Syreeta Wright: would she have been good for the Supremes?

[captainjames]

You know I almost asked Mary once that if she had to do it over again would she have went with Gordy's decision to crown Syretta a member of the group and was it worth it internally. Please do not mis interpret me or put words in my mouth but I believe Jean would have been an outstanding single solo artist. Eventhough, Jean was different the public was always comparing Jean to Diana in a sense and at one point said it was Diana on Up The Ladder. Ever Berry wanted Syretta, womder if he had already mentioned it to her.

[Jimi LaLumia]

this whole thing has been beaten to death, and I've supported every version of The Supremes, but as I've said before, the studio version of Bad Weather is mediocre,and there AREN'T any hooks, as stated elsewhere,it was a throwaway track, maybe Stevie 'in joke' to get even for Syretta being rejected by the group;
the 'live' slightly faster version on SOUL TRAIN was better, but still didn't sound like a bona fide 'hit'..they could have given The Supremes a hook laden track track like "Don't Leave Me This Way" but they didn't..it's history, whatever..

[robbert]

You could not find their records in the stores and radio stations were no longer receiving copies for airplay.

Which could point to a plot within Motown to kill the Supremes! Wasn't it a B.G. who killed JFK after all?

[franjoy56]

The Supremes records through 1972 still sold inspite of shabby production, but in England they did even better wonder why. Up the Ladder # 9 Stoned Love #3 Nathan Jones #8 Floy Joy #13, Automatically Sunshine #16, all showing better numbers than in America, even though all except AS made the top twenty. Pedro was not the manager of the Supremes while Jean was in the group. It all really went downhill after Jean left even more evidently. Jean was the best choice inspite of what Motown did or did not do evidence is shown in the sold out copies of "This is the Story the 70's Albums..

[Jimi LaLumia]

the UK singles chart was/is a sales chart,not affected by radio airplay reports, so they couldn't 'kill' a record at radio as record labels did here for decades;
the 70's Supremes had as many big Top 40 singles in the UK as the 60's Supremes did;
but even the UK didn't really warm up to "Bad Weather", which says something about the record...
the Jean group had 5 consecutive Top Ten UK hits; then "Bad weather" came along, and stiffed at #37 on the UK chart; it was a career[[for Jean) killing record and did more damage to the group than the release of "Touch" did as far as their Top 40 standings were concerned[[and I like "Touch", but as an album track, it was certainly not hit single material)..

[franjoy56]

I heard i may be wrong that "Bad Weather" went top 40 in england so I will research that, and if that is the case it did a hell of a lot better than it did here: "Bad Weather" in my opinion was a great record that had potential, and it was killed before it picked up any possibility of airplay or worse it was never given to dj's which is what killed it, the song had all the ingredients of a hit.. Mary has praised it over the years, and still performs it..

[Jimi LaLumia]

I just gave you the number; Bad weather peaked at #37 in the UK chart, which is a disaster following 5 consecutive Top Ten hits; it didn't even go Top Thirty...and there was none of the Motown skullduggery in the UK,or else Nathan Jones, Floy Joy and Automatically Sunshine wouldn't have made it into the singles digits over there, which they all did...
sad to say, but Bad Weather as a singles choice was a Bad Record..they'd have done better with anything other than that..

[marv2]

You know I almost asked Mary once that if she had to do it over again would she have went with Gordy's decision to crown Syretta a member of the group and was it worth it internally. Please do not mis interpret me or put words in my mouth but I believe Jean would have been an outstanding single solo artist. Eventhough, Jean was different the public was always comparing Jean to Diana in a sense and at one point said it was Diana on Up The Ladder. Ever Berry wanted Syretta, womder if he had already mentioned it to her.

Mary will tell you NO! She loved Jean Terrell's singing and that Jean was the perfect one to join the group! They were not looking to appease Berry Gordy Jr. at that point. In fact, they were somewhat pissed off by the way things had turned out! I don't recall much comparision being made after that first 6 months to a year because it was clear that Jean was the superior singer and the Supremes had made an excellent choice in her. Also, Berry did not want to replace Jean suddenly because he began doubting her talents. It was more like a personal misunderstanding between the two that caused the sudden desire to want to change course at the last minute. [[I am trying my darndest to be politically correct here, hehehehehehe...).

