Smokey On "DWTS" - April 24, 2012

[Jerry Oz]

Am I the only one who watched Smokey, Martha Reeves, and the Temptations tonight? My wife disagrees with me, but Smokey still has his chops. Martha did okay with "Dancing In the Street" and "Jimmy Mack", but Smokey is still epic.

I have a hard time watching the "Temptations" who are little more than a cover band anymore, though.

[Roberta75]

Martha Reeves was absolutely wonderful on DWTS. Her opening dress was fantastic and the place erupted when she sang Dancing in the Streets. Her short silver dress was that she wore when she performed Jimmy Mack was foxy, and once again Miss Martha Reeves proved why she is the first Lady of Motown Records and has a voice that keeps getting better and better with age.

Yes, Martha Reeves stole the show tonight.

Martha's very happy #1 fan Roberta.

[Jerry Oz]

Martha Reeves was absolutely wonderful on DWTS. Her opening dress was fantastic and the place erupted when she sang Dancing in the Streets. Her short silver dress was that she wore when she performed Jimmy Mack was foxy, and once again Miss Martha Reeves proved why she is the first Lady of Motown Records and has a voice that keeps getting better and better with age.

Yes, Martha Reeves stole the show tonight.

Martha's very happy #1 fan Roberta.

I stand corrected, Martha. It's just that Smokey is in his own echelon for me. I'll go on record and say he is the singular best vocalist/songwriter of my lifetime. That's why I kind of propped him up. But Martha sounded good and indeed looked great. She looked like she was having a good time. Hopefully, a bunch of Britney Spears fans saw her and are on I-Tunes right now downloading her hits.

[bradsupremes]

I was disappointed. By just having Martha, Smokey and the Temptations, they really did limit the catalog. I mean they could have done a whole show with each person/group's catalog, but some of those dances could have used the elegance of a Supremes song or the upbeat soul of a Four Tops song or a Stevie song. Smokey still sounds great, but the first two songs he sang he looked like a deer caught in headlights. I thought he really got into it when he performed "Going To A Go Go." Martha didn't sound that great on "Dancing In The Street." She forgot some of the lyrics. I think she handled "Jimmy Mack" a little bit better and she even did the old Vandellas choreography for the song in the beginning, but her voice is a shadow of its former self. The Temptations are not that great in my book. The guy they have singing Dennis and David's parts just doesn't fit with the group's classic sound. The show could have been better if they added Mary Wilson and the Four Tops to represent the Supremes and Four Tops' catalog.

The people at Dancing with the Stars didn't even do their homework. Did anyone catch during the video montage at the beginning that they showed a clip of the Miracles but called them the Temptations? Yet another example of people not doing their homework. It was still nice to see Motown get showcased and I'm sure it did well for the catalog, but they could have done better to really make Motown shine.

[Roberta75]

I stand corrected, Martha. It's just that Smokey is in his own echelon for me. I'll go on record and say he is the singular best vocalist/songwriter of my lifetime. That's why I kind of propped him up. But Martha sounded good and indeed looked great. She looked like she was having a good time. Hopefully, a bunch of Britney Spears fans saw her and are on I-Tunes right now downloading her hits.

Thank you Jerry and this Martha fanatic LOL, will agree that Smokey sounded really great and looked about 30 years younger than his actual 72 years.

I love to see an audience lapping up Martha and the Motown stars.

Fondly,

Roberta

[Roberta75]

I was disappointed. By just having Martha, Smokey and the Temptations, they really did limit the catalog. I mean they could have done a whole show with each person/group's catalog, but some of those dances could have used the elegance of a Supremes song or the upbeat soul of a Four Tops song or a Stevie song. Smokey still sounds great, but the first two songs he sang he looked like a deer caught in headlights. I thought he really got into it when he performed "Going To A Go Go." Martha didn't sound that great on "Dancing In The Street." She forgot some of the lyrics. I think she handled "Jimmy Mack" a little bit better and she even did the old Vandellas choreography for the song in the beginning, but her voice is a shadow of its former self. The Temptations are not that great in my book. The guy they have singing Dennis and David's parts just doesn't fit with the group's classic sound. The show could have been better if they added Mary Wilson and the Four Tops to represent the Supremes and Four Tops' catalog.

