By Fan (66.168.67.154 - 66.168.67.154) on Thursday, July 11, 2002 - 09:58 pm:

Hi all,

I've been looking for any "instrumental" remakes of Supreme hits. My 11 year old daughter is a figure skater and would love to skate to some of their high energy tunes. Unfortunately it's got to be "instrumental" only. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

SUPREME FAN

By Ralph (209.240.222.130 - 209.240.222.130) on Friday, July 12, 2002 - 12:15 am:

Hi fan,
Welcome to the forum. I'm sure someone here will be able to help you. Have you asked at some of the bigger record outlets if Motown music albums� are available? Considering the scope of material, I'm sure something like that must have been done.

By Vickie (152.163.189.129 - 152.163.189.129) on Friday, July 12, 2002 - 12:40 am:

Hi Fan,
I love that someone so young would choose The Supremes to skate to - That's Awesome.
Your daughter has good taste in music.
Vickie

By Bradburger (172.182.223.154 - 172.182.223.154) on Friday, July 12, 2002 - 01:19 pm:

I do have an Mp3 I made from a midi file of Baby Love if your interested.

I think I also have Stop In The Name Of Love and some other Supremes tracks as midi files to and other Motown/Soul tracks that I have come across.

The midi's sound quite good depending on your sound card.

Will look and see if I can find them.

Cheers

Paul

By Greg (192.147.58.6 - 192.147.58.6) on Friday, July 12, 2002 - 02:08 pm:

Didn't Earl Van Dyke release instro versions of many Motown hits? Although they're not exactly the same as the vocal versions, they're pretty close, from what I can remember. Unfortunately, I don't have any of them. But somebody here must, yes? Was his Motown LP "Hits of the 60's" ever re-released on CD? Also, I used to have a "budget" LP of instrumental versions of Motown hits by, I think, the Detroit Strings (or the Motor City Orchestra, or something like that). It was made to sound like Motown, but wasn't. Unfortunately, that's all the info I have on that right now. Surely, the UK guys on here must know what I'm talking about?

By Willy (209.142.215.72 - 209.142.215.72) on Friday, July 12, 2002 - 02:11 pm:

There is a CD (if you can find it) called Detroit Instrumentals on Marginal Records. It combines the two early Motown instrumental LP's on one CD. Both the Choker Campbell Orchestra and Earl Van Dyke's band. If I remember correctly there are 24 tracks in all.

By Ritchie (62.254.0.6 - 62.254.0.6) on Friday, July 12, 2002 - 05:10 pm:

The only problem with the Marginal CD is that it was a bootleg, and the label is no longer readily available.

There used to be loads of cheapo "Sound of Detroit" instrumental albums around, so it might be a case of searching through the cut-out bins. I guess someone must have decided they were too lame to reissue on CD.

By Keith Rylatt (195.92.194.16 - 195.92.194.16) on Sunday, August 04, 2002 - 12:35 pm:

John Lester once did me a tape of some unusual Motown things he had, Coke ads, foreign language etc. that was around '75 I guess, anyway I have just dug it out and there is part of `Love is like an itching..` on there with an extended instrumental break in the middle. Those vibes and bass just send goose bumps..... Also I recall from some old reel to reels I had of Scott Regan's shows, he had lots of Motown jingles and plugs with instrumental backing.....one must exist of a Sups song. The best backing track I have is of Frances Nero's `Keep on lving me`. Keith

By Davie Gordon (213.251.162.249 - 213.251.162.249) on Sunday, August 04, 2002 - 01:01 pm:

Keith,

the extended version of the Supremes' "Love Is Like An Itching .." must be the one that's on the recent "Anthology" CD - must check it out.

By john lester (213.122.200.158 - 213.122.200.158) on Sunday, August 04, 2002 - 01:34 pm:

Davie

It isn't that at all

Wot Keith is on about is a US TV show on Diana...it starts off with shots of Detroit whilst Diana talks over the instrumental version of the 1966 track. I copied it from a video tape to a cassette tape.

Was it really that long ago!!!

By Davie Gordon (213.251.162.249 - 213.251.162.249) on Sunday, August 04, 2002 - 03:15 pm:

Thanks for the clarification John

By MEL&THEN SOME (195.219.7.85 - 195.219.7.85) on Sunday, August 04, 2002 - 06:49 pm:

DIDNT THE SAN REMO STRINGS ALSO HAVE A GO,I CAN RECALL A L.P. WITH A CAR IN RED,IN FULL VIEW,AND I THINK THEY DID STOP.IN THE NAME OF LOVE AS WELL AS OTHER MOTOWN WELL KNOWN TRACKS. MEL(ANDTHENSOME).

By john lester (213.1.135.77 - 213.1.135.77) on Sunday, August 04, 2002 - 08:03 pm:

Mel....nearly right...except that the group's name was ALMOST copied from the San Remo Golden Strings...I think the album was called something like "Supremes Style"

By Ritchie (62.254.0.6 - 62.254.0.6) on Sunday, August 04, 2002 - 08:09 pm:

The Dan Remo Strings
or maybe
The San Remo Springs
or
The San Remo Wooden Strings... ?

