Black Music Month 2015 - Album Review(s) (#1)

This week, for Black Music Month, I listened to the debut albums of one of my favorite Motown groups--The Supremes!


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Meet the Supremes (1962)

 

The songs on Meet the Supremes certainly do live up to the album's title. We meet every Supreme--Diana Ross, Florence Ballard, Mary Wilson, and Barbara Martin (who isn't pictured on the album cover because she'd left the group before the album's release). While listening to the album, I found that my knowledge of The Supremes was being put to use....

Barbara Martin-Richardson (The Supremes Wikia)

As a teenager, Mary Wilson had found her voice by singing along with her favorite music group, Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers, so her lead vocals and the album's doo-wop ballad, "Baby Don't Go" were like pieces of a two-piece puzzle. Everyone knows Florence Ballard was the "soulful" voice of the group, and as a result, I could apply the same comments about Mary's lead vocals on "Baby Don't Go" to Florence's lead vocals on "Buttered Popcorn". Then of course, there were Diana Ross' pop vocals. Now, Diana's vocals weren't put to best use on this album, but it is her voice we hear singing on the group's first charting single, "Your Heart Belongs to Me"--and as they say, "the rest was history"...

Three Favorite Songs

1. "Buttered Popcorn" 

Even before hearing this album in its entirety, "Buttered Popcorn" had been one of my favorite songs. The lyrics are kind of silly (and depending on who you ask, suggestive) but it's a fun, soulful, and funky tune. 

2. "Your Heart Belongs to Me"

This was the album's first charting single (albeit peaking at number 95) and in my opinion, features one of Diana Ross' best vocal performances. It's a very smooth and very pretty song, with lyrics by the legendary Smokey Robinson, and an instrumental similar to some of Mary Wells' hit songs of the time ("Laughing Boy", "You Beat Me to the Punch", etc.).

3. "Let Me Go The Right Way"

This was the fourth single from Meet the Supremes and the group's second charting single. It's just another fun, sing-a-long type of tune that I enjoyed listening to. Its instrumental is very similar to the one heard in "Buttered Popcorn".

Overall Thoughts

Again, Meet the Supremes certainly lived up to its title--we got the opportunity to meet each Supreme and hear their singing style. However, it wasn't the most solid debut. It's very possible that being accustomed to THE famous Supremes (and their hit songs) can make one hear this album with biased ears--and that's bias going both ways--one could either love it because it's The Supremes, or dislike it because it's not The Supremes as music listeners came to know them. I would be on the latter side of the coin but to be truthful, that isn't even bias--I could absolutely hear why music listeners of 1962 skipped over this album and temporarily, the group. 

Most of the songs sounded like songs that Mary Wells and the Marvelettes rejected, and with the exception of a handful of songs, the album is just downright boring. Ignoring and in spite of what happened behind-the-scenes, it was a good thing that Berry Gordy heard the potential in "Your Heart Belongs to Me" and Diana Ross' lead vocals--and did not give up on the "no-hit Supremes". 


Rating

C+

Black Music Month 2015

From PBS

This year, I will be celebrating Black Music Month with some reviews of classic (or unsung) albums by black artists. Some posts will contain one album review, others may contain three--who knows? :)

Summer is here!!!

A summer look for ya.

Black Music Month 2014: "This is Sheila" (Album Review)

From Discogs

I'm no music expert or critic, but I do love music, so I'm going to go on and give this "album review" a whirl.

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I first discovered singer and actress, Sheila Guyse in a video celebrating unsung (and some well-known) black women in show business. Her face stuck with me--she actually reminded me of Taraji P. Henson (or vice-versa, rather) and I immediately went on a search for more photos and information. Over the past few years my search finds have been rollercoaster-like, but I think it's safe to say that her name is finally starting to rise above the surface a bit (especially after news of her passing in December of last year). You can read more on my thoughts and love for Sheila Guyse in this POC in Classic Film post, but let's get on with this album review.



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Overview

This is Sheila consists of familiar popular songs and jazz standards like "I Cover the Waterfront", "You Took Advantage of Me", and "You Do Something to Me". With such a title for an album, you would think that it would be filled with original songs, but nonetheless, it certainly was Sheila, and had its music been played on radios and hi-fis everywhere in '58, today, the name 'Sheila Guyse' would be mentioned alongside artists like Nat "King" Cole, Tony Bennett, Dionne Warwick, and Doris Day. You know, the big names in Lounge or Easy Listening music.

