Maybe

It's no accident that the Three Degrees' career started taking off at approximately the same time the Supremes were falling apart. As this excellent collection (which contains all of the group's 1970-72 recordings for the Roulette label) makes clear, the Degrees represented the next step forward in female singing groups, and a very big step it was. Unlike their later situation on Philadelphia International Records (and unlike the Supremes), at this point the Degrees - in their classic lineup of Fayette Pinkney, Sheila Ferguson and Valerie Holiday - weren't having any material written specifically for them. Instead, they tackle a wide array of covers here, moving as easily between eras as they do between genres. Apart from providing the title of their debut album, the Degrees' rap-prefaced version of the 1958 Chantels classic "Maybe" became their first major hit, peaking at number 4 on the US R&B chart in the summer of 1970. 3-D workouts on songs by the James Gang, Sly Stone, Joe South, Tommy James and other contemporary artists are similarly transcendent, with those trademark flawless harmonies already in full swing and beautiful solo work by each member of the group. Of particular interest is the six-minute rethink of Jimmy Webb's "MacArthur Park", which actually omits the title line made famous by Richard Harris but is if anything even more gut-wrenching than his version in its sheer emotive power. Impressive as the commercial results of its various singles may have been, it's a wonder the "Maybe" LP didn't fare a lot better even in the feverishly progressive and competitive musical atmosphere of forty-four years ago. Rounding out the first disc are alternate and/or mono versions of some tracks from "Maybe", along with non-LP singles such as "I Do Take You" and a few previously unreleased efforts, all of which are well worth hearing. Disc two starts with the Three Degrees' second and final Roulette "album", "So Much Love", which was released in 1975 to cash in on the group's far greater success at PIR. "Maybe" makes its second full-length appearance here, with "I Do Take You" also tossed in for good measure; but most of this material hadn't yet been released at the time, and all of it is excellent, with Stephen Stills' "Love the One You're With" and Roberta Flack's "Trade Winds" providing especially good examples of the Degrees' seemingly boundless facility. As on the first disc, a wealth of bonus material (this time from 1971-2) brings the CD up to a generous seventy-two minutes and change. Obviously anyone with the least interest in soul music of the psychedelic era will want to grab this collection; but rock, pop and even country fans will find much to enjoy herein as well. The Three Degrees may never have enjoyed the sort of Stateside chart success the Supremes had, but they were in many ways a superior and more interesting group, in which all three members got their share of the spotlight and absolute magic happened when they raised their voices in unison. No maybes about it, folks; this one belongs in your music library!

This 2 CD set is a beautiful and bountiful package of all the Three Degrees recordings for Roulette Records in the early 70's. The precision of their harmonies are a quality that the group had honed and perfected through many years of singing, rehearsing and playing live . The most famous line-up of Sheila, Valerie and Fayette all share in lead vocals. The diversity of styles and genres is more evident here than in their later recordings. The group didn't own to any one sound yet . Soul, funk, pop, standards, ballads are all here . Before the lush symphonic perfection of their Philadelphia International albums & hit singles in the mid 70's, the Three Degrees were already gettin' down. Songs like YOU'RE THE ONE, YOU'RE THE FOOL, I WON'T LET YOU GO and FIND MY WAY are all very funky, with horns and a tight rhythm section. Songs like I DO TAKE YOU and I WANNA BE YOUR BABY showcase their shimmering harmonies and ilustrates the group had the sound of Philadelphia before even signing with Philly International. Valerie had a lot of leads on many of the songs here, especially on the uptempo funk numbers. Her most famous lead is on MAYBE , here in both the album and single versions, which are both different. The fact that she wrote the opening spoken words and didn't even get a songwriting credit is another example of how record companies and managers controlled and robbed artists. For the 42 total tracks on these 2 CD's, 19 of the songs are from their 2 albums MAYBE and SO MUCH LOVE [ the long album version of MAYBE was on both albums and is repeated twice to keep the original album's programming ]. There are 13 non-LP A and B sides in mono , and 10 album tracks in mono from their single versions. For the first time, there is a long version of YOURS and an unreleased song HANDLE WITH CARE. The non-album songs in particular, are very contemporary and soulful and a good example of early 70's funk. Rarities like SHADES OF GREEN and their version of George Harrison's ISN'T IT A PITY are here . For the song REQUIEM, the songwriting credit is listed as unknown, but it was written by Jimmy Webb and recorded first by The 5th Dimension on their 1968 album " The Magic Garden ". Their version of MACARTHUR PARK from their first album is wonderful to hear with airy sound effects and very different than the other versions of this song. Liner notes and a photo pack booklet make this a joyous , expertly done set that befits the music and the group's legacy. It also easily surpasses the 1995 CD reissue on Sequel Records called " The Roulette Years " that featured 22 tracks. So get on board...the Three Degrees are gettin' down here in abundance .