Anyway, as big of a media event that Diana Ross leaving the Supremes was, no one believed that she decided to stay with the group and record Up the Ladder to the Roof". [[Besides it sounded nothing like her....) Also keep in mind that they debut the song on the Ed Sullivan Show and for all of you over say the age of 45, you know for a fact that we only had 3 maybe 4 television channels back then and most of America that watched television were tuned into CBS and the Ed Sullivan Show on Sundays. That's where the country saw Jean Terrell with the Supremes for the first time! Only hermits, idiots and fools thought that Diana Ross was still with the Supremes..........

[marv2]

this whole thing has been beaten to death, and I've supported every version of The Supremes, but as I've said before, the studio version of Bad Weather is mediocre,and there AREN'T any hooks, as stated elsewhere,it was a throwaway track, maybe Stevie 'in joke' to get even for Syretta being rejected by the group;
the 'live' slightly faster version on SOUL TRAIN was better, but still didn't sound like a bona fide 'hit'..they could have given The Supremes a hook laden track track like "Don't Leave Me This Way" but they didn't..it's history, whatever..

Why not just be frank? "Bad Weather" was just too soulful for some people. It was not the type of lightweight, bubblegum pop that the public had become use to hearing from the Supremes. The truth is, that single was HOT! It fit perfectly with the hit sound that was on the radio at that time [[i.e. Al Green, the Chi-Lites, etc,etc.).

You saw how the kids reacted to it on Soul Train. If the general public had the chance to hear it on their local radio stations, they would reacted positively to it as well. The track was hot, the vocals were superb and the sound was what was popular in 1973.

[marv2]

Which could point to a plot within Motown to kill the Supremes! Wasn't it a B.G. who killed JFK after all?

It may have been a plot or NOT! Ewart Abner was the President of Motown RECORDS at that time. But of course you know that right? Berry did not kill JFK, but he did allow others to kill his record business while he was off fooling around and losing money trying to make Diana Ross into movie star. But of course you know all of this.

[marv2]

The Supremes records through 1972 still sold inspite of shabby production, but in England they did even better wonder why. Up the Ladder # 9 Stoned Love #3 Nathan Jones #8 Floy Joy #13, Automatically Sunshine #16, all showing better numbers than in America, even though all except AS made the top twenty. Pedro was not the manager of the Supremes while Jean was in the group. It all really went downhill after Jean left even more evidently. Jean was the best choice inspite of what Motown did or did not do evidence is shown in the sold out copies of "This is the Story the 70's Albums..

I think a lot of it had to do with promotion. Didn't Motown in the U.K. and Europe have their own promotion departments?

Pedro cannot be blamed for Jean leaving or the records not selling in the States at that point. The Supremes with Jean Terrell in the group produced some very high quality records that are still listenable today.

[marv2]

I heard i may be wrong that "Bad Weather" went top 40 in england so I will research that, and if that is the case it did a hell of a lot better than it did here: "Bad Weather" in my opinion was a great record that had potential, and it was killed before it picked up any possibility of airplay or worse it was never given to dj's which is what killed it, the song had all the ingredients of a hit.. Mary has praised it over the years, and still performs it..

The only time anyone ever heard the song was when it was performed on television. It was a hit in some local markets such as Hawaii, Washington D.C. and in countries like Luxemburg......yep I said Luxemburg, hehehehehehehe!

