Jean Terrell - Somewhere [[West Side Story)

[marv2]

Jean sings "Somewhere" from West Side Story in this 1981 concert in Atlanta:

[milven]

Very nice harmony . I was not aware that Jean was touring with a Supreme-ish act with two other ladies and glittering gowns. I wonder if the act was billed as JeanTerrll or Jean Terrell and the Supremes or Jean Terrell of the Supremes

Supposedly, one of the ladies doing harmony with Jean is Lynda. Sad that the picture is not as good as the audio.

Interesting that so many of the former Supremes keep using the name in their billing. I don't know if that is the case here. How much of a solo career did she have before she joined up with the Flos?

[mowsville]

Jean should have been huge as a soloist...what a waste of talent.

[Bluebrock]

Jean should have been huge as a soloist...what a waste of talent.

She did not enjoy her time in the spotlight and quickly regretted joining the Supremes. She was unwilling to promote her solo album on a&m and was quickly dropped. She quickly tired of being a member of the Flos and wanted to drop out of the spotlight. Had she desired it more and worked harder for it she may well have had a more successful solo career.

[sup_fan]

i'm trying to remember exactly how someone stated it, for it perfectly summarized Jean Terrell.

She's an immensely talented vocalist but absolutely NOT a star.

she didn't have the personality on stage or in person to be the lead singer of the biggest female vocal group. stunning in the studio and while simply singing. But to interact with tv hosts, interviewers, carry on the stage patter, appear to genuinely want to be there - she struggled

[milven]

She did not enjoy her time in the spotlight and quickly regretted joining the Supremes. She was unwilling to promote her solo album on a&m and was quickly dropped. She quickly tired of being a member of the Flos and wanted to drop out of the spotlight. Had she desired it more and worked harder for it she may well have had a more successful solo career.

A&M tried to promote her and the album, but the album was never a hit. I was at an A&M promotion in NYC for Jean. She was there and had to meet, take pictures, and talk to people in the industry [[dee-jays, promoters-retailers, etc) A&M had to spend a bit of coin for that promotion which included food and liqueur, and yet some people said that Jean was aloof and cold. I talked to her for a few minutes and I formed a different opinion. I thought that she was shy and was not comfortable in crowds or being the center of attention. In those few moments that I spoke to her, I liked her. She was sweet and vulnerable.

[PeaceNHarmony]

I recall seeing JMC at the Royal Box showroom of NYC's Americana Hotel on their first tour. It was a nice show, though I recall the whole show seeming rushed and impersonal, almost as though another group was performing a random showroom show that leaned a bit on Supremes material. Jean looked and sang well but indeed had zero personality. Already the group was leaning heavily on covers [[such as Neil Diamond's 'Brother Love ...') to get the audience going and react with more than polite applause. The Jean-thing gets resurrected frequently; sometimes the fantasies of 'what could have been' surpass the reality.

[marv2]

i'm trying to remember exactly how someone stated it, for it perfectly summarized Jean Terrell.

She's an immensely talented vocalist but absolutely NOT a star.

she didn't have the personality on stage or in person to be the lead singer of the biggest female vocal group. stunning in the studio and while simply singing. But to interact with tv hosts, interviewers, carry on the stage patter, appear to genuinely want to be there - she struggled

I didn't see that at all with Jean and I disagree wholeheartedly with whomever said it. Not every artist has to be all fake, excited, goofy and exuberant. Most of your Rock stars and truly talented actors, actresses etc didn't act like that. She didn't have to come off as fake to be the lead singer of the biggest female vocal group. She had the talent and looks, in my opinion, to do the job and do it well! She was not a cartoon character and that's what I respected most about her. She didn't have to kiss ass, because she had the goods.

[marv2]

A&M tried to promote her and the album, but the album was never a hit. I was at an A&M promotion in NYC for Jean. She was there and had to meet, take pictures, and talk to people in the industry [[dee-jays, promoters-retailers, etc) A&M had to spend a bit of coin for that promotion which included food and liqueur, and yet some people said that Jean was aloof and cold. I talked to her for a few minutes and I formed a different opinion. I thought that she was shy and was not comfortable in crowds or being the center of attention. In those few moments that I spoke to her, I liked her. She was sweet and vulnerable.

