Diana & Gene Simmons

Here's something interesting for Supremes fans. There's a group of older men [[like me) who does a YouTube show called the WOW report where they discuss the Top Ten on various subjects. In one report, they named Diana Ross's 1980 Chic produced album, "diana" which came in at #7 as their favorite album covers. In this particular show, they discussed the Top 10 girl groups of all time and surprisingly, The Supremes came in at #4 [[Destiny's Child came in at #1 - blah). But what makes this interesting, is that one of the men [[who is a big Supremes fan) said if he was in charge of the WOW report, he would name the Supremes #1 then goes on to talk about Gene Simmons [[of Kiss, and Diana Ross's former flame - in case you didn't know) and the surprise gift he once gave to Diana Ross after seeing all the Kiss gold records in his home. It's an hour long podcast so if you want to skip to where they discussed the Supremes, it's at 36:15 minutes. This is a story I wasn't aware of, but heartwarming.

I’ll post the You Tube below

https://youtu.be/0rV2bILtL3g?si=tbmSTYub-FpX3SLE

https://youtu.be/0rV2bILtL3g?si=tbmSTYub-FpX3SLE

Well that is a heart warming story

That was entertaining, thanks for posting!

Sorry - I should make it clear that I picked the post off Facebook - it wasn’t my post. But it is a nice human story reminding us that all these people are human.

These guys appear such fun that i wish i could have joined them at the table.
Flo’s funeral was of course in 76 not 74.
The Gene Simmons story is amazing. He must have really loved her to do something that special. Wasn’t it reported that a staff member found all those Supremes gold discs stuffed into a cupboard in the bathroom. Perhaps she had the solo ones hanging up at home.

Isn't that David Nathan [of SoulMusic.com Records] sitting on the far right? A big Motown/Soul fan, to be sure.

i fear for their lives and well being. if Mama Ru realized that WOW entertainment ranked the Supremes #4, she would have removed her stilettos and bludgeoned them to death! lol the mopped up the blood with her wig to eliminate any crime scene evidence lol

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Originally Posted by danman869

Isn't that David Nathan [of SoulMusic.com Records] sitting on the far right? A big Motown/Soul fan, to be sure.

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That's Fenton Bailey, a filmmaker/producer, who is one of the co-creators of RuPaul's Drag Race and the production company, World of Wonders.

That is a nice story. Thanks Rob.

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Originally Posted by sup_fan

i fear for their lives and well being. If mama ru realized that wow entertainment ranked the supremes #4, she would have removed her stilettos and bludgeoned them to death! Lol the mopped up the blood with her wig to eliminate any crime scene evidence lol

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hahahahahahahahaha

thanks. Great story. Love the side quip about Gene's tongue!

Actually, I had never heard the story about Gene Simmons and the gold records. That was really cool for him to do that....

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Originally Posted by captainjames

Actually, I had never heard the story about Gene Simmons and the gold records. That was really cool for him to do that....

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This brings out a human side to the participants but also Gene and Diana

I think I’ve seen an article on Gene where he indicated he’d used his tongue and other parts on 1000 women and planned to continue as long as his parts allow

From hearing this story, you also understand that Motown not belonging to the RIAA had a consequence on its artists; there were artists that only ever had one hit and didn’t have the advantages the Supremes and Diana had and to never get a gold record would have been negative for them.

I thought Motown spray painted some records and made their own gold records

I don’t think that story is true about Gene Simmons because if you go to the RIAA website, there were no Diana Ross & or The Supremes certifications at that time. It’s a nice story though. Maybe he had some spray-painted or something.

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Originally Posted by jobeterob

From hearing this story, you also understand that Motown not belonging to the RIAA had a consequence on its artists; there were artists that only ever had one hit and didn’t have the advantages the Supremes and Diana had and to never get a gold record would have been negative for them.

I thought Motown spray painted some records and made their own gold records

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Motown being in the RIAA would've benefited the artists more so than Berry so he purposely kept out of having the RIAA look into sales because that would mean as an independent label, Berry and Co. would've had to use money from their bank accounts just to audit a Supremes record or Miracles record or Marvin Gaye record.

