The Supremes (1962-1970)

Welcome to Rock and Roll Flashback!  We are your hosts, Jumpin' John McDermott and Bill Price.  In this episode we are going to discuss the first 8 years in the career of one of the most successful performers of the 1960's.  This group also became the flagship act of Motown Records:  The Supremes!  Our focus will be on what one might call the "Diana Ross version" of the group, from 1962 through January 1970.  This podcast is another in our continuing Girl Groups Series here on Rock and Roll Flashback.  We loosely define Girl Groups as being primarily American female vocal groups popular from the late 1950's through the mid-1960's.  The Girl Group era produced a clearly identifiable hybrid of gospel, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, and pop.  These Girl Groups rose in popularity during the period between the heyday of early 1950's rock and roll and the mid-1960's British Invasion.  

All podcasts on the Rock and Roll Flashback Podcast are produced by brothers-in-law Bill Price and "Jumpin' John" McDermott. The Podcast Theme Song, "You Essay", was written by John. It was initially recorded by Bill and John on April 1, 2004 with several revisions since then.
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Until next time...
Rock On!

Transcript

Jumpin' John (JJ):  Thank you for that introduction, and welcome to Rock and Roll Flashback!  I'm Jumpin' John...

Bill Price (BP):  …and I'm Bill Price.  John and I are here together in the Classic Frog Recording Studios.  Today we are going to discuss the first 8 years in the career of one of the most successful performers of the 1960's.  This group also became the flagship act of Motown Records:  The Supremes!  Our focus will be on what one might call the "Diana Ross version" of the group, from 1962 through January 1970.

JJ:  This podcast is another in our continuing Girl Groups Series here on Rock and Roll Flashback.  We loosely define Girl Groups as being primarily American female vocal groups popular from the late 1950's through the mid-1960's.  The Girl Group era produced a clearly identifiable hybrid of gospel, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, and pop.  These Girl Groups rose in popularity during the period between the heyday of early 1950's rock and roll and the mid-1960's British Invasion.  

BP:  Besides the Supremes, some of the many groups that we will be covering in this Series include groups such as the Marvelettes, the Ronettes, the Cookies, the Shirelles, and Martha & the Vandellas.  Berry Gordy, the founder of Motown Record Corporation, developed a strategy to make his records appeal to everyone.  Gordy came up with the slogan "the Sound of Young America".  The Girl Groups on the Motown label were a key element in Gordy's systematic strategy.  It could be argued that these Girl Groups epitomized the hopes of early 1960’s culture and helped to feminize rock music.  So, John, why don't you summarize how the Supremes were first formed.

JJ:  In 1958 a trio of Detroit male singers, Eddie Kendricks, Kell Osborne, and Paul Williams, were calling themselves The Primes.  The trio decided they needed a female version to go along with their act.  Their manager, Milton Jenkins, was dating the sister of 15-year-old Florence Ballard.  They recruited Florence, who suggested adding her friend, Mary Wilson.  Then they added Paul Williams' girlfriend, Betty McGlown.  For a fourth member, Paul Williams recommended a 14 year old.  That young lady’s birth name was Diane Ernestine Earle Ross, and she would go on to fame as Diana Ross.  Those four working-class girls from Detroit’s Brewster-Douglass public housing project became known as The Primettes.  In the summer of 1960, the group received an audition at Berry Gordy's Hitsville Studio in Detroit through Diana's former neighbor, Smokey Robinson.  Even though Gordy liked the teenagers, he told them that they were still too young and should return when they finished high school.  However, the four girls continued to show up at Motown's headquarters after school.  Eventually, Betty McGlown decided that she was going to get married and dropped out of the group.  After several other singers auditioned, they settled on Barbara Martin as their fourth member.  

JJ:  The Primettes recorded two tracks for a single release on the Lu-Pine label, but the record was not promoted and went nowhere.  A few months later, the girls were still hanging around the Motown studio when the call went out for some back-up singers to accompany Mabel John.  

Mable John had been the first female artist signed by Berry Gordy to Motown's Tamla label.  The four girls sang well as Mabel’s back-up, and from then on they were paid a small salary to occasionally sing background vocals or provide hand claps on recordings.  By the Fall of 1960, The Primettes were finally given the opportunity to record some material themselves.  Their first song, called "After All", was never released.  In December they tried again, this time with "I Want A Guy".  Smokey Robinson encouraged Berry Gordy to sign them, so the girls were signed to the Motown label in January 1961.  One of the first things Gordy did was to provide the quartet with a list of potential new names for the group.  Florence Ballard chose The Supremes, from the list, as their new name.  The Supremes' first Motown recordings were much more girl-group-oriented than their later hits.  On many of the early tracks it was Florence Ballard, and not Diana Ross, who sang lead.  In 1962, after all had graduated high school, Barbara Martin announced that she was pregnant.  She was asked to leave and, from that point on, the remaining members agreed to go on as a trio.  Bill, why don’t you review the trio’s early chart success. 