[franjoy56]

Yes it was a #37 record in UK, apparently i didn not read every line of your thread, and it being a #37 record meant a whole lot better than the record did here in fact it did better than a lot of 60's Supremes records like my fav Back in my arms again and Love is Here, I hear a symphony, and Love is like an itching which did even make the top 20. "Bad Weather" was a funky record filled with Soul, which brought a black fan base the Supremes were lacking in the 60's and after I guess I'll miss the man it was a welcomed relief. so you did say it was #37, i didn't read it skipped over it, big deal. I loved the song so much that I am posting what wikipedia says about this song: Courtesy of Wikipedia Encylopedia.
When the song was first issued to radio in the summer of 1973, the song caught some initial positive buzz mainly from the Supremes' R&B fan base. The group performed it to a receptive audience on Soul Train. But the buzz wore down as Motown refused to promote it and, according to Mary Wilson years later, it wasn't a favorite of Terrell's or Laurence's, although she loved it.^[1] The song charted on the Billboard charts peaking at number 87 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 74 on the R&B singles chart. The song only peaked at the Top 40 of the UK singles chart at number 37. Shortly after this single was released, Terrell and Laurence left the Supremes. Cindy Birdsong returned from her maternity leave, and Mary Wilson hired Scherrie Payne as the new co-lead singer. The next Supremes project would take two more years to come out. In 1975, the group scored a huge disco single with "He's My Man" with Wilson and Payne on lead.

[Constantin]

this whole thing has been beaten to death, and I've supported every version of The Supremes, but as I've said before, the studio version of Bad Weather is mediocre,and there AREN'T any hooks, as stated elsewhere,it was a throwaway track, maybe Stevie 'in joke' to get even for Syretta being rejected by the group;*the 'live' slightly faster version on SOUL TRAIN was better, but still didn't sound like a bona fide 'hit'..they could have given The Supremes a hook laden track track like "Don't Leave Me This Way" but they didn't..it's history, whatever..

You are right. Besides, in this single the production could be better: there is something forced, falsely frantic with piercing vocals [[but nevertheless the record is not up tempo!); that could be said for many recordings of the 70's Supremes, at a time when people were looking for something smoother like The Three Degrees or Love Unlimited, or singers that had vocal possibilities and sexiness without shouting like the soon to be called "disco divas".

To be frank, I've never heard "Bad Weather" on the radio; actually, I've never heard any song of the 70's Supremes on the radio. I know now this song exists because I bought the "Greatest hits and rare classics" compilation in the 90's. The only song of the 70's Supremes I knew during the 70's was "I'm gonna let my heart do the walking" because it was the B-side of Ross's "Love Hangover" 12" single.

I don't think that Motown lost complete interest in the Supremes: they recorded many songs and eleven albums between 1970 and 1976 is not that bad. But they were not what people were looking for anymore. Things started to go downhill for the Supremes when they began to lose their personality with colorless recordings. Even the three disco records were not big hits for that reason, even if they are quite enjoyable.

[jillfoster]

You are right. Besides, in this single the production could be better: there is something forced, falsely frantic with piercing vocals [[but nevertheless the record is not up tempo!); that could be said for many recordings of the 70's Supremes, at a time when people were looking for something smoother like The Three Degrees or Love Unlimited, or singers that had vocal possibilities and sexiness without shouting like the soon to be called "disco divas".

To be frank, I've never heard "Bad Weather" on the radio; actually, I've never heard any song of the 70's Supremes on the radio. I know now this song exists because I bought the "Greatest hits and rare classics" compilation in the 90's. The only song of the 70's Supremes I knew during the 70's was "I'm gonna let my heart do the walking" because it was the B-side of Ross's "Love Hangover" 12" single.

I don't think that Motown lost complete interest in the Supremes: they recorded many songs and eleven albums between 1970 and 1976 is not that bad. But they were not what people were looking for anymore. Things started to go downhill for the Supremes when they began to lose their personality with colorless recordings. Even the three disco records were not big hits for that reason, even if they are quite enjoyable.

None of those recordings are colorless at all, as a matter of fact, there are lots of people who ONLY liked the Jean, Mary, Cindy version of the group, my own brother being one of them, because he finds Diana's voice grating, and can't stand disco. I hear 70's Supremes songs more often than one might think.... as a matter of fact, Stoned Love was playing in Home Depot just day before yesterday when I was in there shopping.

