Love Child (The Supremes album) explained

Love Child
Type:	Studio album
Artist:	Diana Ross & the Supremes
Cover:	Diana Ross & The Supremes - Love Child.png
Released:	November 13, 1968
Recorded:	February 17 – October 2, 1968
Label:	Motown
Prev Title:	Diana Ross & the Supremes Join The Temptations
Prev Year:	1968
Next Title:	TCB
Next Year:	1968

Love Child is the fifteenth studio album released by Diana Ross & the Supremes for the Motown label in 1968. The LP was the group's first studio LP (excepting covers and tribute albums) not to include any songs written or produced by any member of the Holland–Dozier–Holland production team, who had previously overseen most of the Supremes' releases.

Track listing

Side one

1. "Love Child" – 2:55
2. "Keep an Eye" – 2:59
3. "How Long Has That Evening Train Been Gone" – 2:46
4. "Does Your Mama Know About Me" – 2:52
5. "Honey Bee (Keep on Stinging Me)" – 2:20
6. "Some Things You Never Get Used To" – 2:24

Side two

1. "He's My Sunny Boy" – 2:18
2. "You've Been So Wonderful to Me" – 2:31
3. "(Don't Break These) Chains of Love" – 2:23
4. "You Ain't Livin' Till You're Lovin'" – 2:41
5. "I'll Set You Free" – 2:37
6. "Can't Shake It Loose" – 2:07

Unused Recordings from the Love Child timeframe (March 1968-November 1968)

1. "The Beginning Of The End Of Love" (Richards-Taylor-Dean)
2. "Sweet Thing" (Robinson-Johnson-Cleveland)
3. "In The Evening Of Our Love" (Miner)
4. "Wish I Knew" (Richards-Dean)
5. "If You Should Walk Away" (Wilson-Gordy)
6. "I Can't Give Back The Love I Feel For You" (Ashford-Simpson-Holland)
7. "Ain't No Sun Since You've Been Gone" (Whitfield-Moy-Grant)
8. "Those Precious Memories" (Wilson-Sawyer)
9. "Can't You See It's Me" (Goga-Hunter-Sawyer) (Released on their 1969 Cream of the Crop album.)
10. "When It's To The Top (Still I Won't Stop Giving You Love)" (Dean-Weatherspoon-Weatherspoon) (Released on their 1969 Cream of the Crop album.)

Personnel

Performers

• Diana Ross – lead vocals
• Mary Wilson – backing vocals (side 1: track 3-4; side 2: tracks 1, 2, and 5-6)
• Cindy Birdsong – backing vocals (side 1: track 3-4; side 2: tracks 1, 2, and 5-6)
• The Andantes – backing vocals (side 1: tracks 1, 3–5; side 2: track 3)
• Nickolas Ashford – backing vocals (side 1: tracks 2 and 6; side 2: tracks 4 and 6)
• Valerie Simpson – backing vocals (side 1: tracks 2 and 6; side 2: tracks 4 and 6)
• The Funk Brothers – instrumentation (side 1: tracks 1 – 3, 5 and 6; all of side 2)
• Detroit Symphony Orchestra – instrumentation (side 1: tracks 1 – 3, 5 and 6; side 2: tracks 2–5)
• Los Angeles-area session musicians – instrumentation (side 1: track 4)

Production

• Nickolas Ashford, Valerie Simpson – producers, "Keep an Eye", "Some Things You'll Never Get Used To", "You Ain't Livin' Until You're Lovin'"
• R. Dean Taylor – producer, "Love Child"
• Frank Wilson – producer, "How Long Has That Evening Train Been Gone", "Does Your Mama Know About Me", "Love Child"
• Deke Richards – producer, "Honey Bee (Keep on Stinging Me)", "Does Your Mama Know About Me", "Love Child"
• Smokey Robinson – producer, "He's My Sunny Boy"
• George Gordy – producer, "You've Been So Wonderful to Me"
• Harvey Fuqua – producer, "(Don't Break These) Chains Of Love"
• Johnny Bristol – producer, "(Don't Break These) Chains Of Love"
• Berry Gordy, Jr. – producer, "I'll Set You Free", "Love Child"
• Henry Cosby – producer, "Can't Shake It Loose", "Love Child"

Charts

Year-end charts

Chart (1969)	Rank
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)^[2]	40
US Cashbox Top 100^[3]	82

Notes

1. R&B ALBUMS. Record Mirror. 11. February 8, 1969. worldradiohistory.com. October 31, 2021.
2. TOP RECORDS OF 1969 (Based on Billboard Charts): TOP SOUL ALBUMS—1969 . Billboard. 18. December 27, 1969. 14 January 2022.
3. Web site: The CASH BOX Year-End Charts: 1969 (TOP 100 POP ALBUMS). Cashbox. 5 January 2021.