Oh, the good old days of cover version albums.

NOT!

By John Lester (213.1.136.91 - 213.1.136.91) on Sunday, August 04, 2002 - 10:40 pm:

Ritchie...

I saw it for sale and was intrigued by the title which if I recall correctly was "San Remo Strings Supremes Style" I think it was on MFP.

I sold my copy years ago to a well known Washington Supremes Collector - he bought it from me without hearing it. (Please don't tell him where I live will ya!! LOL)

By Sue (152.163.189.129 - 152.163.189.129) on Sunday, August 04, 2002 - 11:49 pm:

y'all -- you may laugh, but some of those San Remo Strings singles were huge hits here in Detroit. Every time I see "San Remo" mentioned here the one tune goes through my head and will not quit. They played 'em on Top 40 radio here!

By John Lester (213.1.128.59 - 213.1.128.59) on Monday, August 05, 2002 - 06:47 am:

Sue

The San Remo Strings that Ritchie and I were talking about in relation to Supremes songs was ANOTHER group entirely - some (possibly) UK person out to make a pretty penny by using the same name as the Detroit group. The REAL Detroit group were a knock out - I have all their albums on Gordy and Ric Tic...and I play them alot.

The real San Remo were hugely popular over here in the 70's - their instrumental version of Laura Lee's "To Win Your Heart" known as "Festival Time" seemed to start a revolution for instrumentals......I seem to recall buying instrumentals of "Do Me Right" and "It's The Same Old Song" on UK Contempo at about that time.

By Gary Rosen (12.234.95.0 - 12.234.95.0) on Monday, August 05, 2002 - 07:34 am:

I remember working at a summer camp in 1966 or '67 and someone had the Earl Van Dyke Motown album - but that's the last time I ever heard it!
Is it completely out of print now?

- Gary Rosen

By Ritchie (62.254.0.6 - 62.254.0.6) on Monday, August 05, 2002 - 09:54 am:

John

I'd forgotten all about those Contempo instrumentals!

And - it looks like there might be a good case for an Earl Van Dyke compilation. (How many times have folks here asked if his first album is available?)

Perhaps with the current renewed interest in the Funks - thanks to the SITSOM movie - there might be a potential spill-over demand for the Earl on CD?

By Keith Rylatt (195.92.168.163 - 195.92.168.163) on Monday, August 05, 2002 - 10:02 am:

Digressing a bit but still on the tread of Motown instrumentals - the art work on the Choker Campbell LP is BRILLIANT. Talking of Motown's grahics dept in the 60's, every week, between around '64 to '66 they put a full page coloured ad in Billboard. They are something else!!!! Another thought .... in the '60s when the more cocooned Motown acts came over to the Uk they had EVD to back them but the more independent ones eg Edwin Starr, Jimmy Ruffin etc. they used British beat groups - and still sounded great!! keith

By John Lester (213.1.134.161 - 213.1.134.161) on Monday, August 05, 2002 - 06:54 pm:

Keith....I am surprised you didn't mention your party piece for EVD and Choker...you must be getting old..

For the youngsters here, the 45's pictured on the cover of the Earl Van Dyke album are all featured on the Choker Campbell album but not the Earl Van Dyle album!


Oooops

By Keith Rylatt (195.92.194.17 - 195.92.194.17) on Monday, August 05, 2002 - 07:38 pm:

John. Your Anorak must have red nylon lining and a fur trimmed hood - you need to get out more my old mate. How much would it cost to keep quiet about the olden days before you sold you vinyl - when I'd ask `Hey John, do you have some Velvelettes 45 or other?` and out would come a US Promo, US Demo, US Stock copy, UK demo, UK stock copy and for deserts - an Italian / Mongolian language version. Keith

By john lester (213.1.129.11 - 213.1.129.11) on Monday, August 05, 2002 - 09:04 pm:

Keith......you forgot the Dutch picture sleeve version too.

I hope people don't think I am crazy!

By Frankj (212.159.70.184 - 212.159.70.184) on Wednesday, August 07, 2002 - 11:14 am:

The extended "Love Is Like An Itching" came out as a UK 12 inch on Tamla Motown as did an extended mix of Marvins "What's Goin' On". Wigan Casino was very big on instrumental reworkings and The Carmel Strings version of I Hear A Symphony was a real biggie along with even less kosher stuff like an inst of "Tears Of A Clown" from a UK budget album on Contour. Most horrendously though who could forget the appalling "Six By Six" from the Floorshakers aka S.Soussan. I wish I could.
Frankj

By Ritchie (62.254.0.6 - 62.254.0.6) on Wednesday, August 07, 2002 - 11:23 am:

Actually, I could mention another duff version of "Six By Six" cobbled together by a Mr Levine - but I won't.

Was that Contour cheapie the Alyn Ainsworth LP called "The Deroit Sound" by any chance?

By Ritchie (62.254.0.6 - 62.254.0.6) on Wednesday, August 07, 2002 - 11:24 am:

"Detroit" I meant, of course :o)