[bradsupremes]

I'm actually surprised that the local oldies station where I live still plays several of the 70's Supremes hits. It was common about 10 years ago as they played mostly 60's and early 70's hits. Now, they have transitioned into playing only the major memorable hits of the 60's and lots of 70's/early 80's hits. Every now and then I'm surprised when I hear "Stoned Love," "Up The Ladder To The Roof," "Nathan Jones," and "Floy Joy" still being played. I find it funny because it's been a long time since I've heard "The Happening," "Love Is Like An Itching In My Heart," and "In And Out of Love" being played and those were top 10 hits for the group. It's interesting how radio stations pick and choose what songs to play. It's been a LONG time since I heard Jackie Wilson's "[[Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher And Higher" on the radio and that's his most memorable song. However, they have no problem playing the entire Beatles catalog. I think the public would rather hear something like Jackie Wilson's "Higher And Higher" than some Beatles track that was only meant to be an album filler.

There was one exception though back in 2009 when they dedicated a whole weekend to celebrating Motown's 50th anniversary. Songs you would never think to hear on the radio today got played like Jimmy Ruffin's version of "Beauty Is Only Skin Deep," Chris Clark's "Love Gone Bad," and old Coca-Cola/Pepsi jingles got played.

[144man]

I just gave you the number; Bad weather peaked at #37 in the UK chart, which is a disaster following 5 consecutive Top Ten hits; it didn't even go Top Thirty...and there was none of the Motown skullduggery in the UK,or else Nathan Jones, Floy Joy and Automatically Sunshine wouldn't have made it into the singles digits over there, which they all did...
sad to say, but Bad Weather as a singles choice was a Bad Record..they'd have done better with anything other than that..

It was particularly disastrous if you take into account they were on tour in the UK at the time to promote the record.

[franjoy56]

All i am going to add is that once again Jean was a better choice than Syretta Wright for the supremes for the reasons previously mentioned. Bad Weather was a great record to fans of black music, the record was not readily available, and it will go down in history as one of the greatest failures of the 70's Supremes. They didn't gave a particular producer producing fabulous records so this is what they got from Stevie and on short notice it was suppose to resemble a hit, but Motown had other plans. 2.5 years later the Supremes hit #1 on the disco charts
with "He's My Man" followed the following year with a #3 disco record with "let mY HEART DO THE WALKING" and "HIgh Energy" sailing on the LP chart at #42.

[luke]

Oh please Whatever. Lynda Lawrence was on good terms with Stevie and he wanted them to have a hit. Stevie was not happy that it didnt hit.

[jobeterob]

Yes, I would be hard pressed to think Syreeta or anyone else would actually have done better than Jean as a Supreme. I remember the Rolling Stone review of Touch saying what a superb singer Jean was. And remember, Right On was in many ways very close to a solo album by Jean; probably half the tracks are Jean with the Andantes.

[Constantin]

*Originally Posted by*franjoy56*
2.5 years later the Supremes hit #1 on the disco charts*with "He's My Man" followed the following year with a #3 disco record with "let mY HEART DO THE WALKING" and "HIgh Energy" sailing on the LP chart at #42.



Well... That was said before but those songs were not "disco hits" actually. I never heard them on the radio or in clubs and in the 70's I was listening a lot of radio. I never saw a physical copy of the singles either. Those songs do not appear on disco retrospectives [[or seldom appear in the case of "I'm gonna let my heart"): those #1 or #3 are absolutely meaningless for disco fans. You can not compare the Supremes disco singles with "YMCA" by the Village People or "Shake your groove thing" by Peaches and Herb, both songs that were only #2. But those were real hits and are still considered hits today.

The three disco albums by the Supremes were very nice but to call them hits is exaggerated. They would have been hits, the Supremes would have recorded more albums after 1976. It is not the case.

[simplysupreme]

there are lots of people who ONLY liked the Jean, Mary, Cindy version of the group, my own brother being one of them, because he finds Diana's voice grating

By the same token, I know several people who feel that way about Jean's voice.

[marv2]

Jean had the best voice. She could sing just about anything.

