| 1. The Composer | |||
| 2. Everyday People | |||
| 3. No Matter What Sign You Are | |||
| 4. Hey Western Union Man | |||
| 5. What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted | |||
| 6. I'm Livin' In Shame | |||
| 7. Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In | |||
| 8. Let The Music Play | |||
| 9. With A Child's Heart | |||
| 10. Discover Me (And You'll Discover Love) | |||
| 11. Will This Be The Day | |||
| 12. I'm So Glad I Got Someone (Like You Around) | |||
| 13. Someday We'll Be Together | |||
| 14. Can't You See It's Me | |||
| 15. You Gave Me Love | |||
| 16. Hey Jude | |||
| 17. The Young Folks | |||
| 18. Shadows Of Society | |||
| 19. Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever | |||
| 20. When It's To The Top (Still I Won't Stop Loving You) | |||
|
See all 23 tracks on this disc
| |||
Editorial Reviews
UK version of Motown's '2 Classic Albums On 1 CD Series'. Reissue of 'Let the Sun Shine In' (1969) and 'Cream of the Crop' (1969) together on 1 CD. Packaged in a full color slipcase with original artwork and 8 page booklet.
Let the Sunshine in//Cream of the Crop,Diana Ross,Supremes,Universal/Motown,R&B/Soul,Soul/R & B
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Let the Sunshine in//Cream of the Crop
Diana Ross , and Supremes Manufacturer: Universal/Motown ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD  Classic R&B
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ASIN: B00004WZ5X Release Date: 2001-01-15 |
Tracks:
- The Composer
- Everyday People
- No Matter What Sign You Are
- Hey Western Union Man
- What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted
- I'm Livin' In Shame
- Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In
- Let The Music Play
- With A Child's Heart
- Discover Me (And You'll Discover Love)
- Will This Be The Day
- I'm So Glad I Got Someone (Like You Around)
- Someday We'll Be Together
- Can't You See It's Me
- You Gave Me Love
- Hey Jude
- The Young Folks
- Shadows Of Society
- Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever
- When It's To The Top (Still I Won't Stop Loving You)
- Till Johnny Comes
- Blowin' In The Wind
- The Beginning Of The End
Album Description
UK version of Motown's '2 Classic Albums On 1 CD Series'. Reissue of 'Let the Sun Shine In' (1969) and 'Cream of the Crop' (1969) together on 1 CD. Packaged in a full color slipcase with original artwork and 8 page booklet.Album Details
Digitally Remastered 2-on-1 CD features with the Girls Doing Hits from the Flower Power Era plus Other Standards.Customer Reviews:
The Last Pair of Albums By Diana Ross And The Supremes.......2005-06-08
Tamla Motown Records always had a conveyor belt way of recording tracks by Diana Ross and the Supremes (and indeed other Motown artists). Diana Ross and the Supremes had several singles released between 1968-69 and a host of albums including Reflections (1968), Love Child (1968), Diana Ross and the Supremes Join The Temptations (1968), Diana Ross and the Supremes Live At London's Talk Of The Town (1968) to name but a few. Diana Ross and the Supremes had recorded so much material that still remians untouched to this day but what was considered by Motown to be the best of the bunch were dusted off from the vaults and assembled for the Let The Sunshine In (1969) LP.
Let The Sunshine In (1969) opens with a song written and produced by the genius Smokey Robinson. Titled The Composer it all the more surprisingly seemed to lack the immediacy and spark of their previous hit singles though was still curiously catchy in its own way. Hardly one of their best efforts though, The Composer endured only moderate record sales, creeping it's way into the lower reaches of the U.S. Top 40 charts.
I'm Living In Shame, which explored social issues of the day, returned Diana Ross and the Supremes to more solid ground and was a successful follow up to their blockbuster classic Love Child.
Ross' slightly nasal delivery that still proves stunning, really cuts through those driving musical arrangements, provided by, as always, Motown's great unsung heroes, the legendary and absolutely unbeatable Funk Brothers, I'm Living In Shame failed to follow Love Child to pole position in the charts but still swept into the Top 10, peaking at number 9.
The only other hit to be found on Let The Sunshine In (1969) was the totally stunning No Matter What Sign You Are, by far one of Diana Ross and the Supremes most overlooked classics. Ross' purely soulful delivery compliments the electric, tempo-shifting orchestrations. There's not really much to comment on Mary Wilson or Cindy Birdsong as their backing vocals were only used as decorative obligation and these were practically all Diana Ross solo efforts. On numerous tracks between 1968 - 69 neither Mary Wilson or Cindy Bridsong didn't even appear on certian tracks with backing vocal duties provided by the powerful gospel-influenced trio, The Andantes, who certainly injected a grittier edge to the Supremes sound.
