Diana Ross & The Supremes – Love Child (The Ed Sullivan Show, Sept 29, 1968)

When Love Child arrived in the fall of 1968, Diana Ross & The Supremes were at a turning point. For years, their chart-topping run had been powered by the legendary songwriting team Holland–Dozier–Holland, but that partnership had collapsed in a royalties dispute. With their creative foundation gone, the group urgently needed a new hit to prove they could thrive without their longtime collaborators.

Motown’s solution was a fresh team of writers and producers: Deke Richards, Pam Sawyer, R. Dean Taylor, and Frank Wilson, collectively known as The Clan. Instead of offering another glossy love song, they took a bolder path. Love Child told the story of a young woman scarred by growing up out of wedlock, determined not to repeat the cycle. It was a subject rarely addressed in mainstream pop at the time, let alone by America’s most glamorous girl group.

The first national unveiling of the song came on The Ed Sullivan Show on September 29, 1968. Dressed in Bob Mackie gowns, Diana Ross stood front and center, flanked by Mary Wilson and Cindy Birdsong in elegant, synchronized motion. The Supremes looked as polished as ever, but the words Ross delivered were raw — a striking contrast that made the performance unforgettable. The next day, the single was officially released.

Commercially, the gamble worked. Love Child shot to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, ending The Beatles’ nine-week reign with “Hey Jude.” It held the top spot for two weeks, sold around two million copies in the U.S. alone, and became the Supremes’ 11th chart-topper — their first not written by Holland–Dozier–Holland. Internationally, it topped the charts in Canada and New Zealand, reached No. 2 in Australia, and broke into the Top 10 in Sweden.

The success of Love Child gave the Supremes new life and showed that Motown could pair socially conscious themes with commercial strength. Decades later, the Ed Sullivan performance remains one of their most iconic television appearances, blending elegance with grit at a time when pop music itself was changing.

Quick Facts & Trivia

• Song: Love Child
• Artist: Diana Ross & The Supremes
• Release: September 30, 1968
• Album: Love Child
• Writers: R. Dean Taylor, Frank Wilson, Pam Sawyer, Deke Richards (The Clan)
• Producers: The Clan, Henry Cosby
• Genre: Psychedelic soul / pop
• Length: 2:54
• Chart Peaks:
• US Billboard Hot 100: #1 (2 weeks, 1968)
• US R&B/Soul: #2
• Canada: #1
• New Zealand: #1
• Australia (Kent): #2
• Sweden: #7
• Japan (Oricon): #23
• Sales/Certifications: ~2 million copies sold in 1968

Trivia

• First Supremes No. 1 not written by Holland–Dozier–Holland.
• Premiered on The Ed Sullivan Show, Sept 29, 1968 (repeat Jan 5, 1969).
• Mary Wilson and Cindy Birdsong did not sing background on the studio recording —
• Motown’s house trio The Andantes provided the vocals.
• Costumes for the TV debut were designed by Bob Mackie.
• Preserved in the DVD anthology Reflections: The Definitive Performances (1964–1969).