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Meet the Supremes | ||||
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![]() Original 1962 release | ||||
Studio album by | ||||
Released | December 9, 1962 | |||
Recorded | October 1960 – September 1962 | |||
Studio | Hitsville U.S.A., Detroit | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 29:36 | |||
Label | Motown MT 606 | |||
Producer | ||||
The Supremes chronology | ||||
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Alternative cover | ||||
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Singles from Meet the Supremes | ||||
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Meet the Supremes is the debut studio album by The Supremes,released in late 1962 on Motown.
The LP includes the group's singles:"I Want a Guy","Buttered Popcorn","Your Heart Belongs to Me" and "Let Me Go the Right Way".
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Allmusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Tom Hull | B+ ( ![]() ![]() |
Andrew Hamilton for Allmusic,described "Your Heart Belongs to Me" as 'romantic and sentimental',writing it 'should have been the Supremes' first hit. It's every bit as charming as his chartbusters for Mary Wells.' Hamilton praised The Supremes' vocals,writing,'Diana Ross' sweet tender lead,assisted by Mary Wilson and Florence Ballard's warm harmonies,could melt icebergs.' Furthermore,Hamilton praised their 'enthusiastic vocals' on "Let Me Go the Right Way". Hamilton also noted 'Ross' vocals on "Who's Lovin' You" are intense and bluesy;Wilson leads the soulful "Baby Don't Go";and Ballard leads the raucous "Buttered Popcorn," a tune more suited for the Contours.' [5]
Stevie Chick of The Guardian ,listed "Buttered Popcorn" as one of the best 10 Supremes songs. Chick expressed that Ballard was 'A bold,big-voiced belter' and described the song as 'A piece of raw,ribald soul lacking the polish that gilded their [The Supremes'] later hits'. Also,'Ballard growls salaciously on Buttered Popcorn that her boyfriend “likes it greasy,and sticky,and salty,and gooey”,a knowingly saucy performance that somehow escaped the interference of Motown's infamous Quality Control department.' [6] Similarly,Bonnie Stiernberg of Paste wrote 'the innuendo-laced track is not unlike buttered popcorn —salty,fluffy,and oh so good'. [7] Contemporary reviews of "Buttered Popcorn" include a B+ from Cashbox ,whilst music columnist Wayne Harada in The Honolulu Advertiser called the song 'A novelty' which 'merits attention'. [8]
On the contrary,Hamilton expressed that on their first recording,"I Want a Guy," 'the backing voices are buried,and Ross' voice sounds whiny and high-pitched',describing "I Want a Guy" and 'the '50s-sounding "He's Seventeen," as 'the only bummers'. More positively,"Time Changes Things" is noted as 'a forerunner to later efforts by Holland-Dozier-Holland',"Play a Sad Song" is described as a 'torching' ballad 'Blues lovers will relish' and the 'straight '50s doo wop' of "Never Again" drew a comparison to the Chantels. [5]
American music critic Tom Hull noted the album is 'mostly songs by Berry Gordy Jr. or Smokey Robinson,' which 'spawned four singles that went nowhere,although "I Want a Guy" and "Let Me Go the Right Way" are catchy enough.' [4]
All lead vocals by Diana Ross except where indicated
The 1964 UK release has a different tracklisting,featuring songs from the US album releases:Meet The Supremes and Where Did Our Love Go . It also contains the b-side "(The Man With The) Rock &Roll Banjo Band",which would later appear on The Supremes Sing Country,Western and Pop . [11] [12] Following the success of singles "Where Did Our Love Go" and "Baby Love",which peaked at number three and number one in the UK respectively,Meet The Supremes was released in the UK on Stateside (#SL 10109), [13] whilst both singles were still in the top 40 of the UK Singles Chart. [14] Meet The Supremes debuted at number 17 on the UK Albums Chart on December 5,1964,rising to its peak of number 13,the following week. The album spent a total of 6 weeks in the top 20. [14]
In early 2010,Motown/Universal Records through Hip-O Select released a deluxe two compact disc edition of the album,which included both the mono and stereo versions of the album,as well as several outtakes,non-album tracks and live performances. [15]
Chart (1964) | Peak position |
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UK Albums (OCC) [16] | 13 |
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"Your Heart Belongs to Me" is a 1962 song written and composed by The Miracles' William "Smokey" Robinson and released as a single by Motown singing group The Supremes during their early years with the label. The song is about a woman whose lover is in the armed forces and has "Gone to a far-away land";its narration has her tell him to always remember their love for each other if he ever gets lonely.
"Let Me Go the Right Way" is a 1962 song written and produced by then Motown president Berry Gordy and released as a single by Motown singing group The Supremes. It was the group's fourth single and their second charted record following the dismal reception of their first charted single,"Your Heart Belongs to Me".
"When the Lovelight Starts Shining Through His Eyes" is a song written by Holland–Dozier–Holland and recorded in 1963 by Motown singing group The Supremes. It is notable as the Supremes' first Billboard Hot 100 Top 40 recording,following seven previous singles between January 1961 and September 1963 which failed to enter the Top 40. The single is also notable as the first Supremes single written and produced by Holland–Dozier–Holland,who had previously created hits for Martha and the Vandellas and Mary Wells.
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"I Want a Guy" is a song written by Freddie Gorman,Berry Gordy and Brian Holland and was the debuting single for Motown girl group The Supremes in 1961. It was also recorded by The Marvelettes on their album Please Mr. Postman. Featuring Diana Ross in lead,the song was a doo-wop ballad similar to what the Supremes had been recording since forming as "The Primettes" two years earlier.
"Mother Dear" is a 1965 song recorded by the Supremes for the Motown label.
"Where Did Our Love Go" is a 1964 song recorded by American music group the Supremes for the Motown label.
...Meet the Supremes is a masterpiece of '60s R&B.