The Supremes

[markolas]

I want to start a thread about the Supremes. Yes, we know the hits, but IMO their album The Supremes Sing Rodgers and Hart is one of the finest albums ever recorded, second only to Judy at Carnegie Hall.

The most famous lineup of Diana Ross, Mary Wilson, and Flo Ballard, lasted from 1961-1967 and is responsible for their most well-known hits. Flo was fired in 1967 and replaced by Cindy Birdsong (who left Patti LaBelle & the Blue Bells to join them; Patti was pissed for a long time). The group continued with Cindy as Diana Ross & the Supremes until Ross left in 1970.

Jean Terrell took over as lead singer and the group had a few more hits. Jean and Cindy both left in 1972, and Mary Wilson recruited Lynda Laurence and Scherrie Payne (sister of "Band of Gold" singer Freda Payne) as replacements. Lynda left after a year, and Cindy Birdsong returned to the group.

The Supremes fortunes continued to decline, and Cindy Birdsong left again in 1976 (the same year that original Supreme Flo Ballard died), replaced by Susaye Greene. In 1977, Mary Wilson decided to disband the group.

Mary attempted a solo career, but she was never much of a singer. She penned a couple of tell-all books in the 1980s, detailing the shady dealings of Motown founder Berry Gordy, who was porking Diana Ross and groomed her to be the star.

I've found myself quite enjoying some a lot of the post-Diana Ross Supremes music. They did a few great disco songs in the mid-70s with Scherrie Payne on lead vocals. I also quite enjoy some of Diana's solo material, especially the jazzy album Blue, recorded right after the Lady Sings the Blues film in 1972, but not released until 2006. She also did some great pop-rock stuff in the '80s. She's a total narcissist as a person, though.

Mary Wilson has a very over-inflated sense of her own talents, but I believe Diana and Berry did not treat her well.