Promises Kept (The Supremes album)
Encyclopedia
Promises Kept is an unreleased album by The Supremes
, recorded during the latter half of 1971 with multiple producers. Ultimately, the project was shelved by Motown in favor of a set "Floy Joy" produced by entirely by Smokey Robinson
the following year. The idea to the title came from Supreme Mary Wilson
who said that "I'd heard the phrase and loved it. I wanted to use it on the next album."
Assigned the catalogue number M-746 and originally scheduled for a December 1971 release, no finished track listing is known to exist from the 18 songs recorded for the project. Five songs were released in 2002 on The '70s Anthology CD while another 13 appeared on the 2006 boxset This Is the Story: The '70s Albums, Vol. 1 – 1970–1973: The Jean Terrell Years.
The Supremes
The Supremes, an American female singing group, were the premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s.Originally founded as The Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, The Supremes' repertoire included doo-wop, pop, soul, Broadway show tunes, psychedelic soul, and disco...
, recorded during the latter half of 1971 with multiple producers. Ultimately, the project was shelved by Motown in favor of a set "Floy Joy" produced by entirely by Smokey Robinson
Smokey Robinson
William "Smokey" Robinson, Jr. is an American R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, and former record executive. Robinson is one of the primary figures associated with Motown, second only to the company's founder, Berry Gordy...
the following year. The idea to the title came from Supreme Mary Wilson
Mary Wilson (singer)
Mary Wilson is an American singer, formerlymember of the Motown female singing group The Supremes during the 1960s and 1970s. Wilson was the only singer to be a consistent member of the group in its eighteen-year tenure...
who said that "I'd heard the phrase and loved it. I wanted to use it on the next album."
Assigned the catalogue number M-746 and originally scheduled for a December 1971 release, no finished track listing is known to exist from the 18 songs recorded for the project. Five songs were released in 2002 on The '70s Anthology CD while another 13 appeared on the 2006 boxset This Is the Story: The '70s Albums, Vol. 1 – 1970–1973: The Jean Terrell Years.
Songs recorded
- "Oh My Poor Baby" (Gloria JonesGloria JonesGloria Richetta Jones is an American singer and songwriter from Los Angeles, California. She recorded the 1964 northern soul song, "Tainted Love", later a hit for the British synth-pop duo, Soft Cell. She was the girlfriend of glam rock artist Marc Bolan of the band T...
, Pam SawyerPam SawyerPamela Sawyer, an American-based songwriter from Romford, East London.Sawyer worked with artists at Motown Records from 1967 to 1977. Before Motown she had been involved in hit records for the Young Rascals and Lulu, and wrote with Lori Burton with whom she also recorded as the Whyte Boots.Sawyer...
) - 2:48 - "Make It with You" (David GatesDavid GatesDavid Gates is an American singer-songwriter, best known as the lead singer of the group Bread, which reached the tops of the musical charts in Europe and North America on several occasions in the 1970s. The band was inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame...
) - 3:19 - "I'll Let Him Know I Love Him" (Jones, Sawyer) - 4:02
- "Never Can Say GoodbyeNever Can Say Goodbye"Never Can Say Goodbye" is a song written by Clifton Davis and originally recorded by The Jackson 5. Released as a single in 1971, it was one of the group's most successful songs...
" (Clifton DavisClifton DavisClifton Duncan Davis is an American actor, songwriter and minister. He has appeared on the television shows as A World Apart, That's My Mama and Amen...
) - 3:18- Originally recorded by The Jackson 5The Jackson 5The Jackson 5 , later known as The Jacksons, were an American popular music family group from Gary, Indiana...
.
- Originally recorded by The Jackson 5
- "Walk with Me, Talk with Me Darling" (John Glover, Clay McMurray, James Dean) - 2:33
- Trk. 1 - 5 Released on "The 70s AnthologyThe 70s AnthologyThe '70s Anthology is a 2002 two compact disc set of many of the songs recorded by the 1970s groupings of The Supremes. The set features 42 tracks, of which 10 had never been released, and 6 were appearing in extended or unedited forms....
" (2002)
- Trk. 1 - 5 Released on "The 70s Anthology
- "Tears Left Over" (Leonard Caston, Jr.Leonard Caston, Jr.Leonard Caston, Jr. is an American rhythm and blues songwriter, record producer, pianist and singer. He recorded for both the Chess and Motown labels in the 1960s and 1970s, and co-wrote or co-produced several major hit records, including Mitty Collier's "I Had A Talk With My Man" , The Supremes'...
, Nickolas AshfordAshford & SimpsonNickolas Ashford , and Valerie Simpson , were a husband and wife songwriting/production team and recording artists....
) - 3:37- Working title: "Bet I Can Wash Away"
- "Eleanor RigbyEleanor Rigby"Eleanor Rigby" is a song by The Beatles, simultaneously released on the 1966 album Revolver and on a 45 rpm single. The song was written primarily by Paul McCartney and credited to Lennon–McCartney...
" (John LennonJohn LennonJohn Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
, Paul McCartneyPaul McCartneySir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
) - 2:30- Originally recorded by The BeatlesThe BeatlesThe Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
- Originally recorded by The Beatles
- "I Ain't Got the Love of the One I Love" (Nick Zesses, Dino Fekaris) - 3:19
- Originally assigned to David Ruffin.
- "Can't Get You Out of My Mind" (Ashford, Valerie SimpsonAshford & SimpsonNickolas Ashford , and Valerie Simpson , were a husband and wife songwriting/production team and recording artists....