The people at Dancing with the Stars didn't even do their homework. Did anyone catch during the video montage at the beginning that they showed a clip of the Miracles but called them the Temptations? Yet another example of people not doing their homework. It was still nice to see Motown get showcased and I'm sure it did well for the catalog, but they could have done better to really make Motown shine.

I vehemently but respectfully disagree with you bradsupremes. Miss Martha Reeves sounded fabulous on DWTS tonight.

Best to you,

Roberta

[Jerry Oz]

Smokey stood awfully still, but hey, he's getting up there, so he's earned that. I told my wife that I liked "Ooh, Baby Baby" but she didn't. I sing that song when I'm alone and fancy myself to be pretty good at it. But whenever I hear him singing, I am proven wrong again. With that being said, I think that Harold Wheeler tried to prop Smokey's vocals up with the background singers singing some of his parts, but it was not necessary.

[loveblind]

I know I'm a little partial to Martha ;-D.....but she is just so exciting on stage. She was the best just for her energy. Smokey looks fantastic....His face is so tight and looks years younger than his age.. The Tempts sounded great but need to electronically bring David and Eddie back the way they're doing Tupak. Love Motown always

[Roberta75]

Smokey stood awfully still, but hey, he's getting up there, so he's earned that. I told my wife that I liked "Ooh, Baby Baby" but she didn't. I sing that song when I'm alone and fancy myself to be pretty good at it. But whenever I hear him singing, I am proven wrong again. With that being said, I think that Harold Wheeler tried to prop Smokey's vocals up with the background singers singing some of his parts, but it was not necessary.

Maybe Smokey had just flown in from a gig and had swollen feet from flying. The feet tend to swell more as we get older and dancing can cause additional discomfort.

Roberta

[Jerry Oz]

I liked Smokey better pre-botox. I'm not hating. I'm just saying, is all.

[Jerry Oz]

Maybe Smokey had just flown in from a gig and had swollen feet from flying. The feet tend to swell more as we get older and dancing can cause additional discomfort.

Roberta

He could be singing from an easy chair and bring the place down. It's William "Smokey" Robinson!

[Roberta75]

I know I'm a little partial to Martha ;-D.....but she is just so exciting on stage. She was the best just for her energy. Smokey looks fantastic....His face is so tight and looks years younger than his age.. The Tempts sounded great but need to electronically bring David and Eddie back the way they're doing Tupak. Love Motown always

Martha is the most exciting performer on the planet IMO. Miss Martha Reeves loves being on stage and performing for a crowd. The lady gives 140% ever time.

Best to you loveblind.

Roberta

[Ngroove]

I know I'm a little partial to Martha ;-D.....but she is just so exciting on stage. She was the best just for her energy. Smokey looks fantastic....His face is so tight and looks years younger than his age.. The Tempts sounded great but need to electronically bring David and Eddie back the way they're doing Tupak. Love Motown always

Have some respect for the Tempts… still solid…as well as all-time legendary Otis Williams, Terry Weeks, one of the fantastic voices behind recent classics such as “Stay”, and Ron Tyson, going on his twenty-ninth year, far longer than many who went before and after him, more than worthy to fill in Eddie’s voice, everytime I hear him.

[zani57]

Did anyone else notice that when "Dancing With the Stars" did its Motown "package" at the beginning of the show, it mentioned and showed Gladys Knight and the Pips, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, the Temptations, Marvin Gaye, Martha and the Vandellas, and Stevie Wonder, but no mention of The Supremes/Diana Ross and The Supremes? I believe a quick photo passed by, but they were not mentioned by name.
Later on, host Tom Bergeron went into the audience to introduce/interview Berry Gordy [[and Suzanne dePasse was seated one seat over) and I had to wonder if, perhaps, after all of these years, in deference to Smokey Robinson, Martha Reeves, et. al, that they felt for once they would not mention DRATS? It seems like a pretty blatant omission. I also wondered if maybe Mary offered to perform Supremes' hits and, with Berry agreeing to attend, they just decided to leave out DRATS altogether.

