How many copies did "Stoned Love" sell by the Supremes in 1971

**franjoy56** · 11-20-2011, 02:32 AM

Stoned Love was the biggest 70's Supremes hit and on the charts 12 weeks, why is it that it only reached number 7, it outlasted "My World Is Empty" "Nothing But Heartaches
"Reflections" "Stop in the Name Of Love" and nearly every other suprmes single
except wdolg, bl and csam, sdwbt and lc these songs were on the charts for 12 13 and 15 weeks, and stoned love was on the chart as long as baby love. Love Child and Someday well be together were huge hits on the charts for 15 weeks, what songs prevented stoned love for moving higher up the charts, thankfully it reached nmbr #1 r&b and #3 in the UK charts. HOW MANY COPIES DID STONED lOVE SELL IF ANYONE KNOWS.

**jobeterob** · 11-20-2011, 03:25 AM

In one of the Hitsville USA volumes, I believe it says Stoned Love sold 3 million copies; it may not have got quite as much play on AM Radio due to the title of the song and that might have kept it a little lower on the charts. Clearly, it was the 70's Supremes biggest hit.

Many 60's hits did not chart as long as songs issued in other decades; the 60's were years of 3 or 4 singles being issued a year and they flew up and down the charts quickly whereas in the 90's, there were a lot fewer singles being issued and they lasted forever on the charts.

**jillfoster** · 11-20-2011, 07:14 AM

Yes... it was about 3 million. The reason it was not number one is just that it was a slower, steadier seller over a longer period. Some songs are like that. For instance, Lulu's "Oh Me Oh My" was on the charts for 14 weeks, 2 weeks longer than Stoned Love, and it only went to number 22. "To Sir, With Love" was on the charts 17 weeks, but spent 6 weeks at number one.

**florence** · 11-20-2011, 09:38 AM

Originally Posted by jobeterob

In one of the Hitsville USA volumes, I believe it says Stoned Love sold 3 million copies; it may not have got quite as much play on AM Radio due to the title of the song and that might have kept it a little lower on the charts. Clearly, it was the 70's Supremes biggest hit.

Airplay doesn't seem to have hindered it that much as it "only" made #5 on Cashbox whose chart was sales based only.

I wonder is that 3m sales figure worldwide or US only?

It sold around 330k in the UK.

**Bokiluis** · 11-20-2011, 11:36 AM

I recall that it was a little over 1 million in the states and since it did so well internationally, 3 million worldwide cume sounds about right. I would stay away from anything listed in the sexy one's tragic tomes. However, I am a bit of a numbers junkie, loving charts and sales info. I think 3 million doesn't sound unrealistic.

**marv2** · 11-20-2011, 11:57 AM

Originally Posted by jobeterob

In one of the Hitsville USA volumes, I believe it says Stoned Love sold 3 million copies; it may not have got quite as much play on AM Radio due to the title of the song and that might have kept it a little lower on the charts. Clearly, it was the 70's Supremes biggest hit.

Many 60's hits did not chart as long as songs issued in other decades; the 60's were years of 3 or 4 singles being issued a year and they flew up and down the charts quickly whereas in the 90's, there were a lot fewer singles being issued and they lasted forever on the charts.

Are you kidding me? "Stoned Love" got plenty of radio airplay AM and FM. But in regards to AM, it got played plenty on Top 40 AM and Soul AM stations. Where were you living in 1970-71? I ask because even Canadian AM stations like CKLW out of Windsor and CHUM out of Toronto played "Stoned Love" regularly. I remember the discussion we were having back in the Summer where you [[or someone) claimed that most people do not remember this record or thought it was a Diana Ross song LOL! I know that is impossible as much as it was played during it's original release in late 1970.

I will have to do a little research to come up with the songs that were also very popular at that time which may have prevented "Stoned Love" from going #1 Pop. It went #1 Soul/R&B in December 1970.

**marv2** · 11-20-2011, 12:01 PM

"Stoned Love" sold 3 million originally. I wonder how many copies it's sold overall or cumulative total is?

