When You Wish Upon a Star - Diana Ross & the Supremes
Welcome to another Monday and another work week. Since it's been a while since I posted any covers of When You Wish Upon a Star and since I have something like 200 of them, I have decided that this week will be When You Wish Upon a Star Week. Each day this week I will post a version of this Pinocchio classic in a different style.

This week's style is sort of a cross between motown and showtunes by DIANA ROSS & THE SUPREMES from when their style was heading in a different direction. This track comes from an unreleased Disney album by the Supremes from 1967.

When You Wish Upon a Star Diana Ross & the Supremes 1967

Labels: diana ross, motown, pinocchio, showtunes, supremes, supremes sing disney classics, when you wish upon a star

  ¶ 6:59 PM 0 Comments Links to this post

  It Won't Be Long Before Christmas - Diana Ross & the Supremes
The song that I have chosen for today's installment of Christmas Week should probably be used on one of my Obscure Disney Song Fridays because it's one you probably don't know. But I want to use it this week and it's my site so I get to do what I want!

It Won't Be Long Before Christmas is a song written by the Sherman Brothers for the 1967 film The Happiest Millionaire. The movie is based on real-life millionaire Anthony J. Drexel Biddle and lives of his wife and kids.

At the end of the film, Mr. and Mrs. Biddle realize that their kids are growing up and soon will leave their home. The song was sung here, a very important moment in the film. However, due to the long running time of 172 minutes, the song was cut by Walt Disney and was lost in the Disney vaults for years. The lost footage was later restored in the 80s.

When DIANA ROSS AND THE SUPREMES were recording DIANA ROSS AND THE SUPREMES SING DISNEY CLASSICS in 1967, The Happiest Millionaire was not yet released and the song was not yet cut. My guess is that the producer of the album probably wanted to be current and stick a song on there from Disney's newest blockbuster hit and recorded this song in anticipation of that. Or maybe they wanted to record a Christmas song and this worked out perfect. It Won't Be Long Before Christmas can be found on many Motown Christmas compilations.

It Won't Be Long Before Christmas Diana Ross & the Supremes 1967

Labels: diana ross, it won't be long before christmas, motown, obscure, supremes, supremes sing disney classics, the happiest millionaire

  ¶ 7:16 PM 1 Comments Links to this post

  I Got No Strings - Diana Ross & the Supremes
Here is another track from the unreleased Disney tribute album from DIANA ROSS & THE SUPREMES. This time it's the classic I've Got No Strings from Pinocchio.

This song has a bit of irony for Florence Ballard. But to understand this I must give you a bit of Supremes history.

In 1967 the Supremes' record label wanted to jump on the bandwagon of taking the name of the most popular member and giving it top billing. The Miracles had become Smokey Robinson & the Miracles a few years earlier and other groups were doing this too. This was done so that the label could demand more money for booking the act because they were booking two names instead of one!

At this time the Supremes were in the studio recording DIANA ROSS & THE SUPREMES SING DISNEY CLASSICS and playing shows under the new name. But Flo started showing up to gigs and sessions drunk and sometimes didn't show up at all. Was she upset that Diana was getting top billing? Was she worried that she would go solo and break up the group?

Pretty soon, the Supremes' manager asked Cindy Birdsong to fill in when Flo couldn't make the gigs and sessions. Soon after, Flo was given the boot and Cindy Birdsong became a permanent member of Diana Ross & the Supremes.

So you see, I've Got No Strings was one of the last songs the Flo Ballard recorded with the group. Soon after, her strings were cut and she was free to fly on her own! But it wasn't the life she expected. She released a solo album that bombed and soon fell into poverty and died in 1976 at the age of 32. It's a sad irony.

Half of the songs on SUPREMES SING DISNEY are Flo and the rest are Cindy after Flo was fired from the group. The personnel changes and everything surrounding what was happening with Flo are rumored reasons why this album was never released.

I've Got No Strings Diana Ross & the Supremes 1967

Labels: diana ross, i've got no strings, motown, pinocchio, showtunes, supremes, supremes sing disney classics

  ¶ 9:31 AM 2 Comments Links to this post

  A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes - Diana Ross & the Supremes
One of my readers, Liz Orbitron, has requested that I post more Disney Princess songs. So seeing that this is request week, I will post a cover of A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes from Cinderella. Disney Princess songs like Some Day My Prince Will Come, A Whole New World and Part of Your World get covered a lot so I have many. I'll start posting them on a more regular basis.

The song I have chosen for today is a track from an unreleased album from DIANA ROSS & THE SUPREMES. The idea for a Disney album, called DIANA ROSS & THE SUPREMES SING DISNEY CLASSICS, came about in 1966 and recording began in 1967. But the recording was cut short when Florence Ballard was fired from the group. Recording picked up again and four more tracks were recorded with Ballard's replacement, Cindy Birdsong, but the album was shelved again.

A total of 14 tracks were recorded for this album and all but three have been released on various compilation albums. From what I have heard, this album is fantastic! It was recorded in a period of transition for the group from the classic motown sound to a more pop-based sound and showtunes style. All of these styles are represented on this album. I hope that one of these days we'll see DIANA ROSS & THE SUPREMES SING DISNEY CLASSICS hit the shelves.

A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes Diana Ross & the Supremes 1967

Labels: a dream is a wish your heart makes, cinderella, diana ross, motown, supremes, supremes sing disney classics

  ¶ 7:52 AM 1 Comments Links to this post