Chapter 17: Soul, Motown, and Stax
Motown Records elevated the girl group to new artistic and commercial heights in the 1960s, producing iconic ensembles like the Marvelettes, the Velvelettes, and Martha and the Vandellas. The most successful and enduring of these, however, was The Supremes, Motown’s flagship girl group and one of the most successful acts of the decade.
Originally formed in 1959 as The Primettes, the group featured Detroit teenagers Diana Ross, Mary Wilson, Florence Ballard, and Betty McGlown (soon replaced by Barbara Martin). After a lone release on LuPine Records, they signed with Motown and adopted the name The Supremes. Early singles, produced by Smokey Robinson, failed to chart, and Barbara Martin left the group in 1962.
The group’s breakthrough came with two pivotal changes: Berry Gordy promoted Diana Ross to lead vocalist, replacing Ballard in that role, and paired the group with the powerhouse songwriting and production team Holland-Dozier-Holland (HDH). This creative partnership launched The Supremes into superstardom. Beginning with "When the Lovelight Starts Shining Through His Eyes" (1963), they embarked on an extraordinary run of 28 Top 40 hits. Twelve of these—including "Where Did Our Love Go," "Baby Love," "Stop! In the Name of Love," "You Can’t Hurry Love," and "Someday We'll Be Together"—reached No. 1 on the U.S. pop charts.
In addition to their musical success, The Supremes set a visual standard that reshaped the image of Black female performers. Under Gordy’s direction and with guidance from Motown’s in-house finishing school led by Maxine Powell, the group embraced a polished and glamorous aesthetic. They wore elegant, custom-made gowns, elbow-length gloves, and perfectly coiffed hairstyles. Their poised demeanor and graceful presentation were deliberately cultivated to challenge stereotypes and position them as refined and respectable women on a global stage.
Their choreography also became iconic. Under the direction of choreographer Cholly Atkins, The Supremes performed tightly synchronized movements tailored to each song. One of their most famous routines accompanied "Stop! In the Name of Love," in which the singers froze mid-performance with a dramatic forward thrust of the hand in a stop gesture. This simple yet theatrical move became a signature of their act and a defining visual of the Motown era.
One of the group's defining tracks, "Baby Love" (1964), exemplifies the HDH production formula and the signature Motown Sound. The arrangement features a steady backbeat on beats two and four, reinforced by the rhythmic clack of two-by-fours hinged together—a unique Motown studio invention. A vibraphone adds a shimmering, bell-like tone that became a hallmark of the label's lush, high-end textures.
The song follows a simple verse form (no chorus), consisting of seven verses with Diana Ross on lead and Wilson and Ballard providing layered harmonies. A signature half-step modulation in the fifth verse injects fresh energy and helps propel the song to its conclusion—one of the Motown writers’ favorite structural techniques to build momentum in the final third of a track.