Diana Ross & The Supremes: Final TV Appearance

**Ian Scarlet** · 07-02-2016, 11:34 PM

This is one of my favorites performances because The Supremes put on all their classics together and It's nice! Also, I'm agree with Diana's opinion about the music in the 60's. Of course I love that Ed Sullivan has been giving a place to The Supremes for 10 magic years.
https://mwwwyoutube.com/watch?v=how5kE8OGFM

**Bluebrock** · 07-03-2016, 03:24 AM

Originally Posted by Ian Scarlet

This is one of my favorites performances because The Supremes put on all their classics together and It's nice! Also, I'm agree with Diana's opinion about the music in the 60's. Of course I love that Ed Sullivan has been giving a place to The Supremes for 10 magic years.
https://mwwwyoutube.com/watch?v=how5kE8OGFM

I only really became familiar with Ed Sullivan during the you tube years having been too young during the 60's and also living in the UK where the show wasn't shown regularly to the best of my knowledge. The musical performances on the show [[not just the Supremes) were generally superb. It was obviously a huge deal to be invited on to the show. The Supremes got there more often than most and i never tire of watching their performances. I agree Ian that this performance is up there with their very best. It was obviously a relief to all concerned that Diana was about to step out on her own. I am just surprised Diana did not perform on the show as a solo artist or that the New Supremes only did the one performance with "up the ladder". I know the show was cancelled in 71 but that still gave sufficient time for both acts to have made 1 or 2 appearances. Such a shame.

**daviddh** · 07-06-2016, 09:51 PM

I think we can all agree as ..this was indeed strange
I never understood why they weren't on American bandstand until the 70s. Strange for sure

**milven** · 07-07-2016, 12:04 AM

**ejluther** · 07-07-2016, 03:36 PM

Very classy farewell performance; I love the little looks Diana takes at Cindy and Mary while they're singing straight ahead [[starting around 6:47) and the way she simply walks forward alone at the end...

**sup_fan** · 07-07-2016, 04:09 PM

it's definitely a great clip. also an "interesting" one. Diana looks almost comatose here. You can sort of make out the bruises on Cindy's face that makeup couldn't totally conceal from her kidnapping ordeal. Cindy also stumbles on Diana's mic cord as they swirl around her leading up to I Hear A Symphony

And what's up with the head of Diana's microphone - now you see it, now you don't, now you do again! lol at 3:33 the top part of the mic is missing. but later appears for Someday. My theory is it fell off and perhaps she even noticed this in her face, thus the breakaway shots to Mary and Cindy. Could also be different tapings. So they used version 1 for medley and she loses it then they use version 2 for Someday. just speculating

and yes, i'll recognize that I've watched this clip, and all my Sup clips, over and over and over and over lolol

**Jimi LaLumia** · 07-07-2016, 05:02 PM

The Sulivan episode was a merge of two performances and they obviously did not pay attention to details like the now you see it, now you don't mic.. by 67 when the group name changed, Diana Ross & The Supremes were too big for american Bandstand.. they only did big prime network ratings like Sullivan [[the biggest show in America for many years) , Hollywood Palace, etc you never saw The Beatles, Stones or Beach Boys on Bandstand by the mid 60's, so why should DRATS have appeared? they were America's number one vocal group , not female, but overall total..

**TheMotownManiac** · 07-08-2016, 06:15 AM

Cindy told me that The Supremes and Tops had a special joint appearance arranged for Dec '70 where The Supremes sang bg for Still Waters, then duet on River Deep, then The Tops would sing bg on Stoned Love. Gordy had Gil Askey and Johnny Allen put it together but Sullivan wouldn't shecdule it because he wanted Diane. It seems there was a deal where we'd do Sullivan as long as Diane did. I knew Ed was in love with Diane and I teased her about it. We never saw Ed at The Copa after Diane left. We were expecting a big television push for Diane's first record and there was none. I don't think she did any TV that first year or two. Instead of having The Supremeslive on his final show in early 1971, he did a long tribute to Diane The Superstar with all of our clips but no mention of us - just her. She didn't know why Berry kept her off TV but thought Reach Out would have been a much bigger hit if she was doing on TV.

Originally Posted by Bluebrock

I only really became familiar with Ed Sullivan during the you tube years having been too young during the 60's and also living in the UK where the show wasn't shown regularly to the best of my knowledge. The musical performances on the show [[not just the Supremes) were generally superb. It was obviously a huge deal to be invited on to the show. The Supremes got there more often than most and i never tire of watching their performances. I agree Ian that this performance is up there with their very best. It was obviously a relief to all concerned that Diana was about to step out on her own. I am just surprised Diana did not perform on the show as a solo artist or that the New Supremes only did the one performance with "up the ladder". I know the show was cancelled in 71 but that still gave sufficient time for both acts to have made 1 or 2 appearances. Such a shame.

**reese** · 07-08-2016, 07:46 AM

I think Diana was being promoted as one of the first superstars of the 70s, like a Streisand. As such, in the 70s, Diana didn't do a lot of television, unless she was promoting a film or a tv special, or hosting an awards show.

Television wasn't being used to promote her recordings, as it had been to promote those of the Supremes. Many of them might have done much better had she done more TV.

**BigAl** · 07-08-2016, 10:20 AM

By all accounts, Diane was extremely envious of Barbra's career and wanted hers to take a similar path, which is why she eventually wore down Gordy's resistance and he finally relented and let her do the Funny Girl album. The album was okay for what it was, but it still was kind of a mess. The Styne material just wasn't all that right for Diane. [[It was the only Supremes or DRATS album which I never purchased. One listen at a friend's house was more than enough for me, thank you. Even the cover photos didn't relate to Funny Girl at all.)

