LP Review: Promises Kept and Produced By Jimmy Webb
The Supremes' secret album and their album I wish were secret
We’re doing a two-for-one feature today on an album recorded but never released by the Supremes and an album I wish had never been recorded, let alone released.
The secret LP is Promises Kept, while the shitty album is The Supremes Produced and Arranged by Jimmy Webb. Let’s just go ahead and get the crap out the way…
The Supremes Produced and Arranged by Jimmy Webb
Released: November 1972
This is the worst idea for a Supremes album ever. Over the preceding two years the group had performed either psychedelic soul or slinky funk with some solid soul thrown in. All of a sudden, they do an album of singer-songwriter dreck? Like who was asking for Jimmy Webb to produce a Supremes album? It doesn’t fit any strengths of the Supremes. It certainly didn’t appeal to any of the group’s fans as it sunk without a trace when released.
The only song even worth a listen is a cover of Joni Mitchell’s “All I Want” and even that’s pushing it. No wonder Jean Terrell left as lead singer after this album’s release. A terrible way to go out.
ALBUM GRADE: F
Recommended Songs: None.
Promises Kept
Recorded: Fall 1971, never released
In the fall of 1971 following the lackluster Touch, the Supremes recorded nearly 20 songs for their follow-up album. Obviously Motown would take the best 10 or so songs of that bunch for the ensuing LP. However, the label decided to just shelve the whole project. Instead the Supremes were sent to work with Smokey Robinson who churned out the spectacular Floy Joy.
Listening to the songs recorded for both albums, Motown made the right decision to choose Floy Joy over Promises Kept, but uh… they shoulda used these Promises Kept tracks for an album instead of putting out that terrible Jimmy Webb garbage.
The trouble with the tracks recorded for Promises Kept is that there is no super standout track. Even Touch had a classic like “Nathan Jones”. If the label had taken say the 10 best songs and slapped them together on an album, it’d be a decent album, but wouldn’t have scored any hit single.
Maybe that’s why Motown switched directions.
I will say the best songs are “Oh My Poor Baby”, “Never Can Say Goodbye”, and “Tears Left Over”. And given that “Never Can Say Goodbye” had just been a hit for the Jackson 5, that wouldn’t have been a single. “Oh My Poor Baby” is not really single material. So by default it would have been “Tears Left Over”.
I guess it might have been a minor hit, but Motown was still trying to keep the Supremes somewhat viable. They’d give up shortly after the release of Floy Joy.
Even taking the 10 best songs from the 19 recorded for the proposed Promises Kept album, it still wouldn’t have been any great shakes. Serviceable stuff, nothing special.
ALBUM GRADE: C
RECOMMENDED SONGS
Oh My Poor Baby: 6/10
Never Can Say Goodbye: 6.5/10
Tears Left Over: 6.5/10