Williams' girlfriend, Betty McGlown, was interested in joining the group, and Ballard invited her best friend Mary Wilson, who in turn recruited classmate Diana Ross. Under the direction of Jenkins, the Primettes began performing at sock hops and talent shows around the Detroit area, singing covers of artists such as Ray Charles and the Drifters. Guitarist Marvin Tarplin was added to the group so as to allow the three gals to sing live rather than lip-synching.
The Primettes won a local talent contest and in 1960, Ross asked an old neighbor, Smokey Robinson (lead singer of the Miracles) if he would help the group get an audition with Motown executive Berry Gordy. Robinson arranged the audition, but hired Tarplin for his group with the permission of the Primettes. Gordy felt the girls were too young and urged them to come back when they graduated from high school. The Primettes recorded the single "Tears Of Sorrow" for Lu Pine Records, which went nowhere. McGlown became engaged and left the group, replaced by Barbara Martin.
The Primettes were determined to win Gordy over and went to his Hitsville U.S.A. recording studio every day after school. Finally, they persuaded Gordy to let them contribute background vocals and hand claps for other Motown artists such as Marvin Gaye and Mary Wells. In 1961, Gordy signed the group to Motown with the stipulation that they change their name. Ballard suggested the Supremes and it stuck.
In the spring of 1962, Martin left the group shortly after recording some of he songs on the album Meet the Supremes, leaving a trio of Ballard, Wilson, and Ross. They recorded six singles mostly written by Gordy and Robinson in the next two years, none of which were successful, leading to the label of the "no-hit Supremes" around the offices of the record label. Meanwhile, the group continued to help out on songs recorded by Gaye and their friends the Primes, who by now had changed their name to the Temptations.
Brothers Eddie and Brian Holland and Lamont Dozier by this time had become established songwriting and production stars in the Motown stable. Eddie's single "You" in 1958 was produced by Gordy for Mercury Records, Brian was a staff songwriter who penned the Marvelettes' #1 song "Please Mr. Postman", while Dozier had recorded for several labels in the late 1950's and early 1960's, including Anna Records (owned by Gordy's sister) and Motown subsidiary Mel-o-dy.
The three, who became known as Holland-Dozier-Holland, would go on to write some of the biggest hits of the Rock Era while at Motown, and helped the Supremes to finally score a Top 40 hit in 1963 with their song "When The Lovelight Starts Shining Through His Eyes". When they broke through, the Supremes were touring on one of Motown's revues with third billing, behind Martha and the Vandellas and the Contours. The gals were backed by the incredible rhythm section of bassist James Jamerson and drummer Benny Benjamin as well as saxophonist Mike Terry.
Gordy selected Diana Ross to be the official lead singer of the group, though Ballard and Wilson were given solos on several songs on the Supremes' albums. Holland-Dozier-Holland wrote "Where Did Our Love Go" for the Marvelettes, who rejected it.
A breakup inspired Dozier to write the lyrics. He had just split from a woman who "wanted more than a casual fling", Dozier said, and he wasn't ready to commit to her. When he was playing the piano, the phrase "where did our love go" came to him. "It hit me thinking about how something so strong as love could be so fragile and then go poof, just like that," Dozier said.
Dozier ran through the list of artists on the Motown roster and thought of the Supremes. But they didn't want to record it either. It may have gone unrecorded were it not for Lamont's persistence:
I told them it was tailor-made for them, knowing that
they had nothing going on at the time and needed a
song. Much to my surprise, they said no. Gladys told
them I was looking for someone to record it. I wasn’t
giving up. Brian (Holland), Eddie (Holland) and I
finally persuaded them to do it, convincing them that
it was their saving grace and they couldn’t refuse it.
We had already had Top 40 hits with Martha and the Vandellas but they hadn’t had recordings of any significance yet.
Instead, the Supremes turned it into Gold and the first of what would be a record five consecutive #1 songs in the U.S. The talented group also recorded a great German version. The song also hit #3 in the U.K.
Now on their way, the Supremes recorded songs to complete the album Where Did Our Love Go. The trio promoted the album touring with Dick Clark's Caravan of Stars and released their second single "Baby Love", #1 in the U.S., Canada, the U.K. and New Zealand.
"Baby Love" became the Supremes' first Gold record. Wilson told The Guardian newspaper in 2014 what the song meant to her:
The upbeat feeling of the music is counterbalanced by the lyrics: someone pleading with a lover not to leave them. It's the Motown way: the music is beautiful but the words are stories about life and hurt, which reflect the way life is. The combination of the two made the music last.
"Baby Love" was nominated for Best R&B Song at the Grammys. One month after releasing the single "Come See About Me", the Supremes made their debut on The Ed Sullivan Show promoting the song. The trio went on to perform 19 more times on the show, more than any other artist. "Come See About Me" made it three consecutive #1's in the U.S., and it also went to #1 in Canada and #2 in New Zealand.
In July, the group released the album More Hits by the Supremes.
The Supremes released the single "Stop! In The Name Of Love", nominated for a Grammy for Best Contemporary Rock & Roll Group Vocal Performance. Yet another #1 for the legendary group, which stretched their streak to four, the first time that feat had ever been achieved.
The Supremes made it an incredible five straight #1 songs with "Back In My Arms Again", a record that still stands. The group performed the song on The Mike Douglas Show twice and on the NBC show Hullabaloo!
The original title of this song was "I Can't Break Away". "Nothing But Heartaches", released just prior to the Supremes' first appearance at the Copacabana nightclub in New York City, stopped just short of the Top 10 at #11.
By now, the Supremes were superstars and toured the world. They appeared in the movie Beach Ball. Their prolific year concluded with their fourth album of the year, Merry Christmas, which included two songs that have become holiday standards. The first is "Silver Bells".
Also included on the Christmas album is the Supremes' cover of the Julie Andrews song in the classic movie The Sound of Music, "My Favorite Things".
The album is approaching two million in sales. The Supremes released the single "I Hear A Symphony", which returned them to #1. Dozier told Songfacts:
I used to go to the movies and I would see that the
main stars had their own theme songs. When they appeared on the screen, you would hear this
melody behind them - they had their own little melody
each time they appeared in the movie. So the lyrics, "Whenever you are near, I hear a symphony," it was
about this guy. Whenever he came around, in her
mind she got this feeling and she heard this melody.
He brought out the music in her.
"My World Is Empty Without You" became the group's next big hit, going to #1 in the United States and Canada.
Those two singles were included on the Supremes' next album I Hear a Symphony.
Holland-Dozier-Holland wrote "Love Is Like An Itching In My Heart" at a time when the Holland brothers were going through terrible times in their personal lives. "The lyrics were coming from two broken hearts," Eddie said to Songfacts. "Love isn't only yearning and burning in the heart, it's an itching that you can't make go away - it taunts you."
The group's unprecedented run of consecutive #1 songs had been broken, so what did they do? The began another streak of four straight with "You Can't Hurry Love".
There has never been anyone like them--join us for Part Two of the Supremes!
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