If The Supremes’ first No. 1 single were a snake, it would’ve bitten them while they were arguing with Motown about whether the record was worthy of making. Thank goodness the vocal group decided to go against their better judgment and cut the track anyway, as it kicked off a series of chart-topping successes for the Detroit-based trio.
That first hit was “Where Did Our Love Go”, which is a classic by today’s standards. However, when The Supremes first heard it, they weren’t so sure. According to some historical accounts, The Supremes weren’t happy about the fact that The Marvelettes almost got the track (though, we should note that some folks remember “Where Did Our Love Go” as only a Supremes pitch). In any case, The Supremes didn’t want the hand-me-downs that The Marvelettes didn’t want, let alone a hand-me-down that felt so amateur and childlike.
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Despite their initial hesitations, The Supremes went into the studio to record a version of “Where Did Our Love Go” in the spring of 1964. Two months later, they realized just how lucky they were that they did.
“Where Did Our Love Go” Was the Supremes’ First No. 1 Hit
Before June 1964, The Supremes were a talented but struggling girl group trying to catch up to fellow Motown performers The Marvelettes. They stayed busy recording singles and touring. But generally speaking, The Supremes were flying under the radar as support acts for larger artists. After June 1964, all of that changed. Suddenly, The Supremes were riding high at the top of the charts. On multi-band bills, they were promoted from supporting acts listed in small font at the bottom of a show flyer to the headlining acts, taking up the most flyer real estate.
“Where Did Our Love Go” earned The Supremes their first No. 1 hit, a trend that would continue throughout the mid-1960s with other cuts, like “Stop! In The Name Of Love”, “Baby Love”, and “Come See About Me”. The Supremes’ sound became synonymous with Motown pop, weaving pop-centric lyrics about love and heartbreak with airtight, blues-influenced arrangements and each of the three singers’ distinct voices.
The following year, “Where Did Our Love Go” reached the stars—quite literally—when NASA broadcast the track to astronauts on the Gemini 5 as they orbited Earth. Had The Supremes stuck to their first knee-jerk reaction and rejected the song, the Motown sound—and certainly the vocal group’s career—might have been much different.
Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
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