To piggyback off your post Levi, I wonder if a GH would have been a good vehicle for the "Bad Weather" single.

Wasn't THE HAPPENING featured on the 1967 GH release?

---

i was thinking if they did it in 72 and if they still really wanted to released IGIMTM, it could have been the single. maybe it would have done a little better if the parent album had been something popular. i still don't think I Guess is a strong single - the lyric is too depressing. i think the girls would have done well with Corner of the Sky but the J5 got that one

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by milven

They did release an album in 1978 with seventies hits

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/s...or-Fgd0tWbVKVw

It had 14 tracks in the UK and only 10 tracks in the US.

UK Track Listing:

“Stoned Love” [[2:58)
“I’m Gonna Let My Heart Do the Walking” [[3:08)
“Floy Joy” [[2:31)
“Nathan Jones” [[3:01)
“Everybody’s Got the Right to Love” [[2:44)
“High Energy” [[4:13)
“Automatically Sunshine” [[3:08)
“Up the Ladder to the Roof” [[3:14)
“You’re My Driving Wheel” [[3:19)
“Bad Weather” [[3:01)
“Love Train” [[3:20)
“The Sha-La Bandit” [[3:40)
“He’s My Man” [[3:02)
“You’re What’s Missing in My Life” [[3:58)

US Track Listing:

“Stoned Love” [[2:58)
“I’m Gonna Let My Heart Do the Walking” [[3:08)
“Floy Joy” [[2:31)
“Nathan Jones” [[3:01)
“The Sha-La Bandit” [[3:40)
“Up the Ladder to the Roof” [[3:14)
“You’re My Driving Wheel” [[3:19)
“Everybody’s Got the Right to Love” [[2:44)
“Bad Weather” [[3:01)
“Love Train” [[3:20)

---

I got my album for $1 at Woolworth's in Indiana, PA. They could have kept The Sha-La Bandit off of my album. I do not find it appealing at all. Folks seem to like it, but for me it's blah.

the '78 LP needed those 4 additional UK tracks...and skip that horrible mix of Driving Wheel and give us the LP version.

they repeated both Love is Here and The Happening on Vol. 3...I would have went with Will This Be The Day and Sunny Boy.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by gman

they repeated both Love is Here and The Happening on Vol. 3...I would have went with Will This Be The Day and Sunny Boy.

---

Or I'M GONNA MAKE YOU LOVE ME

I liked Sha La Bandit.
I thought it had hit written all over it..
I think they waited to they released Marys solo album and At Their Best almost , if not same time.
Thought it was a bit strange with Jean led songs and Scherrie lead..
Just me I think

Was this Supreme trying to sound like Aretha here??.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXjBMcdSKS0
Odd to me that this cut off Aretha's LP attracted attention at Motown.



[I don't get the " shal-la-la-la" bit in the lyrics, was it a reference to Al Green?]

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by kpitt1204

I got my album for $1 at Woolworth's in Indiana, PA. They could have kept The Sha-La Bandit off of my album. I do not find it appealing at all. Folks seem to like it, but for me it's blah.

---

By the time of At Their Best, I believe Billboard either gave it only a brief mention or no review at all and I believe it didn’t chart at all just like MSS.

The Supremes were dead

https://secondhandsongs.com/performance/151103/all

It appears that Aretha was the 4th and the Supremes the 5th to release it.

The album "The Supremes Greatest Hits" WAS issued in March 1974 as STML11256 and had the following track listing:

A1 Up The Ladder To The Roof
A2 Bad Weather
A3 Nathan Jones
A4 Everybody's Got The Right To Love
A5 Automatically Sunshine
A6 Touch
A7 I Guess I'll Miss The Man
A8 Stoned Love

B1 River Deep Mountain High
B2 Floy Joy
B3 Together We Can Make Such Sweet Music
B4 Your Wonderful Sweet Sweet Love
B5 You Gotta Have Love In Your Heart
B6 Bill, When Are You Coming Back
B7 Reach Out And Touch [[Somebody's Hand)

See here -
https://www.discogs.com/release/2610...-Greatest-Hits


It was then re-issued in April 1980 as "The Supremes Featuring Mary Wilson - Greatest Hits"

See here:
https://www.discogs.com/release/4445...-Greatest-Hits


It obviously featured several of the songs they recorded with the Four Tops.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Sotosound

In 1974, UK Tamla Motown issued The Supremes Featuring Mary Wilson "Greatest Hits", STMR 9010.

