Farewell (Diana Ross & the Supremes album)
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| Farewell | ||
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| Live album by Diana Ross & the Supremes | ||
| Released | April 13, 1970 | |
| Recorded | Frontier Hotel, January 14, 1970, 11:54 p.m. – 1:00 a.m. | |
| Genre | Pop/Soul/Broadway | |
| Length | N/A | |
| Label | Motown MS2-708 |
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| Producer(s) | Deke Richards | |
| Professional reviews | ||
|---|---|---|
| Diana Ross & the Supremes chronology | ||
| Greatest Hits Vol. 3 (1969) |
Farewell (1970) |
Right On (1970) |
| Alternate cover | ||
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| 1992 reissue cover, Captured Live on Stage!. | ||
Farewell is a 1970 live album by Diana Ross & the Supremes. The album was recorded over the course of the group's final engagement together at the Frontier Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada, including the final night on January 14, 1970. The show marked Diana Ross' final performance with Supremes Mary Wilson and Cindy Birdsong. At the conclusion of the show, new Supremes lead singer Jean Terrell was brought onstage and introduced to the audience.
Contents[hide] |
[edit] History
The material performed in the show was a mix of popular Supremes hits, cover songs, and Broadway showtunes. During the extended twenty-minute rendition of "Let The Sunshine In", Diana Ross walked through the audience and let some of the guests sing the title-chorus of the song; some of these guests included Smokey Robinson and his wife Claudette, Dick Clark, Lou Rawls, Steve Allen, Johnny Carson, and Marvin Gaye.
The live album was issued as a two-LP deluxe edition boxed set, produced by Deke Richards. A two-disc compact disc reissue, Captured Live on Stage!, was issued in 1992.
According to Mary Wilson, Berry Gordy had last minute reservations about having Terrell replace Ross, as she was more independent and headstrong than Ross had been. Gordy called Wilson during the early morning hours following the final show, and informed her that he was going to instead replace Ross with his original choice for a Ross replacement, Syreeta Wright.
Terrell, Wilson, and Cindy Birdsong had already recorded most of the material for the first post-Ross Supremes album, Right On, and Terrell had just been publicly introduced as the newest Supremes, so Wilson refused and threatened to quit if Gordy dropped Terrell. Gordy angrily replied he would "wash [his] hands of the group", and hung up the telephone receiver.
Although the Terrell-led Supremes had a number of hits immediately following Ross' departure, including "Up the Ladder to the Roof", "Stoned Love", Nathan Jones", and "Floy Joy", their popularity and success quickly tapered off as promotion and backing from Motown decreased.
[edit] Track listing
[edit] LP/disc one
[edit] Side one
- "TCB"
- Medley: "Stop! In the Name of Love"/"Come See About Me"/"My World Is Empty Without You"/"Baby Love"
- Medley: "The Lady Is a Tramp"/"Let's Get Away From It All"
- Monologue - Diana Ross
- "Love Is Here and Now You're Gone"
- "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me"
- Monologue - Mary Wilson
- "Can't Take My Eyes off You"
- Dialogue - Diana Ross & Mary Wilson
- "Reflections"
[edit] Side two
- "My Man"
- "Didn't We"
- "It's Alright With Me"
- "Big Spender"
- "Falling In Love with Love"
- "Love Child"
- Monologue - Diana Ross
[edit] LP/disc two
[edit] Side three
- Monologue - Diana Ross
- "Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In (The Flesh Failures)"
[edit] Side four
- Monologue - Diana Ross
- "The Impossible Dream"
- Monologue - Diana Ross
- "Someday We'll Be Together"
- Closing Dialogue - Diana Ross & the Supremes
[edit] Personnel
- Diana Ross: lead and background vocals
- Mary Wilson: lead and background vocals
- Cindy Birdsong: background vocals
- Gil Askey: musical direction, arrangements, and orchestra conductor.
- Wally Heider: engineering
- John Stronach: engineering
- Berry Gordy: executive producer
- Deke Richards: album producer
- Deke Richard and Kevin Kim: art direction
- Kevin Kim: photography and design
- Ivy Hill: lithography
[edit] References
- Wilson, Mary and Romanowski, Patricia (1986, 1990, 2000). Dreamgirl & Supreme Faith: My Life as a Supreme. New York: Cooper Square Publishers. ISBN 0-8154-1000-X.