(Incidentally Mary Wilson considered The Composer and No Matter What Sign You Are to be the worst ever Supremes recordings).
Amongst the scattering of album tracks there's not much to recommend it apart from the odd above average album track. Their cover version of the frequently covered EveryDay People for instance, sounds rushed, uninspired and a complete watse of opporunity. Their take on Jimmy Ruffin's What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted may come as a surprise to some that it was in fact Diana Ross and the Supremes that had actually recorded it FIRST.
Apparently Jimmy Ruffin loved the song so much he decided to record it as well. Diana Ross and the Supremes version does admittedly pale next to the more famous and now classic Jimmy Ruffin recording.
However Ross really delivers on the striking Medley - Aquarius/Let The sunshine In. Ross packs in a breathless, impressive tour de force performance that arguably even outshines the original whilst certainly proceeding to be one of the major highlights alongside the small ratio of hits to be found on the LP.
Hey Western Union Man and Will This Be The Day are standard Motown fare that are both decidely enjoyable enough even if not particularly memroable.
With A Childs Heart is a rather ghastly, sickly-sweet ballad which had originally been recorded for the slightly disjointed I Hear A Symphony (1965) album though had (sensibly) been canned only to see the light of day on this rather scrappily assembled studio collection. Exactly the same sentiments could be used for another ghastly track, Let The Music Play, a chintzy, cringefully dated showbiz tune.
Discover Me (And You'll Discover Love) was thoroughly excellent for a mere album track and though could never have been a hit was far superior to some of the more mediocre offerings on here with Ross excelling herself vocally with her stirring, beautifully understated performance that sounds at its best on the climax.
Closing the Let The Sunshine In album is the simple, easy-going though surprisingly effective I'm So Glad I Got Someone (Like You Around) with subtle backing vocals from Mary Wilson and Cindy Birdsong against the breathy, seamless tone of Diana Ross.
But, all in all, Let The Sunshine In is a rather disappointing , patchwork effort though it does also hold some bright spots and for the mainstream Diana Ross and the Supremes fan, this is certainly a recommended album though casual fans will probably not care for the groups reneditions of various hits of the day (What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted , Everyday People etc). Diana Ross and the Supremes were at their peak now and were no longer hitting the charts with as much sure-fire regularity as they once had. The Let The Sunshine In album climbed to a so-so No.24 on the U.S Billboard Album charts whilst failing to chart altogether in the U.K.
Cream Of The Crop (a questionable title) was yet another merely routine exercise by Tamla Motown Records to gather together canned material, B-sides and filler with a few hit singles thrown in and assemble them for an album. It was a cheap, easy and obvious marketing ploy on the part of Motown but indeed as the case with most albums by other of Motowns key artists, they usually contained a handful of really great, worth while tracks.
Like their previous studio album, Let The Sunshine In (1969), Cream Of The Crop (1969) carried many cover versions where some really hit their ultimate potential whilst others seem slightly misguided. The only purpose of these diverse cover versions was to show off what an adept and versatile a vocalist Diana Ross had became. Her solo career was now, of course, waiting in the wings. Ross' performances are rich, passionate and brimming with emotion. Ross' sparkling vocals are often some of the tracks only saving grace. All too often the arrangements are too formulaic, lacking any real adventure or invention compared to their golden years.
The only International hit single to be found scattered on Cream Of The Crop (1969) was Diana Ross And The Supremes touching swan song SomeDay We'll Be Together. Songwriters Jackey Beavers, Johnny Bristol (who provides brief backing vocal interludes on the track) and Harvey Fuqua show off their lyrical finesse whilst lead singer Diana Ross delivers a beautifully understated performance. Her seamless, easy-going performance sounds extremely effective when riding along the smooth and soulful rhythms courtesy of Motowns unsung heros, The Funk Brothers. SomeDay We'll Be Together became Diana Ross And The Supremes twelth and final No.1 smash hit and became a great trailer for the much hyped and eagerly anticipated solo career of Diana Ross, launched in early 1970.
Another hit single (albeit a very minor one) was also added on to the Cream Of The Crop collection - The Young Folks. This much underated recording, featured an impeccable lead from Ross on what was an untypical sound for "the girls" as boss Berry Gordy always referred to them as. The Young Folks had been used as the flip side to their Top 40 hit, No Matter What Sign You Are (another underated gem). After No Matter What Sign You Are was issued to D.J.'s, The Young Folks eventually generated a lot of interest and soon became a hit in its own right, climbing to No.68 on the BillBoard Charts.
