"A Supreme Christmas EP" review by Rick Bueche

Santa Claus came a little early for me this  year when Eric  Iversen sent me a message that Scherrie Payne & Susaye  Greene formerly of The Supremes along with Joyce Vincent had just completed a Christmas EP that was available for download.

This all-too-brief set of four Christmas classics was  produced by Steve Weaver.  Steve does a  great job in capturing the talents of all three ladies by  supplying elegant  backing tracks and emphasizing the great harmonies that  these ladies are known  for.

Most fans remember that the combination of  Scherrie, Susaye  and Joyce was the intended group to take the Supremes to a  new level in 1977  when founding member Mary Wilson decided to go solo.   Motown however scrapped those plans and  retired the name.  We can only speculate  the great recordings we could have gotten back then, but  listening to this new  EP over 40 years later, one can immediately recognize that  all three ladies  have lost none of the vocal prowess they have always been  known for.

Scherrie gives us two of the four leads.  The  Christmas Song is always a holiday  favorite and Scherrie caresses it with a warm, restrained  vocal.  Perhaps singing in a slightly lower register,  we all remember Scherrie as “The Payne Killer” because  of her dynamic and  powerful stage and recording vocals.   Scherrie still possesses those chops and when listening to  this song  along with “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” I  came away with such a  warm feeling.  A deeply spiritual lady  and loved by her multitude of fans as a genuinely sweet,  loving lady, when she  wishes everyone a Merry Christmas at the end of that last  track, you KNOW she  means it.  Merry Christmas to you too Ms.  Payne.  BTW, toward the end of The  Christmas Song, listen to those exciting backing vocals.

Susaye Greene is a force of nature, plain and  simple.  She gives us O Holy Night showcasing that  incredible five octave range that she has lost none of  through the years.  When this song was finished I was so  moved by her vocal that I played it again.  Susaye  can make the hairs on my arms stand up!   I have always said that listening to Susaye Greene is as  much  instruction as it is entertainment; by that I mean her  trained, incredible vocal range can show any student of music how it is supposed  to be done!  All three ladies provide marvelous vocals on  these tracks, as one would expect, but Miss Su I’d have to  say walks away with  the set with this one track.  Just  incredible music.

It is especially nice to hear a full recorded  vocal by Joyce  Vincent.  You all remember I’m sure all  the years she spent as one third of Tony Orlando and Dawn.   For whatever reason she wasn’t given as much  air or recording time as the other two.   She does a great version of Little Drummer Boy with a bit of  a  twist:  Producer Weaver adds Susaye  Greene in the background to sort of guide Joyce through the  song much like  Johnny Bristol did with Diana Ross on Someday We’ll Be  Together.  Not that Joyce needs guidance of course but  the take away I got from it was one legendary Supreme  inducting the newest lady  into the fold.  It was a great idea and  it worked well.

Between this great EP and the videos I’ve seen of Scherrie,  Susaye and Joyce on stage I’m excited to know that the  legend of The Supremes  is being carried on.  We live in very  troubled times and we all have concerns about our future.  We may never have security again.  We may never have peace  again.  We may never have tranquility again.  But thanks  to Steve, Eric, David Kramlick, Scherrie, Susaye  and Joyce, we do have The Supremes… Again!

Rick Bueche

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A Supreme Christmas EP: iTunes