The Supremes Sing Country, Western and Pop
Encyclopedia
The Supremes Sing Country, Western & Pop is an album recorded by The Supremes
, issued by Motown in February 1965 (see 1965 in music
). The album was presented as a covers
/tribute album
of country
songs, as Ray Charles
had done with his album Modern Sounds In Country and Western Music. However, over half of the selections on The Supremes Sing Country, Western & Pop were written in-house by Motown staffer Clarence Paul
. One of the songs on the album is "My Heart Can't Take It No More
", which the Supremes had recorded in 1962 and released in 1963 as a single.
One of Paul's songwriting partners on the album was his fourteen-year-old charge Stevie Wonder
, making the Supremes the first act besides Wonder himself to record Wonder's songs.
Session group, the Andantes, appear on all but two of the tracks. They accompany Ross completely above Wilson and Ballard on Baby Doll.
The album was a modest success peaking at #79 on the Billboard Top 200. Though the album did not make the Billboard Country Album charts, Diana would later record a couple of solo country singles most famously, "Sorry Doesn't Always Make it Right".
The Supremes
The Supremes, an American female singing group, were the premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s.Originally founded as The Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, The Supremes' repertoire included doo-wop, pop, soul, Broadway show tunes, psychedelic soul, and disco...
, issued by Motown in February 1965 (see 1965 in music
1965 in music
-Events:*January 4 – Fender Musical Instruments Corporation is sold to CBS for $13 million.*January 12 – Hullabaloo premieres on NBC. The first show included performances by The New Christy Minstrels, comedian Woody Allen, actress Joey Heatherton and a segment from London in which Brian Epstein...
). The album was presented as a covers
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
/tribute album
Tribute album
A tribute album is a recorded collection of cover versions of songs or instrumental compositions. Its concept may be either various artists making a tribute to a single artist, a single artist making a tribute to various artists, or a single artist making a tribute to another single artist.There...
of country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
songs, as Ray Charles
Ray Charles
Ray Charles Robinson , known by his shortened stage name Ray Charles, was an American musician. He was a pioneer in the genre of soul music during the 1950s by fusing rhythm and blues, gospel, and blues styles into his early recordings with Atlantic Records...
had done with his album Modern Sounds In Country and Western Music. However, over half of the selections on The Supremes Sing Country, Western & Pop were written in-house by Motown staffer Clarence Paul
Clarence Paul
Clarence Otto Pauling , better known as Clarence Paul, was a songwriter and record producer for Detroit's Motown Records....
. One of the songs on the album is "My Heart Can't Take It No More
My Heart Can't Take It No More
"My Heart Can't Take It No More" is a 1963 song recorded by The Supremes for the Motown label. Written and produced by Clarence Paul, "My Heart Can't Take It No More" charted at 29 on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart...
", which the Supremes had recorded in 1962 and released in 1963 as a single.
One of Paul's songwriting partners on the album was his fourteen-year-old charge Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
, making the Supremes the first act besides Wonder himself to record Wonder's songs.
Session group, the Andantes, appear on all but two of the tracks. They accompany Ross completely above Wilson and Ballard on Baby Doll.
The album was a modest success peaking at #79 on the Billboard Top 200. Though the album did not make the Billboard Country Album charts, Diana would later record a couple of solo country singles most famously, "Sorry Doesn't Always Make it Right".
Track listing
- "Funny How Time Slips AwayFunny How Time Slips Away"Funny How Time Slips Away" is a song written by Willie Nelson and also performed by Willie Nelson. The song was included as a track on Willie Nelson's 1962, debut album, And Then I Wrote.-Cover versions:...
" (Willie NelsonWillie NelsonWillie Hugh Nelson is an American country music singer-songwriter, as well as an author, poet, actor, and activist. The critical success of the album Shotgun Willie , combined with the critical and commercial success of Red Headed Stranger and Stardust , made Nelson one of the most recognized...
, originally by Nelson) - "My Heart Can't Take It No MoreMy Heart Can't Take It No More"My Heart Can't Take It No More" is a 1963 song recorded by The Supremes for the Motown label. Written and produced by Clarence Paul, "My Heart Can't Take It No More" charted at 29 on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart...
" (Clarence PaulClarence PaulClarence Otto Pauling , better known as Clarence Paul, was a songwriter and record producer for Detroit's Motown Records....
) - "It Makes No Difference Now" (Floyd TillmanFloyd TillmanFloyd Tillman was an American country musician who, in the 1930s and 1940s, helped create the Western swing and honky tonk genres. Tillman was inducted into the Songwriters’ Hall of Fame in 1970 and the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1984.-Early life:Tillman grew up in the cotton-mill town of Post,...
