The Essentials [Original recording remastered]

the essentials [original recording remastered]

Editorial Reviews
Product Description
12 digitally remastered tracks, detailed liner notes, and great photos. Elektra. 2002.

Essentials,Georgia Satellites,Rhino / Wea,Pop,Rock,Rock/Pop

The Essentials [Original recording remastered]

The Supreme Florence Ballard: 18 Essential Original Recordings

Average customer rating:

The Original Dreamgirl
Fallen Star...
Oh, so disappointing...
HAVE NOT RECEIVED THIS ORDER
The right Songs

The Supreme Florence Ballard: 18 Essential Original Recordings
Florence Ballard
Manufacturer: Polygram Int'l
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00005ARS8
Release Date: 2001-07-02

Tracks:

Like You Babe
Yesterday
Yours Until Tomorrow
It's Not Unusual
The Impossible Dream
It Doesn't Matter How I Say It (It's What I Say That Matters)
Stay In Love
Walk On By
Goin' Out Of My Head
You Bring Out The Sweetness In Me
Everything Wonderful
Love Ain't Love
Forever Faithful
My Heart
Buttered Popcorn
Ain't That Good News
Hey Baby
Heavenly Father

Album Description

The first ever collection of recordings by one of the founding members of Motown legends The Supremes. 18 tracks that were unearthed from the Motown/ABC vaults & are issued here for the first time. Tracks, 'Like You Babe', 'Yesterday', 'Yours Until Tomorrow', 'It's Not Unusual', 'Impossible Dream', 'It Doesn't Matter How I Say It', 'Let's Stay In Love', 'Walk On By', 'Going Out Of My Head', 'Sweetness', 'Everything Wonderful', 'Love Ain't Love', 'Forever Faithful', 'My Heart', 'Buttered Popcorn', 'Ain't That Good News', 'Hey Baby' & 'Heavenly Father'. 2001 release.

Album Details

Arguably the best singer of the Supremes, the late Florence Ballard's talents were eclipsed by someone else in the group. This collection takes her to the forefront on all the tracks that show she could have been something a lot bigger than most would give her credit for in her time.

Customer Reviews:

The Original Dreamgirl.......2007-03-29

The Supreme Florence Ballard: 18 Essential Original Recordings, is 14 tracks from the 1968 recording sessions with ABC Records for a scheduled album, with the working title, You Don't Have To, with selections 15-18 - Buttered Popcorn, Ain't That Good News, Hey Baby & Heavenly Father - featuring Ballard as lead vocalist for the Supremes.

The way the collection is put together is dubious at best, since it's the pull of the Supremes/Motown Records which may draw fans to the CD and not the tracks slated for Ballard's solo debut.

There is some irony with the inclusion of the Motown Records' selections, since Ballard - as part of a settlement with the company that was finalized in early-1968 and included a cash payout of nearly $140,000 - was forbidden to ever mention that she was a member of the Supremes.

In 1968, ABC Records released only two singles - It Doesn't Matter How I Say It (It's What I Say That Matters)/Goin' out of My Head and Love Ain't Love/Forever Faithful - and put the remaining songs in the proverbial vault, though Ballard had a 2-year recording deal with the label.

Like You Babe has a solid, rock sound and is arguably as strong as the pair of A-sides that were issued, but drew minimal radio play and - because of that - little fan interest.

The remaining nine selections are of varying quality, with the arrangements a venerable hodge-podge, almost like an audition tape for a new artist attempting to sign a deal, not for a famous vocalist from one of the hottest groups of that time.

There has been bootleg copies of the "album" available for many years and even the recordings of the studio rehearsals & alternate takes were floating around for the most curious of fans who were willing to do a little searching.

It would have been a better release if the 14 cuts, rehearsals and alternate takes had been packaged together to give the listener a more complete picture of Ballard in her brief time with the label.

Ballard was not given the time or real quality material to succeed as a solo artist. The reasons are many - and there were plenty of rumors then that Motown Records may have played a major role - but Ballard deserved better.

Fallen Star..........2007-03-08

This is a great CD and Florence Ballard could have very easily replaced Diana Ross when she left the Supremes and held her own. She has a really, beautiful, thick voice that just mellows you out when you listen to it. It's like you have to stop in mid-track whatever you're doing, to give her your undivided attention. Her voice almost puts you in a trance.

However, her voice does sound kind of sad, she has a pain in her voice similar to Billie Holliday's. The last few tracks are songs that she led while she was still with the Supremes and you can hear the difference in her voice. She sounds much happier and bouncy on the Supremes tracks than she does on the tracks she sang alone. Bless her heart, she really did try to pick up the shattered pieces and make a new start.

This album didn't go anywhere because Florence wasn't allowed to be identified as a former Supreme (this was part of her departure agreement). Because so much attention was given to another member of the group, the public probably didn't even know her name or Mary's name for that matter. Also the ABC label didn't have a "Black" division in their department so they really didn't promote it. I also believe the Detroit radio stations refused to play it because they were completely behind Motown all the way.

This is a good CD but it's kind of sad to listen to. It's melancholy, bittersweet. It makes you thankful that someone finally released this album, but it also makes you sad to think about what could have been, how far she really could have gone.

If you want to hear how well 'Ms. Blondie' could sing, this CD is for you. Ms. Ross wasn't the only one in the group with talent, Mary and Florence just never did get their chance to shine. This CD finally gives Florence that chance. Enjoy!

