Reflections (The Supremes album)


Reflections is the twelfth studio album recorded for Motown by Diana Ross & the Supremes. Released in 1968, it was the first regular studio LP to display the new billing of the group formerly known as "The Supremes." It contains the singles "Reflections", "In and Out of Love" and "Forever Came Today". Also included are covers of songs made famous by Martha and the Vandellas and The 5th Dimension. Also present are songs written by other famous names, including "Bah-Bah-Bah" co-written by Motown singer Brenda Holloway with her younger sister, Patrice, an original Smokey Robinson composition titled "Then", and "What the World Needs Now Is Love" by Burt Bacharach and Hal David, which Motown planned to release as a single in the spring of 1968, but cancelled. It also contains a cover of Bobbie Gentry's "Ode to Billie Joe," whose original recording kept the single #2 "Reflections" from peaking at the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 in September 1967, and it hit #2 on Cashbox.
The album includes the final songs the Supremes recorded with their main creative team of Holland–Dozier–Holland before the three writers/producers departed Motown over royalty and title disputes. Although Florence Ballard recorded some of this album before being fired from the group in July 1967, her replacement Cindy Birdsong along with Mary Wilson recorded several songs and appears on the album cover. Initially, the album cover included three photos with Ballard but it was quickly replaced with the cover featuring just Ross, Wilson and Birdsong. A photo of the original album cover can be found on Motown 45 rpm promotional sleeves issued in early 1968. One of the album's singles, "Forever Came Today", was later covered by The Jackson 5 on their 1975 album Moving Violation.
"In and Out of Love" was chosen to be the key song for the American Bandstand dance contest that year. Because of that exposure, the single remained #1 on American Bandstand's chart for an impressive four weeks. It outperformed "Reflections" with Dick Clark's audience affording the album two top three singles on that pivotal show.

Track listing

Side one

  1. "Reflections" - 2:50
  2. "I'm Gonna Make It " - 2:47
  3. "Forever Came Today" - 3:14
  4. "I Can't Make It Alone" - 3:14
  5. "In and Out of Love" - 2:40
  6. "Bah-Bah-Bah" - 3:18

    Side two

  7. "What the World Needs Now Is Love" - 2:51
  8. "Up, Up and Away" - 2:31
  9. "Love " - 2:53
  10. "Then" - 2:09
  11. "Misery Makes Its Home in My Heart" - 2:54
  12. "Ode to Billie Joe" - 4:54

    Unused Recordings from the Reflections timeframe

  13. "My Guy"
  14. "It's Going All The Way To True Love"
  15. "Stay in My Lonely Arms"
  16. "Heaven Must Have Sent You"
  17. "Treat Me Nice John Henry"
  18. "Am I Asking Too Much"
  19. "All I Know About You"

    Personnel

Album

Singles