Ballads and Blues

[RanRan79]

I know everyone has stopped holding their breath over expanded editions or new products, but one of my dreams was to get the Ballads and Blues album, sort of like how we got There's A Place For Us. Would love to have had some insider knowledge about it.

My suspicion has always been that recording a country album wasn't really where Gordy wanted the girls to go at that point, that the CWP album ended up being a cash grab, whereby Gordy took older tracks, packaged them up with a supposed country western angle and released new product on his now profitable Supremes.

Being a country music fan, to me most of the songs don't really sound all that country, not in the musical genre. They do have more of a bluesy tone IMO, so I suspect they were originally intended for the Ballads and Blues album. Anyway, of course I've put together what I think would have comprised the B&B album.

Funny How Time Slips Away
My Heart Can't Take It No More
It Makes No Difference Now
You Didn't Care
Tears In Vain
Lazy Bones
You Need Me
Sunset
A Breath-Taking Guy
Mr. Blues
Come On Boy
My Imagination
I Idolize You

That's 13 tracks, so perhaps the original album wouldn't have contained "My Heart". Also, "Tumbleweeds", "Banjo Band" and "Baby Doll" certainly don't fit the B&B title, so maybe there was an original concept of country that ended up morphing into B&B, but again, those three songs would not have fit the concept.

In addition to the 13 tracks, the alternate versions of the CWP cuts would be included. I hope there are alternates to "Mr. Blues", "Come On Boy" and "Breathtaking", but seems like we might have gotten those by now if they exist. Maybe there are alternates to "My Imagination" and "I Idolize You". Of course fingers crossed that there might be something waiting to be discovered from that time period that would fit the album. Also could include the alternate live version of "A Breathtaking Guy" from the 20 Grand.

Just thinking out loud.

[sup_fan]

I don't know that there was ever a full album prepared for this. TITS had cover graphics completed and all. the Live Live Live album did also at least have a mockup cover created. I'm not sure B&B got that far - would be great to get more info on that though!

in the WDOLG EE, they highlight a few of the tunes intended for B&B out of the Unreleased material but they never really said which of the RELEASED tunes would have been included. would all of the material on WDOLG still have been included except the singles of Lovelight though Come See About Me?

of course i made up playlist of my own!

This Is It
He means the world to me
I'm giving you your freedom
a breathtaking guy
I'm the exception to the rule
Long gone lover

Bye Baby
Everyday I'll love you more than yesterday
Mr Blues
Come on Boy
My Imagination
I idolize you

so i basically skipped all of the CW&P tunes but i complete agree a few of those would have fit very well. Sunset, My heart can't take it

[marybrewster]

I know everyone has stopped holding their breath over expanded editions or new products, but one of my dreams was to get the Ballads and Blues album, sort of like how we got There's A Place For Us. Would love to have had some insider knowledge about it.

My suspicion has always been that recording a country album wasn't really where Gordy wanted the girls to go at that point, that the CWP album ended up being a cash grab, whereby Gordy took older tracks, packaged them up with a supposed country western angle and released new product on his now profitable Supremes.

Being a country music fan, to me most of the songs don't really sound all that country, not in the musical genre. They do have more of a bluesy tone IMO, so I suspect they were originally intended for the Ballads and Blues album. Anyway, of course I've put together what I think would have comprised the B&B album.

Funny How Time Slips Away
My Heart Can't Take It No More
It Makes No Difference Now
You Didn't Care
Tears In Vain
Lazy Bones
You Need Me
Sunset
A Breath-Taking Guy
Mr. Blues
Come On Boy
My Imagination
I Idolize You

That's 13 tracks, so perhaps the original album wouldn't have contained "My Heart". Also, "Tumbleweeds", "Banjo Band" and "Baby Doll" certainly don't fit the B&B title, so maybe there was an original concept of country that ended up morphing into B&B, but again, those three songs would not have fit the concept.

