New Ways but Love Stays

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New Ways But Love Stays
The Supremes - New Ways but Love Stays.png
Studio album by
The Supremes
ReleasedOctober 1970[1]
Recorded1970
GenreSoul, Pop
Length31:12[1]
LabelMotown
MS 720
ProducerFrank Wilson
The Supremes chronology
The Magnificent 7
(1970) 		New Ways But Love Stays
(1970) 		The Return of the Magnificent Seven
(1971)
Singles from New Ways but Love Stays
  1. "Stoned Love"
    Released: October 15, 1970
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic3/5 stars[1]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music3/5 stars[2]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide3/5 stars[3]

New Ways But Love Stays is the second studio album by the Jean Terrell-led Supremes. Building on the foundation of the group's first LP, Right On, New Ways was produced by Frank Wilson and features The Supremes' most successful single with Terrell, "Stoned Love".

Background[]

1970 Motown advertisement in Billboard for the single "Stoned Love" and the album New Ways but Love Stays.

The plea for peace and love was written by Wilson and a Detroit teenager named Kenny Thomas. The song's title, read by many entertainment executives as a double-edged drug reference, prevented the song from making an impact in some areas; for example, footage of The Supremes performing the number was edited out of a November 1970 episode of The Merv Griffin Show. However, the song still was a huge success on the charts, reaching number 7 on the Billboard hot 100, number 1 on the Billboard R&B singles chart and number 3 in the UK.

New Ways But Love Stays was originally titled Stoned Love after its hit single; the controversy over the song's name prevented this from occurring. Another change that befell the project was the alteration of the original album cover. The original design used a photograph which depicted the three Supremes in Afros and dark green turtlenecks, giving them a Black Power look. Apparently feeling that such a look would go against the Supremes' established "glamour girl" image, Motown's final front cover for New Ways But Love Stays includes one of the Black power photos, but it is inset within a circle and surrounded by additional inset pictures of the three Supremes in their more familiar gowns. The individual photos of the three Supremes had already appeared in the artwork for the album The Magnificent Seven. The reverse of the album cover is a full portrait of the trio in the 'black power' styling. This was a colour photograph on the US release, but black and white when released on Tamla Motown in the UK and Europe.

Besides its hit single, the album also includes several notable album tracks, such as "Together We Can Make Such Sweet Music" (a Spinners cover), and "It's Time to Break Down", which is today recognized as a minor "dusty groove" classic, and was sampled by hip hop producer DJ Premier for the Gang Starr song "JFK 2 LAX", included on the 1998 LP Moment of Truth.

Critical reception[]

The Rolling Stone Album Guide praised the "magnificent" "Stoned Love", before lamenting the group's slide into "mere professionalism."[3]

Covers[]

On New Ways But Love Stays The Supremes covered Simon & Garfunkel's "Bridge Over Troubled Water", The Beatles' "Come Together, Steam's "Na Na Hey Hey (Kiss Him Goodbye)" and The Spinners' "Together We Can Make Such Sweet Music".

Track listing[]

Side one

  1. "Together We Can Make Such Sweet Music" (Martin Coleman, Richard Drapkin)
  2. "Stoned Love" (Yennik Samoht, Frank Wilson)
  3. "It's Time to Break Down" (Ellean Hendley, Wilson)
  4. "Bridge Over Troubled Water" (Paul Simon)
  5. "I Wish I Were Your Mirror" (Pam Sawyer, Frank Wilson)

Side two

  1. "Come Together" (John Lennon, Paul McCartney)
  2. "Is There a Place (In Your Heart for Me)" (Clay McMurray, Martin Coleman)
  3. "Na Na Hey Hey (Kiss Him Goodbye)" (Gary DeCarlo, Dale Frashuer, Paul Leka)
  4. "Shine on Me" (Frank Wilson)
  5. "Thank Him for Today" (Vincent DiMirco)

Bonus tracks

  1. "Love the One You're With" (Stephen Stills) (CD bonus track, position # 7, it does not appear on the original LP)

Personnel[]

Production

  • Frank Wilson – producer except "Is There A Place"
  • Clay McMurray – producer on "Is There A Place"

Charts[]

Chart (1970) Peak
position
US Billboard 200[4] 68
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[5] 12

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c "New Ways but Love Stays". AllMusic. Retrieved 2012-03-03.
  2. ^ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Volume 7: MUZE. p. 859.CS1 maint: location (link)
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 684.
  4. ^ "The Supremes Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  5. ^ "The Supremes Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
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