**marv2** · 11-20-2011, 12:23 PM

Here's a comment on the song "Stoned Love" made just 9 hours ago on Youtube on my channel:

"Stoned Love" is the ultimate anthem to the sixties [[love) generation. I am afraid this great song coincided with the "high water mark" of our nation that has been in steady social and economic decline since the golden days of Motown. NBoshard

**johnjeb** · 11-20-2011, 12:23 PM

Originally Posted by marv2

Are you kidding me? "Stoned Love" got plenty of radio airplay AM and FM. But in regards to AM, it got played plenty on Top 40 AM and Soul AM stations. Where were you living in 1970-71? I ask because even Canadian AM stations like CKLW out of Windsor and CHUM out of Toronto played "Stoned Love" regularly. I remember the discussion we were having back in the Summer where you [[or someone) claimed that most people do not remember this record or thought it was a Diana Ross song LOL! I know that is impossible as much as it was played during it's original release in late 1970.

I will have to do a little research to come up with the songs that were also very popular at that time which may have prevented "Stoned Love" from going #1 Pop. It went #1 Soul/R&B in December 1970.

Many people confused The 70s Supremes with Diana Ross in 1970/1971, Ladder, Mountain, and Stoned Love, in particular. Many times I've heard oldies station DJs refer to the 70s Supremes as Diana Ross and The Supremes and to Diana Ross solo recordings as Diana Ross and The Supremes. sigh At least they play the music.

When Diana Ross was giving a radio interview in 1998 the host of that talk show told her his favorite Supremes song was "Stoned Love". She informed him that she didn't sing on that song and he responded that it says in his notes "by The Supremes". She corrected him by saying that song was done by her replacement "Scherrie Terrell"!!!! lol You could tell she knew she got the name wrong but couldn't remember Jean's name. Anyway he is almost my age so he may have been either almost out of high school or just into his early college years when that song was popular.

I quickly scanned my Billboard chart books and saw that Motown had about 10 songs in the Hot 100 during that period, half in the Top 20. When "Stoned Love" was on the charts, "River Deep Mountain High" also entered the charts. As "Stoned Love" was dropping off "Remember Me" entered the charts.

**marv2** · 11-20-2011, 12:31 PM

Originally Posted by johnjeb

Many people confused The 70s Supremes with Diana Ross in 1970/1971, Ladder, Mountain, and Stoned Love, in particular. Many times I've heard oldies station DJs refer to the 70s Supremes as Diana Ross and The Supremes and to Diana Ross solo recordings as Diana Ross and The Supremes. sigh At least they play the music.

When Diana Ross was giving a radio interview in 1998 the host of that talk show told her his favorite Supremes song was "Stoned Love". She informed him that she didn't sing on that song and he responded that it says in his notes "by The Supremes". She corrected him by saying that song was done by her replacement "Scherrie Terrell"!!!! lol You could tell she knew she got the name wrong but couldn't remember Jean's name. Anyway he is almost my age so he may have been either almost out of high school or just into his early college years when that song was popular.

I quickly scanned my Billboard chart books and saw that Motown had about 10 songs in the Hot 100 during that period, half in the Top 20. When "Stoned Love" was on the charts, "River Deep Mountain High" also entered the charts. As "Stoned Love" was dropping off "Remember Me" entered the charts.

johnjeb, with all due respect I was referring to people and DJ's at the time, in the early 70's not confusing the two. There wasn't anyone that I knew or around me that thought Diana Ross was still in the Supremes because of all the publicity surrounding her departure the year before. The announcement of Jean Terrell replacing her had also received a lot of publicity and by the time "Stoned Love" was released they had did various nationally televised appearances on the most popular TV shows at that time.

Oldies DJ's today are not that educated about the music or the artist that they are directed to play by corporations that own most of the commercial stations unfortunately. Some of these people weren't even born when many of the records they played were hits. To be, blunt some are just lazy, some are just dumb and some just look at it as a job.

I view the few that make these types of mistakes as being no different from those that lump all Soul music made by black artists in with "Motown".