That album was not a hit because it was the wrong type of music for 1978. Now, several tracks from that album [[No Limit, Rising Cost of Love, etc.) have been and are continually sampled by Hip Hop artists today. There are a ton of videos on Youtube that will attest to that.

[marv2]

When I met Jean Terrell, she was very nice and friendly. I would not ever characterize her as "sweet and vulnerable" , however LOL! She is a strong black woman that is not about BS.

[sup_fan]

I didn't see that at all with Jean and I disagree wholeheartedly with whomever said it. Not every artist has to be all fake, excited, goofy and exuberant. Most of your Rock stars and truly talented actors, actresses etc didn't act like that. She didn't have to come off as fake to be the lead singer of the biggest female vocal group. She had the talent and looks, in my opinion, to do the job and do it well! She was not a cartoon character and that's what I respected most about her. She didn't have to kiss ass, because she had the goods.

the problem is that the Supremes were still part of the "supper club" world. That type of performances typically lends itself more to the "fake excited goofy and exuberant." look at the acts that set up camp in Vegas - it's all about that. Same with the many tv shows they appeared on - sonny & cher, flip wilson. Take a look at the audiences on the Flip show when the camera pans around. there are kids, older white grandma's, black families, etc. A totally mixed crowd. So the hokey jokes and silly repartee continues

now i don't disagree that in the 70s the Sups needed to move on from this. or at least vary up their act enough to better accommodate different crowds and venues.

another irony is that during the 70s, mary took on more of the "giggling excited" girl as compared to Jean's image. problem is Jean was the lead singer so you had mary interacting with the hosts and giggling while jean stands there looking uncomfortable.

it's too bad motown didn't continue to evolve the group away from the giggly glamour girl and into more mature r&b black women.

[marv2]

the problem is that the Supremes were still part of the "supper club" world. That type of performances typically lends itself more to the "fake excited goofy and exuberant." look at the acts that set up camp in Vegas - it's all about that. Same with the many tv shows they appeared on - sonny & cher, flip wilson. Take a look at the audiences on the Flip show when the camera pans around. there are kids, older white grandma's, black families, etc. A totally mixed crowd. So the hokey jokes and silly repartee continues

now i don't disagree that in the 70s the Sups needed to move on from this. or at least vary up their act enough to better accommodate different crowds and venues.

another irony is that during the 70s, mary took on more of the "giggling excited" girl as compared to Jean's image. problem is Jean was the lead singer so you had mary interacting with the hosts and giggling while jean stands there looking uncomfortable.

it's too bad motown didn't continue to evolve the group away from the giggly glamour girl and into more mature r&b black women.

I liked Rufus featuring Chaka Khan. They didn't pander........

[midnightman]

Imagine if they had found a singer who not only could sing as good as Jean but also had the stage presence. She's fantastic but yeah, she really wasn't uncomfortable with the spotlight. Being a devout Jehovah's Witness didn't help matters.

[marv2]

Why don't people say what it really was? Ok, so I will. She was not at all happy with the way Motown treated her and the Supremes in the 70s. That could change anyone's attitude!~

[gman]

I don't care for this performance.

I have my own theory about Jean...she's a very capable stylist. Her Supremes top 20 singles and the various stand out LP cut show this...some people just get tired and want to go home a lot faster than others...I don't think Jean was cut out for long, fairly constant touring. Perhaps if she was able to work a month recording and performing, and had a month off to go home, she would have had a steadily, still active career. Being a homebody/ housecat myself, I can imagine this being the case with her. Maybe she just needs more quiet time and time to herself than being a Supreme or FLO permitted.

[sup_fan]

Why don't people say what it really was? Ok, so I will. She was not at all happy with the way Motown treated her and the Supremes in the 70s. That could change anyone's attitude!~

and she and Mary didn't get along either. jean wanted to go more R&B and mary was wanting to stick with more of the glam girl approach. Jean also wasn't in favor of the dual-lead concept, with Mary wanting more of the lead role.

[Bluebrock]

and she and Mary didn't get along either. jean wanted to go more R&B and mary was wanting to stick with more of the glam girl approach. Jean also wasn't in favor of the dual-lead concept, with Mary wanting more of the lead role.

With all that was going on i guess we should be grateful that Jean hung around as long as she did .

