Diana Ross' Payout from Motown

[TNSUN]

I find it hard to believe that when Diana Ross left Motown, she was given just given a token $100,000.
That amounts to a weekend gig in Las Vegas, not including meals for the band. Did she get any Motown Stock Options?

[sup_fan]

this amount was based on her final payout from her accounts. it wasn't simply a "token $110K"

whatever costs diana incurred for studio time, promotion, tours, management fees, etc had to be deducted from her earnings. so that wildly extravagant show she did for The Boss tour had to be paid for: the huge orchestra, dancers, stage hands, choreographer, director, tv crews, etc.

Also her contracts list out what her royalty rates would be along with her %'s for touring and appearances.

[reese]

Not sure of the exact amount she received. But Diana herself said in a 1992 LEAR'S article that once she took over responsibility for her career, she actually had to go to a bank and borrow in order to pay her taxes. She continued by saying she looked at the situation as "You may not have much money. But you have your name and that's a starting point."

[SatansBlues]

I hate to say it but DR was right to leave Motown from a financial standpoint.

[sup_fan]

it's always been an super interesting discussion - should she have left or not?

financially - absolutely
artistically - perhaps not the best move

In the various biographies written, it seems like money and career control were the primary decisions. That and i think she just wanted to get AWAY from Berry.

[SatansBlues]

it's always been an super interesting discussion - should she have left or not?

financially - absolutely
artistically - perhaps not the best move

In the various biographies written, it seems like money and career control were the primary decisions. That and i think she just wanted to get AWAY from Berry.

Well with the exception of Stevie Wonder, they all left, most just did it a decade earlier.

[marv2]

it's always been an super interesting discussion - should she have left or not?

financially - absolutely
artistically - perhaps not the best move

In the various biographies written, it seems like money and career control were the primary decisions. That and i think she just wanted to get AWAY from Berry.

Berry Gordy and Motown controlled her finances. When she decided to leave, they took back her home, the yellow rolls royce, jewelry, fur coats and other items. She was told that it all belonged to the company and was only loaned to her!

[detmotownguy]

Berry Gordy and Motown controlled her finances. When she decided to leave, they took back her home, the yellow rolls royce, jewelry, fur coats and other items. She was told that it all belonged to the company and was only loaned to her!

I hope she had her accountant perform an audit since I was under the impression that those sort of assets were debited from the artists account? At some point, I would hope that the company would make things right as they did with Martha. Martha used to meet with her lawyer/advisor in cafe at work and sit way in the back. Aside from HDH and Flo, was Martha one of the first artists to demand an accounting of earnings? Just seems odd that Motown would take it upon themselves to treat the artists that way.

[jobeterob]

Leaving and taking control was critically important to financial and mental well being. You couldn't really get a much bigger career.

[Levi Stubbs Tears]

The financial decision was the correct one and it enabled Diana to set herself up for the rest of her life.

The artistic direction wasn't so correct - she really needed a strong production team in charge of her first release for RCA. She was probably in the best position of her solo career after her best-selling album of all time and two further solo hits. She should have built on this, but it went downhill quickly due to poor artistic choices over the next few years.

[sup_fan]

The financial decision was the correct one and it enabled Diana to set herself up for the rest of her life.

The artistic direction wasn't so correct - she really needed a strong production team in charge of her first release for RCA. She was probably in the best position of her solo career after her best-selling album of all time and two further solo hits. She should have built on this, but it went downhill quickly due to poor artistic choices over the next few years.

yeah i agree. I enjoy the first two albums but agree that they pale with what SHOULD have happened. when berry launched her solo career in 70, so much care was put into the first lp. it's stunning. After The Boss and diana, then It's My Turn and Endless Love, she should have released a masterpiece. but alas...

[Bluebrock]

yeah i agree. I enjoy the first two albums but agree that they pale with what SHOULD have happened. when berry launched her solo career in 70, so much care was put into the first lp. it's stunning. After The Boss and diana, then It's My Turn and Endless Love, she should have released a masterpiece. but alas...

I think her rca albums gradually improved in quality, but none of them even approached classic status. Sadly that concerned us far more than it ever concerned her, and that in itself was quite sad.

[PeaceNHarmony]

I think her rca albums gradually improved in quality, but none of them even approached classic status. Sadly that concerned us far more than it ever concerned her, and that in itself was quite sad.

Welll ... during those years I think Diana was more concerned with her family than her albums, and to that I say 'Brava, diva'!