**Jimi LaLumia** · 11-20-2011, 01:06 PM

and Motown was not giving The Supremes records the same push as when Ross was lead;
we all know Gordy was all about Ross, he wasn't personally invested in any of the other artists,and the fact that another single wasn't released from that album following on the heels of a million seller tells me all I need to know..that album being "New Ways.." which would have sold more if there had been more than one single release..
who ever heard of a non-theme oriented [[like Sam Cooke or Livepool,etc) Supremes album that only had one single release, especially after the first one was a huge hit?

**jobeterob** · 11-20-2011, 01:21 PM

If the radio play had been greater, it would have reached #1 pop.

**Jimi LaLumia** · 11-20-2011, 01:25 PM

and the label leans on radio for more airplay...
do you REALLY think that Motown was leaning on radio to play the 'new' Supremes?...I don't..
I think Motown felt that Supremes airplay was taking away from solo Ross airplay[[it probably was),and Ross was struggling for hits[[with the exception of "Ain't No Mountain..")during 1970/1971 into 72..
who do you think the priority was?
and don't you think that Jean Terrell eventually figured this out,or someone figured it out for her?

**johnjeb** · 11-20-2011, 01:31 PM

Originally Posted by marv2

johnjeb, with all due respect I was referring to people and DJ's at the time, in the early 70's not confusing the two. There wasn't anyone that I knew or around me that thought Diana Ross was still in the Supremes because of all the publicity surrounding her departure the year before. The announcement of Jean Terrell replacing her had also received a lot of publicity and by the time "Stoned Love" was released they had did various nationally televised appearances on the most popular TV shows at that time.

Oldies DJ's today are not that educated about the music or the artist that they are directed to play by corporations that own most of the commercial stations unfortunately. Some of these people weren't even born when many of the records they played were hits. To be, blunt some are just lazy, some are just dumb and some just look at it as a job.

I view the few that make these types of mistakes as being no different from those that lump all Soul music made by black artists in with "Motown".

marv2, the talk-show host I was referring to is now in his late 50s and was an older teenager at the time Stoned Love was on the radio and he still thought it was Diana Ross and The Supremes.

We come from different backgrounds and have differnt experiences. There were people around me that knew nothing about Diana Ross leaving the Supremes. The publicity in my suburban community or my rural college community [[although with 20,000 students) was minimal regarding her departure from the group. Virtually no one was talking about it.

I was a senior in college at the time and had little access to television or radio, which was not unusual for college students. Keeping up to date on pop culture back then was not as easy as it is today - you had to search it out. Most college students where I attended were interested in rock music, much to my disappointment.

**jillfoster** · 11-20-2011, 01:31 PM

Rob, Marv is right. He was talking solely about radio back in the time of original release. I know my brother and sister didn't mistake ANY Supremes record for a Diana ross record. Now, they might have mistaken a Supremes record for a Brenda And the Tabulations record... but my brother and sister bought "Up the Ladder To the Roof" because they loved the song, and both of them can't stand Diana's voice, and never bought a Supremes song before that [[they felt she sounded whiny). They also named our cat Nathan Jones, LOL! [[and Johnjeb, we live on a farm 10 miles from the nearest gas station)On air radio personalities of today are a total JOKE. Most just jump from station to station, genre to genre, even going from music to talk radio.... not doing any of them in a knowledgeable and preofessional manner. They are basically there just to push the buttons and keep the music going. the entire radio industry, with it's corporate monopolies and homogenized programming has gone straight to hell.

