Editing The Supremes (section)

=== The Supremes in the 1970s ===
[[File:The_Supremes_1970.jpg|thumb|The Supremes performing on [[The Smokey Robinson Show]] in 1970.]]
Diana Ross & the Supremes gave their final performance on January 14, 1970, at the [[New Frontier (hotel and casino)|Frontier Hotel]] in Las Vegas.<ref>{{harvnb|Bronson|2003|p=269}}</ref> A [[live album|live recording]] of the performance was released later that year in a double-LP [[box set]] titled ''[[Farewell (Diana Ross & The Supremes album)|Farewell]]''. At the final performance, the replacement for Diana Ross, Jean Terrell, was introduced. According to Mary Wilson, after this performance, Berry Gordy wanted to replace Terrell with [[Syreeta Wright]]. Wilson refused, leading to Gordy stating that he was washing his hands of the group thereafter.<ref>{{harvnb|Wilson|Romanowski|1999|page=10 (Supreme Faith)}}</ref> After the Frontier Hotel performance, Ross officially began her career as a solo performer. Mary Wilson and Cindy Birdsong continued working with Jean Terrell on the first post-Ross Supremes album, ''[[Right On (The Supremes album)|Right On]]''.<ref>G. Gaar, Gillian. ''She's a rebel: the history of women in rock & roll''. Seal Press. 168. {{ISBN|1-58005-078-6}}</ref>

The Terrell-led Supremes—now rebranded as "the Supremes;" known unofficially at first as "the New Supremes", and in later years informally called "The '70s Supremes"—scored hits including "[[Up the Ladder to the Roof]]" (US number 10, UK number 6), "[[Stoned Love]]" (US number 7, UK number 3) and "[[Nathan Jones (song)|Nathan Jones]]" (US number 16, UK number 5), all of which were produced by [[Frank Wilson (musician)|Frank Wilson]]. These three singles were also R&B Top Ten hits, with "Stoned Love" becoming their last No.1 R&B hit in December 1970. Songwriting/production team [[Ashford & Simpson|Nickolas Ashford & Valerie Simpson]] produced another Top 20 hit for the group, a Supremes/[[Four Tops]] duet version of [[Ike & Tina Turner]]'s "[[River Deep – Mountain High]]".<ref>{{harvnb|Wilson|Bego|2019|p=221}}</ref>

In 1972, the Supremes had their last Top 20 hit single release, "[[Floy Joy (song)|Floy Joy]]", written and produced by Smokey Robinson, followed by the final US Top 40 hit for the Jean Terrell-led version of the group, "[[Automatically Sunshine]]" (US number 37, UK number 10).{{Citation needed|date=June 2024}} "Automatically Sunshine" later became the group's final top 10 single in the UK.{{Citation needed|date=June 2024}} On both "Floy Joy" and "Sunshine" Terrell shared lead with Mary Wilson. Motown, by then moving from Detroit to Los Angeles to break into motion pictures, put only limited effort into promoting the Supremes' new material, and their popularity and sales began to wane. Cindy Birdsong left the group in April 1972, after recording the ''[[Floy Joy (album)|Floy Joy]]'' album, to start a family; her replacement was [[Lynda Laurence]], a former member of [[Stevie Wonder]]'s backup group, Third Generation (a predecessor to Wonderlove). [[Jimmy Webb]] was hired to produce the group's next LP, ''[[The Supremes Produced and Arranged by Jimmy Webb]]'',<ref>Vining, Mark. "[https://www.rollingstone.com/artists/thesupremes/albums/album/115657/review/6067424/the_supremes The Supremes] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081230213142/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/thesupremes/albums/album/115657/review/6067424/the_supremes |date=December 30, 2008 }}". ''Rolling Stone'', January 4, 1973. Retrieved July 18, 2008.</ref> but the album and its only single "I Guess I'll Miss the Man" failed to make an impact on the ''Billboard'' pop chart, with the single peaking at number 85 on November 24, 1972.<ref name="Billboard Hot 100">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/the-supremes/chart-history|title=Chart History: The Supremes [Hot 100]|magazine=Billboard|access-date=April 1, 2021}}</ref>

In early 1973, the Stevie Wonder-produced "[[Bad Weather]]" peaked at number 87 on the US pop charts and number 37 in the UK.<ref name="Billboard Hot 100"/><ref name="UK official charts">{{cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/11282/supremes/|title=The Supremes|publisher=Official Charts Company|access-date=April 1, 2021}}</ref> Laurence left to start a family, so Cindy Birdsong returned to the group.<ref name="Wilson 225">{{harvnb|Wilson|Bego|2019|p=225}}</ref>

Dismayed by this poor-performing record and the lack of promotional support from Motown, Jean Terrell left the group and was replaced by [[Scherrie Payne]], the sister of [[Invictus Records]] recording artist [[Freda Payne]].<ref name="Wilson 225"/> The group's strained relationship with Motown continued; Birdsong told journalist Peter McDonald in 1974 that 'we've had problems with Motown... at this point if a better opportunity with another company comes along we'll seriously consider it.'<ref>Peter MacDonald, 'The Supremes Ride on in Style' ''TV Week'' 1 June 1974 p. 28</ref>

Between the 1973 departures of Laurence and Terrell and the first Supremes single with Scherrie Payne, "He's My Man", a disco single on which Payne and Wilson shared lead vocal, Motown was slow in producing contracts for Payne and the returning Birdsong. Before the release of the album in 1975, the Supremes remained a popular live act, and continued touring overseas, particularly in the UK and Japan. The group's new recordings were not as successful as their earlier releases, although "He's My Man" from the album ''[[The Supremes (1975 album)|The Supremes]]'' was a popular disco hit in 1975. In 1976, Birdsong left again and was replaced by [[Susaye Greene]], another former member of Wonderlove.<ref>{{harvnb|Wilson|Bego|2019|p=229}}</ref>

This final version of the Supremes released two albums, both of which reunited the Supremes with Holland-Dozier-Holland: ''[[High Energy (The Supremes album)|High Energy]]'', which includes Birdsong on all of the tracks, and ''[[Mary, Scherrie & Susaye]]''.<ref name="Kellman"/> In 1976, the Supremes released "[[I'm Gonna Let My Heart Do the Walking]]", their final Top 40 hit on the ''Billboard''&nbsp;Hot&nbsp;100.<ref name="Billboard Hot 100"/>

On June 12, 1977, the Supremes performed their [[The Supremes' farewell concert|farewell concert]] at the [[Theatre Royal, Drury Lane|Drury Lane Theater]] in London as Wilson made her exit for a solo career, with Payne and Greene selecting [[Joyce Vincent Wilson|Joyce Vincent]] to round out the trio as a new third member. Instead, Motown decided that without any original members, the Supremes would be disbanded.<ref name="rhall" />