JOINED TOGETHER: THE |

Full title: DIANA ROSS & THE SUPREMES JOIN THE TEMPTATIONS (1968)/TOGETHER (1969). Personnel: Diana Ross, Mary Wilson, Cindy Birdsong, Melvin Franklin, Otis Williams, Paul Williams, Eddie Kendricks (vocals). Producers include: Frank Wilson, Smokey Robinson, Al Cleveland, Terry Johnson, Henry Cosby. Compilation producers: Andrew Skurow, Harry Weinger. Includes liner notes by Andrew Skurow. Personnel: Mary Wilson (vocals); The Supremes (background vocals). Audio Mixers: Ellen Fitton; Frank Beaty Wilson. Liner Note Author: Andrew Skurow. Illustrator: Walter Velez. Arrangers: Jerry Long; Willie Shorter; Gene Page; H.B. Barnum; Paul Riser; Tom Baird. This double-disc set puts the studio collaborations of the Supremes and the Temptations--two of Motown's best groups--into one package. Moreover, the track list includes many of the finest songs produced by Berry Gordy's music empire, authored by the likes of Ashford & Simpson, Smokey Robinson, and Marvin Gaye, along with pop hits by Bacharach & David, Lennon & McCartney, and more. Beginning with an uncharacteristically flashy medley, the rest of the set falls right into step. "Try It Baby," "I Second That Emotion," and a "Funky Broadway" are only a few of the treasures here. On disc two, Motown hits "Stubborn Kind of Fellow" and "I'll Be Doggone" are interspersed with covers such as the Band's "The Weight" and Sly Stone's "Sing a Simple Song." The vocal prowess of the Supremes and the Temptations should go without saying, but it is the lead and harmonic interplay between the members here--the complex, interlocking male-female lines--that really stands out. While newcomers would be advised to first seek out collections by the individual groups, JOINED TOGETHER is a testament to the combined power of two of soul music's greatest.

• Format: CD
• Released: 4/27/2004
• Genre: R&B