Berry Gordy/Diana Ross/The Supremes - Love Is Like An Itching In My Heart

The Supremes, an American female singing group, were one of the signature acts on Motown Records during the 1960s. Originally founded as The Primettes in Detroit, Michigan in 1959, The Supremes' repertoire included doo-wop, pop, soul, Broadway show tunes and disco. They were the most commercially successful of Motown's acts, with twelve of the group's singles peaking at number one on the Billboard Hot 100. Most of these hits were written and produced by Motown's main songwriting and production team, Holland-Dozier-Holland. At their peak in the mid-1960s, The Supremes rivaled The Beatles in worldwide popularity,[1] and their success made it possible for future African-American R&B and soul musicians to find mainstream success.

Founding members Florence Ballard, Mary Wilson, Diana Ross and Betty McGlown, all from the Brewster-Douglass public housing project in Detroit, formed The Primettes as the sister act to The Primes (with Paul Williams and Eddie Kendricks, who would go on to form The Temptations). Barbara Martin replaced McGlown in 1960, and the group signed with Motown the following year as The Supremes. Martin left the act in early 1962, and Ross, Ballard and Wilson carried on as a trio.

During the mid-1960s, The Supremes achieved mainstream success with Ross as lead singer. In 1967, Motown president Berry Gordy renamed the group Diana Ross & The Supremes and replaced Ballard with Cindy Birdsong. Ross left to pursue a solo career in 1970 and was replaced by Jean Terrell, at which point the group's name returned to The Supremes. After 1972, the lineup of The Supremes changed more frequently; Lynda Laurence, Scherrie Payne and Susaye Greene all became members of the group during the mid-1970s. The Supremes disbanded in 1977 after an eighteen-year run.
The Supremes became the first black female performers of the rock era to embrace a more feminine image. Much of this was accomplished at the behest of Motown chief Berry Gordy and Maxine Powell, who ran Motown's in-house finishing school and Artist Development department. Unlike many of her contemporaries, Ross sang in a thin, calm voice, and her vocal styling was matched by having all three women embellish their femininity instead of imitate the qualities of male groups. Eschewing plain appearances and basic dance routines, The Supremes appeared onstage in detailed make-up and high-fashion gowns and wigs, and performed graceful choreography created by Motown choreographer Cholly Atkins. Powell told the group to "be prepared to perform before kings and queens." Gordy wanted The Supremes, like all of his performers, to be equally appealing to black and white audiences, and he sought to erase the image of black performers as being unrefined or lacking class.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Supremes

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Northern
• Soul
• Tamla
• Motown

[deathbyaraven]

barry gordy got far too much credit... he isnt a singer or writer.. he discovered great talent is all... they were great to begin with it wasn't difficult.

[red777photo]

@deathbyaraven No Berry Gordy =No Motown, Motown was a machine, Berry was the heart of it.

[paul51]

Liked your video / images!!

[GeenaRodriguez]

This intro is just so HOT! This intro and the intro to "Back in My Arms Again" are my two favorite Motown intros.

[pissedoff7771]

they were treated then he got these young talented singers to sign away their royalties.that was just greed they had nothing left for their children.this is why i tell my kids do not ever sign anything without a lawyer.these kids were young and at first it was like a family and i guess they thought family looks out for each other.eddie kendricks had to sign his rights away for a solo career.its just broke my heart to find out how dirty business can be.no one really gets away with dirt!

[pissedoff7771]

its just sad that a group of men called the funk brothers played on every hit that came out of motown and they were never given credit until marvin gayes whats going on then berry just closed the studio putting a sign on the door saying no more work here. these people had families same as heafter 14 years of hard work.if some brillant men had not got together and produce standing in the shadows we still would not know of these wonderful and talented men.thats what angers me the most the way cont

[hollidayevery]

@GGE47 I agree with you...I don't think Berry was as prolific as HDH, or Ashford and Simpson, or Whitfield/Strong, or Smokey, but remember, he started the company because of the strength of HIS own ability to write material that had been proven to have commercial appeal like the Jackie Wilson songs: Reet Petite, Lonely Teardrops, To Be Loved, and others. Those are the most famous ones I can think of off the top of my head right now.

[GGE47]

@hollidayevery Thanks for answering my question.I just heard both versions and Brenda's was more for the soul charts and BS and T was for the pop charts.I liked the 45 rpm better than the album.It had a short part on the album that interrupted the flow of the song and I guess why that was eliminated for the 45.It was also shorter for the airtime.I could also see their names on the label.I doubt if Gordy wrote music and lyrics like HDH did.

[hollidayevery]

@hollidayevery I love that you asked about "You've Made Me..." It is one of my favorites, and even though BS and T had the bigger chart success, Brenda Holloway sings the song like no one's business...Check it out. I am sure it has to be here on YouTube somewhere!

[hollidayevery]

@GGE47 Berry has always been a set of contradictions: He was as close with Smokey as anyone ever, but others, not so much.

"You've Made Me..." IS the same song BS and T recorded. The credits read: Frank Wilson, Brenda Holloway, Patrice Holloway, and Berry Gordy. Supposedly the song was originally written by sisters Brenda and Patrice, then producer Frank Wilson helped them finish it, then Berry helped finalize it...common practice. "Reet Petite" by Jackie is also a Berry composition.

[hollidayevery]

@GGE47 I can't say for sure, but I have always heard that Jackie had an interest in signing with Motown, but was under contract to Brunswick Records in New York. (Sidebar: There is a scene the the movie "The 5 Heartbeats" where a light complexioned singer has been "coerced" into remaining in his contract with a "New York" record company...I have always heard that this scene was a reference to Mr. Wilson).

[GGE47]

@hollidayevery Berry really lived up to that song"Money,That's What I Want".He snould have been living in shame,but he feels no shame.I was wondering if the song"You Made Me So Very Happy" was the one that Blood Sweat and Tears sang in 1969.Did he just write lyrics or did he also write the music?I remember Jackie Wilson singing "Lonely Teardrops" in 1959 and The Contours singing"Do You Love Me" in 1962..Jackie Wilson knew Berry Gordy and maybe that's why he didn't sign with Motown

[WESTON147]

@deathbyaraven You're wrong. Berry Gordy was and is a song writer. He wrote Lonely Tear drops for Jackie Wilson and To be loved just to name a few.

[hollidayevery]

Berry has his faults, but he is also a composer of "Money (That's What I Want)", "Do You Love Me", a co-writer of "You Made Me So Very Happy", "No Matter What Sign You Are", "I'm Living In Shame", "Try It Baby"...the company was started mostly on the strength of songs that Berry himself wrote...Let's give credit where credit is due...He did have a tremendous eye for talent, but he was a talent himself...faults and all