BP:  Well, the Supremes didn’t catch on right away.  It took a while to create the distinctive look and sound that would ultimately make them famous. Gordy unsuccessfully paired the group with different musicians and songs for three years until he finally found the right formula. Their first eight singles hardly cracked Billboard's Hot 100.  However, once Gordy had them work with the renowned songwriting team of Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, and Eddie Holland, things started to click.  In late 1963, they recorded one of Holland-Dozier-Holland’s songs, "When The Lovelight Starts Shining Through His Eyes".  That song, with Diana Ross singing lead, reached #23 on the pop chart in late 1963.  

BP:  Then in April 1964 the Supremes recorded another Holland-Dozier-Holland tune.  It was released shortly before the girls embarked on Dick Clark's June 1964 Caravan of Stars tour.  While they were touring the country, the new song, "Where Did Our Love Go", started to climb the Billboard Hot 100.  "Where Did Our Love Go" would become the first single by the Supremes to go to the #1 position on the Billboard Hot 100 pop singles chart, a spot it held for two weeks.  It was the first of five Supremes songs in a row to reach #1, and it also reached #1 on the Cash Box R&B singles chart.  

[Here is the Supremes "Where Did Our Love Go"] 

The Supremes'  "Where Did Our Love Go" is ranked #475 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time in 2010.  It was also selected for preservation in the National Recording Registry in 2016 due to its "cultural, historic, or artistic significance."  Billboard named the song #4 on its list of 100 Greatest Girl Group Songs of All Time.  John, why don’t you review their next four #1 tunes.

JJ:  Diana Ross may not have been the most talented female singer at Motown, however she certainly had the most pure pop appeal.  Berry Gordy's patience and attention had paid off and their career was now in an upward trajectory.  The songwriting team of Holland-Dozier-Holland had established the prototype for the Supremes run of five consecutive #1 hits in 1964-65.  Their next hit would be "Baby Love", which topped both the Billboard pop singles chart and the UK pop singles chart from October 25th, 1964, through November 21st, 1964. 

[Here is an excerpt from the Supremes “Baby Love”] 

Beginning with "Baby Love", the Supremes became the first Motown act to have more than one American #1 single.  By the end of the decade, they would have more singles hitting the top slot than any other Motown or American pop music group with 12, a record they continue to hold.

"Baby Love" was nominated for the 1965 Grammy Award for Best Rhythm & Blues Recording.  In 2021 it was ranked #499 on the Rolling Stone list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

JJ:  It was followed by "Stop! In the Name of Love", which hit the #1 position on the Billboard pop chart on March 27th, 1965 and reached the #2 position on the soul chart.  

[Here is the Supremes “Stop! In the Name of Love”] 

“Stop! In the Name of Love” earned them another Grammy nomination, in the category of best group contemporary (rock and roll) performance, the following year.  Billboard named the song #38 on their list of 100 Greatest Girl Group Songs of All Time.  In 2001, the 1965 recording of "Stop! In the Name of Love" by the Supremes was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.  In 2021 “Stop!” was listed at #254 on Rolling Stone's "Top 500 Greatest Songs of All Time".

JJ:  "Come See About Me" was #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on two separate non-consecutive weeks: the weeks of December 13th, 1964, and January 10th, 1965.  "Come See About Me" also reached #3 on the soul chart.  

[Here is an excerpt from the Supremes "Come See About Me"]

The Supremes performed this single, "Come See About Me", on December 27th, 1964 on CBS’s The Ed Sullivan Show.  

JJ:  The Supremes performed "Back in My Arms Again" on The Mike Douglas Showon May 5th, 1965, and again on November 3rd.  They also performed the song nationally on Hullabaloo! on May 11th, 1965.  "Back in My Arms Again" hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop singles chart on June 6th, 1965, and also topped the soul chart for a week.  So, Bill, what was next for the Supremes?

BP:  The Supremes were now appearing onstage in detailed make-up and high-fashion gowns and wigs, and performing graceful choreography while they sang.  Berry Gordy wanted the Supremes, like all of his performers, to be equally appealing to black and white audiences.  In a May 1965 profile of rock music, Time magazine called the Supremes "the reigning female rock 'n' roll group".

BP:  By 1965, the Supremes were international stars.  They toured the world, becoming almost as popular abroad as they were in the US.  After their initial five #1 hits, they recorded songs for motion picture soundtracks, appeared in the 1965 film Beach Ball, and endorsed dozens of products.  They even had their own brand of bread!  By the end of 1966, their #1 hits included "I Hear a Symphony", "You Can't Hurry Love", and "You Keep Me Hangin' On".  Also in 1966 the group released The Supremes A' Go-Go, which on October 22nd became the first album by an all-female group to reach #1 on the US Billboard 200.  Because the Supremes were popular with white audiences as well as with black ones, Gordy had the group perform at renowned supper clubs such as the Copacabana in New York.  Broadway and pop standards were incorporated into their repertoire alongside their own hit songs.  As a result, the Supremes became one of the first black musical acts to achieve complete and sustained crossover success.  Through the medium of television, The Supremes were able to win over a large American audience.  From December 1964 up to the end of 1969 they were regular guests on the popular Ed Sullivan Show, appearing there a total of 17 times.  

