These women are NOT The Supremes! Granted, Lynda Laurence did sing with one of the latter-day groupings for about a year, and Scherrie Payne did also for a couple of years. But to have the UNMITIGATED GALL to call their album "Supremes" anything, is stretching the truth to the point of near-falsehood. Do not be fooled. These are NOT the original recordings, nor do they feature the original vocalists, and to dignify this ersatz group by buying such a product is to do a great disservice to the memory of the world's all-time leading female vocal group. For shame, for shame!

To paraphrase former Sen. Bentson: I knew the Supremes, and you, are not them!

As other reviewers have written here, young folks and new fans, do not be fooled into the believing that The Supremes have re-recorded their biggest and best hits from nearly 40 years ago.

The founder of the group, Florence Ballard, died 26 years ago. Diana Ross left the group 32 years ago. And the only reason these gals have gotten away with pilfering the original group's good name is because Mary Wilson was fooled into signing away her rights to the name.

While any desperate group of women may trade on the name "Supremes," only Florence Ballard, Mary Wilson and Diana Ross can produced that patented trademark sound -- and that hasn't happened since 1967.

It does not make me happy when I read reviews here from people who do not know the facts and make misstatements as if they are facts. They confuse the public and it isn't fair.
Their are two Motown Supremes who recorded this CD - and they had a legal right to do so.

The name Supremes is not owned by Motown in the UK and therefore they had a legal right to use it here on this CD which was produced in the UK.

If you want the Diana Ross led Supremes then there are many great CDs here to choose from. If you want something a little different, then choose this CD recorded by Scherrie Payne and Lynda Laurence.

I can't believe the hurtful things people who don't know the facts are allowed to say here. It isn't helpful to sell product.

Side one of the original REFLECTIONS lp (tracks 1-6) was one of the most cohesive, satisfying suites of music from the Supremes' later 60's work. Musically, if not lyrically, this side is as close to a concept album as one could expect from the 60's Supremes.

Five of 6 of those tunes are in the same mid-tempo "sophisticated" soul vibe as the title track, with minor "psychedelic" touches here and there. All except two were written by the famed Holland-Dozier-Holland team. "Bah-Bah-Bah" was written by sisters Brenda and Patrice Holloway (yes the same Brenda of "Every Little Bit Hurts" fame, who also had great success as a songwriter with "You've Made Me So Very Happy," covered by Blood, Sweat and Tears, and turned into a huge smash--#2 pop in March 1969). "I'm Gonna Make It [I Will Wait For You} was credited to Dean and Lussier. Also, this side of the lp featured the additional single releases "In and Out of Love" [#9 pop, the follow-up to "Reflections," and the one pop-swinger on this side] and "Forever Came Today [#28 pop, the lowest charting Supremes single since 1963, in spite of being an above-average composition and production], as well as the non-single "I Can't Make It Alone," a very good composition and production.

Side two of the original LP was more pop-oriented, and featured covers of "What The World Needs Now Is Love," by Bacharach-David, and Jimmy Webb's "Up, Up and Away." Diana's vocal limitations prevent these from being excellent covers, especially since the background harmonies are suppressed and watered-down. [By this time in Diana Ross and The Supremes career, more and more of the background singing, especially on lp releases, was entirely done--or augmented-- by studio singers known as the Andantes, who were featured probably on 3/4 of the Motown output from the 60's and early 70's.] This side also featured the Diana-led cover of the Martha Reeves' "Love [Makes Me Do Foolish Things]," an above-average H-D-H ballad and cover that surprisingly includes strong background support, presumably by Mary Wilson and Cindy Birdsong. "Then," is a joyful, pop-soul gem composed by Miracles Smokey Robinson, Bobby Rogers, and Warren "Pete" Moore. "Misery Makes It's Home in My Heart," also by Robinson & Moore, and recorded earlier than most of the material on this album, is an Afro/latin-tinged ditty that is quite innovative, and which also features prominent and interesting background harmonies. It fits quite well here. Finally, and ironically, the song which very likely kept "Reflections" from the #1 pop slot [it stalled at #2], "Ode to Billie Joe," by Bobbie Gentry [it stayed at #1 for 4 weeks], is covered nicely as a Diana solo, and is even more somber than the original, without the irony.

Two bonus cuts were added for the cd release, a minor H-D-H ballad, "Stay in My Lonely Arms," and the fun, previously unreleased on album, "All I Know About You," credited to
H-D-H, with Frank DeVol, as it was the flip side to "The Happening."

This album was quite successful in its original release, having reached #18 pop, and was always one of my favorite Supremes' albums. The cover was quite interesting, featuring a kaleidescopic collage of the girls in various poses and locations. The original liner notes were credited to Ms. Ross. There is historical value, as well, as this was the first STUDIO album to feature the moniker "Diana Ross and The Supremes," [first used on the 2-record Greatest Hits set] and the vocals of Florence Ballard's replacement, Cindy Birdsong. All of the lead vocals, of course, are by Ms. Ross, who sounds fresh and strong throughout.

AN ABOVE-AVERAGE EFFORT, WITH SOME HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE. ESSENTIAL LATE 60'S SUPREMES.

This is advertised as The Supremes and it is not. It is not even close. The orchestrations are horrible, thin and tinny, flat and unexciting - all things that are the opposite of Motown recordings. An though 2 of these ladies sang with the Supremes, they are NOT Supreme sounding. One has a tendency to oversing and the other has a lovely voice showing little to no interpretive skills on these songs. If you want REAL SUPREMES STICK TO A CD WITH MOTOWN ON THE LABEL.