The Supremes A' Go-Go

by The Supremes

Overview

Supremes A' Go-Go was the group's first number one pop album, propelled to that place with help from a chart-topping single ("You Can't Hurry Love") and a marketing ploy that generated an irresistible song lineup. And along with The Supremes Sing Holland-Dozier-Holland, Supremes A' Go-Go has held its value better than almost any of the trio's most successful albums (which excludes We Remember Sam Cooke) -- in fact, back in the days when vinyl was the only game in town, used copies of this record sold faster and better than any of their other common '60s LPs, and for good reason. Various hits compilations had skimmed the most familiar songs off of Where Did Our Love Go, I Hear a Symphony, etc., but the very concept behind Supremes A' Go-Go -- getting the group to cover some of the top hits of other (mostly Motown) acts -- dictated that every song on this album was familiar in name, and only "You Can't Hurry Love" was culled for any hits packages. There was a lot to recommend it musically, including the trio soaring rendition of "Shake Me, Wake Me" and a version of "Get Ready," which, even if it was no threat to the Temptations, still could have been a hit. Similarly, "Baby I Need Your Lovin'" and "I Can't Help Myself" will always belong to the Four Tops, but Diana Ross, Mary Wilson, and Florence Ballard throw themselves into both (in a less weighty version of the former) with enough spirit to make them work as album cuts; "Money" is diverting if less successful, and "Come and Get These Memories" is worth checking out just to hear Florence Ballard and Mary Wilson step forward. And even the non-Motown covers, like "These Boot Are Made for Walkin'" and "Hang on Sloopy," make worthwhile listening, with Ross turning in a surprisingly strong, passionate performance on the latter. A number one album in its time on the pop and R&B charts, Supremes A' Go-Go also benefited from the fact that there were no pop standards or slow ballads here, just solid R&B dance numbers. ~ Bruce Eder

Product Details

Release Date:	06/02/2023
Label:	Elemental
UPC:	0600753968451
Rank:	33335

Album Credits

Performance Credits

The Supremes   Primary Artist
Diana Ross & the Supremes   Primary Artist
The Four Tops   Primary Artist
Diana Ross   Primary Artist,Vocals,Vocals (Background)
The Andantes   Vocals (Background)
Lawrence Payton   Vocals
Florence Ballard   Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Levi Stubbs   Vocals
Renaldo Benson   Vocals
Mary Wilson   Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Marlene Barrow   Vocals (Background)
Abdul Fakir   Vocals

Technical Credits

Berry Gordy, Jr.   Composer,Producer
Bert Russell   Composer
Sylvia Moy   Composer
Bob Dylan   Composer
Kevin Reeves   Mixing Engineer
Ivy Jo Hunter   Producer
J. Thornton   Composer
Lamont Dozier   Composer,Producer
Clarence Paul   Composer,Producer
Eddie Holland   Composer
Janie Bradford   Composer
Vicky Basemore   Composer
Lee Hazlewood   Composer
Warren "Pete" Moore   Composer
Brian Holland   Composer,Producer
Hal Davis   Composer,Producer
Gordon Mills   Composer
Stevie Wonder   Composer
Burt Bacharach   Composer
Harvey Fuqua   Composer,Producer
Henry Cosby   Composer,Producer
William Weatherspoon   Composer,Producer
Paul Riser   Composer
Bert Berns   Composer
Hal David   Composer
Keith Richards   Composer
Johnny Bristol   Composer
Les Reed   Composer
Wes Farrell   Composer
Smokey Robinson   Composer,Producer
Mick Jagger   Composer
Morris Broadnax   Composer
J. Bradford   Composer
Luvel Broadnax   Composer
John Thornton   Composer
Frank Dandridge   Photography
Frank Wilson   Producer
William Stevenson   Producer
James Dean   Composer
Wesley Farrell   Composer