Supremely Yours II CD update by Steve Weaver

Hi guys! I've been asked to update the progress of Supremely Yours II. First, I want to say a little something about Supremely Yours (the first album) that started everything off back in late 1994. That album has been on Spotify and iTunes/Amazon music for several years now and YouTube Music just licensed it for their recently established Music platform - which is very nice and keeps our music playing...

So, SUPREMELY YOURS II. Well, as many of you know, I had to put everything on the back burner for several years - due entirely to my health. I broke my neck in 2001 which resulted in major surgery and a lot of pain which slowly increases as I get older. My specialist tried many types of drugs and therapies on me and now I'm happy to report the pain is under much better control.  It's something I have to live with for the rest of my life. I am half man, half robot as all my x-rays and MRI scans frequently prove - but enough of that! We released NEW BEGINNINGS as a four-track taster for SUPREMELY YOURS II - containing AIN'T NO STOPPING US NOW, I CAN'T MAKE YOU LOVE ME, DANCE WITH MY FATHER and  BAND OF GOLD. This was the first time I'd engineered the ladies' vocals myself which started out a little frightening but they're all a joy to work with and record so it quickly became a part of the whole song production process that I really enjoy!

At the time of writing this, well over half of the album is complete and tracks are ready to roll. You already know that we're including some more cover versions- and that's because I always want to keep things like they were in the old days. The Supremes fronted by Diana, Jean and Scherrie all recorded great covers for Motown - so why not keep the music playing exactly the same way? As Jean Terrell said, "You must shake it but NEVER break it!"

Back in 2017, Lynda Laurence told us that she'd be bowing out of the trio after 31 years. By then I'd already recorded several songs with her on lead and backing vocals. She very graciously gave the Supreme Team enough notice - meaning behind the scenes the transition of a new member could be handled at a much easier pace than ever before and it worked out great! Susaye and Scherrie became PARTNERS again! Susaye was always the first option, plus the well documented fact that the lineup we now have of Scherrie, Susaye & Joyce was to be Motown's revitalized SUPREMES for the late 70's and beyond. Okay, so it's taken 40 years to hear their vocal blend on record but better late than never, I say! Each lady has a great, unique sound - and their instinctive harmony blend is simply SUPREME so, to maximize their vocal strengths, several of SUPREMELY YOURS II's originally planned cuts have been shelved to fully integrate Susaye and make an album with an equal amount of lead vocals for each of our beautiful songbirds... 

You've already heard very quick teasers of HIGHER & HIGHER, and several of you worked out that the drum and bass line of the song I posted a while back from the studio is Luther Vandross's classic NEVER TOO MUCH.  We're also going to include our version of Michael Jackson's YOU ARE NOT ALONE - originally planned as a duet between Scherrie & Cindy Birdsong, but now re-arranged as a shared lead between Scherrie, Susaye & Joyce. It sounds really beautiful. New additions are three ballads I've added, one being a duet with Scherrie and a very distinctive male Motowner from a million-selling group that still perform today, along with some funkier stuff and a couple of pop/dance songs to round off the collection. There won't be remixes of any of the 40+ tracks I've recorded and licensed (since I started producing the ladies in 1994) that are already available on CD, stream and download. 

Things have progressed very well in the studios here in the UK and I'm itching to get the rest of the vocals completed. Initially, that was to happen in November but gigs got scheduled for the ladies and then Joyce got a call to tie some more "Yellow ribbons" with Tony Orlando  & Dawn, which meant either putting my trip stateside back to January or pulling it forward to October - the latter is what I opted to do.

So, again - thank you for being so patient. We're very much back on track and we'll keep you informed of how things are progressing.

Stoned ♥ Love,
Steve Weaver/the Supreme Team.
(Eric Iversen & David Kramlick)

Realistically, the whole album won't be out until After January 2019 but I promise there will be tracks available as an EP before then.

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