Some of the recordings recall The Supremes earlier sound which proves contagious when it comes to riviting tracks like You Gave Me Love and Can't You See It's Me. They are prime examples of the Motown genre and subsequently emerge as the real highlights of the album. Ross is in glorious voice on both You Gave Me Love and Can't You See It's Me with her vocals glowing across the well-crafted orchestrations and cutting through those sharp, pulsating, repetitive arrangements like a sharp knife.
Diana Ross And The supremes lightweight but equally infectious cover version of The Four Top's Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever has a far more group oriented sound in comparison to most other tracks on here that are all practically Diana Ross' solo efforts. The harmonies of Diana Ross, Mary Wilson and Cindy Birdsong all blend divinley together.
Their electric cover version of The Beatles famous classic, Hey Jude, is somewhat debatable. On a personal note, I love hearing Ross' exuberant delivery on Hey Jude but it is also decidely out of context to the original and the harshest rock music critic failed to take Ross' renedition very seriously. Still to her credit she holds her own and injects the song with her oqn magical and individual touch.
Diana Ross and the Supremes made more social statements on the earthy, Shadows Of Society, which obviously had taken its cue from the social and political commentary on their chart topping soul classic, Love Child and the gritty I'm Living In Shame. Whilst Shadows Of Society certainly doesn't have the fire and edge of those familiar soul classics, it is still quite compelling within itself. The swirling, pshychedelic sounds zoom in and out of each verse, merely adding to the atmospheric feel.
The Beginning Of The End, i'm convinced, could have been a big hit single and a great swan song for The Supremes had the preferable and far superior SomeDay We'll Be Together not been released. ross' delivery on The Beginning Of The End is both sensitive and sensual and yet at the same time strong and effective. The Beginning Of The End also emerges as one of the albums ultimate highlights.
What remains of Cream Of The Crop then is pretty much standard Motown fare. Some tracks are pedestrian some totally fail to ignite. When It's To The Top (Still I Won't Stop Loving You) for instance is catchy enough with Ross putting another fantastic performance.
Surprisingly more lacklustre was the Smokey Robinson produced Till Johnny Comes where as the detour into Folk Music on their cover of bob Dylans Blowin' In The Wind is an adventurous though failed experiment. Simply injecting soul music with folk music proves to go together like oil and water.
Cream Of The Crop (1969) lacks the consistency of many of Diana Ross And The Supremes classic studio albums such as More Hits By The Supremes (1965), The Supremes A Go Go (1966), The Supremes Sing Holland Dozier Holland (1967) and Love Child (1968), though the inclusion of the gloriously timeless SomeDay We'll Be Together alone justifies buying the album. Fans will be delighted - other wont partcularly care.
Ian Phillips
June 2005
FAIRLY UNSATISFYING DIANA SHOWCASES.......2005-04-30
Since you can find the hits on various compilations, you could easily skip this set unless you are a completist. Overall, not very satisfying.
ALWAYS BEAUTIFUL - DIANA ROSS & THE SUPREMES.......2004-05-10
I SAW DIANA ROSS AND THE LOVE AFFAIR NEVER ENDED, ANYWAY, I SAW THIS SHOW AND AS ALWAYS DIANA ROSS WAS HOT IN THAT GOLD OUTFIT,
SHE WAS ON THE MONEY THAT NIGHT, NOW EARLER I SAID ALBUM, AND I AM NOT GOING TO CHANGE IT, I WAS A 45 NUT AND I MISS THEM, HOWEVER VERBATIM HAS MADE CD-R TO LOOK LIKE A 45 RECORD, SO,
WHEN I RECOURD MY MUSIC ON THIS CD I WILL HAVE THE LONGEST PLAYING 45 IN HISTORY.
IF YOU ARE LIKE ME WITH 45'S STOP BY RADIO AND PICK UP A 10 PACK.