**Jimi LaLumia** · 11-20-2011, 01:39 PM

I agree, the average person is casual when it comes to pop music, and Motown did nothing to reach them with the news..people sitting in their living room when Sullivan said Ross was leaving the group, do you think the average person sitting on the couch was hanging on Ed's every word?..I was, but even then, I knew most people weren't; there wasn't a TV special celebrating this event [[and "Farewell" SHOULD have been on tv, but there was very little attention paid, and the "Farewell" album, as I recall, DIDN'T sell)..
the average yokel had been brainwashed with the name "Diana Ross & The Supremes" since 1967, so, by 1970,anything Supremes to the average yokel would always be attached to Ross, unless a huge campaign took place, and it didn't..
I don't remember Ross or Terrell being trotted up to NY Top 40 radio to announce/discuss the change, nocover photos on magazines like "Life" Or "Look" or any mainstream media, or even Rolling Stone, etc paying attention..
Motown DID NOT push this event, not to the mainstream public, not really,, they didn't

**roger** · 11-20-2011, 02:47 PM

I think that Motown were genuinely surprised by the lack of success that DIANA ROSS's first solo effort "Reach Out And Touch" had compared with the first SUPREMES effort without her "Up the Ladder To The roof".

These are the respective chart positions .. Billboard for the US .. Guinness Book Of Hit records for the UK

"Up The Ladder To The Roof"
US "Pop" : 11 weeks, peaking at #10
US R&B : 13 weeks, peaking at #5
UK : 15 weeks, peaking at #6

"Reach Out And Touch"
US "Pop" : 9 weeks, peaking at #20
US R&B : 9 weeks, peaking at #7
UK : 5 weeks, peaking at #33

I think people at Motown were genuinely concerned that Diana's solo career was going to stall.

Indeed, those who have the 1970 volume of "The Complete Motown Singles" should check out the last track on Disc 52 which is a special disc sent out to Motown's distributors by Barney Ales complaining about the "underperformance" of "Reach Out And Touch", stating that everybody knew it was "a number one record" and implying that they weren't doing their job properly.

On this basis I can see that there may have been confusion amongst the record buying public about who was actually in the group. I had no such confusion, being a 16 year old Motown obsessive living in Sheffield, England, but then, when I think about it, being on a tight budget, I bought "Up The ladder To The Roof" at full price immediately upon release. It was only after a few months had gone by that a copy of "Reach Out And Touch" entered the collection [[a cheap ex-juke-box copy as I recall).

Roger

**captainjames** · 11-20-2011, 02:52 PM

Roger,
I do remember the confusion over "Up The Ladder To the Roof". DJ's constantly said it was Diana Ross and The Supremes.

Originally Posted by roger

I think that Motown were genuinely surprised by the lack of success that DIANA ROSS's first solo effort "Reach Out And Touch" had compared with the first SUPREMES effort without her "Up the Ladder To The roof".

These are the respective chart positions .. Billboard for the US .. Guinness Book Of Hit records for the UK

"Up The Ladder To The Roof"
US "Pop" : 11 weeks, peaking at #10
US R&B : 13 weeks, peaking at #5
UK : 15 weeks, peaking at #6

"Reach Out And Touch"
US "Pop" : 9 weeks, peaking at #20
US R&B : 9 weeks, peaking at #7
UK : 5 weeks, peaking at #33

I think people at Motown were genuinely concerned that Diana's solo career was going to stall.

Indeed, those who have the 1970 volume of "The Complete Motown Singles" should check out the last track on Disc 52 which is a special disc sent out to Motown's distributors by Barney Ales complaining about the "underperformance" of "Reach Out And Touch", stating that everybody knew it was "a number one record" and implying that they weren't doing their job properly.

On this basis I can see that there may have been confusion amongst the record buying public about who was actually in the group. I had no such confusion, being a 16 year old Motown obsessive living in Sheffield, England, but then, when I think about it, being on a tight budget, I bought "Up The ladder To The Roof" at full price immediately upon release. It was only after a few months had gone by that a copy of "Reach Out And Touch" entered the collection [[a cheap ex-juke-box copy as I recall).

Roger

**Jimi LaLumia** · 11-20-2011, 02:57 PM

was there a PLAN B to return Ross to the group if the solo thing did, indeed stall? could that be why the new group/new singer was downplayed to the casual mainstream audience who STILL don't know that any changes were ever made?