It had 15 tracks and included their biggest duets with Four Tops.

It opened with "Up The Ladder To The Roof", and closed with "Reach Out And Touch [[Somebody's Hand)".

---

That's not quite true - STMR9010 was a 1980 re-issue - please see above.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by mysterysinger

The album "The Supremes Greatest Hits" WAS issued in March 1974 as STML11256 and had the following track listing:

A1 Up The Ladder To The Roof
A2 Bad Weather
A3 Nathan Jones
A4 Everybody's Got The Right To Love
A5 Automatically Sunshine
A6 Touch
A7 I Guess I'll Miss The Man
A8 Stoned Love

B1 River Deep Mountain High
B2 Floy Joy
B3 Together We Can Make Such Sweet Music
B4 Your Wonderful Sweet Sweet Love
B5 You Gotta Have Love In Your Heart
B6 Bill, When Are You Coming Back
B7 Reach Out And Touch [[Somebody's Hand)

See here -
https://www.discogs.com/release/2610...-Greatest-Hits


It was then re-issued in April 1980 as "The Supremes Featuring Mary Wilson - Greatest Hits"

See here:
https://www.discogs.com/release/4445...-Greatest-Hits


It obviously featured several of the songs they recorded with the Four Tops.

---

not in the US. this was international only

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by BayouMotownMan

There was some talk of a GH package of Jean material and Diana solo in 1974. Instead, Britain got the excellent 16 track Greatest Hits, Diana was making a comeback off of Lady Sings and was hot with new product. What we got instead was the Anthology lp.

I guess we were lucky to get At Their Best in 1978, released with no fanfare or promotion. It coincided with Motown declaring there would be no more Supremes.

---

I agree in the lack of any promotion for the album. The timing was also far from great, being as it followed the mega selling and tv advertised compilation 20 Golden Greats from the previous year. The public most likely being a touch Supremed out by 78.
The name Supremes still held commercial value, with Mary & her Supremes playing to packed houses at the prestigious London Palladium theatre the same year.

With all the gems in the vaults such as Life Beats, Remote Control and My Poor Baby, you think a hits album would have made sense...around 1973

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by mysterysinger

That's not quite true - STMR9010 was a 1980 re-issue - please see above.

---

Many thanks for the correction.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by luckyluckyme

https://secondhandsongs.com/performance/151103/all

It appears that Aretha was the 4th and the Supremes the 5th to release it.

---

I think the Supremes recorded theirs before Aretha did. I love Sandra Wright's album, and she does a really nice version of "Bandit". I'm going to have to check out those other versions of "Bandit".

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by daviddh

I liked Sha La Bandit.
I thought it had hit written all over it..

---

I don't care for the Scherrie lead versions. The one with Mary, Cindy and Scherrie trading verses is great. I play it a lot. Hit? I don't know. Maybe.

The Greatest Hits and Rare Classics collection was a good compilation .
Finally ,but it is no longer on Itunes

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by daviddh

The Greatest Hits and Rare Classics collection was a good compilation .
Finally ,but it is no longer on Itunes

---

i was so excited to get that cd. i thought the cover pic of the girls was amazing. and then i discovered that the cassette version was a different track lineup!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by sup_fan

i was so excited to get that cd. i thought the cover pic of the girls was amazing. and then i discovered that the cassette version was a different track lineup!

---

I believe there is a thread with a great explanation of this...the release almost got totally cancelled....it was a labor of love and a marathon last minute attempt by the producers [[George Solomon???) to get ANYTHING out
The original track line up had to change in order for the company to agree to anything, and then they issued a virtually impossible deadline...the first presentation included unreleased tracks...they were told NO UNRELEASED MATERIAL...at all...to make it work, and still be something collectable the alternate and extended versions of some songs were used...to get the most unavailable and acceptable by the release terms out there, the cassette version was varied...
It is my go to 70's comp....being a Webb LP hater, I just skip all of it except IGIMTM...which I love.
Supposedly, it outsold every other release in the series...Great job by the folks involved...