CHOW, BOB
The Beginning Of The End.......2002-12-02
Let The Sunshine In (1969) comprised vastly of material Diana Ross And The Supremes had recorded some years earlier such as the ghastly Let The Music Play and With A Child's Heart which had origanally been recorded for their rather disjointed, I Hear A Symphony album (which contrarily became a big hit on the album charts). Both are Vegas-style Kitsch, which though proved Diana to be a clearly diverse talent, lose The Supremes own magical sound which has always remained preferable. One of the extracts, The Composer was written by the genius Smokey Robinson but surprisingly this track has no real immediacy in comparison to a lot of their previous output and the track was a moderate seller. However deserving greater success on the singles charts was the fantastic and electric No Matter What Sign You Are where Dianas' delivery is astoundingly strong and assertive. Everyday People is such a wasted opportunity as it could have been so much better than this liquid, rushed and unspired version. Their cover of the Jimmy Ruffin classic, What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted does little to ignite the album but that is compensated for the masterpiece production of I'm Living In Shame, a gritty, raw number in similar vein to Love Child. The Supremes were clearly keeping up with the times and were showing their more mature side on tracks like I'm Living In Shame, as they offered profound social commentary that hit the times perfectly. Dianas delivery is refreshing on a livley, well-crafted cover of Aquarius and Let The Sunshine In which are neatly blended together into an effective medley. Hey Western Union Man and Will This Be The day were flawed and lacking in some way but Discover Me (and You'll Discover Love) and the sensational I'm So Glad I Got Somebody Like You Around have a lot of merits deeming them essential recordings to hear by Diana Ross And The Supremes. But as a whole, Let The Sunshine In doesn't stand the test of time terribly well but is worth a listen regardless as in its favour it holds some excellent tracks.
Cream Of The Crop (1969) was not much better though some tracks managed to encapsulate the magic of their earlier work. Can't You See It's Me is a prime example. That pounding, repetitive beat that became something of the Motown phenomenon coated with a magnificent vocal performance from Diana Ross who neatly surfboarded along Motowns complex musical arrangements. Can't You See It's Me features Diana delivering a gutsy, earthy sounding vocal performance, backed by the sparse and infectious production. You Gave Me Love followed in similar fashion whilst their cover of Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever is fantastic as is their social commentary on the earthy Shadows Of Society. However the rest of the album falls a little flat andtedious though Dianas performance on Hey Jude is surprisingly engaging as also on The Beginning Of The End. However the major highlight of this CD comes up with their beautiful and touching ballad, Someday We'll Be Together which Diana performs with style and verve and its this fantastic classic (one of their all-time best ever recordings) that saves the album.
Let The Sunshine In and Cream Of The Crop are not amongst Diana Ross' most favourable work though they're still worth hearing as there are a sprinkling of superb tracks to be found on each album but what flaws both albums on the whole is the overblown cover versions and lack of origanal material. Listen to them and make your own judgement as many say these are two of The Supremes most enthralling albums (which I would beg to differ with!).
Not their best, but still interesting.......2002-09-01
The later recordings were virtually Diana solo albums - you don't hear too much of Cindy (who replaced Florence) or Mary on most of these tracks. There are a few hits here, most notably Some day we'll be together (an interesting title considering the then-imminent departure of Diana), plus one that got away.
Most people think that What becomes of the broken hearted was a Supremes cover of Jimmy Ruffin's hit. Wrong !!! Diana and the Supremes recorded it first, and it was intended to be a single for them. Jimmy heard it and begged Motown to allow him to record it, as he thought it would be a great song for him. Motown put the Supremes version on hold and allowed Jimmy to record it. They decided to go with Jimmy's version instead and the rest is history.
The overall quality of this album therefore suffers by comparison with some of the Supremes' earlier music, but it's still wonderful music judged by most standards. So, this is not the CD with which to start a collection of Supremes music, but is a fascinating set to have if (like me) you've got most of their earlier music already.
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Let The Sunshine In / Cream Of The Crop
Manufacturer: Tamla / Motown ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD ASIN: B000F5CD9Q |
Product Description
2 All Time Great Classic Motown Albums Now Digitally Mastered On 1 Compact Disc. Diana Ross And The Supremes. "Cream Of The Crop" & "Let The Sunshine In". Original Cover Art Work. Made In Germany by Tamala / Motown.
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Let the Sunshine In/Cream of the Crop
Diana Ross & The Supremes Manufacturer: Motown ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General
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ASIN: B000008K8X Release Date: 1990-10-25 |
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Let The Sunshine In / Cream Of The Crop
Manufacturer: Motown Made In Japan ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD ASIN: B000F5KIZC |
Product Description
2 All Time Great Classic Motown Albums Digitally Mastered On 1 Compact Disc. "Cream Of The Crop' & "Let The Sunshine In". Original Cover Artwork. Motown, Made In Japan.Christian Music:
- Live and Learn
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- Love & Life-Very Best of Diana Ross [Import]
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- Man!: The Ultimate Isaac Hayes 1969-1977 [Import]
- Masterpiece/Song for You [Original recording remastered] [Import]
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Bitter End Pt.1 [CD-single] [Enhanced] [Import]
Sonatas: C. Franck, J. Brahms, R. Schumann
Pickin' on Kenny Chesney, Vol. 2
Technomancer 3: Groove Edition
Terry Riley: A Rainbow In Curved Air