**captainjames** · 11-20-2011, 03:06 PM

Naw, Diana Ross was gonna make it as long as she had Berry Gordy. Folks talk about her singles and LP records being not sucessful but honestly, I think Mr. Gordy had his mind set on movies from the beginning. He was set on making Diana Ross a movie star hit record or no hit record.

**Jimi LaLumia** · 11-20-2011, 03:15 PM

as a Ross fan, I was upset by the early solo results, especially compared to the UK, where tracks like "I'm Still Waiting" had zoomed to the top..I also remained a Supremes fan, and by late 1970, even to an 18 year old like me, things seemed to be a bit fuzzy regarding Ross and the Supremes

**captainjames** · 11-20-2011, 03:21 PM

I think "Reach Out and Touch" may have stalled originally but eventually became a million seller.

**Jimi LaLumia** · 11-20-2011, 03:23 PM

to this day, it's still invisible at 'oldies/classic hits' radio, at least in New York it is

**captainjames** · 11-20-2011, 03:27 PM

I find it on the Religion and Gospel hits.

**Jimi LaLumia** · 11-20-2011, 03:31 PM

yikes...a million you say?..that record didn't have a prayer as I recall..oh well..

**captainjames** · 11-20-2011, 04:02 PM

I am going on memory but, "Reach Out and Touch" soared to number 20 on Billboard, stalled and then sank. However it went to # 2 on Cashbox at the time. Diana Ross has said herself that the song did not do well at first but has over a period of time.

**roger** · 11-20-2011, 04:05 PM

Originally Posted by Jimi LaLumia

as a Ross fan, I was upset by the early solo results, especially compared to the UK, where tracks like "I'm Still Waiting" had zoomed to the top..I also remained a Supremes fan, and by late 1970, even to an 18 year old like me, things seemed to be a bit fuzzy regarding Ross and the Supremes

Jimi .. the runaway UK success of "I'm Still Waiting" [[4 weeks at #1 and 14 weeks on the charts) was almost entirely down to BBC Radio One DJ TONY BLACKBURN. He was [[and still is) a Motown fanatic and he played it as an LP track on his Breakfast Radio show and pressed it for it to become a single.

At the time the Tony Blackburn show on Radio One was easily the most listened to Pop Music show on British Radio [[the fact that BBC Radio one was about the only station in Britain at the time where you could hear "pop" music being played during the day obviously helped). He made it his "Record of The Week" and the great British public went along with him.

Roger

**Strange** · 11-20-2011, 05:17 PM

Originally Posted by marv2

"Stoned Love" sold 3 million originally. I wonder how many copies it's sold overall or cumulative total is?

To believe that sale I reckon you'd need to be 'stoned' yourself Marv2! You've just made it about the biggest selling single of the decade...

**Jimi LaLumia** · 11-20-2011, 05:31 PM

with Motown's book keeping and avoidence of the RIAA tabulations, who's to say?..the record certainly deserved to be the biggest selling single of the decade..and unlike rock/pop hits, Motown hits sold big numbers to both white and black record buyers..I doubt we'll ever know, but SOMETHING helped pay for all of Mr. Gordy's 'castles', mansions, etc

**jobeterob** · 11-20-2011, 06:42 PM

Jimi is pretty close to the truth..........the website Florence once provided is no more close to the truth than the RIAA, Marv's guesses, my guesses, Mary Wilson's figures, Randy Tarraborelli's figures, the remnants of Motown's figures, or Soundscan's figures. They were all subject to manipulation and did get manipulated.

The most valuable kind of information is stuff that came out of Roshkind or someone who was quoted in The Ross/Sups/Tempts expanded duets saying that TCB got the higher chart numbers but they saw the sales figures rolling in day after day and Ross & the Sups Join the Tempts had the bigger sales figures.

Randy T. once said something like Diana Ross got a statement saying It's My Turn sold 430,000 copies and was in the Top 10 and she thought Berry was lieing to her and it helped her decide to leave Motown; it would be much more valuable to have Diana Ross tell you that face to face than have some unnamed person tell that to Randy who repeats it to us. Basically, that kind of evidence is unreliable and won't even be allowed in Court; but it's the kind of gossip the world turns on now.

