Genre Soul, R&B | Length 3:18 | |
B-side "Bill, When Are You Coming Back" Released February 16, 1970 (U.S.) Format Vinyl record (7" 45 RPM) Recorded Hitsville U.S.A. (Studio A); January 30, 1970 - February 1970 | ||
"Up the Ladder to the Roof" is a 1970 hit single recorded by The Supremes for the Motown label. It was the first Supremes single to feature new lead singer Jean Terrell in place of Diana Ross, who officially left the group for a solo career two weeks before the recording of this song in January 1970. This song also marks a number of other firsts: it is the first Supremes single since "The Happening" in 1967 to be released under the name "The Supremes" instead of "Diana Ross & the Supremes", the first Supremes single solely produced by Norman Whitfield associate Frank Wilson, and the first Supremes single to make the United Kingdom Top 10 since "Reflections" in 1967.
Frank Wilson wrote the music for the song, with lyrics written by an Italian-American songwriter from New York City named Vincent DiMirco.
"Up the Ladder to the Roof" rose to number ten on the Billboard Hot 100 and number five on the soul chart, in the spring of 1970. Outside the US, The Supremes scored a #6 smash with the song in the UK and number eight in Canada.