In addition to the 13 tracks, the alternate versions of the CWP cuts would be included. I hope there are alternates to "Mr. Blues", "Come On Boy" and "Breathtaking", but seems like we might have gotten those by now if they exist. Maybe there are alternates to "My Imagination" and "I Idolize You". Of course fingers crossed that there might be something waiting to be discovered from that time period that would fit the album. Also could include the alternate live version of "A Breathtaking Guy" from the 20 Grand.

Just thinking out loud.

To that I'd add:

After All
Beginning to the Ending
Heavenly Father
Hey Baby
Save Me a Star
The Tears
You're Gonna Come to Me

[gman]

Love CW&P....it is the only one of 2 DR period LPs in my top 5...the other is WDOLG?...it is a much more RnB LP than Country....the title should have been printed Country-Western and Pop...its basically the same and 2 types of music...not 3.

Tumblin' Tumbleweeds may be the dog of the bunch b/c its lyrics are so hokey...but you gotta give DR props...she turned in a convincing and rollicking performance...give me anything but How Do You Do It or Can't Buy Me Love from Liverpool...

I have repeated this in numerous other threads...but I'll do it again: I wonder what Clarence or Norman W would have done with Jean??? Jean can do RnB...Clarence was a master at the early Motown style....and her sometimes aloof, sail over the lyric style would have been great for a touch of psychedelia...I always wish Magic Carpet Ride would have been covered...would have fit great on New Ways...

I love a lot of Clarence Pauls arrangements...both vocally and instrumentally.

[sup_fan]

Love CW&P....it is the only one of 2 DR period LPs in my top 5...the other is WDOLG?...it is a much more RnB LP than Country....the title should have been printed Country-Western and Pop...its basically the same and 2 types of music...not 3.

Tumblin' Tumbleweeds may be the dog of the bunch b/c its lyrics are so hokey...but you gotta give DR props...she turned in a convincing and rollicking performance...give me anything but How Do You Do It or Can't Buy Me Love from Liverpool...

I have repeated this in numerous other threads...but I'll do it again: I wonder what Clarence or Norman W would have done with Jean??? Jean can do RnB...Clarence was a master at the early Motown style....and her sometimes aloof, sail over the lyric style would have been great for a touch of psychedelia...I always wish Magic Carpet Ride would have been covered...would have fit great on New Ways...

I love a lot of Clarence Pauls arrangements...both vocally and instrumentally.

i'd say Banjo Band is the weakest of the CWP tracks although that banjo player is def killing it! but the lyrics...

the other weakness are the 3 nearly identical tunes of You Didn't Care, You Needed Me, Tears in Vain

[mowsville]

i'd say Banjo Band is the weakest of the CWP tracks although that banjo player is def killing it! but the lyrics...

the other weakness are the 3 nearly identical tunes of You Didn't Care, You Needed Me, Tears in Vain

I have a CD the guy from Germany did of the B and B album … the cover is amazing …..I’ll post track listing when I get time .

[Jaap]

i'd say Banjo Band is the weakest of the CWP tracks although that banjo player is def killing it! but the lyrics...

I have always loved, and still love, the Banjo Band song. I didn't hear the rest of the CWP album until much later, but Banjo Band was included on the first album of the 6-LP Diana Ross and the Supremes box, which basically was my introduction to Diana Ross back in the early 1980s. But the lyrics are quite silly indeed.

[vgalindo]

I bought a copy from the guy in Germany who did all the bootleg expanded editions. The artwork was really nice. Very professional. The cd contained.
1. Mr Blues
2. My heart can’t take it no more
3. Come on Boy
4. My Imagination
5. I idolize you
6. Lazy Bones
7. After All
8. You're gonna come to me
9. The Tears
10. You didn’t care
11. Funny how time slips away
15. Heavenly Father
It also contained several bonus tracks.

[mysterysinger]

The Ben version . . . . .

https://www.flickr.com/photos/cookep...7693284679000/

[mowsville]

Thank you .. that’s saved me trying to find my copy lol