We can make all the suppositions in the world that we want about Stoned Love or Reach Out and Touch or any other song, but we don't really know. Mary Brewster should ask Mary Wilson some time and see what kind of response she gets about Stoned Love.

**Jimi LaLumia** · 11-20-2011, 06:53 PM

and we'll never know; I'm sure that a certain Mr.Gordy is banking on that fact; in more ways than one...lol

**Roberta75** · 11-20-2011, 08:01 PM

Originally Posted by Jimi LaLumia

and we'll never know; I'm sure that a certain Mr.Gordy is banking on that fact; in more ways than one...lol

You seem to have some major issues with Mr. Berry Gordy. Would I be wrong in surmising that I suspect a bit of jealousy on your part?

Roberta

**kenneth** · 11-20-2011, 08:04 PM

Originally Posted by Roberta75

You seem to have some major issues with Mr. Berry Gordy. Would I be wrong in surmising that I suspect a bit of jealousy on your part?

Roberta

Roberta75, Now you know it isn't jealousy, but you've just allowed Jimi to unleash his conspiracy theories on us again! Jimi, I love you, but please not again!!! Kenneth

**Jimi LaLumia** · 11-20-2011, 08:17 PM

Yes, I am soooooooooooooooo jealous of Mr. Gordy...lol..
I love Mr. Gordy on one level, he gave me MOTOWN to enjoy for my entire life..
I don't love his treatment of many of my favorite artists,or his 'book keeping"
and WTF are you, his great aunt, running out with a rolling pin to rescue your lil Berry?...lol

**Roberta75** · 11-20-2011, 08:34 PM

No I'm not his great aunt but his book keeping or treatment of artists is between Mr. Gordy and the people who were fortunate enough to be signed to his label. It's really none of your business.

**Roberta75** · 11-20-2011, 08:37 PM

Originally Posted by kenneth

Roberta75, Now you know it isn't jealousy, but you've just allowed Jimi to unleash his conspiracy theories on us again! Jimi, I love you, but please not again!!! Kenneth

His Berry Gordy/Motown conspiracy theories are almost as ridiculous as the Birthers against President Obama and the people who think 9/11 was an inside job.

Roberta

**Jimi LaLumia** · 11-20-2011, 08:41 PM

People who become public figures/stars/brand names become everyone's business, that's part of the 'burden of stardom" that Miss Ross talked about;
tell the Enquirer and STAR Magazine that what they write about/report on is none of their business..good luck with that...

when you willingly thrust yourself into the entertainment biz, you become everyone's business..get over it..

**mowest** · 11-20-2011, 08:58 PM

One correction: "Reach Out And Touch [[Somebody's Hand)" got to #10 on the Cash Box pop chart. Its run was 9 weeks.

**kenneth** · 11-20-2011, 09:05 PM

Originally Posted by Roberta75

His Berry Gordy/Motown conspiracy theories are almost as ridiculous as the Birthers against President Obama and the people who think 9/11 was an inside job.

Roberta

Well, now I wouldn't go that far! You gotta love him, he's passionate about what he believes in!

Hey Jimi, read my thread about the "Dianna" Ross Live CD I found lately...want to know if you can id it.

**luke** · 11-20-2011, 09:10 PM

Very true Jim and remember some people dont want some people talked about and do want others talked about. Sooooo transparent! lol I thought Stoned Love made it to #1 R and B hence being included on the #1s--? Didnt Berry say "I wash my hands of the group" so its not conspiracy theory its the truth! Reach out and Touch IMO was one of the worst things ever put out by Diana. Did Berry or Diana insist it be put out first?

**Roberta75** · 11-20-2011, 09:19 PM

Originally Posted by luke

Very true Jim and remember some people dont want some people talked about and do want others talked about. Sooooo transparent! lol I thought Stoned Love made it to #1 R and B hence being included on the #1s--? Didnt Berry say "I wash my hands of the group" so its not conspiracy theory its the truth! Reach out and Touch IMO was one of the worst things ever put out by Diana. Did Berry or Diana insist it be put out first?

