Rod Stewart - Every Picture Tells A Story
Rod the Mod finds his solo footing, headed for stardom, with the Faces in his wake.
6:00 AM GMT 22/06/2011
Features Disc of the day
The Supremes
Where Did Our Love Go
(Motown, 1964)
When the “no hit Supremes” became the group that couldn’t miss.
With an exhibition currently running at the Victoria & Albert Museum of the incendiary frocks that (ahem) ignited the bloody civil rights struggle, it’s time to examine the stuff that really changed the world – the music that put Diana Ross, Mary Wilson and Florence Ballard on nationally syndicated American TV shows, raising the profile and self-esteem of young African-American entertainers at a stroke. This album has The Supremes’ breakthrough pop hits as they, and Motown in general, formed a more durable bulwark against The Beatles-led British Invasion than did any Beach Boy or Byrd. And what a breakthrough it was. A Breathtaking Guy (Billboard Number 75) and Run, Run, Run (93) seemed to indicate an act remaining on the fringes of Berry Gordy’s label, but between those minor hits the rampaging When The Lovelight Starts Shining Through His Eyes (23) suggested otherwise. And so it transpired, as the title track, Baby Love and Come See About Me all sped to Number 1 between June and October 1964.
Side one of the old vinyl release dripped with Holland-Dozier-Holland hits plus Smokey Robinson’s Long Gone Lover, while side two is scarcely less captivating, as the Motown sound quickly distils. But there are echoes of a more traditional girl group sound, while the H-D-H songs and production do not yet focus entirely on Ross to the exclusion of Mary, Flo and all the replacement Flos to follow. At this time, Motown also set in motion the nefarious practice of whacking out albums at a preposterous rate, ostensibly to broaden the group’s appeal. Hence this LP’s August ’64 release was followed in sharp succession by A Little Bit Of Liverpool, Sings Country, Western & Pop, We Remember Sam Cooke, At The Copa and Merry Christmas, all by the end of 1965, none evincing anything which could be mistaken for due care and attention. In that time, only More Hits was a peach. The strategy smacked of (a) making hay while the sun shone, and (b) getting the girls into supper clubs pronto. And, bearing in mind the ugly reality of touring in the ’60s, who, really, can blame them?
Geoff Brown
Posted by Danny_Eccleston at 6:00 AM GMT 24/05/2008
Further Listening
Martha & The Vandellas – Dance Party (Motown)
The Marvelettes – The Marvelletes (Tamla Motown)
The Chiffons – Sweet Talkin’ Girl (Stateside)
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Landscape - From The Tea-rooms Of Mars… To The Hell-holes Of Uranus
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Causa Sui - Summer Sessions Vol 1-3
Epic Danish jams, for when the neighbours get you down.
6:00 AM GMT 12/05/2011
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