Love is here…

On June 15, Motown/UMe will celebrate the legacy of The Supremes with a new 2-CD Expanded Edition in the long-running series.  1967’s The Supremes Sing Holland-Dozier-Holland will be expanded from 12 tracks to a whopping 52, incorporating rarities, outtakes, live performances, and much more.

The Supremes’ final album to be completely written by the team of Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier and Edward Holland (with a little help on two songs from “Indiana Wants Me” tunesmith R. Dean Taylor!) and produced by Brian and Lamont, Sing H-D-H featured two Pop and R&B chart-topping signature hits (“You Keep Me Hangin’ On” and “Love is Here and Now You’re Gone”) along with original songs and Supreme treatments of H-D-H compositions popularized by other artists within Hitsville (The Four Tops’ “It’s the Same Old Song” and “I’ll Turn to Stone,” Martha and the Vandellas’ “(Love is Like a) Heat Wave”).  This triumph for the original line-up of Diana Ross, Mary Wilson, and Florence Ballard reached the zenith of the Billboard R&B survey and a more than respectable No. 6 placement on the Top LPs chart.

This Expanded Edition presents, on Disc One, the original stereo and mono albums, with the mono album making its CD/digital debut.  (As was typical of the era, there are distinct variations between the mono and stereo versions.)  This disc adds five bonus tracks including an alternate version of “Love is Here and Now You’re Gone” and extended mixes of songs including “The Happening” and “You Keep Me Hangin’ On.”  The second disc has even more Supreme magic in store, kicking off with eight treats such as the original film version of “The Happening” (from the 1967 crime comedy of the same name), the first version of “Love is Here,” a special duet mix with Gladys Knight and The Pips of “You’re Gone (But Always in My Heart),” and a mash-up of “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)” and “Where Did Our Love Go.”

The centerpiece of Disc Two is the first release of the fifteen-track set Live at the Copa, May 1967, one of the group’s final performances with Florence Ballard.  This dynamic, sultry, sophisticated and soulful live performance finds The Supremes taking on show and film tunes (“Put on a Happy Face” from Bye Bye Birdie, “Somewhere” from West Side Story, “My Favorite Things” from The Sound of Music and a joyful medley of “Thoroughly Modern Millie,” “Second Hand Rose,” and “Mame”), covers (Jody Miller’s “Queen of the House”), and their own indelible hits including a medley of “Stop! In the Name of Love,” “Come See About Me,” “My World is Empty Without You,” and “Baby Love.”  The set concludes, appropriately, with “The Happening.”

And that’s not all.  A 32-page booklet boasts rare photographs and a new interview with Lamont Dozier, while a second, 24-page booklet replicates The Supremes’ original 1967 tour program.  The Supremes Sing Holland-Dozier-Holland: Expanded Edition is the work of the Supreme dream team responsible for the past reissues in this series: it’s been curated, produced, and annotated by the Andrew Skurow and George Solomon, and remastered by Kevin Reeves.

This particular Happening is due on June 15 from Motown/UMe, and follows the recent Expanded Editions of Supremes A’ Go-Go and Merry Christmas, the latter released in collaboration with Second Disc Records and Real Gone Music as The Ultimate Merry Christmas.  (In case you missed ’em, both titles are still available!) You’ll find pre-order links below for The Supremes Sing Holland-Dozier-Holland: Expanded Edition, the ultimate tribute to the powerful collaboration of Diana, Mary, Flo, Brian, Lamont, and Edward.

The Supremes, The Supremes Sing Holland-Dozier-Holland: Expanded Edition (Motown/UMe, 2018) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Links TBD)

CD 1

Original Mono Album (Motown MT-650, 1967)

1. You Keep Me Hangin’ On
2. You’re Gone (But Always in My Heart)
3. Love is Here and Now You’re Gone
4. Mother You, Smother You
5. I Guess I’ll Always Love You
6. I’ll Turn to Stone
7. It’s the Same Old Song
8. Going Down for the Third Time
9. Love Is in Our Hearts
10. Remove This Doubt
11. There’s No Stopping Us Now
12. (Love Is Like a) Heat Wave

Original Stereo Album (Motown M-650, 1967)

13. You Keep Me Hangin’ On
14. You’re Gone (But Always in My Heart)
15. Love is Here and Now You’re Gone
16. Mother You, Smother You
17. I Guess I’ll Always Love You
18. I’ll Turn to Stone
19. It’s the Same Old Song
20. Going Down for the Third Time
21. Love Is in Our Hearts
22. Remove This Doubt
23. There’s No Stopping Us Now
24. (Love Is Like a) Heat Wave

Bonus Tracks

25. The Happening (Extended Hit Mix)
26. All I Know About You (Extended Mix)
27. Love Is Here and Now You’re Gone (Version 3)
28. We Couldn’t Get Along Without You (Extended Mix)
29. You Keep Me Hangin’ On (Extended “Cool” Alternate)

CD 2 (Tracks 8-22 Live at the Copa)

1. You Can’t Hurry Love (Extended Alternate)
2. The Happening (Film Versions)
3. Love Is Here and Now You’re Gone (Version 1)
4. You’re Gone (But Always In My Heart) (Strings Mix)
5. I Guess I’ll Always Love You (Extended Mix)
6. Going Down for the Third Time (Extended Mix)
7. Remove This Doubt (Extended Mix)
8. Put On a Happy Face
9. Medley: Stop! In the Name of Love/Come See About Me/My World Is Empty Without You/Baby Love
10. My Favorite Things
11. You Keep Me Hangin’ On
12. The Lady Is a Tramp/Let’s Get Away from It All
13. I Hear a Symphony
14. From This Moment On
15. Queen of the House
16. Love Is Here and Now You’re Gone
17. Somewhere
18. You Can’t Hurry Love
19. Medley: Thoroughly Modern Millie/Second Hand Rose/Mame
20. Group Introductions
21. You’re Nobody ‘Til Somebody Loves You
22. The Happening