The Supremes “Let me go the right way”

A huge number of 1960s songs were forgotten, because that period met with many cultural and political changes. The result was a rush which shuffled minds, memories,values and traditions. But, this wave of extraordinary events would pave the way into a new era that would impact music in many unexpected ways.

Black music talents recruited themselves under one Black music organization called Motown. The owner and founder of Motown was a songwriter Berry Gordy working with Eddie Holland who at that time was a recording artist on another label.

Gordy the Motown pioneer had written many songs for personalities as Jackie Wilson and Smokey Robinson. And it was Gordy’s networking that attracted more black singers, musicians and songwriters to team up on the same business and cultural perspective.

It was during the early 1960 that Diana Ross and the Supremes stepped into the Motown scene. “Let me go right way” was a popular Supreme song that has been forgotten or is not remembered at all. AmericaOnCoffee

Built on a frenetic and gritty R&B production, it featured an unpolished raw R&B vocal from Supremes lead singer Diana Ross, despite speculation that the song was led by Florence Ballard (who only led on one brief line – “A go-go right!” – at the beginning).

In fact, Ballard, the high soprano in the group, was prominently featured in the background – especially her ad-libs on the singles outro – along with Mary Wilson while Ross sung in her natural register. Written and produced by Berry Gordy, the record talks of a woman who wants her lover to let her “go the right way” in their relationship rather than being “led astray”.

Featuring energetic vocals from all three ladies, it was the group’s first recording and release as a trio following the departure of Barbara Martin. This single would be the last to be produced by Gordy until after the songwriting-producing team of Holland–Dozier–Holland left Motown in late 1967; a year after this release, H-D-H would become the group main producers.