Diana Ross & The Supremes: Let The Sunshine In - 1969

 

The penultimate Diana Ross & The Supremes album here from May 1969. Once more, it functions more as a Diana Ross album than one involving the group, Mary Wilson, Cindy Birdsong and the erratically-appearing Florence Ballard are criminally underused (possibly at Ross's behest). The Andantes vocal group sing many of the secondary vocals. This was such a pity. Some of the previous album's adult, socially-aware themes are continued on what was another convincing and credible release.

The excellent opener, Smokey Robinson's The Composer, sounds like a Diana Ross solo number, let's be honest. Sly & The Family Stone's iconic racial awareness anthem Everyday People is delivered strongly by Ross and whoever it is on backing vocals. Up next is a latter-era Supremes classic in the astrologically-themed No Matter What Sign You Are, with its zodiac references and unique, fuzzy guitar sound. I have loved this song for years. From way back when. 

Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff's Hey Western Union Man is a quality serving of  mature but catchy soul. Jimmy Ruffin's iconic What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted is easily handled by Ross and The Funk Brothers (who had played on the original, of course). Yes, it is a cover version of a well-known song, but the musicians involved do it full justice.

Following up from the socially-aware Love Child came I'm Livin' In Shame, a very sad, moving song about a girl who became rich and too big for her boots and neglected her poor mother. The mother dies (while making home made jam) before they can patch things up. 

Contemporaneously unsurprising was the cover of Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In from the immensely popular hippy musical Hair. It sounds a bit dated now, although terribly nostalgic. It is given a sort of live medley feel to it. The easy-listening covers vibe continues on Bacharach/David's Let The Music Play. The previous album had not gone down this well-travelled (at Motown) route, but we got a return to it here. 

With A Child's Heart is very much of its era and is again in the easy mould. The brass and the percussion on the backing are top notch, however. Discover Me (And You'll Discover Love), co-written by Johnny Bristol, is a typically soulful number while Will This Be The Day also is sweetly soully. By the way, it was co-written by Terry Johnson, who had a Northern Soul hit with Suzie in his own right. I'm So Glad I Got Somebody (Like You Around) features one of those great basslines and yet another bracketed title as well. 

This was a better than average album but it doesn't quite match up to the previous two and it doesn't sound like a Diana Ross & The Supremes album, it is a Ross solo effort in all but name.

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