Diana Ross and the Supremes
Love Child (Motown/Universal/Elemental)
140 gram limited edition virgin vinyl LP
1968's Love Child was the Supremes' 15th studio album, and the first since they extended their moniker to Diana Ross and the Supremes, a move similar to that of Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, hinting at Ross' rising stock.
The album also has one of the low key coolest sleeves in music history. Mary Wilson and new member Cindy Birdsong are decked out in black jeans and black leather jackets in an alley, while Ross skulks around the corner in cut off blue jeans and a yellow sweater, as if she's eaves dropping on her bandmates.
"The title track, which soon became one of the Supremes’ iconic hits, 'Love Child,' achieved a #1 triple crown - topping the Billboard Hot 100, Cashbox Top 100, and Record World’s Top 100 charts in the US, as well as reaching #1 in the UK, New Zealand, and Canada," reads the press release.
It's no surprise that the song did so well -- it's quite brilliant and sets the tone for the next chapter in the Supremes' career. Or at least it should have done; multiple personnel changes kinda derailed them and halted any momentum.
Still, this album is an underrated gem. Suave, cheeky and brimming with killer tunes.
The Temptations
Meet the Temptations (Motown/Universal/Elemental)
140 gram limited edition virgin vinyl LP
Unlike that Supremes reissue from later in their career, Meet the Temptations is, as the title suggests, the Motown singing group's debut.
It's gorgeous too. It might not have their best known songs on there, but all of the elements that made the Temptations such a beautiful force, the sum greater than its parts, are present and correct.
"While more a collection of singles than a studio effort, Meet The Temptations provides a fascinating look at how the Temptations’ sound developed over their first recordings as the group worked with different producers, including Berry Gordy, Norman Whitfield, and Smokey Robinson," reads the press release.
Songs such as "Paradise" and "Isn't She Pretty" offer a Temptations blueprint, but they're awesome tunes on face value too.
Marvin Gaye
In the Groove (Motown/Universal/Elemental)
140 gram limited edition virgin vinyl LP
When Marvin Gaye released In the Groove in 1968, his eighth studio album, he was still three years away from the world-shattering importance of 1971's What's Going On. That said, this record certainly made its mark.
It would later be repackaged and rereleased as I Heard it Through the Grapevine, due to the success of the single of the same name.
"In The Groove, his first solo studio outing in several years represents the singer reestablishing himself as a solo artist following recordings that paired him first with Kim Weston and later with Tammi Terrell," read the press release. "The album also found Gaye operating without his go-to songwriting team of Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, and Eddie Holland, who split from Motown in early 1968."
"I Heard it Through the Grapevine" is, of course, a bonafide classic. But the whole album is filled with bangers. "Some Kind of Wonderful," "Loving You is Sweeter Than Ever" and "Change What You Can" -- all find Gaye in an introspective mood. He's exploring love and relationships, as opposed to later when he would explore societal values. All of it is amazing.