[sup_fan]

did jean "break" her contract and ask for a release? or did the contract expire and she not renew?

[milven]

Just a bit off topic, but it is about the song that Jean is singing from WEST SIDE STORY. . A revival of WEST SIDE STORY opens on Broadway in February. It is currently in previews. They cut out SOMEWHERE. Also, cut out I FEEL PRETTY

[reese]

did jean "break" her contract and ask for a release? or did the contract expire and she not renew?

If I'm not mistaken, most Motown contracts were for at least 7 years. I think Jean asked for a release. In her second book, Mary wrote that Jean called her and said she was going to "ask Berry for her contract back."

[marv2]

and she and Mary didn't get along either. jean wanted to go more R&B and mary was wanting to stick with more of the glam girl approach. Jean also wasn't in favor of the dual-lead concept, with Mary wanting more of the lead role.

They got along very well according to each of them. If they had a disagreement once or twice, that is all that it was.

[sup_fan]

according to Mary's 2nd book, she and Jean struggled to communicate. Mary mentions that during the Cindy years, Mary began to rely on Cindy and their wardrobe mistress to communicate to Jean.

and then mary talks about how around 73,she and Jean were no longer talking.

doesn't sound like a very positive relationship

[Bluebrock]

according to Mary's 2nd book, she and Jean struggled to communicate. Mary mentions that during the Cindy years, Mary began to rely on Cindy and their wardrobe mistress to communicate to Jean.

and then mary talks about how around 73,she and Jean were no longer talking.

doesn't sound like a very positive relationship

I can see this from both sides. Mary was the only original member and expected to call the shots, but Jean quite rightly thought she was the major talent in the group and wanted to update their outdated image and bring in some fresh ideas. The group were on their knees by this time and desperately needed some divine inspiration. Jean decided that life was way too short for all turmoil and very sensibly quit. It was very sad for us, but the right thing to do from her point of view

[marv2]

according to Mary's 2nd book, she and Jean struggled to communicate. Mary mentions that during the Cindy years, Mary began to rely on Cindy and their wardrobe mistress to communicate to Jean.

and then mary talks about how around 73,she and Jean were no longer talking.

doesn't sound like a very positive relationship

Oh that's nothing. Have you ever had an argument or disagreement with a family member or close friend? Did that mean your overall relationship was poor? When Mary's son died, Jean was one of the ones that came running [[so did Cindy Birdsong and half of Detroit. LOL!). They got along very well.

[marv2]

according to Mary's 2nd book, she and Jean struggled to communicate. Mary mentions that during the Cindy years, Mary began to rely on Cindy and their wardrobe mistress to communicate to Jean.

and then mary talks about how around 73,she and Jean were no longer talking.

doesn't sound like a very positive relationship

Jean was not returning phone calls until it was too late. By that I mean Mary went on and hired Scherrie Payne and brought Cindy Birdsong back because the Supremes had concerts to do.

[sup_fan]

Oh that's nothing. Have you ever had an argument or disagreement with a family member or close friend? Did that mean your overall relationship was poor? When Mary's died, Jean was one of the ones that came running [[so did Cindy Birdsong and half of Detroit. LOL!). They got along very well.

oh i didn't mean that they hated each other or wish ill upon the other. i don't know what their personal relationship was - perhaps they really liked and enjoyed each other. but professionally it seems that they weren't aligned and there was conflict.

[sup_fan]

I can see this from both sides. Mary was the only original member and expected to call the shots, but Jean quite rightly thought she was the major talent in the group and wanted to update their outdated image and bring in some fresh ideas. The group were on their knees by this time and desperately needed some divine inspiration. Jean decided that life was way too short for all turmoil and very sensibly quit. It was very sad for us, but the right thing to do from her point of view

it seems like things were off to a good start in 70 and into early 71. the idea of the girls being "sisters singing of peace and love" worked well for the first year or so. but after 18 months that idea had probably run it's course and it was time to evolve again. that seems to be something they didn't do. with the Touch lp their sound had evolved beautifully but they the title single bombed and seems everyone was lost with what to do next.

I agree with Jean that at this point, the "new Supremes" had nicely re-established themselves and they could move into new sounds and new image. something more r&b. and with Lynda on board, they had the voices to do that

[marv2]

oh i didn't mean that they hated each other or wish ill upon the other. i don't know what their personal relationship was - perhaps they really liked and enjoyed each other. but professionally it seems that they weren't aligned and there was conflict.

