Live At London's Talk Of The Town – DIANA ROSS & THE SUPREMES***

With A Song In My Heart-Stranger In Paradise-Wonderful Wonderful-Without A Song(Medley)/Stop In The Name Of Love-Come See About Me-My World Is Empty Without You-Baby Love(Medley)/Love Is Here & Now You’re Gone/More/You Keep Me Hangin’ On/Michelle-Yesterday(Medley)/In & Out Of Love/The Lady Is A Tramp-Let’s Get Away From It All(Medley)/The Happening/Thoroughly Modern Millie/Second Hand Rose/ Mame (Medley)/ Reflections/You’re Nobody Till Someone Loves You

With Live At London's Talk Of The Town The Supremes, now with Diana Ross as figurehead, make another attempt to break into the already fading adult MOR cabaret market. (US:57 UK:6)

"Even as they released a steady stream of pop/R & B classics in the 1960s, The Supremes tried as a live act to escape the 'chitlin circuit' and teen tours to graduate towards the sophisticated supper clubs. By the time the renamed Diana Ross and The Supremes played the Talk of the Town in London, they were backed by an orchestra and were presenting most of their material in abbreviated medley form. Ross was attempting jokes in the brief moments between musical sequences, and the song list was weighted as much with MOR standards as it was with Supremes hits, an uneasy mixture. Here, the tempos were rushed, the groove was gone, and Ross and co. were frantic to keep up. For all the razzle-dazzle, though, the girls did manage to approximate to a slick Las Vegas style."

"I like their live versions of their own hits. Diana is in decent voice, although she is really dominating this album. I can live without the cover versions and show-tunes. This was Berry Gordy ensuring the pan-demographic appeal."

"More supper club shenanigans. Tepid covers and run-throughs of the hits, although Diana sounds far more into the Barbra Streisand songs than her own repertoire. This was the first Supremes album I ever acquired; a big, big mistake."

"Somehow, in three years, The Supremes went from innocent sounding, excited young girls to sophisticated, well-rehearsed, songstresses. I love the selection of songs here - the speed and the energy sounds wonderful, but The Supremes have become such slick performers that the words seem to fly from them automatically, as if even Ross is no longer interested or attached to the lyrics."