This Week in Music History: Supremes Complete Their 1964 Trifecta
Many great bands had their roots in Motown. Far too many to mention, but among them were the Four Tops, the Temptations, the Miracles, Gladys Knight & the Pips, the Marvelettes, the Spinners, the Drifters, Martha and the Vandellas, the Isley Brothers, the Commodores, Jr. Walker & the All Stars, and the Jackson 5.
But the one that entered the Sixties as Motown’s most commercially successful group was the Supremes. A pair of their milestones occurred during this week five years apart. On December 19, 1964, one of their singles topped the charts for the third time in the calendar year. And on December 21, 1969, the Supremes made their final television appearance with Diana Ross on The Ed Sullivan Show.
Come See About Me was their third No. 1 hit of 1964, following on the heels of Baby Love and Where Did Our Love Go. The Supremes were not fond of Where Did Our Love Go, which had been rejected by the Marvelettes, but their producers convinced them to record it. They were all pleasantly surprised when it soared to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.
Opening with a fade-in – an unusual technique in those days, Come See About Me featured the lead vocals of Ross and the backup vocals of Florence Ballard and Mary Wilson. In 1967, Jr. Walker and the All Stars covered the song.
During their final TV appearance with Ross, the Supremes performed, ironically, Someday We’ll Be Together, yet another of their No. 1 hits. Sullivan informed the audience of the magnitude of this swan song, with Ross launching a solo career.
Here’s a quick look at some other musical notes from this week (December 17-23) in history:
December 17, 1971 – Now with a backing band that would soon be known as the Spiders from Mars, David Bowie released his Hunky Dory album featuring the singles Changes and Life on Mars?
December 17, 1963 – The first known playing of a Beatles song on American radio occurred on this date when DJ James Carroll spun I Want to Hold Your Hand on WWDC-FM in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. Carroll’s flight attendant girlfriend had brought the single back from the UK.
December 19, 1957 – Although it was an interruption to his recording career, it may have served to make him even more popular. Elvis Presley received his draft notice from the U.S. Army while he was celebrating Christmas at Graceland, his recently purchased mansion in Memphis.
December 20, 1967 – Keeping it real, folk singer Joan Baez was given a 45-day jail sentence following her arrest at an anti-war demonstration in Oakland.
December 20, 1969 – With their first album to feature guitarist Mick Taylor, the Rolling Stones saw Let It Bleed jump to the top of the album charts in the UK. Songs include Gimme Shelter, You Can’t Always Get What You Want, and Midnight Rambler.
December 22, 2002 – Three rockers met their maker on this day in various years. The Clash co-founder and guitarist Joe Strummer passed at age 50 on this date, while Joe Cocker, 70, departed in 2014 and Leslie West, 75, of Mountain in 2020.
I hope you enjoyed this week’s trip down music’s memory lane. Feel free to check out my books on the Home and Books pages of this site.