They don't even dislike each other. If you read about their disagreements,then you also read in the same book about how Jean started calling Mary all the time in 1978 when she learned that Mary was suing Motown and encouraging her. As I said, Jean was unhappy about the way Motown was treating them, not because of a problem with Mary.

[Roberta75]

They don't even dislike each other. If you read about their disagreements,then you also read in the same book about how Jean started calling Mary all the time in 1978 when she learned that Mary was suing Motown and encouraging her. As I said, Jean was unhappy about the way Motown was treating them, not because of a problem with Mary.

As Miss Susaye Greene politely told you years ago "You werent there Marv"

[Bluebrock]

As Miss Susaye Greene politely told you years ago "You werent there Marv"

I know the truth about the relationship between Jean Terrell and Mary Wilson because i was told by someone who was there. I will let you do the maths, but i will give you a mighty big clue. It wasn't Mary Wilson! I shall leave it there - for the moment!

[gman]

I like former coworkers better now than I did when I was interacting with them on a daily basis....once you take the stress out of the situation, and you don't have to deal with the person in that capacity or everyday, or frequently for a long period of time, things change....tolerance and admiration can be reborn. you need a break first.

[marv2]

I like former coworkers better now than I did when I was interacting with them on a daily basis....once you take the stress out of the situation, and you don't have to deal with the person in that capacity or everyday, or frequently for a long period of time, things change....tolerance and admiration can be reborn. you need a break first.

Very well said gman.

[sup_fan]

I like former coworkers better now than I did when I was interacting with them on a daily basis....once you take the stress out of the situation, and you don't have to deal with the person in that capacity or everyday, or frequently for a long period of time, things change....tolerance and admiration can be reborn. you need a break first.

definitely right. plus with age often comes maturity and greater clarity about past situations.

[marv2]

Jean Terrell singing "Feelin' Good" live in concert is Heaven!

[Bluebrock]

definitely right. plus with age often comes maturity and greater clarity about past situations.

If only that were true in this particular case.

[RanRan79]

i'm trying to remember exactly how someone stated it, for it perfectly summarized Jean Terrell.

She's an immensely talented vocalist but absolutely NOT a star.

she didn't have the personality on stage or in person to be the lead singer of the biggest female vocal group. stunning in the studio and while simply singing. But to interact with tv hosts, interviewers, carry on the stage patter, appear to genuinely want to be there - she struggled

And that's a shame, that someone immensely talented could be knocked for not having star quality. [[Not that this is what you're doing.) Vocally Jean should've been a singing star. Forget stage patter and all of that. I really don't think anyone who heard her sing needed all that extra stuff. And if they did need that, what does it say about whether or not they really love music. Because Jean could mute herself for all I care, except for when she's standing in front of the mic and the music starts up. The fact that we don't have several post Supremes albums from Jean is one of the biggest tragedies in the Supremes' story IMO.

[sup_fan]

i'd summarize the difference with Jean as a recital vs a pop concert

in a recital, a performer is primarily there simply to display their talents and perform a range of numbers. Typically there isn't a lot of interplay between the stage and audience. the purpose is to listen and enjoy the performance

in a popular music concert, there's much more informality in the relationship between performer and audience. it isn't really a situation where you simply sit and listen to piece after piece. it's developed into having a rapport with the audience and connecting on a more personal level. this isn't to say that it has to been over the top or hyper. an intimate jazz performance like Diana's Stolen Moments is an excellent example. There's dialog between numbers, some joking around, etc. And I'm using "popular music concert" in a broad sense and not simply for the current definition of "pop"

IMO Jean often struggled with developing this bond with the audience member. it isn't meant to be a slam on her personality. she seems to have gained pleasure from her talent and from displaying it, never singing a song the same way twice, etc. But she didn't seem to gain pleasure from having that 1 on 1 connection with each audience member. Mary made a great comment about how a performer needs each audience member to feel that you're happy they're there. that you're singing and performing JUST for them and just TO them.

