Flo's Ad Libs

[luke]

"Give me the money and I'll do my own shopping"
"Now wait a minute honey, I dont know about all that."
"That's what YOU think."
[["Honey we is teriffic!"--??)

I dont know if I have the exact phrasing. Any others? Did she alway say them during You're Nobody Til Somebody Loves You and the group intro?

[soulballad]

One of the funniest to me was "Give Me That Gold, I Say Give It To Me Now! The audience was cracking up. She was quick and often changed up the quips in each show.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KuVIZ6N_JkI

[luke]

Thats very funny. Hadnt heard that one before!

[marv2]

"Give me the money and I'll do my own shopping"
"Now wait a minute honey, I dont know about all that."
"That's what YOU think."
[["Honey we is teriffic!"--??)

I dont know if I have the exact phrasing. Any others? Did she alway say them during You're Nobody Til Somebody Loves You and the group intro?

That's pretty close. Yes there were others I would have to think about them first. She used them at dead spots throughout their show.

[luke]

I cant really hear Diana's response above. What did she say back?

[honest man]

I cant really hear Diana's response above. What did she say back?

i think she says GET BACK TO YOUR MICROPHONE,something like that, cheers

[antceleb12]

You can't forget her classic line, "And honey, fat is where it's AT!"

The audience practically tore the place down with wild laughter and applause.

[marybrewster]

How much of this was REALLY ad lib though? Hasn't it been stated that all stage "banter" was scripted? Diana, Mary, Flo [[and later Cindy) may have switched things up from time to time, but the quip was generally the same. Night after night. Show after show.

[marybrewster]

You can't forget her classic line, "And honey, fat is where it's AT!"

The audience practically tore the place down with wild laughter and applause.

There's a clip on Ed Sullivan where Cindy takes that line; it comes across as flat and I'm embarassed for Cindy to have said it. Neither Flo or Cindy were fat. Maybe larger in size in comparison to Diana and Mary. But FAT? No.

[antceleb12]

There's a clip on Ed Sullivan where Cindy takes that line; it comes across as flat and I'm embarassed for Cindy to have said it. Neither Flo or Cindy were fat. Maybe larger in size in comparison to Diana and Mary. But FAT? No.

Totally agree! It doesn't work for anyone but Flo - even though she wasn't fat.

[antceleb12]

How much of this was REALLY ad lib though? Hasn't it been stated that all stage "banter" was scripted? Diana, Mary, Flo [[and later Cindy) may have switched things up from time to time, but the quip was generally the same. Night after night. Show after show.

I read somewhere [[I think in J. Randy Taraborrelli's Diana Ross biography) that a lot of Flo's adlibs originally came up accidentally - starting with the '65 Copa engagement. Accordingly, Gordy came up after the show and told her to keep it up. Soon it would become more scripted to develop somewhat of a comedy routine with the girls, highlighting Flo in particular.

[skooldem1]

I believe they were always scripted. The whole show was scripted.

[sup_fan]

yeah the whole story about Flo doing "now wait a minute honey, i don't know about all that" at the Copa for the first time isn't accurate. in the More Hits Expanded Edition, they include the girls' performance of You're Nobody while in Paris. this was months prior to Copa and Flo does a few lines here too. supposedly this was the first time the girls did the song.

after Diana sings the first line of "you're nobody till somebody love you" flo does a line like "it's alright honey." Flo then does the "don't nobody care about lil old me" line too

now perhaps they had decided to not do the ad libs in a "classy" place like the copa. i don't know. but clearly the idea that Flo spontaneously quipped her lines out of the blue during the copa run isn't true

[shoo-be-doo]

I remember in the dressing room scenes filmed on their tour of the Orient Flo quipped about not getting undressed as 'Somebody might take a peek!" Now that was a real ad lib that made me laugh and love her all the more.

[bradsupremes]

You can tell more lines were added each passing year. Listen to the 1965 Copa show, then the 1966 Roostertail show, and finally the 1967 Copa show. It became less of a full sung song and more of a comedic routine.

[skooldem1]

As it's been pointed out, from the first time they performed this song in Paris, the one liners were always there. It was scripted. You can tell that it is scripted and pre-planned because after Diana sings the first line, the band stops. This is where the first planned comment comes in.

