Released: May 26, 1969
The last Supremes album (Love Child) was a breath of unexpected fresh air.
This one is some putrid stank. There are three really good singles and the rest are all just variations of bad and worse.
SIDENOTE: The Supremes also released an album of duets with the Temptations in the interim. I haven’t listened to it in awhile, which is in itself telling, but from what I remember, the smash single “I’m Gonna Make You Love Me” (#2 R&B, #2 pop) was really the only song worth hearing anyways. But I’ll get around to reviewing all of the Supremes & Temptations LPs soon. Yes plural. Motown (as usual) was gonna milk that cow.
THE SINGLES
What was once considered sacrilegious had become routine by 1969. The Supremes were no longer guaranteed top 10 hits.
Back-to-back singles in early 1968 had flopped. “Forever Came Today” (#28 pop) and “Some Things You Never Get Used To” (#30 pop) had chart performances that would garner praise and attaboys for most acts, but the Supremes ain’t most acts.
“Love Child” had temporarily salvaged things as it reached #1, but the follow up singles to that smash portended more trouble.
“I’m Livin’ In Shame” was the first of this Let The Sunshine In’s three singles. Released in January 1969, it was basically the sequel (lyrically and musically) to “Love Child”. Motown was such a curious creature. Able to pioneer new sounds, but also run a formula into the ground.
Anyhoo, Diana Ross’s character is now discussing how she’s living a secret life in an upscale world trying to hide her roots as a love child and ignoring her destitute mother, who ends up dead in the song. Despite the morbidity, “I’m Livin’ In Shame” lacked the dramatic urgency of “Love Child” and being a rehash—albeit a decent rehash—the song parked at #8 R&B and #10 pop.
A good showing for the Supremes, but hopefully not the biggest single from this album right?
Wrong.
“The Composer” was released in late March 1969 and rose to #21 R&B and #27 on the pop chart. Written by Smokey Robinson, I like it slightly more than “I’m Livin’ In Shame”, but it’s a pretty low key song that grows on you with each listen. Not something I would have thrown out there as a single since it doesn’t immediately grab your attention.
Alright, now we arrive at the money maker, “No Matter What Sign You Are”. This should have been another top 10 hit. Instead when released in May 1969, it flopped (remember we’re using Supremes standards) like “The Composer” stalling out at #17 R&B and #31 pop. I don’t know what the fuck people were thinking cuz this song is magnificent camp.
Okay, maybe being camp was a probelm for 1969. Whatever, I think it’s great.
It opens with a lone sitar and then a hard as fuck drum kicks in and the background singers (who of course are not the actual Supremes) begin reciting the astrological signs and the song is just pure fun from that point forward.
Let’s stop and appreciate that they were able to make the zodiac rhyme…
Capricorn, Scorpio
Taurus, Gemini, Virgo
Caaancer, Piiisces
Leo, Libra, Aries
Aquaaaaarius, Sagittaaaaarius
I dunno, maybe it’s just not a radio song. I’m sure it hard in the clubs, though.
SONG SCORES
The Composer: 7.5/10
I’m Livin’ In Shame: 7.5/10
No Matter What Sign You Are: 8/10
So dear reader, I know I harp on chart performance, but that’s integral to the Supremes. After stunning the world with five consecutive #1 pop singles in 1964-65 (and also running off a second string of four straight #1s in 1966-67) they were always being pushed to not relent on that standard. It led to all kinds of strange choices like rushed albums, retread ideas, mind-blowing ideas, anything to keep the machine running.
Considering that of their previous six singles now, only one had been a chart-topper and only one other had reached the top 10 (and barely so by reaching exactly number 10), the Supremes were becoming passe.
The rest of this album did not help matters.
THE REST
Well, time for some garbage. No wait, we’re just on the mediocre material. The garbage will be here in a minute.
Clearly running low on energy and effort, Motown just saddled Diana Ross with cover after cover after cover. “Everyday People” and “ Hey Western Union Man” are at least not completely awful. Just bankrupt.
Okay now for the garbage.
The cover of “Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In” is one of the worst pieces of music I’ve ever heard. And Lord knows we didn’t need another version of “With A Child’s Heart”. I’d like to think an angry public was buying fewer Supremes singles as a way to punish Motown for putting out these terrible albums.
At least the cover looked great.
SONG SCORES
Everyday People: 4/10
Hey, Western Union Man: 3/10
What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted: 3/10
Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In (The Flesh Failures): 0/10
Let The Music Play: 1/10
With A Child's Heart: 1/10
Discover Me (And You'll Discover Love): 3/10
Will This Be The Day: 4/10
I'm So Glad I Got Somebody (Like You Around): 4/10
ALBUM GRADE: F
Literally just stick to the three singles, which you can find on many many many Supremes compilations. Only listen to the rest if you want to hurt yourself.
The worst album yet in the Supremes catalog. But it would get even worse with the following release. Much much much worse.