[waynesville]

And that's a shame, that someone immensely talented could be knocked for not having star quality. [[Not that this is what you're doing.) Vocally Jean should've been a singing star. Forget stage patter and all of that. I really don't think anyone who heard her sing needed all that extra stuff. And if they did need that, what does it say about whether or not they really love music. Because Jean could mute herself for all I care, except for when she's standing in front of the mic and the music starts up. The fact that we don't have several post Supremes albums from Jean is one of the biggest tragedies in the Supremes' story IMO.

Totally agree with this. I get what everyone is saying about star quality but it was still Jean's voice that moved me in a way that Diana never could. It's a massive loss to soul that she didn't develop a solo career, but massive respect to her for doing what she wanted with her life, and I so hope it made her happy.

[RanRan79]

i'd summarize the difference with Jean as a recital vs a pop concert

in a recital, a performer is primarily there simply to display their talents and perform a range of numbers. Typically there isn't a lot of interplay between the stage and audience. the purpose is to listen and enjoy the performance

in a popular music concert, there's much more informality in the relationship between performer and audience. it isn't really a situation where you simply sit and listen to piece after piece. it's developed into having a rapport with the audience and connecting on a more personal level. this isn't to say that it has to been over the top or hyper. an intimate jazz performance like Diana's Stolen Moments is an excellent example. There's dialog between numbers, some joking around, etc. And I'm using "popular music concert" in a broad sense and not simply for the current definition of "pop"

IMO Jean often struggled with developing this bond with the audience member. it isn't meant to be a slam on her personality. she seems to have gained pleasure from her talent and from displaying it, never singing a song the same way twice, etc. But she didn't seem to gain pleasure from having that 1 on 1 connection with each audience member. Mary made a great comment about how a performer needs each audience member to feel that you're happy they're there. that you're singing and performing JUST for them and just TO them.

I think that it's possible that people are comparing Jean to Diana. Diana Ross was a once in a lifetime experience. Her ability of mesmerizing an audience even when interacting with them while not singing was a talent that was honed [[because she did not possess that prior to Artist Development based on the audio I've heard of her speaking between songs prior to 1965) during the Copa rehearsals and forward. Very few women were going to do what Diana Ross does. Her talent stretches beyond the song, which I think furthers her legacy. I've seen Dionne Warwick interacting with the audience and it's obvious those people are there for the music, not Dionne's spoken words. One listen to the audio of Jean at the Apollo and it's clear the audience is getting their money's worth because the lady is throwin down. If the audience wanted another Diana Ross they were almost certainly not going to get that, no matter who replaced her.

[RanRan79]

Totally agree with this. I get what everyone is saying about star quality but it was still Jean's voice that moved me in a way that Diana never could. It's a massive loss to soul that she didn't develop a solo career, but massive respect to her for doing what she wanted with her life, and I so hope it made her happy.

Oh yes, absolutely. More than anything I would want Jean to do what makes her happy. But I think some have a tendency to equate someone's unhappiness in the music business with their lack of desire for success. Every industry has it's pros and cons. The music industry certainly a prime example of one where there may be more cons than pros. Jean seems to have done all the right things to succeed at a certain point and then fell back. Is it because she no longer cared about singing success? Is it because she no longer cared about singing? Did she find that she didn't have the stomach for the business side? Jean has complained about not being paid fairly at Motown. Wouldn't an issue of pay cause anyone to develop a serious problem? It's also said that Jean disliked the vision A&M had for her while promoting her solo album. Isn't that a valid issue? Should a singer not have a list of dos and don'ts? Jean was not a young girl when she got to A&M, she was a very grown woman. I'm sure if she was being told to do things she was against, that would suck the life out of whatever enthusiasm she had for her job.

Flo often gets a similar label, despite the fact that until her drinking became an addiction in 1966, none of the Supremes, not even Gordy, has ever gone on record [[as far as I can tell) in saying that Flo was difficult, non professional, or lacked ambition before this. Yet her ambition is constantly questioned. It is truly sad that both of these beautiful voiced singers left behind minimal solo recordings. But at least with Jean we have a ton of lead vocals while with the Supremes, something we sadly don't have for Florence.

[RanRan79]

I'm not sure if it's the same show, but I have audio of Jean singing "Wind Beneath My Wings" I guess sometime in the 80s. I don't care for that song usually, but Jean's is my favorite version. And it's clear from the audience response that even then she still had the ability to wow a crowd.