[Bluebrock]

Welll ... during those years I think Diana was more concerned with her family than her albums, and to that I say 'Brava, diva'!

She was always way more concerned about her family as opposed to her career. That is only right of course. She never really wanted to leave Motown but when Gene Simmons showed her how much money he was earning and what the potential was for her own earnings she decided she had no choice in the matter.

[Ollie9]

Welll ... during those years I think Diana was more concerned with her family than her albums, and to that I say 'Brava, diva'!

I don't understand why loving and taking time out to be with your family is synonymous with releasing subpar music. Other recording artists with young children seem to have avoided this fate.
The reality is Diana is no producer and that point in time had no real understanding of what her fans wanted from her.

[midnightman]

Diana left Motown cause BG controlled many of the artists' bank accounts. She did try to renegotiate with Motown but BG kept claiming it was impossible so she left.

[BayouMotownMan]

I find it hard to believe that when Diana Ross left Motown, she was given just given a token $100,000.
That amounts to a weekend gig in Las Vegas, not including meals for the band. Did she get any Motown Stock Options?

That was the amount Mary got in 1971 when she demanded to be in full charge of her finances. Diana got a little more than double that when she demanded the same ten years later. It's one of the main reasons she left Motown

[SatansBlues]

That was the amount Mary got in 1971 when she demanded to be in full charge of her finances. Diana got a little more than double that when she demanded the same ten years later. It's one of the main reasons she left Motown

I wonder how much Smokey Robinson got paid when he left Motown in the 80s.

[reese]

I wonder how much Smokey Robinson got paid when he left Motown in the 80s.

Smokey left in 1991, I believe, to sign with SBK. Motown was no longer the same entity that he and Diana had originally recorded for. Plus I don't think Motown [[and/or Berry) was in control of Smokey's finances to the same extent that they were with Diana. Also, Smokey should have had substantial income from both his record and songwriting royalties.

[captainjames]

It was probably the best move of her career and her longevity. It has been a long time but some of the things that still register was Mr. Gordy telling Diana he could not match the offers that she was getting. Anything that she recorded was charged to her account whether it was released or not. The talk at the time was that Diana would never leave Motown and that it was just a bluff. Diana left, Mr. Gordy sold Motown, Diana came back after being wiser about here her money. I think Diana would have survived some way but to stay with Motown , I think she would have eventually faded from the music business just like she did with the movie business.

[sup_fan]

I think the real issue fans have is that her POTENTIAL for amazing music really wasn't met while at RCA. for a typical artist, her sales and chart performance would be a wonderful thing. But this is MISS DIANA ROSS lol. and given that her motown career had finally sorted turned around, in terms of lp quality, the hope was that would continue.

[RanRan79]

I think the real issue fans have is that her POTENTIAL for amazing music really wasn't met while at RCA. for a typical artist, her sales and chart performance would be a wonderful thing. But this is MISS DIANA ROSS lol. and given that her motown career had finally sorted turned around, in terms of lp quality, the hope was that would continue.

Ding, ding, ding!! Absolutely agree. And even at RCA there were IMO some great moments every now and then, such as "Mirror", "Swept Away" and "Missing You". "Muscles", for the time, also. Even "Chain Reaction", even though it didn't catch on here. So many unexplained duds in between single releases, and then non of the albums even came close to the classic quality of most of the fantastic albums she released on Motown.

[vgalindo]

Well Diana never disappointed me. Her RCA years were very exciting for me. The huge arena tours, new posters, beautiful tour programs at every new tour. A new album every year. The Central Park concert. I miss these times of her career. She was at the height of her fame. And I loved the music!

[sup_fan]

Well Diana never disappointed me. Her RCA years were very exciting for me. The huge arena tours, new posters, beautiful tour programs at every new tour. A new album every year. The Central Park concert. I miss these times of her career. She was at the height of her fame. And I loved the music!

but there were little things along the way. it's stuff you notice more in retrospect than while it was happening

we've pretty well dissected her first two albums. so not going to bother adding anything there

But look at the haphazard go-to-market with Ross 83, which was released in June 83. Pieces of Ice is lead single, then Up Front and Let's Go Up. the Central Park show[[s) are in July. she's on Tonight Show in August but only does Let's Go Up. neither Pieces or Up Front get much national tv promotion

And with swept away, the only used the picture from the album cover in all of her promotional material. never once did they pull in another image or two in order to make a varied campaign.

it's just a series of lack of attention to details which ends up coming across as a lack of interest

and if she didn't really care or respect the music, how can fans be expected to do so?

