Motown Classic Reissues by Jackson 5, The Supremes, and The Temptations

Elemental Music continues their impressive reissue series of Motown classics by releasing vinyl reissues of three albums that historically serve as unique timepieces. These albums culturally define a moment that not just accentuates the heritage of rock and roll by tapping into the British Invasion or re-imagining New York folk icons but crafting monumental hits that live eternally to the sound and culture of the era. Striving for both preservation and quality, this latest batch in the series re-introduces The Jackson 5’s Third Album in red vinyl, The Supremes Little Bit of Liverpool in its original mono format, and The Temptations Sky’s The Limit.

Jackson 5—Third Album

In less than a year, The Jackson 5 churned out three albums worth of quintessential material. When early 1970 came around, the Jacksons were exploding in the United States with Jacksonmania as Motown was putting all of their cards on the children’s (most of the group were teenagers except for 13-year-old Michael) success. Early in the year, the group was powering through major television performances like The Ed Sullivan Show and American Bandstand and their monster hit, “ABC.” People could not get enough of them as they became the voice of young America for the early 1970s in the same way that The Beatles were Britain’s hitmakers of the late 1960s. These Hoosiers created a revelation that sent ripples.

The blur of jet travel from one city to the next, celebrity lifestyle came on like a monster and turned them into superhumans that went from children growing up in Gary, Indiana, half a decade earlier to playing Madison Square Garden and the Los Angeles Forum by the fall of 1970. Through strategic intelligence and carefully contrived management, fame fell all over itself to lift Black voices to the top of the pops.

They were setting records and topping charts. With their Third Album, “I’ll Be There,” stayed at number 1 in the Billboard Hot 100 for five weeks. Written by Berry Gordy, Hal Davis, Bob West and Willie Hutch, the album’s intro emits an energy not felt like anything else, especially coming from a group of kids giving us universal unadulterated comfort with pure confidence. This was the song that elevated them beyond high energy bubblegum pop. The social bond is immediately felt despite a country fueled by racial tensions and social-economic issues.

Willie “The Mack” Hutch also contributes writing credits with “How Funky Is Your Chicken.” It’s these songs that help define the Motown sound. The other song to land in Billboard’s Top 5 was “Mama’s Pearl.” Fueled by The Corporation—the team of songwriters consisting of Freddie Perren, Fonce Mizell, and Deke Richards—this collective crafted several major singles for the Five, but also added the endearing semi-autobiographical, “Going Back To Indiana.”

Covers of the Delfonics hit, “Ready Or Not, Here I Come,” Simon & Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” and more, Third Album is a triumph that makes the group relevant and not simply churning out disposable pop hits.

Nestled between ABC and Jackson 5’s Christmas Album, Motown would forever be changed, and The Jackson 5 would be immortalized and replace The Supremes as Motown’s best-selling group.

The Supremes—A Little Bit Of Liverpool

While the Jacksons were celebrating fame, The Supremes saw a radical change in their lineup as Diana Ross departed in 1970, replaced by Jean Terrell to experience life as a Supreme throughout most of the 1970s when the band finally disbanded in 1977. As The British Invasion contorted into a psychedelic mantra of rock and pop that intermingled into a groovy musical proposition of experimentations, all genres of music felt its impact and opened the door to bands being unafraid to try something new.

But before that became a reality, travel back to the mid-1960s and everyone was trying to jump on the British invasion bandwagon just to put their spin on the UK sound. This was the genesis to a new era that changed everything. From Count Basie to Ramsey Lewis to Chet Atkins, artists were chomping at the bit to dip their toes in the water.

For the Supremes, their look to the British sound was more of a statement than peer pressure. They just felt the ripple off of their smash sophomore album, Where Did Our Love Go and hitmakers like the title track and “Baby Love.”

They saw how British bands were taking from the Motown sound and forming it into their own, it became a campaign to turn the third album into their soulful spin of now British rock classics. “The House of the Rising Sun,” Dave Clark’s “Bits and Pieces” and a slew of Beatles hits. “Where Did Our Love Go” became an international hit and The Supremes gained traction overseas, making their inaugural trip to the UK in 1964. The time was ripe to record the covers.

The album cover on A Little Bit of Liverpool, shows off the poise of the group in front of the EMI offices, the subsidiary to Motown. They have invaded the sacred space of international pop stardom and were ready to step into the limelight. The group recorded five songs by The Beatles, never quite matching the punchiness and vigor of The Beatles but nonetheless peaking at number 21 on the charts.

The diamond on this album is their version of Smokey Robinson’s “You Really Got a Hold on Me,” which is right up their wheelhouse. However, the album flatlined by critics and survives as a bold treatise to how British took from Motown and created a new kind of kick. Its results did not ripple through the landscape. It did lead to The Supremes seeing what Ray Charles was doing to country and taking on the Country and Western genre for their next album, then after a Christmas album, and more covers across the horizon of the mid-1960s. It was not until I Can Hear A Symphony in 1966 when they fell back in the Top 10 in the charts.

The Temptations—Sky’s The Limit

Returning to the dawn of the 1970s, the Temptations were ruling Detroit’s psychedelic soul sound or at least riding its white-hot light before burning out into the cosmos a few years later to be consumed by funk and disco.

Sky’s the Limit is a beautiful and transcendental testament to the wonders of human nature and the feeling of pure joy despite the difficulties The Temptations were having as a group. You may best know Eddie Kendricks for his vocals on “Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me).” By the 14th release, Kendricks was becoming dissociated from the group with his sails set on a solo career. Paul Williams was dealing with some serious health issues and would soon follow Kendricks out the door.

But in the midst of internal conflict, The Temptations managed to churn out an incredible release that stacked up with albums like David Crosby’s incredible psychedelic West Coast mantra, If I Could Only Remember My Name, Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On, or Isaac Hayes’s Black Moses, with so many more diamonds shimmering in the dawn of the decade.

The Temptations were never afraid to push the limits of conventionality. With the 12+ minutes of “Smiling Faces,” it was a proving ground that led to the boldness of the monster hit “Papa Was A Rolling Stone” in 1972. Their string score builds imagination fluttering across a foundation of smooth soul. You cannot help but become mesmerized by the layering and storytelling. The song was later perfected by The Undisputed Truth.

Burning psychedelic sounds within gospel and R&B ballad is another bold adventure for the group. “Throw A Farewell Kiss” wonderfully blends all of this together.

The piece of the puzzle to complete their recording experience is the positive protest song of “Ungena Za Ulimwengu (Unite the World).” A Top 40 hit, it gave the same sharpness and urgency as “War,” originally a Temptations song but popularized by Edwin Starr. Interestingly enough, the opener to Sky’s the Limit, “Gonna Keep On Trying Until I Win Your Love” was a Starr original and breathed life by The Temptations.

The band ends with “Love Can Be Anything (Can’t Nothing Be Love But Love),” a Tower of Power-esque horn jam that is nothing more than a showpiece to send us off into pure bliss. Love is love is love is. . . was just as important then as it is now.