[johnjeb]

Well... That was said before but those songs were not "disco hits" actually. I never heard them on the radio or in clubs and in the 70's I was listening a lot of radio. I never saw a physical copy of the singles either. Those songs do not appear on disco retrospectives [[or seldom appear in the case of "I'm gonna let my heart"): those #1 or #3 are absolutely meaningless for disco fans. You can not compare the Supremes disco singles with "YMCA" by the Village People or "Shake your groove thing" by Peaches and Herb, both songs that were only #2. But those were real hits and are still considered hits today.

The three disco albums by the Supremes were very nice but to call them hits is exaggerated. They would have been hits, the Supremes would have recorded more albums after 1976. It is not the case.

According to Joel Whitburn's Hot Dance Disco 1974-2003 Billboard Chart book [[info compiled from Billboard Dance Charts):

I'm Gonna Let My Heart Do The Walking debut 5/15/1976; peak #3; 12 weeks on chart
High Energy debut 5/15/1976; peak #9; 4 weeks
Driving Wheel/Let Yourself Go/Love I Never Knew debut 11/13/1976 peak #5; 17 weeks
Medley of Hits [[DRATS) debut 3/15/1980; peak #46; 16 weeks

I have the singles for Heart [[M1391), Wheel [[M1407) & Let Yourself Go [[M1415). I also do not recall hearing these songs on Top 40 radio, but I bought my singles at my local suburban Mom & Pop record store when they were released in 1976.

I agree that these are not Disco Classics but they were played, some more than others, in the gay clubs in 1976. They may be "meaningless for disco fans", but only for those who were not disco fans in that era!

[skooldem1]

"Bad weather" is considered to "soulful" for some? Nothing the 70's Supremes did was soulful IMO. More of the same pop/soul stuff they had been doing for years. All these years all we have heard is how the public had moved on from the Supremes pop music and fully embraced the new "soulful" Supremes. It that was the case, then this should have been a hit. I think it makes fans look desparate in trying to justify why it didn't hit, and all those conspiracy theories. How stupid would I sound going on and on about how "the force behind the power" didn't hit because of this and because of that. That was not a good song- period. Bad weather wasn't all that either. It is as simple as that.

[smark21]

"Bad weather" is considered to "soulful" for some? Nothing the 70's Supremes did was soulful IMO. More of the same pop/soul stuff they had been doing for years. All these years all we have heard is how the public had moved on from the Supremes pop music and fully embraced the new "soulful" Supremes. It that was the case, then this should have been a hit. I think it makes fans look desparate in trying to justify why it didn't hit, and all those conspiracy theories. How stupid would I sound going on and on about how "the force behind the power" didn't hit because of this and because of that. That was not a good song- period. Bad weather wasn't all that either. It is as simple as that.

Sometimes I think as fans when we enjoy a song we want others to enjoy it as well and when it doesn’t become a hit we find reasons to explain why it didn’t become more popular rather than accepting it and moving on while still enjoying the song.

[Jimi LaLumia]

I'd like to hear Stevie Wonder do this song...but The supremes version...horrific,and a sad finale for The Jean Terrell Years...what a way to go-go!!

[BayouMotownMan]

The problem with Berry putting Syreeta into the group was that he wanted to do it only hours after Jean Terrell had been brought onstage...by Diana herself, and introduced as the new lead singer. Berry Gordy often had second thoughts about his bigger decisions. He had second thoughts on the J5 after a killer audition because they were all underage [[or at least 4 were). He had second thoughts about Marvin's "What's Going On" single and album. He had second thoughts about Mahogany, which in its planning stages was on and off for over a year. The biggest problem was that bringing Jean Terrell in from outside the company meant that she spoke up when not in agreement and questioned things that artists developed by Motown didn't do. Syreeta would have gone with the plan possibly more easily than Jean did. Jean made it clear, she was not going to be a Diana Ross imitator.

I agree that the recorded version of Bad Weather left much to be desired. When I first heard it I didn't like it. Jean just wasn't in good voice for that session. In concert however, she nailed it and gave the song life.

[Jimi LaLumia]

I don't blame Jean, Mary or Cindy;
the arrangement, the pacing, which seemed to be clunky and plodding along, everything about the 'beats per minute' and the 'sour' sound of the music itself worked against the girls,
as I said...horrific...[[and I loved many Supremes singles that were not chart hits..
Bad Weather was simply unlovable..it was bad news,and a real bad record...

