Just as changes were coming in American culture in 1968, as they were in the world of top-selling R&B singing group The Supremes. Looking back, Motown President Berry Gordy made some big decisions for the group a year earlier; first replaced original Vocalist Florence Ballard with Cindy Birdsong and then changed their name from The Supremes to Diana Ross & The Supremes.
Two controversial moves, behind-the-scenes, members of The Supremes were a bit displeased (particularly Mary Wilson) with the name change and Ballard dismissal. First, many consider Ballard to be one of the group’s strongest voices, and she was let go amidst struggling in her personal life. Some would even say these two synchronized moves in 1967 led to tension and conflict for The Supremes. Hard to argue, following Ballard’s release and the name change, the group would see Lead Singer Diana Ross departing three years later in early 1970 to pursue a solo career.
Disappointing, considering the run of success they all had together, in the short term, The Supremes, going as Diana Ross & The Supremes, had many highs, including a slew of chart-topping albums on the Billboard 200 from 1968’s Diana Ross & the Supremes Join The Temptations and 1969’s Love Child, to Ross’s final with the group, 1969’s Cream of the Crop. Albums that featured hits like “Love Child” and “I’m Gonna Make You Love Me,” both in 1968, plus “Someday We’ll Be Together” in 1969, the first wave of praise during this new chapter came in early 1968 with the album Reflections.
An album released in March 1968, ironically, some of its biggest tracks feature Ballard singing (“Reflections,” “In and Out of Love,” and “What the World Needs Now Is Love”) before her firing in July 1967. Something long-time fans recognize, it is also interesting to note that since Ballard was no longer a Supreme, her image was also removed from the planned album artwork. All moments in The Supremes’ compelling story, Reflections would indeed be the first billed as Diana Ross & The Supremes while being their twelfth overall studio album.
Marking even more change, the album would also be their last set recorded with the massive songwriting team of Holland-Dozier-Holland. So, where does Reflections hold up in the history books? Well, led by the album’s title track (which was a single from 1967), the group was still topping the charts. In fact, “Reflections” would probably hit number one had it not been for Bobbie Gentry’s “Ode to Billie Joe,” which held that spot.
Beyond the mega-hit “Reflections,” the album itself also features easily recognized singles like “In and Out of Love” and “Forever Came Today,” as well as distinctive renditions of “What the World Needs Now Is Love” (which was a huge success for Jackie DeShannon in 1965) and “Up, Up and Away” (which was a hit for The Fifth Dimension in 1967), plus “Ode to Billie Joe” (the Bobbie Gentry number one that kept “Reflections” from hitting there). All great listens and deeper tracks not to be overlooked would also have to include “I’m Gonna Make It (I Will Wait for You)” along with “I Can’t Make It Alone.”
In the end, Reflections hit number three on the R&B Charts, number eighteen on the US Billboard Charts, and reached all corners of the world with tons of airplay. To some, marking a moment in time full of mixed emotions, Reflections remains one of their best albums, which is why it is exciting to see it reissued on vinyl in 2025. One of the latest additions to the Elemental Music reprinting of Motown Records titles, Reflections, arrives in stereo on January 17, 2025, to a 140-gram press.
A limited edition release, this new release includes the original front and back cover while being presented on a classic black wax that sounds simply magical when putting the needle to the groove. Simple and elegant, it is a perfect companion to the spread of other Supremes reissues from Elemental Music that proceeded such as 1965’s We Remember Sam Cooke from May of 2024, 1966’s I Hear a Symphony (in green vinyl) from July of 2024, 1965’s More Hits by The Supremes in August of 2024, 1968’s Love Child from September of 2024, and lastly 1964’s A Bit of Liverpool from October of 2024. That is why Cryptic Rock gives this new vinyl pressing of Reflections 4.5 out of 5 stars.
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