Listen No. 12 - Where Did Our Love Go by The Supremes

Record Number 12:  Where Did Our Love Go by The Supremes

Genre:  Pop-soul, doo-wop, R & B

Context: The second studio album which allowed the group to ditch their nickname of the ‘"no-hit" Supremes. Released in 1964, it generated 3 number-one hits - Where Did Our Love Go, Baby Love and Come See About Me.  Everything changed for the Supremes once  Holland-Dozier-Holland started writing and producing their material. Dozier and the Holland brothers went on to write 28 Motown hits.

Notable facts:  The song A Breathtaking Guy  was originally released as A Breathtaking, First Sight Soul Shaking. One Night Love Making, Next Day Heartbreaking Guy. Some shortening then occurred for the album copy.

My favourite track:  Standing at the Crossroads of Love. Motown Junkies comments ‘Vibes, organ, high notes aplenty; a shimmering crystal castle of an intro, giving way to Diana Ross, who joins in by clambering youthfully right up to the top of her range to give a shrill, thin rendition of the title phrase.’

 What critics made of it: A highly successful album, hugely influential for Motown, and the highest-ranking album for an all-female group in 1964.

Listening to this inspired me to: keep playing this record as the songs I’m less familiar with are very interesting. And even though I will have already heard all their songs, I need to read more about  Holland-Dozier-Holland.