, originally by Eddy ArnoldEddy ArnoldRichard Edward Arnold , known professionally as Eddy Arnold, was an American country music singer who performed for six decades. He was a so-called Nashville sound innovator of the late 1950s, and scored 147 songs on the Billboard country music charts, second only to George Jones. He sold more...
) - "You Didn't Care" (Paul)
- "Tears in Vain" (Paul)
- "Tumbling TumbleweedsTumbling Tumbleweeds"Tumbling Tumbleweeds" is a song composed by Bob Nolan, one of the founding members of the Sons of the Pioneers. Although one of the most famous songs associated with cowboys, the song was composed by Nolan back in the 1930s while he was working as a caddy and living in Los Angeles...
" (Bob NolanBob NolanBob Nolan was a Canadian-born American singer, songwriter, and actor. He was a founding member of the Sons of the Pioneers, and composer of numerous Country music and Western music songs, including the standards "Cool Water" and "Tumbling Tumbleweeds." He is generally regarded as one of the...
, originally by Sons of the PioneersSons of the PioneersThe Sons of the Pioneers are one of America's earliest Western singing groups whose classic recordings set a new standard for performers of Western music. Known for the high quality of their vocal performances, musicianship, and songwriting, they produced finely-crafted and innovative recordings...
) - "Lazy Bones" (Johnny MercerJohnny MercerJohn Herndon "Johnny" Mercer was an American lyricist, songwriter and singer. He is best known as a lyricist, but he also composed music. He was also a popular singer who recorded his own songs as well as those written by others...
, Hoagy CarmichaelHoagy CarmichaelHoward Hoagland "Hoagy" Carmichael was an American composer, pianist, singer, actor, and bandleader. He is best known for writing "Stardust", "Georgia On My Mind", "The Nearness of You", and "Heart and Soul", four of the most-recorded American songs of all time.Alec Wilder, in his study of the...
) - "You Need Me"
- "Baby Doll" (Paul, Stevie WonderStevie WonderStevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
) - "Sunset" (Paul, Wonder)
- "(The Man With the) Rock and Roll Banjo Band" (Paul, Berry Gordy, Jr.)
Personnel
- Diana RossDiana RossDiana Ernestine Earle Ross is an American singer, record producer, and actress. Ross was lead singer of the Motown group The Supremes during the 1960s. After leaving the group in 1970, Ross began a solo career that included successful ventures into film and Broadway...
, Florence BallardFlorence BallardFlorence Glenda Ballard Chapman was an American singer and a founding member of the Motown group The Supremes. From 1963 until 1967, Ballard sang on 16 Top 40 hit Supremes' singles, ten of which hit number-one on the Billboard Hot 100. In 1967, Motown CEO Berry Gordy decided to remove Ballard from...
, and Mary WilsonMary Wilson (singer)Mary Wilson is an American singer, formerlymember of the Motown female singing group The Supremes during the 1960s and 1970s. Wilson was the only singer to be a consistent member of the group in its eighteen-year tenure...
: lead and background vocals - Clarence PaulClarence PaulClarence Otto Pauling , better known as Clarence Paul, was a songwriter and record producer for Detroit's Motown Records....
: producer - Lawrence HornLawrence HornLawrence Horn is a musician, formerly a record producer and chief recording engineer for Motown Records. He is currently serving a life sentence for hiring a hit man to commit a triple-murder....
: co-producer on "My Heart Can't Take It No More" - The AndantesThe AndantesThe Andantes were a prolific female sessions group for the Motown record label during the 1960s. Composed of Jackie Hicks, Marlene Barrow, and Louvain Demps, the group sang background vocals on numerous Motown recordings, including songs by Martha Reeves & the Vandellas, The Temptations, Stevie...
and other vocalists: additional background vocals
Singles history
- "My Heart Can't Take It No More" b/w "You Bring Back Memories" (from Meet the SupremesMeet the SupremesMeet the Supremes is the debut album by The Supremes, released in late 1962 on Motown. The LP includes the group's earliest singles: "I Want a Guy", "Buttered Popcorn", "Your Heart Belongs to Me" and "Let Me Go the Right Way"...
) (Motown 1040, February 2, 1963)
Album
| Name | Chart (1965) | Peak position |
|---|---|---|
| The Supremes Sing Country, Western & Pop | U.S. Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
79 |
Singles
| Name | Chart (1963) | Peak position |
|---|---|---|
| "My Heart Can't Take It No More" | U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
129 |
| U.S. Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 | 29 | |