The Supremes were a brilliant group but there was plenty of sadness behind the scenes. Florence Ballard was the original lead singer. Several singles were released without success, after which Diana Ross replaced Florence as lead singer. Songwriters Holland-Dozier-Holland were brought in at the same time and nobody will ever know which change was the more significant. Florence eventually left the Supremes, to be replaced by Cindy Birdsong. Diana Ross left to go solo in 1970, at which point this compilation ends.

The Supremes had just one British number one hit (Baby love) but they had many number ones in the American pop charts. Many of those were also top ten hits in Britain, but even those that weren't became famous anyway - however, this is not the definitive Supremes compilation. Notable omissions include I'm living in shame, In and out of love, Come see about me, My world is empty without you and Back in my arms again, but there are several great album tracks to compensate for these omissions.

Apart from Baby love, the Supremes made the UK top ten with Where did our love go, Stop in the name of love, You can't hurry love, You keep me hanging on, The happening and Reflections, all included here. They also made the UK top ten with I'm gonna make you love me, a duet with the Temptations, but that track is omitted from this set.

Other UK hit to be found here are Love child, Some day we'll be together, I hear a symphony, No matter what sign you are, Forever came today and Some things you never get used to.

At a budget price, this provides a fine introduction to the music of Diana Ross and the Supremes, but if you want all the missing tracks I've mentioned, you may prefer to buy a different compilation (such as Ultimate collection) instead.

The selection and sound quality on this CD are outstanding. Clean, original stereo mixes. Better than most, if not all, of the more recent compilations involving the Supremes.

an excellent compilation that for once gives a much welcome airing to lesser known tracks, plucked from the countless studio albums they cut throughout their triumphantly succesful career. Diana Ross sounds at her most supreme on these tracks. She sings each and every one of them with such warmth, passion and feeling. Her vocals are energetically soulful and it shines through these tracks like sunshine.

The compilation opens with their first milestone in the history of music - Where Did Our Love Go (WHERE DID OUR LOVE GO - 1964) which became their first in a succession of five No.1 hits back to back. This is where The Supremes legacy began. There is still something so undeniably infectious about those simplistic lyrics and repetitive rythms. Baby love was, as every one knows, ground breaking for The Supremes. The track raced to No.1 on both sides of the Atlantic. Although Diana Ross and the Supremes went on to record far superior tracks, this will possibly be the song that everyone will remember them by and also possibly Stop! In The Name Of Love, which is now something of a karoke essential! Diana's vocals are sounding stronger on the totally unforgetable, You Can't Hurry Love whilst Reflections, sees The Supremes steering briefly into the psychedlic scene with its bizarre, synchronised sounds. This was actually very adventurous and experimental for The Supremes and this really stands apart from a lot of the other tracks. Diana's vocals especially on Reflections really shines out, sounding more self assured and mature compared to their early numbers. Love Child, was their first really notable recording that explored social issues and some critics say this could possibly be Diana Ross' very best recording. It certainly was grittier material for Diana to really bite into - and she does just that and sounds stunning! Their touching swan song, Some day We'll Be Together marked the end of a golden era as Diana Ross left the group for a solo career. It's a truly touching and magnificent recording and this along with Reflections and Love Child is possibly The Supremes very best recording. You Keep Me Hanging On, is quite a remarkable recording in that this was the first clear sign of the girls maturing and developing their style. Diana's vocals turn into a near-aggressive howl at the climax of the song as she sings "Go On/get out, get out of my life, and let me sleep tonight". The fun, swinging and bouncy, The Happening, and the fabulous, I Hear A Symphony are the other two classic No.1 hits to get an airing but some other lesser succesful hits are included on here such as No Matter What Sign You Are, the excellent Forever Came Today, the mediocre, The Young Folks and the fantastic, Some Things You Will Never Get Used To. The surprises of the compilation comes in the inclusion of such wonderful tracks like Honey Bee Keep On Stinging Me - which was worthy of a release as a single - their slow, sultry version of You Send Me, their gorgeous ballard with The Temptations on Why Must We Fall In Love and another ballard, the girly, Whisper You Love Me Boy. Only let down on here is their lacklustre version of Keep An Eye. It's not that it's neccecarily a bad recording but it pales so much in comparison to the excellent version that Diana did for her solo debut, Diana Ross (1970). Still it's a worthy compilation despite missing out My World Is Empty Without You and the sassy, sexually charged Love Is Like An Itching In My Heart. The compilation would have been complete then but it still comes highly recommended.

i have been a fan since elementary school and i still am. so wonderful to hear all the old songs sounding so good and i can still remember the words and love singing along!!!