[longtimefan]

Sorry, but the "Don't nobody care about little ole me" was Mary's line. I saw her do it many time.

Also, I haven't taken time to look it up, but I am sure that in the banter on the live introductions included in the pink box set, Diana says something like "You're ridiculous." It puzzled me that that was included on the boxed set. Somebody can check it out for we SDF fans. :-)

[soulballad]

Sorry, but the "Don't nobody care about little ole me" was Mary's line. I saw her do it many time.

Also, I haven't taken time to look it up, but I am sure that in the banter on the live introductions included in the pink box set, Diana says something like "You're ridiculous." It puzzled me that that was included on the boxed set. Somebody can check it out for we SDF fans. :-)

Flo does all the lines on the live in paris recording. It seems that somebody decided to split things up and give Mary a speaking line too.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22KR0BM47rY

[luke]

Lets give Flo her props. She felt at least she thought up and made these contributions and got a moment of glory after her solo was cut from live shows. It has been well documented that after her first ad lib BG looked like he was having apoplexy but when he saw the psoitive reaction in the audience he told Flo he wanted her to say this and that and she said no way, she would decide what and when. He begrudingly accepted it.

[marv2]

Lets give Flo her props. She felt at least she thought up and made these contributions and got a moment of glory after her solo was cut from live shows. It has been well documented that after her first ad lib BG looked like he was having apoplexy but when he saw the psoitive reaction in the audience he told Flo he wanted her to say this and that and she said no way, she would decide what and when. He begrudingly accepted it.

Hey Luke you're right! That's what I remember. Flo originated the little ad libs and once they proved popular, Berry wanted to get in on the action.

[luke]

And viewing thr hits medley on Sullivan circa 66 or 67 with her and Mary pushed waaaaay back you know she wasnt gonna have much more of that! Diana didnt even fall in with them once.

[luke]

Per "youre ridiculous" I got the sense Flo's ad libs annoyed Diana. Didnt she say one time"Shes always been like that" per Flo. There was certainly an edge.

[skooldem1]

So funny how "fans" project their own insecurities and feelings into the Flo/Diana/Mary situation. The ad libs were in actuality scripted lines. Diana would start to sing, the band would stop, then Flo or Mary would say something. For almost every line that Mary and Flo said, there was also a scripted response from Diana. It was a tightly run show, everything was scripted and planned.

[marv2]

So funny how "fans" project their own insecurities and feelings into the Flo/Diana/Mary situation. The ad libs were in actuality scripted lines. Diana would start to sing, the band would stop, then Flo or Mary would say something. For almost every line that Mary and Flo said, there was also a scripted response from Diana. It was a tightly run show, everything was scripted and planned.


You missed the whole point. Florence Ballard's ad-libs in the beginnning were NOT scripted! They only began to write small lines for her to say AFTER her original spontaneous ad-libs drew applause and laughter from audiences.

[skooldem1]

The performance of this song in Paris is supposedly the first time they sang this song. It was scripted then. The myth has been debunked. Listen to the first time they performed the song.

[floyjoy678]

I think the only line Florence truly ad-libbed was the "And honey fat is where it's at!" line because in the Lost Supreme she talks about how she said it without even thinking about it first and when the whole place stood up and gave her a standing ovation she was afraid of what Berry was going to say to her after the show but he told her he loved it.

[antceleb12]

I mean obviously as it came together it was scripted, but the Paris recording proves nothing except that the lines didn't originate at the Copa. They probably had a concept of a dialogue bit in the piece, but Flo probably [[as is recorded in a number of texts) added in her own bits here and there [["fat is where it's at").

[smark21]

I always thought Mary sounded so stiff when she delivered that “Don’t Nobody care about little ole me?” line. But hearing Flo say that line in the Paris clip with the same stiff timing and intonation leads me to believe that’s how they were taught to deliver that line.

Perhaps Berry was worried about Flo delivering a line at the Copa opening because of fears that the white audience would be offended and that The Supremes at their opening had to behave exemplary due to the racist double standard of the time that African Americans, to be palatable to white audiences at a supposedly “classy venue” like the Copa [[yeah right, the place where mobsters took their mistresses on Thursdays and their wives on Saturdays), had to conduct themselves above reproach? Just a theory that’s come to my head. But given that Flo’s line got a laugh, obviously the scripted banter could be restored to the act.