[PeaceNHarmony]

Well Diana never disappointed me. Her RCA years were very exciting for me. The huge arena tours, new posters, beautiful tour programs at every new tour. A new album every year. The Central Park concert. I miss these times of her career. She was at the height of her fame. And I loved the music!

And I as well!

[TNSUN]

Ms. Ross never disappointed me either. Both the "The Force Behind the Power" and "Take Me Higher" albums were both beyond my expectations. In the 1980's,I used to tell my friends in NYC that I was not going out to the clubs, and that I would be home playing my Diana Ross and Supremes Albums. I told them that I would be dreaming about a Supremes Reunion in the year 2000! Well, in 2000, I was there opening night in Phila. The seats were expensive, yet the night was also my treat to my friends.To hear, Diana Ross sing "Reach Out, I"ll be There" was thrilling. The opening filmed montage was history! Luther Van Dross being there was the icing on the cake!🎁

[vgalindo]

I knew “Missing you” was a top ten record but didn’t realize it is in the top 50 of Billboards biggest songs of 1985. Ranked higher than “Material Girl” by Madonna, Better be good to me” by Tina Turner and “Raspberry beret” by Prince and some other really big hits. She really needs to add this song back to her concert lineup. It was always one of the highlights of her shows for me. And is a favorite of many people I know

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill...ingles_of_1985

[captainjames]

Diana took some chances and they were not always in favor of what the fans wanted but the key is she survived. She refused to be a victim again and if it was it was going to be her own doing. She recovered and is still standing and still a big draw.

[Guy]

Diana took some chances and they were not always in favor of what the fans wanted but the key is she survived. She refused to be a victim again and if it was it was going to be her own doing. She recovered and is still standing and still a big draw.

Agree. I love her for this reason. She is the ultimate survivor -- though I am still indifferent to her insistence on closing shows with 'I Will Survive.'

She sustained herself in a hostile music industry despite her gender, race, changing trends and the vagaries of age. Here and elsewhere there are those who belittle the extent [[or existence) of her talent, and her appeal, because she doesn't sing like this one or that one. Or because she is not a songwriter. Yet she thrives, quite spectacularly.

It is to her enduring credit that despite three decades of poor-to-mediocre recordings -- and an unchanging setlist that mercifully ignores those recordings -- we still clamor to see her, to talk about her, and ultimately, to celebrate her.

[RanRan79]

Diana took some chances and they were not always in favor of what the fans wanted but the key is she survived. She refused to be a victim again and if it was it was going to be her own doing. She recovered and is still standing and still a big draw.

All of that very true. However, it doesn't negate the issue at hand: Diana's music at RCA was largely a bust with audiences, especially the albums. When women she started out with were moving quality [[now classic) product, Diana was doing something else. I can't remember what the song is [[not "Eaten Alive") that she performed on the AMAs when she hosted in 87 but I've only watched the performance once and I cringed the entire time. I was thinking there she is in front of an audience of folks like Dionne Warwick, Gladys Knight and who knows else, and she's doing this? It was painful. I imagine her peers were shaking their heads and thinking "My how the mighty has fallen".

[reese]

All of that very true. However, it doesn't negate the issue at hand: Diana's music at RCA was largely a bust with audiences, especially the albums. When women she started out with were moving quality [[now classic) product, Diana was doing something else. I can't remember what the song is [[not "Eaten Alive") that she performed on the AMAs when she hosted in 87 but I've only watched the performance once and I cringed the entire time. I was thinking there she is in front of an audience of folks like Dionne Warwick, Gladys Knight and who knows else, and she's doing this? It was painful. I imagine her peers were shaking their heads and thinking "My how the mighty has fallen".

TOUCH BY TOUCH from the Swept Away album.

[vgalindo]

TOUCH BY TOUCH from the Swept Away album.

I thought “Touch by Touch” was perfect for the opening of the AMA. She looked so beautiful and the song was a good choice with all the dancers and props.

[gman]

She left Motown at exactly the right time....she would not have gotten the offer she did if she waited, and released a stiff after having the biggest solo LP / 4 top 10 singles in a year...Historically, up to this point her singles hits were spotty...she either went to #1 [[4 times) or missed the top 10 completely her entire solo career.....She was contemplating leaving once her contract ended. Gene Simmons just gave her the confidence to persue it...
Smokey, of course, left with a ton more $$$ padding....he was the vice president for years, and had vast composer and producer credit income...I don't think offsetting expenses was a issue for him at all.