And that's why their 1960s and 1970s sales are lost since, as we all know by now, Motown didn't join the RIAA until roughly 1978 in which by then the very first Motown acts to actually get certified were:

Rick James [["Come Get It" was certified gold and platinum by the RIAA on August 22, 1978)
The Commodores [["Natural High" was certified gold by the RIAA on August 22, 1978)

So those two were the very first Motown acts to finally benefit from an RIAA audit [[Diana joined them a year after that when "The Boss" album was certified gold).

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Originally Posted by TheMotownManiac

I don’t think that story is true about Gene Simmons because if you go to the RIAA website, there were no Diana Ross & or The Supremes certifications at that time. It’s a nice story though. Maybe he had some spray-painted or something.

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It's true. Marvin Gaye himself exposed that was exactly what happened. I think he got a "gold record" for "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" and he thought that was strange because he knew Motown wasn't an RIAA member [[the RIAA debuted in 1958) so he took the record out of the frame and put it on his record player and it was a Supremes record playing.

Here are the Supremes' RIAA certifications just in case anyone was wondering:

ALBUMS:
"Anthology" [[certified gold on January 21, 1986)
"TCB" [[certified gold on October 12, 1999)*
"DRATS Join the Temptations" [[certified gold on October 12, 1999)*

* - albums with the Temptations

SINGLES:
"I'm Gonna Make You Love Me" [[certified gold and platinum on August 7, 1997)
"Someday We'll Be Together" [[certified gold and platinum on August 7, 1997)
"Stop! In the Name of Love" [[certified gold on September 8, 1997)
"Baby Love" [[certified gold on September 8, 1997)

VIDEOS:
"Reflections: The Definitive Performances [[1963-69)" [[certified gold and platinum on July 28, 2011)

So the Supremes received 11 gold and platinum awards from the RIAA and this amounts to a whopping total of 4.6 million RIAA units.

And while this still puts them on top of every Motown girl group [[the Marvelettes only received 2 gold records while Martha Reeves and the Vandellas only got one gold record), this still puts the group way below the male acts:

Boyz II Men: 36.8 million RIAA units
Stevie Wonder: 21.1 million RIAA units
The Temptations: 18.2 million RIAA units
Marvin Gaye: 10.7 million RIAA units
Commodores: 5.5 million RIAA units

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Originally Posted by TheMotownManiac

I don’t think that story is true about Gene Simmons because if you go to the RIAA website, there were no Diana Ross & or The Supremes certifications at that time. It’s a nice story though. Maybe he had some spray-painted or something.

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What I understood from the story is that he was able to get sales numbers and figured out himself what she had coming in platinum and gold records, not that he somehow got her and the Supremes enrolled in the RIAA or anything. If so, then, yes, I imagine he had the gold and platinum records he gave her custom made. As for spray painting, I’m quite sure that’s how the “official” ones are all done - I’ve never once got the impression they were actually made of precious metal…regardless, lovely story!

it has been said that gene Simmons and Diana Ross recorded two duets together and there were more on the wild side

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Originally Posted by after you

it has been said that gene Simmons and Diana Ross recorded two duets together and there were more on the wild side

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I never heard that - fascinating!

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Originally Posted by ejluther

What I understood from the story is that he was able to get sales numbers and figured out himself what she had coming in platinum and gold records, not that he somehow got her and the Supremes enrolled in the RIAA or anything. If so, then, yes, I imagine he had the gold and platinum records he gave her custom made. As for spray painting, I’m quite sure that’s how the “official” ones are all done - I’ve never once got the impression they were actually made of precious metal…regardless, lovely story!

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I thought the same as you.

Gene felt bad for her because Motown didn’t get gold records at the time. So he did some mild research and figured out which songs should have been certified and made up some gold records. A kind gesture.

But after the relationship ends, what do you with such momentos?