[luke]

It was classic Flo sass, executed with perfect timing. Gordy so wound up that he'd forgotten how to enjoy a good line that wasn't prefabricated and sat stonily, moritifed that Ballard upstaged his diva." Mark Ribowsky Supremes book.

[marv2]

After the show he went up to Florence, "Real funny stuff Blondie. And DIana likes it too. The next time I think you should say..." BG
"Oh she does does she?Now listen Berry, this was my idea and Im gonna say what I want." "Fine then." Berry walked away.
It was classic Flo sass, executed with perfect timing. Gordy so wound up that he'd forgotten how to enjoy a good line that wasn't prefabricated and sat stonily, moritifed that Ballard upstaged his diva."

Now that is from "the Supreme Gospel"! hehehehehehe....... You cannot add to it or take away from it because it is the truth! Thank you Luke.

[luke]

You got it Marv!; First one from memory-will check and reprint. Second one from Ribowsky book on Supremes.

[franjoy56]

When it came to The Supremes Gordy had a one track mind: DIANA ROSS, no matter hhow good Mary and Flo were it wasn't enough sadly. But thankfully we get to hear Flo in all her glory with these adlibs. There is also a Sullivan performance where Flo does her line give me that gold and i'll do my own shopping i beleive it was Oct 1965 but the tape has yet to surface.

[jobeterob]

But Fran dear, as Ralph once said on here, the Andantes replaced the Supremes, the Vandellas and other because they were better than the background singers in the group; so it wasn't just Berry that wasn't convinced.

[franjoy56]

But Fran dear, as Ralph once said on here, the Andantes replaced the Supremes, the Vandellas and other because they were better than the background singers in the group; so it wasn't just Berry that wasn't convinced.

I beg your pardon who told you that: The Andantes better than the Supremes et al. I beg to differ: I will give you five examples and tell me who sounds better: The original recording of "Stop In the Name of Love" with just Mary and Flo, or the released version where the Andantes are featured.

The original recording of "Come See About Me" or the version of You Can't Hurry Love with one or two of the Andantes featured.

The complete studio album of New Ways But Love Stays as well as the Where Did Our Love Go albums, More Hits by the Supremes [[for the most part) , where both mary and Flo, and Mary and Cindy cover their perspective backgrounds from start to finish, or the Let the sunshine in album and Cream of the Crop [[Andantes covered) albums.

and finally the released version of "I'm Livin in Shame" or the tv performance of the same song sung live with Mary and Cindy filling in their own backgrounds [[oh how sweet the sounds)

Or the Christmas Album, or the Complete Rogers and Hart collection. enough said. here is another attempt to dimish the Supremes vocals for the likes of ladies who were never Supremes.

[Roberta75]

You got it Marv!; First one from memory-will check and reprint. Second one from Ribowsky book on Supremes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2KP9fYZUWA:cool:

[marv2]

When it came to The Supremes Gordy had a one track mind: DIANA ROSS, no matter hhow good Mary and Flo were it wasn't enough sadly. But thankfully we get to hear Flo in all her glory with these adlibs. There is also a Sullivan performance where Flo does her line give me that gold and i'll do my own shopping i beleive it was Oct 1965 but the tape has yet to surface.

Fran, you are correct. I have that appearance on video tape.

[marv2]

I beg your pardon who told you that: The Andantes better than the Supremes et al. I beg to differ: I will give you five examples and tell me who sounds better: The original recording of "Stop In the Name of Love" with just Mary and Flo, or the released version where the Andantes are featured.

The original recording of "Come See About Me" or the version of You Can't Hurry Love with one or two of the Andantes featured.

The complete studio album of New Ways But Love Stays as well as the Where Did Our Love Go albums, More Hits by the Supremes [[for the most part) , where both mary and Flo, and Mary and Cindy cover their perspective backgrounds from start to finish, or the Let the sunshine in album and Cream of the Crop [[Andantes covered) albums.

and finally the released version of "I'm Livin in Shame" or the tv performance of the same song sung live with Mary and Cindy filling in their own backgrounds [[oh how sweet the sounds)

Or the Christmas Album, or the Complete Rogers and Hart collection. enough said. here is another attempt to dimish the Supremes vocals for the likes of ladies who were never Supremes.