[sup_fan]

for the early years at RCA, it seems that her whole focus was "oh yes i can!"

yes i can be a producer, yes i can sing 10,000 different musical styles from hard rock and roll to reggae to pop, yes i can handle all aspects of my career.

after being controlled for so long, the first couple years simply seem to be her experimenting for the sake of experimenting

then we approach the mid 80s and she's now 40 years old. she might have been panicked a bit by the arrival of the new female pop stars and so she desperately attempts to be trendy with her music

[Ollie9]

for the early years at RCA, it seems that her whole focus was "oh yes i can!"

yes i can be a producer, yes i can sing 10,000 different musical styles from hard rock and roll to reggae to pop, yes i can handle all aspects of my career.

after being controlled for so long, the first couple years simply seem to be her experimenting for the sake of experimenting

then we approach the mid 80s and she's now 40 years old. she might have been panicked a bit by the arrival of the new female pop stars and so she desperately attempts to be trendy with her music

Financial gain aside, i think you have probably hit the proverbial nail on the head.
i do question her musicality at the time if she really considered those first two rca albums well produced. To anyone with an ear for music the production was clearly lacking. Was it a question of it's not great but put it out anyway or did she truly believe she had done a great job?.
Diana is a wonderful singer and can interpret a song like no other. Having said that i think she lacks a natural musical instinct that a producer has to have.

[Bluebrock]

Financial gain aside, i think you have probably hit the proverbial nail on the head.
i do question her musicality at the time if she really considered those first two rca albums well produced. To anyone with an ear for music the production was clearly lacking. Was it a question of it's not great but put it out anyway or did she truly believe she had done a great job?.
Diana is a wonderful singer and can interpret a song like no other. Having said that i think she lacks a natural musical instinct that a producer has to have.

I honestly don't know if she thought she had done a good job on those two albums. I suspect not but both rca and her wanted to deliver an album asap to cash in on the Chic album and of course Endless Love. Quincy was not yet available and it would have been very difficult to hire a top notch producer on such short notice.
Had wdffil flopped she may well have called on Quincy or even Michael Jackson to oversee the follow up , but because it was a success she pressed ahead and produced another remarkably unremarkable album. What more is there to say?

[Guy]

I honestly don't know if she thought she had done a good job on those two albums. I suspect not but both rca and her wanted to deliver an album asap to cash in on the Chic album and of course Endless Love. Quincy was not yet available and it would have been very difficult to hire a top notch producer on such short notice.
Had wdffil flopped she may well have called on Quincy or even Michael Jackson to oversee the follow up , but because it was a success she pressed ahead and produced another remarkably unremarkable album. What more is there to say?

Ashford and Simpson? They could have helped with good songs, cohesion and pop crossover dreams. It wasn't strictly the production with the RCA albums. The songs were either subpar or a poor fit for Ross. So much so that when she did finally utilize solid producers -- Gary Katz, Ray Parker Jr., etc. -- the end-product still underwhelmed.

I applaud the effort of our fellow SD-ers who tried to refashion a different
RCA debut from the entirety of her RCA catalog. If I compiled my favorite RCA tracks I would know immediately that it was not a hit album.

Nothing she did at RCA is an appropriate follow-up to those fireworks set off by Chic, A&S and Michael Masser at the end of her Motown days. There were some enjoyable moments but unworthy of her stature in the industry. The concert setlist of the last 20 years is her own acknowledgment of this.

[Ollie9]

I applaud the effort of our fellow SD-ers who tried to refashion a different
RCA debut from the entirety of her RCA catalog. If I compiled my favorite RCA tracks I would know immediately that it was not a hit album.
Nothing she did at RCA is an appropriate follow-up to those fireworks set off by Chic, A&S and Michael Masser at the end of her Motown days. There were some enjoyable moments but unworthy of her stature in the industry. The concert setlist of the last 20 years is her own acknowledgment of this.

I would say there there are a sprinkling of songs that were as good as anything she recorded at motown Guy. "Muscles", "Missing You", "Chain Reaction", "Summertime" to name but four. Enough to Fill an album. Considering the seven year time period it's really nothing to applaud.

[RanRan79]

Ashford and Simpson? They could have helped with good songs, cohesion and pop crossover dreams. It wasn't strictly the production with the RCA albums. The songs were either subpar or a poor fit for Ross. So much so that when she did finally utilize solid producers -- Gary Katz, Ray Parker Jr., etc. -- the end-product still underwhelmed.

