Back in 1967, shortly before my
eleventh birthday, there was this hit song “the Happening” by The Supremes. Every
time I heard the first note I used to jump up and dive under my mother’s big
sewing machine where we had the radio. One box with only two knobs, one for
fine-tuning and one for the volume. It was not too big a surprise that I got
the record for my birthday. And that turned out to become the mark of my life. Since
then I never turned away from the group. When Diana Ross left in 1970 I started
following both; The Supremes and Diana Ross.
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Left to right: Florence Ballard, Mary Wilson, Diana Ross |
In the Netherlands, these subjects also
were big items. Unfortunately, I was just a few years too young back then. Like
most people, my father was a hardworking man. My mother was always home being
the housewife. Both were pretty conservative and yet they had an open mind. The Netherlands then was a very liberated country. In the past, the Netherlands had colonized
Indonesia and Suriname. Many people from these countries had moved to The Netherlands.
Looking back they were mostly tolerated but not completely
accepted. But hey, I was a kid. Could and would I know? I did not know about
discrimination or racism and even the words did not exist in our vocabulary.
That changed in April 1968 with the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King.
Love the ones you’re with and be loved in return.
So in 1967, my choice was made. It
was not all Supremes and Diana Ross of course but let’s say 95% of the music I
played. As soon as a new single came out I wanted to have it. In December 1967
our neighbor girl got a Greatest Hits album of The Supremes and I too wanted
it but since I had seen an advertisement of a double album I set my goals on
that one of course. In the shop, I was told there was no double album so I
showed them the ad. They ordered it and I got it.
Every day after school I was playing records of The Supremes and my father once begged me to stop playing these records or at least turn the volume down. We lived on the fourth floor and as soon as he opened the door to the main entrance on the ground floor he already could hear my music. Did I like all the records? Definitely not. I remember that I saw an album I never ever had heard of before “The very first album”. It was on sale and I begged my parents to give me some money to buy it. Later I cried my eyes out; this wasn’t much like The Supremes I knew.
Every day after school I was playing records of The Supremes and my father once begged me to stop playing these records or at least turn the volume down. We lived on the fourth floor and as soon as he opened the door to the main entrance on the ground floor he already could hear my music. Did I like all the records? Definitely not. I remember that I saw an album I never ever had heard of before “The very first album”. It was on sale and I begged my parents to give me some money to buy it. Later I cried my eyes out; this wasn’t much like The Supremes I knew.
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Left to right: Cindy Birdsong, Diana Ross, Mary Wilson |
Years passed by and I kept on
playing my favorite music. The Dutch magazines never wrote much about The
Supremes unless they had a hit. One day while I was in the basement fixing the
flat tire of my bicycle, I was listening to the American Hot One Hundred and
jumped up when the DJ announced “And now, a new entry at number 84, The
Supremes with Stoned Love!” Another birthday came and this time I would not
settle for a single anymore. Are you kidding me?
I wanted the complete album “New Ways But Love Stays”. And I loved it! The Dutch Motown fan club then jokingly called the group The Newpremes because Diana had left the group to start a solo career. In 1977 The Supremes was disbanded. They made their last tour and I was happy to be able to see them in “The Beach Club” in a small town called Zandvoort.
I wanted the complete album “New Ways But Love Stays”. And I loved it! The Dutch Motown fan club then jokingly called the group The Newpremes because Diana had left the group to start a solo career. In 1977 The Supremes was disbanded. They made their last tour and I was happy to be able to see them in “The Beach Club” in a small town called Zandvoort.
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Left to right back: Cindy Birdsong, Jean Terrell. In front: Mary Wilson |
So far the music. But what has
made The Supremes (and Motown) so important? When Berry Gordy started Motown it
was an enormous risk he was taking in an industry run by white people. America
did not have equal rights at the time. There were still States were African
Americans were not allowed in restaurants, bars, etc. In buses, the back seats
were for the blacks, not the front seats. South Africa was known for its
‘apartheid’ (a Dutch word and not one I am proud of) but it was known in the USA as well. It might be hard to imagine now but it really was hard for black
people at that time.
And here came Gordy, building his own imperium of black stars who soon would conquer the world. One cannot say that it was only Motown who made a breakthrough when it comes to equal treatment for all American citizens. There was the NAACP (The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) and Dr. Martin Luther King. But for sure Motown records came in just when the time was ripe for a change. And its music definitely was of big help.
When The Supremes became America’s sweethearts it meant a lot not only for them but for all artists at Motown and, in a wider spectrum, for all blacks. I really don’t know if the artists and Gordy were fully aware of the impact they had. Looking back, after history is already in the books it is all so much easier to see. Gordy was in his thirties but most of the artists were teenagers or artists in their early twenties. I truly cannot believe they saw what was happening and changing.