The plan to make Diane a superstar [[whether in the Streisand mold or not) was possibly what limited her TV appearances at that time. Top stars made only infrequent appearances, in order to make them seem more "special," I think.

**Bluebrock** · 07-08-2016, 03:30 PM

Originally Posted by TheMotownManiac

Cindy told me that The Supremes and Tops had a special joint appearance arranged for Dec '70 where The Supremes sang bg for Still Waters, then duet on River Deep, then The Tops would sing bg on Stoned Love. Gordy had Gil Askey and Johnny Allen put it together but Sullivan wouldn't shecdule it because he wanted Diane. It seems there was a deal where we'd do Sullivan as long as Diane did. I knew Ed was in love with Diane and I teased her about it. We never saw Ed at The Copa after Diane left. We were expecting a big television push for Diane's first record and there was none. I don't think she did any TV that first year or two. Instead of having The Supremeslive on his final show in early 1971, he did a long tribute to Diane The Superstar with all of our clips but no mention of us - just her. She didn't know why Berry kept her off TV but thought Reach Out would have been a much bigger hit if she was doing on TV.

Very interesting post!! It explains a lot. Diana did indeed know that Ed had a crush on her, but that was no reason to exclude the 70's Supremes. The performance with the Four Tops would have been something else. Incidentally Diana did do a performance of "reach out and touch" and "Ain't no mountain" on a chatshow in 1970. Cannot remember the name of it but the performances are on you tube and it was broadcast when "mountain" was at no,1

**reese** · 07-08-2016, 04:30 PM

Originally Posted by Bluebrock

Very interesting post!! It explains a lot. Diana did indeed know that Ed had a crush on her, but that was no reason to exclude the 70's Supremes. The performance with the Four Tops would have been something else. Incidentally Diana did do a performance of "reach out and touch" and "Ain't no mountain" on a chatshow in 1970. Cannot remember the name of it but the performances are on you tube and it was broadcast when "mountain" was at no,1

It was the Merv Griffin Show, the only tv appearance she did that year.

**marv2** · 07-08-2016, 05:02 PM

Originally Posted by TheMotownManiac

Cindy told me that The Supremes and Tops had a special joint appearance arranged for Dec '70 where The Supremes sang bg for Still Waters, then duet on River Deep, then The Tops would sing bg on Stoned Love. Gordy had Gil Askey and Johnny Allen put it together but Sullivan wouldn't shecdule it because he wanted Diane. It seems there was a deal where we'd do Sullivan as long as Diane did. I knew Ed was in love with Diane and I teased her about it. We never saw Ed at The Copa after Diane left. We were expecting a big television push for Diane's first record and there was none. I don't think she did any TV that first year or two. Instead of having The Supremeslive on his final show in early 1971, he did a long tribute to Diane The Superstar with all of our clips but no mention of us - just her. She didn't know why Berry kept her off TV but thought Reach Out would have been a much bigger hit if she was doing on TV.

I always believed that it is the Supremes on the recording of "Still Waters Run Deep" singing backup. Sounds just like them.

**TheMotownManiac** · 07-08-2016, 06:29 PM

We got a completely different spin on Streisand/Funny Girl from Gil Askey after Stolen Moments. We went to NYC hoping to get into the to the show, but it was impossible. A few tickets were made available to fans, but mostly, you had to know someone to get in. After the show, we got into the venue and met Gil and asked for his autograph. He kindly agreed to have a drink with us and answered many questions in ten minutes or so. I asked who had the original concept, and he said it was all Diana's idea, except they collaborated equally on the set list. She nixed I Loves Ya Porgy and a few others I had not heard of. He also said he did charts for Berry's favorite song from Funny Girl "The Music That Makes Me Dance" but after they learned Berry wasn't attending, they never rehearsed it. He reminisced about how he got a call one day from Berry who wanted to do the FunnyGil score and scoop Streisand. Jule Styne was down for it and told Gordy about a song in the movie that's not in the play that he'd give to Diana. This was clearly a favorite topic for Gil as we had to steer him back to the show and not the creepy Funny Girl album that he was so proud of. He also said Gordy was obsessed with making Diana as accepted as Barbra as a strike to the black movement, and it was Gordy that had Diana open her solo show with Don't Rain on My Parade for 4 years and how he intended to take Funny Girl away from Barbra, but Gil was disappointed in how little time they had to work on it and that Diana loved the project work with jule Styne. Oh, Gil also was disappointed in the promotion the album got and said Berry dropped the ball when the LP charted poorly.

I can see that Gordy was trying to keep Diana off TV, but it was a mistake, IMO, to not launch Reach out & Touch in a bigger manner. Up The Ladder got a huge start from Ed Sullivan that Reach Out sorely needed.

Originally Posted by BigAl

By all accounts, Diane was extremely envious of Barbra's career and wanted hers to take a similar path, which is why she eventually wore down Gordy's resistance and he finally relented and let her do the Funny Girl album. The album was okay for what it was, but it still was kind of a mess. The Styne material just wasn't all that right for Diane. [[It was the only Supremes or DRATS album which I never purchased. One listen at a friend's house was more than enough for me, thank you. Even the cover photos didn't relate to Funny Girl at all.)

The plan to make Diane a superstar [[whether in the Streisand mold or not) was possibly what limited her TV appearances at that time. Top stars made only infrequent appearances, in order to make them seem more "special," I think.

**TheMotownManiac** · 07-08-2016, 06:40 PM

They say it's The Andantes but maybe a reverse switch was done and The Supremes were The Andantes for a change! I wish they had done that other Sullivan show in the Forever Came Today gowns - Jean was so sexy in that one, plus the harmonies on Still Water could have been heavenly.

Originally Posted by marv2

I always believed that it is the Supremes on the recording of "Still Waters Run Deep" singing backup. Sounds just like them.