[Ngroove]

May have missed the episode, as I am not a Dance with Stars watcher, and watching clips of episode via Youtube, reinforced why; great Motown, but half the dances, unbearably as if it's more about "sexiness" than busting a move, cutting a rug...

[simplysupreme]

I noticed the omission of Diana/Supremes as well. How do you reference Motown in any way and not mention The Supremes? Since Mary has made it known she is fan of the show and wants to be a contestant, the least they could have done is ask her to perform for this occasion. I hope they did.

[marv2]

Did anyone else notice that when "Dancing With the Stars" did its Motown "package" at the beginning of the show, it mentioned and showed Gladys Knight and the Pips, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, the Temptations, Marvin Gaye, Martha and the Vandellas, and Stevie Wonder, but no mention of The Supremes/Diana Ross and The Supremes? I believe a quick photo passed by, but they were not mentioned by name.
Later on, host Tom Bergeron went into the audience to introduce/interview Berry Gordy [[and Suzanne dePasse was seated one seat over) and I had to wonder if, perhaps, after all of these years, in deference to Smokey Robinson, Martha Reeves, et. al, that they felt for once they would not mention DRATS? It seems like a pretty blatant omission. I also wondered if maybe Mary offered to perform Supremes' hits and, with Berry agreeing to attend, they just decided to leave out DRATS altogether.

I highly doubt that scenario since Tom Bergeron has had Mary Wilson on several of the shows his hosted starting back in the mid 80's and moving forward from the talk show in Boston, to Hollywood Squares, etc.

[marv2]

I noticed the omission of Diana/Supremes as well. How do you reference Motown in any way and not mention The Supremes? Since Mary has made it known she is fan of the show and wants to be a contestant, the least they could have done is ask her to perform for this occasion. I hope they did.

Why wasn't Diana Ross taped for the show. She never does anything to represent or honor the Motown legacy publicly.

[zani57]

I highly doubt that scenario since Tom Bergeron has had Mary Wilson on several of the shows his hosted starting back in the mid 80's and moving forward from the talk show in Boston, to Hollywood Squares, etc.

Marv, I am well-aware that Tom Bergeron had Mary on shows, including "Hollywood Squares." This is a new show, run by Disney/ABC, and has the BBC America as its producer. When they decided to break with the usual format and have the "original" [[I used that term loosely because of the Temptations) artists performing the songs, if you are going to dig into the well that is Motown for that many songs, how do you not have a Supremes/Diana Ross and The Supremes' song?
And, again, the omission at the start of the show to not mention Diana Ross/The Supremes/DRATS by name is pretty glaring. Again, my take is that with the attention that Diana Ross received [[and I say that as a huge fan since the '60s) that, in deference to Gladys Knight and Martha Reeves, they decided, for once, to not mention them. Who knows? Just because Mary Wilson was there, we don't know what was going on behind-the-scenes?

Separately, I also don't quite understand why there are multiple threads for this same topic. I posted immediately last night that The Supremes, Diana Ross and The Supremes had not been mentioned, and now some Penny person posts the same thought in a simultaneous thread. Do the moderators not group these together somehow? It's confusing.

[skooldem1]

At first it seemed like they turned down Martha's microphone. All I heard was the backup singers singing her parts. Martha does seem to have an extra spark these days. She is getting her groove back, now that she has been out of politics for a while. At first I was only going to watch Gladys and try to catch Martha, the Temps, and Smokey. I didn't know they would be singing throughout the whole show, so I ended up watching the whole thing. It was really nice. An evening of Motown with a twist. I caught the Supreme ommission, but quickly reminded myself that the world doesn't revolve around the Supremes. LoL. Then I was thinking that it was on purpose. I don't think Gladys would have wanted to be out there dancing to a Supreme or Diana Ross track. Gladys sure is looking great these days. Her dancing is not so bad for a woman her age. She is doing her thing, but I don't know if that will be enough. I'd hate to see her go on "Motown" night. I wish her the best. I didn't think the Temptations were that good. Smokey- sounded better than he has in a while IMO. He looked good and sounded good. I did catch Mary in the audience, but I guess you all know by the pictures posted, that she was there. I have a feeling she will be on this show next season.