The Supremes was a group, consisting of 3 young, enthusiastic girls who dreamed of making it big. Well, they did even better than that. Hardly 21 years old (Florence being 22) were they preparing a show in the famous Copa in New York. A place where only the greatest on earth appeared. It was a huge and very important gig. Just try to imagine what that must have been for these 3 young ladies, raised in the ghetto.
Most kids their age were asking themselves what to wear for their night out. Hoping they would meet a great boy/girl. The Supremes were going through dance routines, singing rehearsals and at the same time being taught how to talk, how to walk, etc.
They got raving reviews and that meant they had made it. Now they could go everywhere and they had opened doors for other artists at Motown as well. The Supremes appeared on many TV shows. Often America could watch them perform their latest hits on (prime time!) The Ed Sullivan show. The Supremes became the first black group that could go everywhere.
When the music of the sixties is being discussed it is too often about rock bands like The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and The Monkeys etc. But the impact that Motown had should not be undervalued. Motown and The Supremes have built bridges. Many other artists have covered Motown songs.
And here came Gordy, building his own imperium of black stars who soon would conquer the world. One cannot say that it was only Motown who made a breakthrough when it comes to equal treatment for all American citizens. There was the NAACP (The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) and Dr. Martin Luther King. But for sure Motown records came in just when the time was ripe for a change. And its music definitely was of big help.
When The Supremes became America’s sweethearts it meant a lot not only for them but for all artists at Motown and, in a wider spectrum, for all blacks. I really don’t know if the artists and Gordy were fully aware of the impact they had. Looking back, after history is already in the books it is all so much easier to see. Gordy was in his thirties but most of the artists were teenagers or artists in their early twenties. I truly cannot believe they saw what was happening and changing.
The Supremes was a group, consisting of 3 young, enthusiastic girls who dreamed of making it big. Well, they did even better than that. Hardly 21 years old (Florence being 22) were they preparing a show in the famous Copa in New York. A place where only the greatest on earth appeared. It was a huge and very important gig. Just try to imagine what that must have been for these 3 young ladies, raised in the ghetto.
Most kids their age were asking themselves what to wear for their night out. Hoping they would meet a great boy/girl. The Supremes were going through dance routines, singing rehearsals and at the same time being taught how to talk, how to walk, etc.
They got raving reviews and that meant they had made it. Now they could go everywhere and they had opened doors for other artists at Motown as well. The Supremes appeared on many TV shows. Often America could watch them perform their latest hits on (prime time!) The Ed Sullivan show. The Supremes became the first black group that could go everywhere.
When the music of the sixties is being discussed it is too often about rock bands like The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and The Monkeys etc. But the impact that Motown had should not be undervalued. Motown and The Supremes have built bridges. Many other artists have covered Motown songs.
What actually happened to The
Supremes? Unfortunately, the price each group member had to pay was high. The
Supremes started as friends who shared the same big dream. When Diana got the
lead and brought the group to fame, tensions started to grow within the ranks
of the group. Florence thought she should have the leads. Mary wrote in her
book “Dreamgirls. My life as a Supreme” that she never really felt the ambition
of becoming the group’s lead singer. But now she found herself stuck in the
middle. She understood both Diana and Florence.
Nobody but the girls themselves knew what exactly was going on in the group. A lot has been said –and written- about it. Some of the stories may be true but I think there was a lot of gossiping and ‘assuming’s as well. Somewhere I have read that Diana always gave a little extra. Soon it was said she was the cold-hearted bitch who pushed others out of her way to stardom.
Again I find it hard to believe. Since when do we blame people for working hard and giving a little more than was requested? It is very easy to say one is a terrible, self-righteous bitch but I guess it is just not that simple. True, Diana and Gordy got heavily emotionally involved. But again that is not something we can blame them for. Yet it happened. I do believe there was a lot of jealousy going on. Not only between the group members but also coming from other groups.
All groups wanted hits. All groups aimed for stardom. There was this enormous pressure on them. Motown was often called ‘A big family’ but the plain truth is that Motown too was a company. A business that needed to make money. A business that had many strong links but also its weaker links. Florence Ballard was not a weak link for as far I have read and heard. But she had a hard time accepting Diana got the lead vocals and then also most attention from public and press.
Actually, she could not accept it at all. She started fighting for her own rights. And there we go again. They were just youngsters. I am convinced nobody could really oversee the whole thing. Let’s be real: The Supremes were doing up to 3 shows a day. They traveled all over the country and abroad. There were rehearsals, press conferences, recording sessions and then the TV shows. Just try to imagine what an impact this kind of life must have had on three youngsters.
