Quote Originally Posted by RanRan79 View Post
"Reflections" is a damn good song. I'm wondering if maybe debuting the record on TV before/on/or directly after it's release date would've really pushed it. But it's possible Gordy and co may not have felt Cindy was ready for primetime just yet. I don't know how long the song took to peak, but I think it's different enough from their output up until this point that it might have taken a bit of time to catch on, so by the time it hit #2, that might have been the point where the public was just about tired of it. Just a theory since I don't know it's weekly chart history.

"I'm Gonna Make You Love Me" is definitely a major stumper as to why it stalled. I get "Grapevine" was holding it off, but this is the freakin Supremes and Temptations. I'm willing to bet had Gordy gotten the two groups on Sullivan to debut the song or perform the song as it was nearing the top, it would've gone number one for at least a week. Sometimes I want to retroactively go back in time and knock the hell out of Gordy. The group gets booked to sing Fats Waller and Irving Berlin [[as great as those numbers were) but not book them to do such an important single in both group's history? He was as dumb as he was smart.

"Stoned Love"...I'm going to be honest, I'm surprised the song went number one R&B, so it doesn't shock me that it didn't do that pop. I think "Ladder" sounded more like a number one record than "Stoned" did.
I absolutely love "Reflections". I was amazed it didn't get to #1 for at least one week. "Ode To Billie Joe" was a hot record. It knocked The Beatles "All You Need Is Love" out of #1 after only 1 week - that was rare. "Billie Joe" stayed at #1 for four weeks to be replaced by another strong record "The Letter" by the Box Tops. "Reflections" didn't have a chance at that point. "Reflections" charted for 11 weeks August 12, 1967 - October 21, 1967; 61, 20, 8, 3, 2, 2, 4, 5, 7, 22, 39.

I imagine it was difficult to coordinate television appearances with record releases. Add to that a hectic schedule of personal appearances throughout the USA and around the world.

Prime-time TV shows, regular Series as well as Specials, most likely required contracts which had restrictions about appearances on competitive programs - or so I have heard. [[Remember we only had 3 networks!) I don't think stars like Bing Crosby or Bob Hope would appreciate hearing that their Special Guest Stars were also appearing for another program within days or a couple of weeks.

The Supremes were in such high demand I can imagine their TV appearances, like their supper-club bookings, were scheduled months in advance, in most cases. The Supremes were basically on TV once a month. [[It seemed like once a week when you add in syndicated daytime shows and summer reruns of Prime-time shows.)

Back in mid-November 1966 when The Supremes were appearing here in Boston at Blinstrub's I heard a radio interview in which Diana mentioned they were rehearsing for their upcoming appearance on Ed Sullivan in December. I was surprised that they were rehearsing something 3-4 weeks in advance.

Love Child was the first Supremes record to debut on TV rather than on the radio. Generally The Supremes performed their latest release but that didn't mean it was brand-spanking-new. Maybe someone has documented a record's release date and the date that song was first performed on television.