Oh, so disappointing..........2007-02-22

After reading for many years about Ballard's big voice and the suppression of her talents as a backup singer for Ms. Ross, I had high expectations for this disc, even after reading the reviews that all mentioned sub-standard material. It is true, with the exception of two tracks slated as singles, the material is either uninspired or inappropriate ("The Impossible Dream"? Come on!). However, I was unprepared for the lack of fire, intensity, charisma, "star quality," call it what you will, in Ballard's singing. Frankly, her vocal abilities, as displayed on the (wisely) unreleased tracks from her aborted solo album, are best suited to backup work. Perhaps it was her well-documented depression, or problems with substance abuse, that resulted in these lackluster performances. If you, like me, are expecting to hear a voice that was a cross between Aretha and LaVern Baker, you will be sorely disappointed. Ballard's cover of Edna McGriff's "Heavenly Father" can't hold a candle to the original - another poor A&R decision, enabling us to make a direct comparison with a truly superb and underrated singer (seek out the McGriff import compilation while it is available). For Supremes completists only.

HAVE NOT RECEIVED THIS ORDER.......2007-02-16

AS OF 2/15/07 I HAVE NOT RECEIVED THIS ORDER. WHERE IS IT?!

The right Songs.......2007-01-29

The music ABC gave her was not the best. Listening to the tracks on this CD, I think with "Ain't that Good News" and "Buttered Popcorn" on a single she would have had a hit!

by the way, I'm not Jeff who's listed as the reviewer. who is he??????

Average customer rating:

Essential Broadway

Manufacturer: Sony Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Release Date: 2007-04-03

Tracks:

Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin' (From "Oklahoma!") Guittard, Laurence; Blackton, Jay
Old Man River (from "Showboat") Allers, Franz; Warfield, William
Prologue: The Carousel Waltz (From "Carousel") Allers, Franz
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Almost Like Being in Love (from "Brigadoon") (Remastered 1988) Bell, Marion; Brooks, David
Wunderbar (Album Version) Morison, Patricia; Drake, Alfred
Some Enchanted Evening Pinza, Ezio
Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend (Album Version) Channing, Carol
The Oldest Established (From "Guys and Dolls") Strauss, Edward
The King and I; Hello Young Lovers (Barbara Cook) (Voice) Cook, Barbara; Bikel, Theodore
And This Is My Beloved (From "Kismet") Calvin, Henry; Banke, Richard; Drake, Alfred; Venora, Lee
Hey There (from "The Pajama Game") Raitt, John
I'm Flying (From "Peter Pan") Adrian, Louis; Stafford, Joseph; Nolan, Kathy; Martin, Mary; Harrington, Robert
Heart (From "Damn Yankees") (Remastered 1988) Komach, Jimmie; Frey, Nathaniel; Linville, Albert; Brown, Russ
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Standing On The Corner (from "The Most Happy Fella, 1956") Henson, John; Gilbert, Alan; Long, Shorty
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America (From West Side Story) (Album Version) Rivera, Chita; Cooper,
Everything's Coming Up Roses (Album Version) Merman, Ethel

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If Ever I Would Leave You (Album Version) Goulet, Robert
Hello, Dolly! (From "Hello, Dolly!") (Remastered 2003) Channing, Carol; Coleman, Shepard
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Another Hundred People (Album Version) Vocal Minority, The; Myers, Pamela
Losing My Mind (From "Follies") Cook, Barbara; Gemignani, Paul
Send In The Clowns (Album Version) Johns, Glynis
One (Album Version) Original Broadway Cast
Tomorrow from Annie Howard, Peter
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Average customer rating:

Musicals: Essential Album
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Essentials
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0000DIN0E
Release Date: 2003-11-11

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Joseph And His Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat: Any Dream Will Do - Michael Crawford
Phanton Of The Opera: All I Ask Of You - Lesley Garrett
Bombay Dreams: The Journey Home - Raza Jeffrey
Evita: Don't Cry For Me Argentina - Julie Covington
GigiI Remember It Well - Sian Phillips
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Chicago: All That Jazz - Paulette Ivory
Fiddler On The Roof: If I Were A Rich Man - Topol
Oliver!: Consider Yourself - Irfan Ahmad
My Fair Lady: Get Me To The Church On Time - Bob Hoskins & Company
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang - Dick Van Dyke & Cast
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Rent: One Song Glory - Sean McDermott
Miss Saigon: Bui Doi - Ethan Freeman
The Mikado: The Sun Whose Rays - Lesley Garrett
Jesus Christ Superstar: I Don't Know How To Love HIm - Joanna Ampil
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Nightingale: A Singer Must Be Free - Sarah Brightman
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South Pacific: Some Enchanted Evening - Thomas Allen
Show Boat: Ol' Man River - Willard White & Chorus
West Side Story: America - Caroline O'Connor
The Lion King: Can You Feel The Love Tonight? - Sean McDermott
Song & Dance: Take That Look Off Your Face - Marti Webb
Cabaret: Money, Money - Maria Friedman
Annie Get Your Gun: Anything You Can Do - Judy Kaye
The Music Man: 76 Trombones - Brian Cox
The King & I: Hello, Young Lovers - Valerie Masterson
Oklahoma!: People Will Say We're In Love - Thomas Allen
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Les Miserables: I Dreamed A Dream - Jacqui Scott
Starlight Express: Rolling Stock - Graham Bickley
Grease: Summer Nights - John Barrowman

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