Released: March 25, 1968
Between the release of The Supremes Sing Holland-Dozier-Holland and Reflections original Supreme Florence Ballard was fired and replaced with Cindy Birdsong. This lineup change gave Motown the perfect opportunity to make official what had been clearly happening for a couple years.
The Supremes were now Diana Ross and the Supremes. The first album officially released under that name was a greatest hits anthology that naturally tore the charts fucking up. It stayed #1 R&B for 12 weeks and #1 pop for five weeks.
Also, it’s very telling that the most successful album billed to “Diana Ross and the Supremes” was a compilation of their masterpieces as “The Supremes”. Motown was starting to care a little too much about image over quality and substance.
Motown also got more change than they bargained for at this moment. The songwriting and production team of Holland-Dozier-Holland engaged in a work slowdown and eventually left the label over royalty disputes. This meant the Supremes no longer had the men responsible for their megahits of the previous four years.
The absence of H-D-H can be somewhat felt on this album, but there were still some leftovers from them that Motown could lean on momentarily. These leftovers also still had actual Supremes singing on the tracks.
On future LPs, the H-D-H void would become apparent and Diana Ross would essentially become a solo act with the Andantes, instead of the Supremes, singing with her. Just the worst of a label milking a “brand” for all it was worth.
Anyhoo, let’s check out Reflections, which marked a new era in the saga of the Supremes.
SIDE 1
Reflections appropriately kicks off with “Reflections”, which is far and away the best song on this album and one of the H-D-H leftovers. It might very well be the best song in the Supremes’ catalog, so leftover is definitely not used pejoratively here.
“Reflections” is a lightly trippy, supremely elegant piece of psychedelic pop. The song stalled out at #2 on the pop and #4 R&B singles charts in the summer of 1967. A relative disappointment for the Supremes.
The second single was “In And Out Of Love”. Another H-D-H production, this song was the transition hit as it featured the Supremes backing vocals being augmented by the Andantes. I actually think the song is pretty fun, if insubstantial. It reached #16 on the R&B chart and #9 on the pop side. Great numbers for most artists, but just pretty good for the Supremes.
The album’s third single was the somewhat clunky “Forever Came Today”, which was another H-D-H slice of psychedlic pop. It attempts to be a charging triumphant ballad as it constantly shifts from mellow contemplation to blaring horns and swelling strings. Plus a theremin. Great if you enjoy whirring noises.
The song isn’t bad, just kind of awkward. It certainly aims for greater things than “In And Out Of Love”, but doesn’t hit its mark fully. I liked the ambittion, but wouldn’t have been my choice for the album’s final single.
The public seemed to agree as it reached a measly #17 R&B and #28 pop in early 1968. This made it the worst performing Supremes single since “When the Lovelight Starts Shining Through His Eyes” waaaay back in the fall of 1963. And it also didn’t have “The Supremes” on it. It was all Ross and the Andantes.
The other songs on this side are perfectly fine Motown product. Nothing exciting, but nothing truly embarrassing either.
SONG SCORES
Reflections: 10/10
I'm Gonna Make It (I Will Wait For You): 6.5/10
Forever Came Today: 7/10
I Can't Make It Alone: 6/10
In And Out Of Love: 7/10
Bah-Bah-Bah: 5/10
SIDEBAR
The Jackson 5 covered “Forever Came Today”. It suffers from similar problems as the original. Aside from the song’s basic jigsaw structure, its clunkiness mostly comes from a totally unnecessary loud ass chant from people who are absolutely not the Jackson 5 and shouldn’t be on the record.
Anyways, we’ll be reviewing the Jackson 5 album Moving Violation because it is probably the group’s second-best album from their Motown days.
SIDE 2
Well after a pretty solid first side, things fall off dramatically on side two. Unsurprisingly, there are no H-D-H originals on this half of the LP.
There are covers. Plenty and plenty of covers.
Some are decent (“What The World Needs Now Is Love”), while others are lazy (“Up, Up And Away”). But only one is truly bad (“Then”).
SONG SCORES
What The World Needs Now Is Love: 5/10
Up, Up And Away: 4/10
Love (Makes Me Do Foolish Things): 3/10
Then: 2/10
Misery Makes Its Home in My Heart: 4/10
Ode to Billie Joe: 5/10
ALBUM GRADE: C
Stick to Side 1, if you’re just a general fan of 1960s music. If you really like the Supremes, you’ll find a couple of decent tracks on Side 2, but even that’s pushing it.
Fortunately, the Supremes would have a shocking rebound on their next studio LP as Berry Gordy desperately tried to save his flagship act. Soon after, though, the wheels completely came off the wagon.