Just about the only groups in the 60s that competed with the Beatles for popularity, as well as cultural and musical relevance were Dyan, the Doors, The Supremes and The Temptations. Here, we’ve got a reissue of one of The Supremes’ classic sessions along with the bonus of a very energetic nightclub gig in Detroit, along with a solo project by former Tempts singer David Ruffin, who was trying to make a go of it on his own.
The Supremes were on their upward arc of popularity by the time I Hear A Symphony was released in 1966. Mixing the classic soulful sound with middle-of-the-road string accompaniment and arrangements, they were one of the few younger bands to bridge the ever widening musical generation gap with material like “Without A Song” and “Wonderful, Wonderful.” Of course songs like “My World Is Empty Without You” became pop classics, but when the girls did nightclub shows they were trying to crossover into two divergent genres. Hence, you get highly charged songs like “You Can’t Hurry Love,” “Stop In The Name of Love” and “Back in My Arms Again” that have the ladies rollercoasting over a supercharged band, as well as a nostalgic Sam Cooke medley. All of it has aged incredibly well, and more than anything else, makes you realized that there is definitely a Great American Songbook for Baby Boomers.
As for David Ruffin, the one time lead singer of The Temptations made a go of a solo career, and did have a hit or two. This disc is an unreleased collection of material from 1971 that befuddles the mind why it was kept under wraps for so long, as the material is first rate. You’ve got some material that is vintage hip Motown, such as the cooking “Each Day Is A Lifetime,” the melancholy “Let Somebody Love Me,” a classic bel canto “I Can’t Be Hurt Anymore” (Which is Ruffin at his best) and even a gutsy call of remaking the Jackson Five hit “I Want You Back.” Even Rick James shows up by writing one of the tunes, which Ruffin does well with, “Out In The Country,” so you’ve got an incredibly mature Motor City disc here. What went wrong?
Universal Music Group
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