After Diana Ross left the Supremes in 1970, a move that was inevitable, Mary Wilson, the only original member, and Cindy Birdsong, Florence Ballard's replacement, were left to figure out how to move on.
In interviews years later, Mary said she'd initially thought of disbanding the group. But obviously she and Motown still saw potential in the Supremes. Diana performed with Mary and Cindy for the last time on January 14, 1970, at the Frontier Hotel in Las Vegas. Her replacement, the underrated Jean Terrell, Mary and Cindy had already started recording their first album sans Diana.
Right On hit the streets four months after the farewell show in Las Vegas, and it introduced the new Supremes, the adventurous '70s configuration, which never eclipsed or came close to matching the success of the legendary original trio. That's a tall order for any group.
But despite several personnel changes between 1970 and 1977, the Supremes still managed to make solid recordings, especially in the first two or three years after Diana's exit. They maintained the glittery piquancy that had always anchored the Supremes' sound. But thanks largely to the innovative production of Frank Wilson, the formula was given an appealing urbanity, a funkier edge the Supremes didn't have before. At last, they sounded like grown women, not coy girls.

And for a brief spell, the Supremes did better on the charts than Diana. "Up the Ladder to the Roof," the group's first hit with Jean on lead, is one of the most buoyant singles in Motown's fabled catalog. Hallmarks of the Motown sound abound: the lush orchestration undergirded by a rock-steady rhythm section, an arrangement that floats comfortably between pop and soul without ever settling in either category.
Jean's cooing style is similar to Diana's – pretty, seductive and feather-soft. But she sings with more power. Unlike previous Supremes records, the background vocals are more prominent, mixed high above the busy percussion, handclaps and soaring strings. "Up the Ladder to the Roof" sold a million copies, sealing Billboard's pop Top 10 and sailing to No. 5 on the R&B chart.
The group's next big hit, "Stoned Love," updated the classic "sound of young America," Motown's old slogan. The stomping, propulsive beat, slightly reminiscent of "Come See About Me," powers the feel-good anthem, with Cindy and Mary's vibrant vocals swooping behind Jean's gospel-inspired lead.
The inherent sunny vibe of the song reflects Motown's then recent move to California. Mary later revealed in an interview that she'd fought to have the album named after "Stoned Love," which crowned the R&B chart and made it to No. 7 on the pop side. The collection was to be a concept of sorts, with all of the songs centering on inspirational love with a "black is beautiful" undercurrent.
Instead, the album was named New Ways, But Love Stays and shone with generous amounts of pop gloss, and there were no overt political leanings. Mary's idea sounded like a better one, but as it stands the album is the strongest effort the Supremes made after Diana threw up the deuces, a sideward peace sign, and left the girls behind.


That album also featured "It's Time to Break Down," the funkiest track in the Supremes' catalog with or without Diana. The haunting intro is a favorite among hip-hop producers and has been sampled several times. Accented with fuzz guitar, the slinky groove is driven by assured vocals from Jean, Mary and Cindy.
"Nathan Jones," the hit from Touch, the group's third and last album with Frank, filters the Motown sound through synthesizers, a first for the Supremes. The vocals swoosh through what sounds like an echo chamber. The effect is like the sonic equivalent of a lava lamp.
Smokey Robinson, who grew up in the same neighborhood with Diana and Mary, wrote and produced 1972's "Floy Joy," the group's last Top 5 R&B hit. The lead is split between Mary's raspy whisper and Jean's urgent soprano, and it works.
Soon after the Floy Joy album was done, the personnel changed. Both Cindy and Jean left in 1973 and were replaced by Scherrie Payne and Lynda Lawrence. Another Supremes album didn't come out until 1975. On that self-titled effort, the group went for mostly club-friendly arrangements that sounded dated the day after they were recorded.


"He's My Man" was a proto-disco hit, topping the dance charts in 1975. Another percolating dance tune, "I'm Gonna Let My Heart Do the Walking" from 1976's High Energy, repeated the success on the dance chart and sealed the pop Top 40.
By 1976, Susaye Greene had replaced Lynda, and the Supremes were out of steam. With the emergence of daring acts like Donna Summer and Grace Jones, black women in pop had become more daring and aggressive. The elegance and sparkling glamour of the Supremes seemed a bit too quaint at that point. The group's last album, Mary, Scherrie & Susaye, released in late 1976, came and went. Nine months later, the Supremes were over.
But for the first three years or so after the group's superstar and focal point left to become the grandest pop diva of them all, the Supremes soldiered on – and made beautiful music.


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