I applaud the effort of our fellow SD-ers who tried to refashion a different
RCA debut from the entirety of her RCA catalog. If I compiled my favorite RCA tracks I would know immediately that it was not a hit album.

Nothing she did at RCA is an appropriate follow-up to those fireworks set off by Chic, A&S and Michael Masser at the end of her Motown days. There were some enjoyable moments but unworthy of her stature in the industry. The concert setlist of the last 20 years is her own acknowledgment of this.

I think "Mirror, Mirror" was as good as the Chic stuff, and it resonated with the public because it was hip and a good fit. Of course I cannot explain how "Fools" the single became a hit, other than suggesting that for the first single Diana could've done anything and the public would've ate it up. "Mirror", the track to "Work That Body" [[not to be confused with the lyrics to "Work That Body"), "Swept Away", "Missing You" and even "Chain Reaction" were worthy of Ross' talents. She needed more hits that were worthy and she needed full albums that were worthy. She lucked up on a few worthy singles here and there but just never cut anything like the 1970 debut, Surrender, TMITM, the Hangover album, BIM, The Boss or the Chic album, all bonafide classics. Her RCA albums will never be spoken about like those Motown ones because the qualities of the two sets are ridiculously set too far apart.

[RanRan79]

Diana is a wonderful singer and can interpret a song like no other. Having said that i think she lacks a natural musical instinct that a producer has to have.

1000 percent agree. Producing just isn't her strong point. I think she's a producer's dream as a vocalist. She should've milked that.

[RanRan79]

then we approach the mid 80s and she's now 40 years old. she might have been panicked a bit by the arrival of the new female pop stars and so she desperately attempts to be trendy with her music

That's the reason I usually give. She was trying to compete with the girls who wished they could be her. What a shame. The lady has always been competitive, but you would think at that point in her life she'd be past trying to compete and just be herself. Most of that RCA stuff was not artistically Diana. It was Diana trying to make a buck and the music suffered.

[sup_fan]

she also did Eaten Alive on the AMA's. at least with this version you can hear the lyrics, as non-sensicle as they are

[RanRan79]

TOUCH BY TOUCH from the Swept Away album.

Thanks Reese. That's the one.

she also did Eaten Alive on the AMA's. at least with this version you can hear the lyrics, as non-sensicle as they are

With the exception of Diana coming into the song too early during a part, I thought her performance here was pretty good. It's actually the reason I started liking the song. I liked the video as a kid, but as an adult I thought the song was stupid until I saw her do it live.

But the fact that she was doing songs from two albums that were no longer worth promoting [[I'm sure there's a certain amount of logic here, that no matter how much time has passed, promoting an album may still result in some additional sales which equals a few extra dollars) makes no sense. I kind'a get "Eaten Alive" as that was the last song to that point that a large percentage of the audience and viewing audience probably remembered from her, but "Touch By Touch"? Why not "Missing You"? Or even "Swept Away"? Hell, if she wanted to further promote the EA album, why not do "Chain Reaction"? Or she could have done a big hit from the year if that artist wasn't at the ceremony.

[reese]

Thanks Reese. That's the one.



With the exception of Diana coming into the song too early during a part, I thought her performance here was pretty good. It's actually the reason I started liking the song. I liked the video as a kid, but as an adult I thought the song was stupid until I saw her do it live.

But the fact that she was doing songs from two albums that were no longer worth promoting [[I'm sure there's a certain amount of logic here, that no matter how much time has passed, promoting an album may still result in some additional sales which equals a few extra dollars) makes no sense. I kind'a get "Eaten Alive" as that was the last song to that point that a large percentage of the audience and viewing audience probably remembered from her, but "Touch By Touch"? Why not "Missing You"? Or even "Swept Away"? Hell, if she wanted to further promote the EA album, why not do "Chain Reaction"? Or she could have done a big hit from the year if that artist wasn't at the ceremony.

I was baffled by the choice of TOUCH BY TOUCH as an opening number for the 1987 AMAs as well, even though I enjoyed the performance. But she didn't have a current album to promote. EATEN ALIVE was more than a year old at that point and she had already performed the title track as well as CHAIN REACTION at the previous year's ceremony when they were still recent releases. The MISSING YOU video was shown the year before that.

I do think it was nice for the 1987 awards that she did a group of Billie Holiday songs, even though I think the segment went a tad too long. Maybe a nice Supremes medley could have opened the show that year.