Not nearly as transparent as you Miss Looky. LOL

**Jimi LaLumia** · 11-20-2011, 09:25 PM

we still luv you Roberta VO5!

**captainjames** · 11-20-2011, 09:27 PM

Not sure about the final sales of Stone Love but if you want to know if Reach And Touch was a big hit just ask Valerie Simpson. Val would have been the one to see the final royalties from this song.

**Roberta75** · 11-20-2011, 09:27 PM

Originally Posted by Jimi LaLumia

we still luv you Roberta VO5!

Thank you hon.

**jillfoster** · 11-20-2011, 10:39 PM

Originally Posted by luke

Very true Jim and remember some people dont want some people talked about and do want others talked about. Sooooo transparent! lol I thought Stoned Love made it to #1 R and B hence being included on the #1s--? Didnt Berry say "I wash my hands of the group" so its not conspiracy theory its the truth! Reach out and Touch IMO was one of the worst things ever put out by Diana. Did Berry or Diana insist it be put out first?

I also agree that the song sucked. I LOVE "Remember Me" and would have used that as the first single.

**luke** · 11-20-2011, 10:43 PM

Me too Jill-loved Remember Me-Diana at her best too!

**marv2** · 11-22-2011, 12:18 PM

Originally Posted by jobeterob

If the radio play had been greater, it would have reached #1 pop.

Come on Jobeterob, you're a smart guy, how do you think they sold 3 million copies of "Stoned Love" without some pretty major radio airplay? It has been concluded that Motown was no longer pulling out all the stops to promote the Supemes and their releases by this time, so it had to have been the DJ's playing it and the public requesting in order to sell in those numbers. I was around back then so I know it received a lot airplay.

**marv2** · 11-22-2011, 12:21 PM

Originally Posted by Strange

To believe that sale I reckon you'd need to be 'stoned' yourself Marv2! You've just made it about the biggest selling single of the decade...

]

Not true "Strange". I am not stoned, thanks. When I get back from Thanksgiving holiday [[and if I remember LOL), I'll reseach it for you and then can more readily accept what I just told you. Geez! LOL!!!

**marv2** · 11-22-2011, 12:28 PM

Originally Posted by johnjeb

marv2, the talk-show host I was referring to is now in his late 50s and was an older teenager at the time Stoned Love was on the radio and he still thought it was Diana Ross and The Supremes.

We come from different backgrounds and have differnt experiences. There were people around me that knew nothing about Diana Ross leaving the Supremes. The publicity in my suburban community or my rural college community [[although with 20,000 students) was minimal regarding her departure from the group. Virtually no one was talking about it.

I was a senior in college at the time and had little access to television or radio, which was not unusual for college students. Keeping up to date on pop culture back then was not as easy as it is today - you had to search it out. Most college students where I attended were interested in rock music, much to my disappointment.

johnjeb, I believe you when you say that this talk show host just didn't know. I just have to ask why? I mean it was hardly a secret and he was after all in the entertainment industry. One point you made may hold the answer ,the part about different backgrounds & cultures. In the African American community everyone knew that it was the"New Supremes" with Jean Terrell on lead. It was a no-brainer. The point you made does leave more room for the possibility of some just not knowing or even caring. I am now thinking of what the possible response I would have gotten if I had asked my Grandma to name the members of the Rolling Stones or Beatles.

Marv

**marv2** · 11-22-2011, 12:31 PM

Originally Posted by Jimi LaLumia

and the label leans on radio for more airplay...
do you REALLY think that Motown was leaning on radio to play the 'new' Supremes?...I don't..
I think Motown felt that Supremes airplay was taking away from solo Ross airplay[[it probably was),and Ross was struggling for hits[[with the exception of "Ain't No Mountain..")during 1970/1971 into 72..
who do you think the priority was?
and don't you think that Jean Terrell eventually figured this out,or someone figured it out for her?

That is very true Jimi. They were also concentrating on the Jackson Five at that time.