52nd Street (New York) by William Gottlieb (from Wikipedia)

*This is Sheila was released on MGM Records in 1958*


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Select Tracks

This album consists of a total of 12 tracks (six on the A-side, six on the B-side). I will discuss two tracks from both sides.

"Let There Be Love" (Side A - Track One)

This is the album's opening song--it's very short (all of the songs are, actually), but it was a great choice to start things off right. It begins with (I'm not well-versed in drums/percussion instruments, so this may be wrong) a rolling tom-tom drum intro that prepares us for the swingin' jazz orchestra and Mrs. Guyse's clear, clean, and standout vocals. You're sure to be tapping your foot and bobbing your head throughout this entire song.


"I Cover the Waterfront" (Side A - Track Two)

I'm a fan of this popular jazz standard--particularly a big fan of Miki Howard's rendition as she performed it (as Billie Holiday) in Malcolm X. I'm a fan of Billie Holiday's rendition, as well. When I went to Amazon to preview this album, this was the first thing I listened to-- and I immediately fell in love with it--the music, the vocals, the way that Mrs. Guyse made it her own. It's just beauty and flawlessness across the board. Every time I listen to it, I want to pour myself a glass of gin and smoke a cigarette. Isn't that the standard way to listen to great jazz music? 

This is also the second track on the album--a great "cool down" from the bouncy "Let There Be Love". 


"Easy Does It" (Side B - Track One)

This song opens the B-side and is easily my favorite track on the album ("I Cover the Waterfront" coming in second). "Let There Be Love" prepares us for some delightful jazz tunes on Side A, while "Easy Does It" prepares us for sensuality and romance on Side B. There isn't much I have to say about this song, only that it's the one that I find myself humming the most. I guess I could go on to say that it is very catchy.


"I'm Glad There Is You" (Side B - Track Five)

There's always that one song on an album that makes you go "Huh?" That was "I'm Glad There Is You"--not the song itself (or the lyrics, rather) but the sound of the song. It attempted to branch out from the album's consistent sound (while still trying not to go completely off track). However, the Latin sound-influenced music (with Revolutionary War snare drumming in the background o_O) just didn't seem to mesh well with Mrs. Guyse's smooth and straight vocals. Both sounded good, just not together. 


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Music/Production

Songwriter, composer, arranger, and conductor, Leroy Holmes (from Beautiful Instrumentals)

As stated before, this album's sound was very consistent--and it was consistent without being repetitive. It was smooth, yet strongly present; breezy, but pulsating. Conductor Leroy Holmes did a good job at really keeping the orchestra tight and together for This is Sheila. 


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Vocals

Of course, I must recognize the star's vocals. As I've repeated numerous times and in various ways throughout this post, Sheila Guyse maintained a smooth, crisp, and clear voice for her sole album. While it was like the most mellow sounds of nature, it wasn't overpowered by the band. I must also add that her voice was actually quite unique and distinctive--at least, I personally wouldn't confuse her singing with anyone else's. 

Sheila Guyse (from The New York Times)

I usually prefer just a wee bit of "soul" in my jazz singers--a little flutter here, a quirky sound there--and when I first previewed the album, I became a little hesitant about purchasing it, because Sheila Guyse didn't have that extra "umph" in her voice like a Dinah Washington or a Nancy Wilson. However, after listening to the album in its entirety, I realized that riffs and runs (be they minimal or maximal) would have actually taken away from what made Sheila's voice unique. 


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Overall

Overall, I really enjoyed This is Sheila. My only wish is that it were a little bit longer. The longest song ("Easy Does It") is only 2:55--it left me wanting more, which is a good thing, but also a bad thing, since Mrs. Guyse didn't release anymore albums. I highly recommend that you swing on over to Amazon to purchase it!

Amazon Link
(An MP3 Download)

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Additional Album Info


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The photos used in this post were used for informational purposes only. If the rightful owner(s) of any of the photos wishes to have them removed, please contact me, and I will do so immediately.

--Aige