LOVE the Supremes. I do enjoy the post-Diane years.
I would have to say that my favorite Jean-lead song is Up the Ladder to the Roof. I also like a song that was not released until recently called The Day Will Come (Between Sunday and Monday). Probably my least favorite would be Floy Joy.
Mary Wilson explains in her book that she was interested in finding a replacement for Diane that had a group mentality. From '67 to '70, the group might as well have been called Diana Ross. Which it basically was. On the last recordings, such as My Forever Came Today, Love Child, and Someday We'll Be Together, only one of the Supremes or none at all sang backup on the records. The Motown house singers filled in.
Jean was not the first choice for a replacement, fellow Motown singer Tammi Terell (she sang 'Aint No Mountain High Enough' with Marvin Gaye) was considered, but by then she was suffering from a brain tumor and was unable to accept the offer. We can only imagine how great that would have been. (No offense Jean!)
At first, Jean had that group mentality, then she quickly sunk into Diane mode. Mary explains that after a while, Jean wouldn't talk to her at all, Mary tried to get the third Supreme at the time, Lynda Lawrence, to pass along messages, but to no avail. Jean didn't care to sing the old 60's Supremes songs at all, and put forth little effort. Jean eventually left around 1974.
OOPS! I didn't mean for this to be some kind of history lesson! I get carried away.
Any way you slice it, I love all the Supremes from 1962 to 1977.
~Tim
