by Robert Wilkinson
For our Saturday early show, we have sweet soul music at the birthday of the longest member of the Supremes!
The great Mary Wilson (March 6, 1944 – February 8, 2021), along with Diana and Flo, were a trio of backup singers known as the Primettes until they caught lightning in a bottle and became the most successful Motown act of the 60s, the best charting female group in US chart history, and one of the best-selling girl groups of all time, the Supremes! Mary remained a member of the Supremes after the other two left, staying on until 1977. A few years later she became a NTY best selling author in 1986 with the publication of her first autobiography, Dreamgirl: My Life as a Supreme. Without further introduction, Ms. Mary Wilson!
We’ll begin with the Supremes live on Dutch tv in 1964 doing their first big hit! They got off to a quick start in 1963 with the infinitely catchy “When the Love Light Starts Shining Through His Eyes” (#23 pop, #2 R&B)
Then in 1964, Holland-Dozier-Holland began a run of 10 #1 pop hits with this Supremes’ smash hit "Where Did Our Love Go"
We continue the string of #1s with another one from Dutch tv in 1964, “Baby Love” (from the same concert as the first song) and “Come See About Me.” (#1 US, #2 R&B)
This next hit kicked off 1965! From Ready Steady Go in 1965, a fantastic live performance of “Stop in the Name of Love” (#1 US, #2 R&B) And from The Hollywood Palace in 1965, another great live vocal performance to a backing track of “Stop in the Name of Love”
Another live television performance, this time of their 1965 #1 hit “Back in My Arms Again”
This one only made it to #11 US and #6 R&B, the upbeat million selling “Nothing but Heartaches”
They followed that with another which went to the top of the charts! From Hullabaloo in 1965, “I Hear A Symphony” (#1 US, #2 R&B)
They closed 1965 with this major hit! From The Sammy Davis Jr. Show in 1966, “My World Is Empty Without You Babe”
1966 continued their string of hits beginning with “Love is Like an Itching in My Heart” (#9 US, #7 R&B)
They followed that with another #1 hit! From September 1966 on The Ed Sullivan Show, the infinitely danceable “You Can’t Hurry Love”
Just after that, another #1 hit! On The Hollywood Palace tv show in 1966, here’s a live performance of “You Keep Me Hanging On” and “Somewhere.”
The next in the string of hits was the #1 “Love Is Here And Now You’re Gone” and “The Happening” (#1 US, #12 R&B)
We’ll close this brief tribute with two she did after Diana and Flo split. In 1975 she sang lead on this Top 10 disco hit! Live on Soul Train, the #6 Disco single "Early Morning Love"
We’ll close with this 1976 hit which went to #3 on the Disco charts. Here’s the Supremes doing their final hit single, again on Soul Train with Mary taking lead vocals on "I'm Gonna Let My Heart Do the Walking"
Copyright © 2023 Robert Wilkinson
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