I fell in love with the Three Degrees in the 70's while living in Chicago. I used to work at a club there which catered to a lot of gay people. I first got turned on to their wonderful harmonization through watching a bunch of lovely & talented *Transgender ladies perform their hits via lip syncing to their tunes. I fell in love.My favorite at the time was a beautiful cover of the group Chantels hit titled "Maybe".It was a love affair after. I bought their recordings whenever it was possible, especially in the Disco era. I highly recommend this album to anyone who is a fan of girl groups.

They never had the success like The Supremes, but their harmonies were definitely superior. The title song "Maybe", will forever belong to Arlene Smith of The Chantels, however The 3D's make it their own with the spoken story leading to that grand start when the three of them sing that first word, Maaaaaaybeeee! "Stardust" another American classic just gets an amazing workout from the girls. As for the covers they chose that were current to the day, some work, some don't. Sly Stones' Little Sister's "You're The One" does! Stephen Stills' "Love the One You're With" doesn't. If you like the "oldies" sound of the girl groups of the 50's and 60's, the gem for me on the set was "I Do Take You". It had me from the wedding vows right thru that hook of a chorus. I liked it so much, I had to seek out the 45 for my jukebox. The liner notes are really informative once you get your magnifying glass. Please bring back our vinyl when we could read the covers without squinting! If you love the Three Degrees--YOU MUST OWN THIS!

, good cd, got the cd for the biggest hit" maybe", but he other songs in the cd were good, the a very good song and vocl range of the lead singer, brought back the good old days of great female group singers that knew how to sing

An interesting period in the history and development of the Three Degrees. This album features material from the period immediately prior to the girls signing with Gamble & Huff's Philly International label. All the pieces are fully developed here, all that's missing is that sweet philly production. The unmistakable harmonies are evident throughout but the production is all very showbiz and cabaret. A good set for true 3 Degrees fans. Casual listeners should stick to one of their many greatest hits packages that are available.

For those of you who have never heard and been enchanted by the soulful depths and abilities of these three wonderful ladies this CD will open your eyes to the very best of female groups of the 1960's. Now in their 50th year this collection of songs takes you right back to their earlier days, , strong harmonies, sunky and soulful styles, and three very individual voices strong enough to take lead, but when harnessed together sound is simply amazing

Brilliant

Maybe (Deluxe Expanded Edition) ..its been along time coming this cd, been on order for a while and then the date got moved again, but at last its arrived, 2 cd set from the girls, 21 tracks on cd -1 and 22 tracks on cd2- 11 of which are bonus tracks, so its worth every penny so far, the whole set has been put together so well and a great booklet with some new pics of the girls with some very good info. the tracks are the roulette years and the songs are just like silk, they pour over you so well and make you feel so good, every track is a gem' from YOUR THE ONE, SUGAR ON SUNDAY' the stunning MAYBE, MACARTHER PARK, to LONELY TOWN, what do you need, just more and boy do you get it with this cd, BONUS TRACKS LIKE--MELTING POT, I DO TAKE YOU, YOUR THE FOOL TO NAME A FEW ALL IN GOOD OLD MONO....you get mono versions that have not been released before and long single versions that have not been released as well, plus unreleased tracks as well that is just a few i have picked out, if like me you find the girls older songs are the better ones then this 2 cd set is for you and you should get this on order and be pacing the floor for it to arrive, if you do like the three degrees but only the newer stuff, like THE RUNNER, GIVING UP GIVING IN ETC, you should get this set and you will find out why the 3 girls old and new are just in perfect harmony, each track as i said will flow over you like fresh silk and leave you wanting more and more, i cant say it in any better way just get this cd for yourself and you will hear how perfect the voices flow out of your speakers, you only have to listen to one track and its my all time fav''' TRACK 6..MACARTHER PARK it is perfect singing in my book' three voices in harmony that will never be heard again........THREE DEGREES....MAYBE''....................NO MAYBE ABOUT IT.............GET IT NOW...............STUNNING...............ENJOY...... Maybe (Deluxe Expanded Edition)

This cd release from bbr features two albums from the girls before they signed to Philadelphia International and hit the big time with their self-titled debut that featured smashes `When Will I See You Again' and `Year Of Decision'.Although there are many great tracks here, these early recordings have more of a raw feel compared to the polished and lush arrangements courtesy of producers Gamble & Huff who gave them their signature `ooh ooh, aah aah' sound. Sharing lead vocals more evenly amongst the trio than in later years also gives things a different vibe. It's nice to hear Valerie Holiday and the late Fayette Pinkney taking centre stage as well as the much loved Sheila Ferguson.Highlights include the catchy `Sugar On Sunday', funky `Caught Between Two Fires' and timeless `Stardust' which the girls revisited a few years later on`Gold', their live album recorded at The Royal Albert Hall.If I'm honest I could live without the mono versions of some of the songs but the remastered and unreleased tracks along with great sleeve photography make this a real treat for fans.