I bet most people simply could not handle it. The Supremes did. Florence fought like crazy for what she believed in; Diana gave all she had to give and Mary did all that was expected from her to do. I am sure that she was the only one who saw exactly what was going on. After all, she never thought of becoming the group’s leader and was satisfied with her position. She was not taking part in the fights so she could see it all from a distance.
Diana and Florence might have felt hurt but Mary must have been equally hurt if not even more. And Berry? Being Diana’s lover we can assume it is only logical that he took her side. But that is just a wild guess. The funny thing is that in interviews, I do believe everybody is honest. I really cannot believe that somebody was trying to intentionally destroy anyone else. Who would have gained anything out of that anyway?
Nobody but the girls themselves knew what exactly was going on in the group. A lot has been said –and written- about it. Some of the stories may be true but I think there was a lot of gossiping and ‘assuming’s as well. Somewhere I have read that Diana always gave a little extra. Soon it was said she was the cold-hearted bitch who pushed others out of her way to stardom.
Again I find it hard to believe. Since when do we blame people for working hard and giving a little more than was requested? It is very easy to say one is a terrible, self-righteous bitch but I guess it is just not that simple. True, Diana and Gordy got heavily emotionally involved. But again that is not something we can blame them for. Yet it happened. I do believe there was a lot of jealousy going on. Not only between the group members but also coming from other groups.
All groups wanted hits. All groups aimed for stardom. There was this enormous pressure on them. Motown was often called ‘A big family’ but the plain truth is that Motown too was a company. A business that needed to make money. A business that had many strong links but also its weaker links. Florence Ballard was not a weak link for as far I have read and heard. But she had a hard time accepting Diana got the lead vocals and then also most attention from public and press.
Actually, she could not accept it at all. She started fighting for her own rights. And there we go again. They were just youngsters. I am convinced nobody could really oversee the whole thing. Let’s be real: The Supremes were doing up to 3 shows a day. They traveled all over the country and abroad. There were rehearsals, press conferences, recording sessions and then the TV shows. Just try to imagine what an impact this kind of life must have had on three youngsters.
I bet most people simply could not handle it. The Supremes did. Florence fought like crazy for what she believed in; Diana gave all she had to give and Mary did all that was expected from her to do. I am sure that she was the only one who saw exactly what was going on. After all, she never thought of becoming the group’s leader and was satisfied with her position. She was not taking part in the fights so she could see it all from a distance.
Diana and Florence might have felt hurt but Mary must have been equally hurt if not even more. And Berry? Being Diana’s lover we can assume it is only logical that he took her side. But that is just a wild guess. The funny thing is that in interviews, I do believe everybody is honest. I really cannot believe that somebody was trying to intentionally destroy anyone else. Who would have gained anything out of that anyway?
The musical (and later the movie) ‘Dreamgirls’ is loosely based on The Supremes story. The producers always
denied it but they liked to use the concept of the original The Supremes album
covers. Just take a look at the picture here below. Mary Wilson cried every time she
saw the musical and Diana did not even want to see it.
When asked about her opinion on the movie she clearly stated “I haven’t seen it. Maybe I should bring my lawyer if I am going to see it”. This all says enough, doesn’t it? This doesn’t mean it is a bad movie. I still like to see it. For me, it is the music that is most important. It always has been. After almost 50 years I still like listening to the old songs and I never get tired of it.
I do not pretend I can stop all the sickening comments on YouTube posts. But believe me, there are many. In most posts Florence is praised and Diana gets all the blame. Even for Florence’s death. These people don’t know anything. Just like me. I am just an ordinary Dutch guy who happens to like the Motown music of the sixties. And I definitely do not like to turn people down because of the wide spread stories that still go around.
When asked about her opinion on the movie she clearly stated “I haven’t seen it. Maybe I should bring my lawyer if I am going to see it”. This all says enough, doesn’t it? This doesn’t mean it is a bad movie. I still like to see it. For me, it is the music that is most important. It always has been. After almost 50 years I still like listening to the old songs and I never get tired of it.
I do not pretend I can stop all the sickening comments on YouTube posts. But believe me, there are many. In most posts Florence is praised and Diana gets all the blame. Even for Florence’s death. These people don’t know anything. Just like me. I am just an ordinary Dutch guy who happens to like the Motown music of the sixties. And I definitely do not like to turn people down because of the wide spread stories that still go around.
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Left: Cover of The Dreams album. Right: Two covers of The Supremes |
It would be good if all people just
can take things as they are. There will always be stories that are made up. As
long as we are no part of it we do not know the specific facts, let alone the
truth.
Love the ones you’re with and be loved in return.
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