Originally Posted by
TheMotownManiac
I have to say, I do not agree with you about the backlash. There probably was some. However, the first single to bear the name change was a radio smash all summer into the fall and went to number two. The tepid follow up also went to the top 10. I don’t see that as signs of a backlash, quite the contrary, as an ordinary record, like in and out of love, making it into the top 10 at all. The first album to bear the name change was the greatest hits which sold like gangbusters, was Motown’s all time biggest selling album until songs in the key of life, knocked Sergeant peppers out of the number one spot and stayed there for over a month. I don’t see backlash there. Now the following two singles did not do well, but they weren’t radio friendly singles. Forever came today was wonderful, but it was too heavy for radio. And some things you never get used to is a mediocre song with undistinguishable lyrics in its hook. I believe that’s why those failed. I believe they failed because they were crappy records Radio wise and not the name change. The reflections album did quite respectably - charting over a half a year, considering the hodgepodge of material and the weak singles. By the end of 1968 Diana Ross and the Supremes had five albums in the top 56. That’s almost 10% of the chart product. That’s an amazing achievement. I’m sure it has been bettered, but I don’t know where and by who. Clearly, the public was not having a problem with the name change to any discernible degree.
Motown didn’t have to do much PR for love child, it bolted out of the gate and zoomed to the top three in nearly record form. When a record is that killer, it needs very little PR. The record stores in St. Louis were going through stacks of them. Deke Richards told me the happiest moments of his career were love child and I want you back. He said they knew the day it was released that love child was going all the way, but it was quite a while before they knew I want you back was going to hit and he was really worried.
I don’t see the summer of 1969 as bleak as you do. The group was generating its best reviews ever at its debut at the Waldorf, Ditto, their last stand at the Copa. They were still selling out all around the country. They were out of the top 10 for eight months, that’s all. Meanwhile, it was business as usual, and they had a slam dunk number one for ross to debut with and Gordy was signing big contracts right and left for diana’s solo services on stage. I don’t think they were worried much in the summer. Of course he wanted a hit record on the girls badly, but when you are still packing venues with flop records out, you know your act is strong and solid.
It’s true that ross’ recording career before Lady sings The blues was hit and miss, it was also that way after Lady sings the blues. The movie catapulted her to a level I don’t think anybody ever even really dreamed of. Except maybe her lol. Her special generated rave reviews. And it’s true that her recording career was the coldest in the fall of 1972. You are leaving out the fact that she had not had a release for over a year. Although the ones prior to that were certainly disappointments.
I also disagree with you. That lady sings the blues had anything to do whatsoever with the fall of the new Supremes. From the get go, there album sales were rapidly dwindling, they also were becoming hit and miss, and before lady sings the blues came out, they had already been shown the door in Las Vegas with no gigs scheduled anywhere after the end of their initial three-year contract. That had nothing to do with Lady sings the blues whatsoever. They were hurt by the same the same thing Diana‘s solo career was hurt by: not enough good material at the company, plus, they did lose their star attraction and two years later had yet another personnel change. The public just moved on. Honey cone and 3 degrees featured fresh, happening looks and sounds and made the group still wearing diana ross‘s old dresses seem less exciting.
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