[144man]

I feel that the failure of "Bad Weather" had more to do with the weakness of the song melodically than any shortcomings of the Supremes' line-up.

[Jimi LaLumia]

that's what i just said...
records of that period by Al Green,The O Jays, etc had a 'bounce' to them, there was no bounce to "Bad weather", watch the kids on Soul train trying to dance to it....it was a musically deflated tire next to everything else that was out there..very sad, should have never been released

[144man]

that's what i just said...

Your post wasn't up when I was writing mine. That was Srevie Wonder's weakest composition since "We'll Have It Made" for the Spinners.

[marv2]

The problem with Berry putting Syreeta into the group was that he wanted to do it only hours after Jean Terrell had been brought onstage...by Diana herself, and introduced as the new lead singer. Berry Gordy often had second thoughts about his bigger decisions. He had second thoughts on the J5 after a killer audition because they were all underage [[or at least 4 were). He had second thoughts about Marvin's "What's Going On" single and album. He had second thoughts about Mahogany, which in its planning stages was on and off for over a year. The biggest problem was that bringing Jean Terrell in from outside the company meant that she spoke up when not in agreement and questioned things that artists developed by Motown didn't do. Syreeta would have gone with the plan possibly more easily than Jean did. Jean made it clear, she was not going to be a Diana Ross imitator.

I agree that the recorded version of Bad Weather left much to be desired. When I first heard it I didn't like it. Jean just wasn't in good voice for that session. In concert however, she nailed it and gave the song life.

Somehow I doubt that Syreeta Wright would have went along with the "plan" that Berry had. Jean sure DID make it VERY clear that she was not going do what Diana Ross did, hehehehehehehe! Good for her!

I wish I had magical powers to make Berry come onto this forum and read this particular thread, he would be crying his eyes out with laughter! LOL!!!

[marv2]

I disagree! It looks to me like the kids were cutting up to "Bad Weather and just short of showing out completely! LOL! "Bad Weather" was a great record. It apparently wa just too soulful for some Supremes fans, but the biggest problem was you could not find it in record stores at the time. Radio stations did not receive it for airplay.

[franjoy56]

Marvin you hit a home run with that clip, look like the soul train fans were doin the pocorn bouncing up and down, and Jean's vocals were much better on the live version. She didn't hold back, "Bad weather" was out of sight it wasn't up to the standards of "Up the ladder to the roof" but plain and simple the record was not distributed and if these fans can't accept well just have to keep speaking up about "Bad Weather" until it is beaten to death. Jean didn't go out on a bad note because her tenure as the lead singer of the Supremes has been highlighted by the sold out print of the Jean Terrell Years: This is the Story" released in 06 which by the way includes "Bad Weather" hehehehe.

[Jimi LaLumia]

Soul Train performance- very entertaining
the actual Bad Weather record- muddling and mediocre at best!

[jillfoster]

Jean was on FIRE that day, and I agree, the live version is better than the record. this was tons better than the record, too. sounds like poeple in the production booth should have left Jean the hell ALONE:



It was alluded to that producers always reigned her in to appeal more to the white teeny boppers. I believe it. and ladies and gentlemen, the above is THE WAY IT IS DONE, that is how you sing using runs without oversinging a song and butchering it.

[franjoy56]

well said Jill, i believe some of the tracks would have done better had they letJean run with it, after all Jean was no Dianasoundalike except when Motown wanted a rossalike sound ie. Precious Little Things, and Over and Over.. even I guess ill miss the man sounds better here, the same is true when they performed Your Wonderful Sweet Love on the flip wilson show.

[Jimi LaLumia]

all I know is that the legendary Motown Quality Control people must having been doing crack on the day that they let THAT version of "Bad Weather" slip through as a single release...
and Motown didn't get to play their games in the UK,and UK record buyers also turned their backs after 5 consecutive Top ten singles over there...
and again, Jean and the girls weren't the problem on "Bad", the music, the arrangement and the pacing/BPMs were the problems..