[RanRan79]

I was baffled by the choice of TOUCH BY TOUCH as an opening number for the 1987 AMAs as well, even though I enjoyed the performance. But she didn't have a current album to promote. EATEN ALIVE was more than a year old at that point and she had already performed the title track as well as CHAIN REACTION at the previous year's ceremony when they were still recent releases. The MISSING YOU video was shown the year before that.

I do think it was nice for the 1987 awards that she did a group of Billie Holiday songs, even though I think the segment went a tad too long. Maybe a nice Supremes medley could have opened the show that year.

I don't recall seeing the Billie Holiday spot. I'll have to look for it and return with my commentary.

[vgalindo]

Thanks Reese. That's the one.



With the exception of Diana coming into the song too early during a part, I thought her performance here was pretty good. It's actually the reason I started liking the song. I liked the video as a kid, but as an adult I thought the song was stupid until I saw her do it live.

But the fact that she was doing songs from two albums that were no longer worth promoting [[I'm sure there's a certain amount of logic here, that no matter how much time has passed, promoting an album may still result in some additional sales which equals a few extra dollars) makes no sense. I kind'a get "Eaten Alive" as that was the last song to that point that a large percentage of the audience and viewing audience probably remembered from her, but "Touch By Touch"? Why not "Missing You"? Or even "Swept Away"? Hell, if she wanted to further promote the EA album, why not do "Chain Reaction"? Or she could have done a big hit from the year if that artist wasn't at the ceremony.

She did do Chain Reaction on the show as well. I do agree though. I really didn’t know why she did “Touch by touch” since it wasn’t even a single. I guess it was chosen because it fit for the big opening with all the dancers and props.

[midnightman]

Diana definitely wanted control. She had seen her peers get control and she wanted to assert herself more. I think even she would admit nowadays that she bit off more than she could chew.

[florence]

Some interesting thoughts there on her move from Motown.

I think it was surely chiefly monetary.

It has been suggested that Motown was deliberately underquoting sales levels in order to avoid paying royalties to artists.

J. Randy Taraborrelli claimed that Diana was furious and thought she was being lied to when she received her Royalty cheque for It's My Turn for sales somewhere below 450k - the record had reached 9 in the Billboard Top 100 and was 21 weeks in the chart.

Apparently this was a major bone of contention between Diana and Berry.

However it could be that the record didn't sell as well as thought.

Generally Diana's bigger hits all charted higher in Cash Box and Record World [[Reach Out And Touch, Remember Me and Last Time I Saw Him all going To 10) yet It's My Turn peaked at #18 on CB and #20 on RW.

There were also suggestions that Berry Gordy Jnr. had "bought" the placing on BB in an effort to persuade Diana that her future remained bright with Motown.

Who knows!

[marv2]

Some interesting thoughts there on her move from Motown.

I think it was surely chiefly monetary.

It has been suggested that Motown was deliberately underquoting sales levels in order to avoid paying royalties to artists.

J. Randy Taraborrelli claimed that Diana was furious and thought she was being lied to when she received her Royalty cheque for It's My Turn for sales somewhere below 450k - the record had reached 9 in the Billboard Top 100 and was 21 weeks in the chart.

Apparently this was a major bone of contention between Diana and Berry.

However it could be that the record didn't sell as well as thought.

Generally Diana's bigger hits all charted higher in Cash Box and Record World [[Reach Out And Touch, Remember Me and Last Time I Saw Him all going To 10) yet It's My Turn peaked at #18 on CB and #20 on RW.

There were also suggestions that Berry Gordy Jnr. had "bought" the placing on BB in an effort to persuade Diana that her future remained bright with Motown.

Who knows!

I wished I could tell you what one of his lawyers from back in the 60s said one day in NYC while I was waiting for meeting, but I can't LOL!

Anyway, It has been said that the Supremes would only receive something between $6-7,000 each for a million selling single back in the 60s. That's peanuts. They also had a royalty rate of 3 cents per single which was split between the 3 of them .

[detmotownguy]

I wished I could tell you what one of his lawyers from back in the 60s said one day in NYC while I was waiting for meeting, but I can't LOL!

Anyway, It has been said that the Supremes would only receive something between $6-7,000 each for a million selling single back in the 60s. That's peanuts. They also had a royalty rate of 3 cents per single which was split between the 3 of them .

And i bet they got screwed even more after they became the DRATS. Didn't BG claim they would get pd "double" bc he was booking two acts lol!