BP:  Holland-Dozier-Holland continued to write and produce all of The Supremes' hits through the end of 1967.  However, problems within the group and with other Motown performers led to tension among the members of the Supremes.  Many of the other Motown performers felt that Berry Gordy was lavishing too much attention upon the group and upon Ross, in particular.  In mid-summer 1967, the name of the act was officially changed to "Diana Ross & the Supremes".   

BP:  By early 1968 Diana Ross & the Supremes had lost both Florence Ballard and producers Holland-Dozier-Holland.   Ballard was fired after performing at a gig while inebriated.   She was replaced by Cindy Birdsong.  Holland–Dozier–Holland left Motown after a dispute with the label over royalties and profit sharing.  From the song "Reflections" in 1967 to the song "The Weight" in 1969, only six out of the eleven released singles by Diana Ross and the Supremes reached the Top 20.  Due to the tension within the group and the stringent touring schedules, neither Mary Wilson nor Cindy Birdsong appear on many of the singles.  They were replaced on these recordings by session singers such as the Andantes.  However, Diana Ross & the Supremes did achieve one hit during this period.  1968's "Love Child", featuring Ross backed by the Andantes, became the Supremes' 11th #1 single in the US.  The record took just three weeks to reach the Top Ten of Billboard's Hot 100 pop chart, which it topped for two weeks in November and December 1968. 

[Here is an excerpt from Diana Ross & the Supremes “Love Child”]

"Love Child" also performed well on the soul chart, where it spent three weeks at #2.  Also in 1968 Diana Ross & The Supremes did two TV specials with Motown's other top act, The Temptations.  The specials were called Taking Care of Business and On Broadway.  John, why don’t you review what became of Diana Ross & the Supremes after 1969.

JJ:  Diana Ross & the Supremes released their last song, "Someday We'll Be Together", on October 9th, 1969 and performed their final concert at the Frontier Hotel in Las Vegas on January 14th, 1970.  At the final performance, the replacement for Diana Ross, Jean Terrell, was introduced.  After the Frontier Hotel performance, Ross officially began her career as a solo performer.  Various combinations of singers calling themselves the Supremes would continue for the next 7 years.  On June 12th, 1977, the Supremes performed their farewell concert at the Drury Lane Theater in London as Mary Wilson made her exit for a solo career.  Current members Scherrie Payne and Susaye Greene selected Joyce Vincent to round out the trio as a new third member.  Instead, Motown decided that without any original members, the Supremes would be disbanded.

JJ:  So, what became of the four main members of the group?  Following her departure from the Supremes in 1970, Diana Ross embarked on a very successful solo music career, as well as garnering success and recognition as an actress.  As a solo artist, she has released 26 studio albums, and has had six of her solo singles reach #1 on the Billboard Hot 100.  Diana Ross was named the "Female Entertainer of the Century" by Billboard in 1976.  Rock and Roll Flashback will record a separate podcast about the prolific solo career of Diana Ross.  Mary Wilson also recorded several solo albums and singles.  Wilson published two memoirs, the first of which, 1968’s Dreamgirl: My Life as a Supreme, was a bestseller.  Mary’s other book (written with Mark Bego), 2019’s Supreme Glamour: The Inside Story of the Original Pop Fashionistasm, looks at the group’s timeless fashions.  Sadly, after being fired from the group in 1967, Florence Ballard became impoverished and died of cardiac arrest at age 32 in 1976.  Cindy Birdsong largely withdrew from the spotlight after the Supremes disbanded, except for an unsuccessful attempt at a solo career in the 1980’s.  Bill, why don’t you discuss the legacy of the Supremes.

BP:  Between 1964's "Where Did Our Love Go?" and the end of 1967, the Supremes released 15 singles.  14 of those singles made the pop chart Top 10, and 10 of them made #1.  In the span of five years, the Supremes amassed twelve #1 pop hits in the US.  Those 12 #1 hits made them second only to the Beatles among groups to top the Billboard Hot 100.  A record unrivaled by any other female group in pop, it attests to the skill of the songwriting team of Eddie Holland, Lamont Dozier, and Brian Holland.  During Holland-Dozier-Holland's tenure with the Supremes, the hits seemed automatic.  Their consistent songwriting formula, along with the strategy Berry Gordy utilized in packaging the Supremes and their music, proved to be extremely successful.

Not only were the Supremes the Motown label’s primary crossover act, they also helped change the public image of African Americans during the civil rights era. The youth of America learned many of its first lessons about racial equality from teen magazines that documented every move the Supremes made.  The Supremes were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988.  The group received a Grammy Award for lifetime achievement in 2023.

JJ:  Thank you for listening to this review of the first 8 years in the career of the premier act of Motown Records in the 1960’s:  the Supremes!  This podcast was another episode in our Girl Groups Series here on Rock and Roll Flashback!  So, for now, I’m Jumpin’ John McDermott…

BP:  …and I’m Bill Price.  And until next time…Rock On!