The Supremes More Hits By The Supremes (expanded Edition) (1965 2018)

Its title might lead one to think this was a compilation, but it wasn't rather, More Hits by the Supremes is merely a valid presumption of its worth. It was also the original group's third highest charting album of their five years on Motown, and came not a moment too soon. The Supremes were doing incredibly well as a singles act, but not since Where Did Our Love Go had any of their LPs done particularly well on the pop charts; even a well-intentioned Sam Cooke-tribute album recorded early in 1965, which ought to have done better, had only reached number 75 (though it had gotten to number five on the R&B LP charts).

The release of "Diamond Diana" was synchronized with the unveiling of Ross' like-named fragrance, as well as the 2017 American Music Awards, during which the pop-soul legend was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award. Motown-centric Ross compilations ranging from OK to indispensable have been produced regularly since the early '70s, and this one falls closer to the lower end, as a brief overview angling for a casual listener's impulse purchase, not as a definitive anthology. "You Can't Hurry Love" is the lone Supremes selection. Otherwise, the emphasis is on solo work, including the #1 R&B hits "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," "Love Hangover," "Upside Down," and the Lionel Richie duet "Endless Love." There's an obligatory dance remix in the form of Eric Kupper's update of "Ain't No Mountain High Enough."

20th Century Masters - The Christmas Collection reissues all but one song from the recordings for the Supremes' 1965 holiday record, Merry Christmas, the group's only contribution to the seasonal market. Though none of these tracks were recorded at Motown's studios (only the vocals were), Merry Christmas was one of the label's best Christmas records; Diana Ross' charming innocence brought across the novelties ("Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," "Twinkle Twinkle Little Me") as well as the sacred tunes ("Born of Mary," "Children's Christmas Song"), and the harmony backing of Mary Wilson and Florence Ballard made the Supremes' version of "White Christmas" the best ever by a rock group.

"We Remember Sam Cooke" is the 5th studio album recorded by The Supremes, issued by Motown in April 12, 1965. The album is a tribute album dedicated to soul musician Sam Cooke, who had died the previous December. Notable selections on the album, consisting entirely of Cooke covers, included covers of "A Change Is Gonna Come", "You Send Me" and "(Ain't That) Good News" (led by Florence Ballard). It was the second most successful in a series of themed albums enjoying a #5 peak on the Billboard R&B chart. It showcased the versatility of the group with a Brit-pop album under their belt, as well as, a country and western-themed album. According to Motown data, this album managed to sell over 325,000 copies.

"Temptations Live!" is the 1st live album to be released by The Temptations. The album was recorded on October 3, 1966 at the Roostertail in Detroit, Michigan. The album cover photograph was taken on March 1966 at The 20 Grand, 14th and Warren in Detroit, Michigan, and the album was released on Gordy (Motown) Records in 1967. The album features David Ruffin, Paul Williams, Eddie Kendricks, Melvin Franklin, and Otis Williams performing their regular live repertoire for a highly receptive crowd mostly consisting of young women. Included in the set are Temptations hits such as "My Girl", "My Baby", "Get Ready", "Ain't Too Proud to Beg", "Don't Look Back", and the group's then-current single, "Beauty Is Only Skin Deep". Out of the several live albums the group recorded during their career, this is the only one to feature David Ruffin. The album remained on the Billboard 200 album chart for 51 weeks peaking at #10.

"Diana Ross" (later reissued rarely as "Ain't No Mountain High Enough") was the debut solo album for Diana Ross. It reached #19 in the USA (#1 R&B) and sold over 500,000 copies. The album was the ultimate test to see if the former Supremes frontwoman could make it as a solo act. With the help of the songwriting-producing team of Nickolas Ashford & Valerie Simpson, Ross turned out a successful album. Ross did extensive work with other producers before settling with Ashford & Simpson, including Johnny Bristol, producer of her final single with The Supremes, "Someday We'll Be Together". Bristol here produces "These Things Will Keep Me Loving You" (which was a UK hit when originally recorded by The Velvelettes); the rest of the LP is fully written and produced by Ashford & Simpson.