No one can doubt just how hot the Supremes were in the mid-Sixties. This was their third number one in a row and their ninth number one overall. Like all the others, it was written by the team of Holland-Dozier-Holland. In fact the album that this song is from was called The Supremes Sing Holland-Dozier-Holland. The writing team was almost as famous as the singers who sang their works.

This is the first song on which Diana Ross just speaks. It was Eddie Holland who realized what a sexy voice Diana had and so, wrote words into the song that she could just speak instead of sing. They called that “Talk singing.” That voice would go a long ways when she decided to enter the acting field later on.

But, all was not well in Supreme’s land. Florence Ballard, one of the two ladies who sing the harmony in the background was getting more and more unhappy about her role in the Supremes. She had expressed her displeasure with Diana getting all of the lead vocal roles as far back as 1966 and by 1967, she was making noises about leaving the group. Mary Wilson, the third member of the group and Diana just cried with the thought that Florence might leave.

Florence was not making things easy for the others, either. They thought she was gaining weight and they told her she drank too much. Florence started just not showing up for concerts and other appearances.

Motown wasn’t taking any chances, however. They started looking for a replacement. A girl named Cindy Birdsong, who used to sing with Patti LaBelle and the Bluebellies was available and so they brought her to Detroit and started preparing her to step into Florence’s shoes if the need should arrive.

Three weeks after “Love is Here and Now You’re Gone” dropped off the charts, Cindy Birdsong was called to stand in for Florence for a benefit for the United Negro College Fund on April 29, 1967. Florence did not show and so the “new” Supremes performed. By June, Florence was missing more events than she was attending and about the first of July, Berry Gordy officially fired Florence Ballard from the group.

“Love is Here and Now You’re Gone” entered the pop charts on February 4, 1967 and spent one week at number one. It was also number one on the R&B charts.