The Supremes [Box Set] [Box] (CD - 2000)

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The Supremes: Diana Ross, Mary Wilson, Florence Ballard (vocals).Additional personnel includes: The Temptations, The Four Tops, Johnny Bristol (vocals); The Andantes, Syreeta Wright, Maxine Waters, Julia Waters (background vocals).Producers include: Berry Gordy, Smokey Robinson, Frank Wilson, Clay McMurray, Brian Holland.Compilation producer: Harry Weinger.Recorded between 1960 & 1972. Includes liner notes by Brian Chin and David Nathan.Digitally remastered Suha Gur and Jeff Willens (Universal Mastering Studios East).The Supremes were Motown's most popular act, so there was much anticipation for a comprehensive box set, especially since Motown waited many years to assemble one. So, the question is, was the wait worth it? Almost. It's a lavish set, spanning four discs (five, if you include the limited-edition live bonus disc included with the first 25,000 sets), housed in a red-velvet plated book and boasting a 70-page booklet, plus alternate takes, original 45 mixes, and other rarities. The devil is in the details, though. Rarities are substituted for original hit versions; for instance, the original versions of "Stop! In the Name of Love" and "Love Is Here and Now You're Gone" are not here. Then, there are the little omissions, like noting Elvis Costello's cover of "Remove This Doubt" in a list of great Supremes' covers, but not including the original. These curious choices, along with the decision to devote the fourth disc to post-Diana Ross material, makes the set feel a little incomplete, even though it covers a tremendous amount of ground. There are some classic cuts missing, and it's not a good thing that some of those missing items are the single versions of the hits. Still, it's hard not to like The Supremes as a set for hardcore fans, who will thrill to the different mixes and alternate versions, unreleased photos, Top Ten lists, and illustrated discographies. But for the listener looking for one exhaustive set containing all the Supremes they'll ever need, this set falls short of the mark. In fact, for that kind of listener, a good double-disc hits compilation remains a preferable choice over this set. [In 2006, this box was re-released minus the bonus disc of outtakes that was included in the 2000 edition, which is really too bad, since it was the only platter in the box that would hold the attention of the collectors who missed it the first time around.] ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine and Thom Jurek

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