By the time 1966 rolled around, The Supremes already had earned themselves 6 number one singles. No small feat, let us keep in mind that these ladies were up against some of the most legendary Rock-n-Roll acts of all-time; including The Beatles, The Beach Boys, among others. Truly a historical time for music, where it seemed so many amazing songs were being recorded, The Supremes were still on top of their game amidst the strong competition.
Keeping the ball rolling, in ’65 they went back to the Motown headquarters in Detroit, famously known as Hitsville U.S.A., to put some new songs to tape that would become their eighth studio album, I Hear a Symphony. Released on February 18, 1966, the album came just months after two other Supremes’ releases; the live record The Supremes at the Copa, and their successful Christmas album, Merry Christmas. Very hard at work, and more than likely exhausted from it all with little down time, they still managed to capture magic with I Hear a Symphony.
Looking at the album a bit closer, it once again featured the writing/production of the legendary Lamont Dozier, along with Brian and Eddie Holland, matched with Diana Ross, Florence Ballard, and Mary Wilson of The Supremes. A teaming for the ages, the album itself has some of the group’s most legendary tracks; like “My World Is Empty Without You,” and of course, the epic “I Hear a Symphony.” Respectfully, “My World Is Empty Without You” hit number 5 on US charts, while the titular “I Hear a Symphony” peaked at number one after being released in fall of ’65, but the true fabric of this album is even far richer.
An album consisting of 12 tracks, there are plenty of standout moments beyond the heavily played radio hits. For example, “He’s All I Got” and “Any Girl in Love (Knows What I’m Going Through)” are absolutely stellar tracks; both which probably could have easily been hits too. Beyond this, the trio’s performances of The Beatles’ “Yesterday,” and particularly “Unchained Melody” are simply emotionally breathtaking. These matched, with the rest of the tracks, make I Hear a Symphony one of The Supremes’ strongest overall albums, not to mention a gateway to even more success that followed through the end of the ‘60s; including songs like “You Can’t Hurry Love” (released later in ’66), all the way through to ‘68s “Love Child.”
An important piece of The Supremes’ history, now in 2024 Element Music reissue I Hear a Symphony to vinyl. Released on July 12th, it is one of a couple of reissues to date of this particular album; which includes 2012’s Universal Music Group two-disc limited edition. Something you may want to look into as well, this new vinyl pressing from Elemental Music comes in a limited edition green colored wax, and it looks quite lovely in complement to the classic album art featuring green tints. With this, the album itself is presented in the original 12 song format and it sounds warm and inviting in every possible fashion.
In all, it is a perfect addition to the list of Supremes’ reissues in 2024 from Element Music which began in May with the release of 1965’s We Remember Sam Cooke. From here, September 13th will bring fans 1968’s Love Child, before October 11th’s release of 1964 album A Bit of Liverpool in mono format. Speaking of which, it is intriguing to mention that while I Hear a Symphony was originally put out in both mono and stereo, and this new vinyl is in stereo, several of the tracks were indeed sourced from mono mixes. Something to add to your memory bank, kick back and enjoy this outstanding limited green edition vinyl of The Supremes’ I Hear a Symphony, because Cryptic Rock gives it 5 out of 5 stars.
){kind=link}
No comment