Being the most enduring girl group of all time and, as Ribowsky argues, the main reason for Motown’s success in the mid-to-late 60s (along with songwriting dream team Holland-Dozier-Holland), you’d think The Supremes’ story would see the main players living in one happy bubble. Forming as The Primettes in Detroit’s Brewster-Douglass ghetto and going on to dominate the pop and R&B markets, however, everything from their name change to line-up overhauls are fraught with bitter recollections, rivalries and conflicting recollections that Ribowksy has to unravel.
Sadly, the author hasn’t done it as magisterially as he did with Phil Spector’s overwhelmingly labyrinthine story in the 2007 reprint of He’s A Rebel, with brass tacks such as some sloppy writing (and howling proof errors) making the overall read something of a trial. That said, it’s still an astounding story of – largely – Diana Ross’ insatiable desire to be queen bee, contentious betrayal of founding member Florence Ballard (who died a practically penniless alcoholic following her ejection from the group) and Berry “Pops” Gordy’s mix of business with pleasure ensuring that he wouldn’t rest until Miss Ross was at the top, solo, without her friends-cumbacking singers.