[144man]

When I saw the Supremes performing "Bad Weather" in concert in London, it only got a luke-warm reception despite them handing out whistles for members of the audience to participate.

[franjoy56]

interesting views, i guess the brits weren't used to hearing the supremes "soul" it up inspite of the tempo and pacing of the song that you guys claim was off, noneltheless we would have considered "Bad Weather" a hit in America had it reached #37 here #37 anywhere is not a bad rating period especially for the supremes whose records sales were slipping.

[Jimi LaLumia]

#37 is a hit?...on what planet???...lol
let me ask you, do you think that "The Composer" and "No Matter What Sign You Are " were hits? or "Forever Came Today"? they all did better than #37,and are widely regarded as flops for failing to break the Top Twenty, which is the ONLY place were real hits live; everything else is just a build up..

[milven]

Yes, # 37 is a hit. A TOP FORTY HIT. Since the '50's when top forty hit shows started on radio, a song in the top forty is a hit. But by Supreme standards, a group that had so many top ten and number one hits, # 37 was considered a flop.

People in my area had no trouble finding Bad Weather in their local record shop. Of course you had to go to a shop that had their finger on the pulse of the buyers. My local shop sold the record two at a time to dee-jays who extended the record while playing it in discos.

The posts above are right in that there was not that much airplay on the record. But I do remember Motown putting full page ads in Cashbox, Billboard and Record World.

Some say that the Supremes failed in the end because they stood stuck in time in their sequined gowns and sound.
Bad Weather, and the clip above, shows that they were trying to move forward.

[ivyfield]

"... Leola would have been SO much better than Scherrie Payne for the group. Instead, we got the Ethel Merman of soul music" I don't really get your analogy but by that comment does it make Ollie Woodson the Pavarotti of soul music? I never heard of the singer you said might have relpaced Jean. she and the group The Apollas didn't make a mark here in the UK. For others interested here they were in action: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wj5IJlAgZnM&feature=fvsr

[franjoy56]

Those flop Supremes singles from the late 60's weren't that bad, but yes they didn't do well and it was expected that a Supremes record with Ms. Ross in the group would instantly sell, in England i don't even think Forever Came Today, No matter, The Composer, or Somethings you never get made the top 50. With this being said "Bad Weather" beat all four of those records in England so yes #37 would be considered a mild hit. "No Matter wSign you are" was a great dance record couldn't understand why that one didn't do better here. I stand by my conclusion that "Bad Weather' is one of the greatest failures of the 70's Supremes. I would love to have seen an add for "Bad Weather" in any of the trade magazine that was mentioned.

[Constantin]

Instead, we got the Ethel Merman of soul music

Oh yes... :-)

[roger]

Those flop Supremes singles from the late 60's weren't that bad, but yes they didn't do well and it was expected that a Supremes record with Ms. Ross in the group would instantly sell, in England i don't even think Forever Came Today, No matter, The Composer, or Somethings you never get made the top 50. With this being said "Bad Weather" beat all four of those records in England so yes #37 would be considered a mild hit. "No Matter wSign you are" was a great dance record couldn't understand why that one didn't do better here. I stand by my conclusion that "Bad Weather' is one of the greatest failures of the 70's Supremes. I would love to have seen an add for "Bad Weather" in any of the trade magazine that was mentioned.

Actually franjoy56 .. "No Matter What Sign You Are", "Some Things You Never Get Used To" and "Forever Came Today" did all become top 50 hits in England .. their peak U.K. chart positions, according to the Guinness Book of Hit Records were ..

"Forever Came Today" - #28
"Some Things You Never Get Used To" - #34
"No Matter What Sign You Are" - #37

"The Composer" was never released as a U.K. single.

Roger

[Jimi LaLumia]

a real hit is a song that everyone knows when it gets played in a club or on the radio and that many folks own... and by the way.."Top 50 hit' is an oxymoron...

[144man]

On the radio, they used to talk about "major hits" and "minor hits". I never did find out where the boundary between the two lay.

[smark21]

How would you classify/define a song or record that wasn’t a big hit when first released but over the years becomes well known and popular?