Jean Terrell and Motown

[marv2]

Billboard is Sales & Airplay. Cash Box & RW sales only.
Let's look at the charts for 1970.

Billboard/Cash Box/Record World[

Up The Ladder 10 9 7
Reach Out 20 10 9

Everybody 21 14 13
Ain't 1 1 1

Stoned Love 7 5 5
Remember Me 16 10 8

Right On 25
Diana Ross 18

New Ways 68
Everything Is 42

If You Add Four Tops Duet:
River Deep 14 15 12

Mag 7 116

As you see, it's hardly a slam dunk for either on singles. Ross sold more LPs.

In 1971, The Supremes had a hit and two flops, while Ross had 3 flops but all charted higher tha The Supremes' flops. Again Ross' LP sales were much stronger.

The point is that neither act was a threat to the other or making the other look bad, so Mary's assertion that The Supremes had to be reeled in to keep them from humiliating Ross is a bit of a stretch. It was nearly 2 years after Surrender flopped before Ross got another pop record out, while The Supremes worked with three new producers and kept releasing new material. Clearly the rivalry was only in someone's head.

Why are you continually talking about Diana Ross in this thread about Jean Terrell and Motown?