) - 2:59 - "Take a Look Inside" (McMurray, Brenda Wane, Steve Bowden) - 3:36
- "Still Water (Love)Still Water (Love)"Still Water " is a 1970 hit single written by Smokey Robinson and Frank Wilson, who also produced the track for Motown singing group The Four Tops, who took the song to the top ten of the UK pop charts and the top twenty of the US pop chart...
" (Wilson, Smokey RobinsonSmokey RobinsonWilliam "Smokey" Robinson, Jr. is an American R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, and former record executive. Robinson is one of the primary figures associated with Motown, second only to the company's founder, Berry Gordy...
) - 2:56- Originally recorded by The Four TopsFour TopsThe Four Tops are an American vocal quartet, whose repertoire has included doo-wop, jazz, soul music, R&B, disco, adult contemporary, hard rock, and showtunes...
.
- Originally recorded by The Four Tops
- "Take Your Dreams Back" (Cosby, Dean, Glover) - 3:18
- Working title: "Free to Be Lonely"
- "I Don't Want to Own You (I Just Want to Love You)" (R. Dean TaylorR. Dean TaylorR. Dean Taylor is a Canadian singer, most famous as a recording artist, songwriter and record producer for Motown Records company during the 1960s and 1970s...
, Mike Valvano) - 2:55 - "Chained to Yesterday" (Beatrice Verdi, Sawyer, Cosby) - 3:08
- Originally assigned to Diana Ross & The Supremes
- "If I Were Your WomanIf I Were Your Woman (song)"If I Were Your Woman" is a song recorded Gladys Knight & the Pips. The song was written by Pam Sawyer, Clay McMurray, and Gloria Jones and it was produced by McMurray. Released in late 1970 from the album of the same title, it spent one week at number-one on the Best Selling Soul Singles chart in...
" (Jones, Sawyer, McMurray) - 2:46- Originally recorded by Gladys Knight & the PipsGladys Knight & the PipsGladys Knight & The Pips were an R&B/soul family musical act from Atlanta, Georgia, active from 1953 to 1989. The group was best known for their string of hit singles on Motown's "Soul" record label and Buddah Records from 1967 to 1975, including "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" and "Midnight...
.
- Originally recorded by Gladys Knight & the Pips
- "I Ain't That Easy to Lose" (Jones, Sawyer) - 3:51
- Originally assigned to Gladys Knight & the Pips.
- "And I Thought You Loved Me" (Zesses, Fekaris) - 4:18
- "It's Too Late" (Carole KingCarole KingCarole King is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. King and her former husband Gerry Goffin wrote more than two dozen chart hits for numerous artists during the 1960s, many of which have become standards. As a singer, King had an album, Tapestry, top the U.S...
, Toni Stern) - 4:27- Originally recorded by Carole KingCarole KingCarole King is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. King and her former husband Gerry Goffin wrote more than two dozen chart hits for numerous artists during the 1960s, many of which have become standards. As a singer, King had an album, Tapestry, top the U.S...
.
- Originally recorded by Carole King
- "All I Need"
- Originally recorded by The TemptationsThe TemptationsThe Temptations is an American vocal group having achieved fame as one of the most successful acts to record for Motown Records. The group's repertoire has included, at various times during its five-decade career, R&B, doo-wop, funk, disco, soul, and adult contemporary music.Formed in Detroit,...
. - Trk. 19 Released on "Motown Sings Motown Treasures"
- Originally recorded by The Temptations
Personnel
- Jean TerrellJean TerrellJean Terrell is an American R&B and jazz singer. She replaced Diana Ross as the lead singer of The Supremes in January 1970.-Early life and career:...
- lead- and background vocals - Mary WilsonMary Wilson (singer)Mary Wilson is an American singer, formerlymember of the Motown female singing group The Supremes during the 1960s and 1970s. Wilson was the only singer to be a consistent member of the group in its eighteen-year tenure...
- background vocals, lead vocal trk. 11 - Cindy BirdsongCindy BirdsongCynthia Ann "Cindy" Birdsong , better known by her stage name, Cindy Birdsong, is an American singer, most famous for singing with the legendary soul groups Patti LaBelle & the Bluebelles and The Supremes.-Early life:...
- background vocals - The AndantesThe AndantesThe Andantes were a prolific female sessions 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 Martha Reeves & the Vandellas, The Temptations, Stevie...
(Louvain Demps, Jackie Hicks, Marlene Barrow) - additional background vocals - Gloria Jones & Pamela Sawyer (Producers, trk. 1, 3)
- Henry CosbyHenry CosbyHenry "Hank" R. Cosby was an African American songwriter and record producer for Motown Records...
(Producer trk. 2, 8, 12, 15) - Clay McMurray (Producer trk. 4, 5, 10, 16)
- Frank WilsonFrank Wilson (musician)Frank Wilson is an African American former songwriter and record producer for Motown Records.-Biography:He was born to James Wilson and Samantha Gibbs...
(Producer trk. 6) - Bobby TaylorBobby Taylor & the VancouversBobby Taylor & the Vancouvers were a soul band from Vancouver, British Columbia. Briefly signed to Motown Records in the late 1960s, they had one top 30 hit single, "Does Your Mama Know About Me". As a producer and solo artist, Bobby Taylor contributed to several other soul recordings, both inside...
(Producers trk. 7, 11, 17, 18) - Ashford & SimpsonAshford & SimpsonNickolas Ashford , and Valerie Simpson , were a husband and wife songwriting/production team and recording artists....
(Producers trk. 9) - R. Dean TaylorR. Dean TaylorR. Dean Taylor is a Canadian singer, most famous as a recording artist, songwriter and record producer for Motown Records company during the 1960s and 1970s...
& Mike Valvano (Producers trk. 13) - The Clan (Producers trk. 14)