The Supremes

Baby Love
http://youtube.com/watch?v=23UkIkwy5ZM

Come See About Me
http://youtube.com/watch?v=SKE2r_CZW5g

You Can't Hurry Love
http://youtube.com/watch?v=DDCMbXtv9WM

Reflections
http://youtube.com/watch?v=jsufcpanMx4

The Supremes were an American female singing group, and the most successful vocal group of the 1960s, second only to The Beatles.[1] Active from 1959 until 1977, The Supremes performed, at various times, doo-wop, pop, soul, Broadway show tunes and disco. The Supremes were the most commercially successful of Motown Records' signature acts, and charted twelve American number-one hits between 1964 and 1969.[1] Many of their singles were written and produced by Motown's main songwriting and production team, Holland-Dozier-Holland. The mid-1960s crossover success of The Supremes paved the way for future black soul and R&B acts to gain mainstream audiences.

The Supremes formed in Detroit, Michigan in 1959 and began as a quartet called The Primettes. Founding members Florence Ballard, Mary Wilson, Diana Ross and Betty McGlown, all from the Brewster-Douglass public housing project in Detroit,[2] were the sister act to The Primes (with Paul Williams and Eddie Kendricks, who would go on to form The Temptations).[2] In 1960, Barbara Martin replaced McGlown, and the group signed with Motown in 1961 as The Supremes. Martin left in early 1962, and Ross, Ballard and Wilson carried on as a trio.

In the mid-1960s, The Supremes achieved success with Ross as lead singer. Motown president Berry Gordy renamed the group Diana Ross & The Supremes in 1967 and replaced Ballard with Cindy Birdsong. Ross left for a successful solo career in 1970 and was replaced by Jean Terrell. After 1972, the lineup of The Supremes changed frequently before the group disbanded after 18 years, in 1977.

The Supremes recorded the single "Where Did Our Love Go" in the spring of 1964.[14] The song was originally intended by Holland-Dozier-Holland for The Marvelettes, who rejected it.[14] Although The Supremes disliked the song, the producers coerced them into recording it.[14] In August 1964, while traveling as part of Dick Clark's Caravan of Stars tour, "Where Did Our Love Go" reached number one on the US pop charts, much to the surprise and delight of the group.[16] It was also their first song to appear on the UK pop charts, where it reached number three.

"Where Did Our Love Go" was followed by four more US number-one hits: "Baby Love"—also a number-one hit in the United Kingdom—"Come See About Me", "Stop! In the Name of Love" and "Back in My Arms Again".[17] "Baby Love" was nominated for the 1965 Grammy Award for Best Rhythm & Blues Recording, and "You Keep Me Hangin' On" was awarded the 1966 Grammy for Best Pop single.[18] Between late 1966 and early 1967, the Supremes charted four more number-one hits in a row: "You Can't Hurry Love", "You Keep Me Hangin' On", "Love Is Here and Now You're Gone", and "The Happening".

Instead of plain appearances and basic dance routines, The Supremes' on-stage appearance featured high-fashion gowns and wigs, detailed makeup, and graceful choreography created by Motown choreographer Cholly Atkins. Gordy wanted the Supremes, like all of his performers, to be equally appealing to black and white audiences,[19] and he also sought to erase the image of black performers as being unrefined or lacking class.

The Supremes were international stars by 1965. They toured the globe, becoming almost as popular abroad as they were in America.[20][21] Almost immediately after their first number-one hits, they recorded songs for motion picture soundtracks, appeared in the 1965 film Beach Ball, and endorsed dozens of products, even at one point having their own brand of bread.

By the end of 1966, their number-one hits included "I Hear a Symphony", "You Can't Hurry Love", and "You Keep Me Hangin' On";[22] and their 1966 album The Supremes A' Go-Go became the first album by an all-female group to reach number one on the US album chart.

The Supremes were among the first black musical acts to become a complete and sustained crossover success. The black rock and roll musicians of the 1950s saw many of their hit tunes covered by white musicians, with the covers achieving more fame and sales success than the originals. Partially because of Diana Ross’ pop-friendly voice, The Supremes became extremely popular with international mainstream audiences. The group broke down many racial barriers, becoming one of the first black musical acts to appear regularly on television programs.Most notably, The Ed Sullivan Show between December 1964 and December 1969 featured The Supremes fourteen times. The group's crossover success helped pave the way for the mainstream success of label mates such as The Temptations, The Four Tops and The Jackson 5.

Holland-Dozier-Holland left Motown in early 1968 after a dispute with the label over royalties and profit sharing,[31] and the quality of Motown's output (and Diana Ross & the Supremes' records in particular) began to falter. From the release of "Reflections" in 1967 to the release of "The Weight" in 1969, only six out of the eleven released singles reached the Top 20, and only one of those, 1968's "Love Child", made it to number one.

The changes within the group and their decreasing sales were signs of changes within the music industry. The gospel-based soul of female performers like Aretha Franklin had eclipsed the Supremes' pop-based sound, which had by now evolved to include more middle-of-the-road material. In a cultural climate now influenced more than ever by countercultural movements such as the Black Panther Party, the Supremes found themselves attacked for not being "black enough", and lost ground in the black music market.

By 1969, Motown had begun plans for a Diana Ross solo career.Ross began to make her first solo recordings, with "Someday We'll Be Together" planned to be her first solo single. Gordy instead had the song released as the final Diana Ross & The Supremes single, despite the fact neither Mary Wilson nor Cindy Birdsong sang on the record. In November 1969, Ross' solo career was publicly announced. The following month, "Someday We'll Be Together" hit number one on the American pop charts, becoming not only the Supremes' twelfth and final number-one hit, but also the final number-one hit of the 1960s.

Diana Ross & The Supremes gave their final performance together on January 14, 1970 at the Frontier Hotel in Las Vegas. After the stupendous Frontier Hotel performance, Ross officially began her career as a solo performer.
On Sunday June 12, 1977, the Supremes performed their farewell concert at the Drury Lane Theater in London and disbanded.

Although The Supremes were twice nominated for a Grammy Award – for Best Rhythm & Blues Recording ("Baby Love", 1965) and Best Contemporary Rock & Roll Group Vocal Performance ("Stop! In the Name of Love", 1966)–they never won an award in competition.[43] Three of their songs – "Where Did Our Love Go" and "You Keep Me Hangin' On" (both 1999) and "Stop! In the Name of Love" (2001) – have been named to the Grammy Hall of Fame.[44] The group' songs "Stop! In the Name of Love" and "You Can't Hurry Love" are among The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.[45] They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988, received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1994, and entered into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1998. In 2004, Rolling Stone placed the group at number 97 on their list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time".[46] The Supremes are notable for the influences they have had on the black girl groups who have succeeded them in popular music. Among these acts are groups such as The Three Degrees, The Emotions, The Pointer Sisters, En Vogue, TLC, Destiny's Child and Cleopatra.

(Wikipedia)