''The Supremes Sing Country, Western & Pop'' is the fourth

studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...

recorded by

the Supremes The Supremes were an American girl group and a premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s. Founded as the Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, the Supremes were the most commercially successful of Motown's acts and the most successful ...

, issued by

Motown Motown Records is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. It was founded by Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on June 7, 1958, and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau of ''moto ...

in February 1965. The album was presented as a covers/

tribute album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century as individual 78 rpm records coll ...

country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, while the ...

songs, as

Ray Charles Ray Charles Robinson Sr. (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential singers in history, and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Ge ...

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 Otto Pauling (March 19, 1928 – May 6, 1995) better known and pen name, published as Clarence Paul, was an American songwriter, record producer and singer who was best known for his career with Detroit's Motown Records. Early life and ...

. One of the songs on the album is "

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. The gro ...

", 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 Stevland Hardaway Morris ( Judkins; May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, who is credited as a pioneer and influence by musicians across a range of genres that include rhythm and blues, Pop musi ...

, making the Supremes the first act besides Wonder himself to record Wonder's songs. Motown's session group,

the Andantes The Andantes were an American female session 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 Mar ...

, 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 number 79 on the US ''Billboard'' Top LPs chart, with sales exceeding 38,000 copies.

Track listing

Side One #"

Funny How Time Slips Away "Funny How Time Slips Away" is a song written by Willie Nelson and first recorded by country singer Billy Walker. Walker's version was issued as single by Columbia Records in June 1961 and peaked at number 23 on the Hot C&W Sides chart. Notab ...

" (

Willie Nelson Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 29, 1933) is an American country musician. The critical success of the album ''Shotgun Willie'' (1973), combined with the critical and commercial success of ''Red Headed Stranger'' (1975) and '' Stardust'' (197 ...

, originally by Nelson) #"

" (

) #"It Makes No Difference Now" (

Floyd Tillman Floyd Tillman (December 8, 1914 – August 22, 2003) 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 Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970 a ...

, originally by

Eddy Arnold Richard Edward Arnold (May 15, 1918 – May 8, 2008) was an American country music singer who performed for six decades. He was a Nashville sound (country/popular music) innovator of the late 1950s, and scored 147 songs on the ''Billboard'' cou ...

) #"You Didn't Care" (Paul) #"Tears in Vain" (Paul) Side Two #"

Tumbling Tumbleweeds "Tumbling Tumbleweeds" is a song composed by Bob Nolan. Although one of the most famous songs associated with the Sons of the Pioneers, the song was composed by Nolan in the 1930s, while working as a caddy and living in Los Angeles. Originally ti ...

" (

Bob Nolan Bob Nolan (born Clarence Robert Nobles; April 13, 1908 – June 16, 1980, name changed to Robert Clarence Nobles in 1929) was a Canadian-born American singer, songwriter, and actor. He was a founding member of the Sons of the Pioneers, and compo ...

, originally by

Sons of the Pioneers The Sons of the Pioneers are one of the United States' earliest Western singing groups. Known for their vocal performances, their musicianship, and their songwriting, they produced innovative recordings that have inspired many Western music perf ...

) #"

Lazy Bones ''Lazy Bones'' was originally a comic strip in the British comic ''Whizzer and Chips''. It made its first appearance in 1978. The strip was about a boy called Benny Bones, who would constantly fall asleep everywhere, much to the annoyance of h ...

" (

Johnny Mercer John Herndon Mercer (November 18, 1909 – June 25, 1976) was an American lyricist, songwriter, and singer, as well as a record label executive who co-founded Capitol Records with music industry businessmen Buddy DeSylva and Glenn E. Wallich ...

Hoagy Carmichael Hoagland Howard Carmichael (November 22, 1899 – December 27, 1981) was an American musician, composer, songwriter, actor and lawyer. Carmichael was one of the most successful Tin Pan Alley songwriters of the 1930s, and was among the first ...

) #"You Need Me" (Paul) #"Baby Doll" (Paul,

) #"Sunset" (Paul, Wonder) #"(The Man With the) Rock and Roll Banjo Band" (Paul,

Berry Gordy, Jr. Berry Gordy III (born November 28, 1929), known professionally as Berry Gordy Jr., is a retired American record executive, record producer, songwriter, film producer and television producer. He is best known as the founder of the Motown record l ...

)

Personnel

Diana Ross Diana Ross (born March 26, 1944) is an American singer and actress. She rose to fame as the lead singer of the vocal group the Supremes, who became Motown's most successful act during the 1960s and one of the world's best-selling girl groups o ...

Florence Ballard Florence Glenda Chapman (''née'' Ballard; June 30, 1943 – February 22, 1976) was an American singer and a founding member of the Motown vocal female group the Supremes. She sang on 16 top 40 singles with the group, including ten number-o ...

and Mary Wilson - lead and background vocals *

- producer *

Lawrence Horn Lawrence Thomas "L.T." Horn (1939 – February 2017) was an American musician, record producer and chief recording engineer for Motown Records in Detroit and Los Angeles. He later served a life sentence for hiring a hit man to murder his ex-w ...

- co-producer on "My Heart Can't Take It No More" *

The Andantes The Andantes were an American female session 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 Mar ...

and other vocalists - additional background vocals * Cranford Nix, Sr. - banjo (some tracks)

Singles history

*"My Heart Can't Take It No More" b/w "You Bring Back Memories" (from ''

Meet the Supremes ''Meet the Supremes'' is the debut studio album by The Supremes, released in late 1962 on Motown. Background 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 ...

'') (Motown 1040, February 2, 1963)

Chart history

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Supremes Sing Country, Western and Pop 1965 albums The Supremes albums Covers albums Country albums by American artists Albums produced by Clarence Paul Motown albums Albums recorded at Hitsville U.S.A.