Fran, first of all that is not at all what Ralph meant, but Jobeterob does not care. He, [[and Roberta) just love to create acrimony in these threads and around the forum. To those that are not onto them, they do this repeatedly because they enjoy it and get off on it.

Everyone knows that Florence and Mary were excellent singers which is why Motown used them [[and Diane) to back Marvin Gaye, Mary Wells and others on recordings. Last week, BradSupremes broke it down for Jobeterob the fact that Mary and Flo sang on the overwhelmingly majority of Supremes recordings, but he does not care ,he will still try to keep this bullshit going about the Andantes being on Supremes records so they must be better, blah, blah, blah. It's a ploy by Rob to keep shit twirling and stirring. Roberta is just strange........

[ralpht]

Guys,
is this really worth a disagreement? Were the Andantes better singers than the Supremes? YES. Period. They had more studio experience. More power. And could get things done faster and better than the girls were able to. Motown was a hit factory, so whatever was needed to put a record out was utilized. The Andantes were awesome singers and were used for whatever was needed to complete a good song and production. So....get over it all. How many times have I said it was called the "music business"?

[Roberta75]

Guys,
is this really worth a disagreement? Were the Andantes better singers than the Supremes? YES. Period. They had more studio experience. More power. And could get things done faster and better than the girls were able to. Motown was a hit factory, so whatever was needed to put a record out was utilized. The Andantes were awesome singers and were used for whatever was needed to complete a good song and production. So....get over it all. How many times have I said it was called the "music business"?

Thank you Ralph. You are right and its a darned shame to see the andantes not get they due from supremes fans. You dont hear Martha reeves fans carrying on like this.

Yours, with every good wish.

Roberta

[milven]

We all have our definitions of what is a group. To me, a singing group is a group of voices that creates another voice in harmony. The Supremes have proven that they have a unique sound as a group, but we seldom heard it. Most of their hits were by a lead singer and background singers.

But since we were sold the Supremes as a group, I felt a little cheated when I found out that only Diana of the Supremes was on some records.

As far as augmenting a group with additional voices or background singers, that is nothing new. The Supremes predecessors did it.

Listen to the McGuire Sisters. They sang side by side as a group in harmony and when their voices were combined , it created a unique new voice. That voice had additional male voices behind it. The McGuires also had a lead singer. Phyllis McGuire would do a solo during the middle of the song, it was the male background singers that usually sang with her or along with Dorothy and Phyllis.

Adding additional voices to a Supremes song doesn't bother me. Having Diana Ross records labeled Supremes [[Someday We'll Be Together, Love Child) did bother me when I found out, but I am over it. They are two favorite records of mine.

Listen to Sincerely by the McGuires and see how there are male background singers. They didn't replace the McGuires, they augmented them.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FFUeGB_Bbo

[antceleb12]

Thank you Ralph. You are right and its a darned shame to see the andantes not get they due from supremes fans. You dont hear Martha reeves fans carrying on like this.

Yours, with every good wish.

Roberta

With all due respect, the Andantes are not "due" any level of recognition from Supremes fans. They knew very well that their identity on the records would largely be anonymous - knowing fully well the deception they were playing right into. I do like the Andantes, but it surprises me to hear a lot of this and that about the Andantes not being recognized enough. Frankly, they're one of the most recognized studio groups [[along with the Funk Brothers, Wrecking Crew, et al.) in the business.

As to why Supremes fans are more disgruntled about the presence of the Andantes rather than Vandellas fans probably has to do with the fact that each individual Supreme was well-known to the public, just as much as Diana was. Not saying Betty and Rosalind weren't known to fans, but not nearly as well as Florence and Mary. To the public, Mary and Florence were just as important and loved as Diana. So, when they find out one of them is not on the recording it can be a bit of a let down.

[Jimi LaLumia]

Mary and Florence were not as important and loved as Diana Ross, if they were, they would have had actual ,successful,solo careers,, I mean, real ones, supported by the same amount of fans that support Diana Ross.

[antceleb12]

Mary and Florence were not as important and loved as Diana Ross, if they were, they would have had actual ,successful,solo careers,, I mean, real ones, supported by the same amount of fans that support Diana Ross.

I have to disagree. Fans back then [[maybe not now) knew who Florence and Mary were. Diana may have been more popular, and more people knew she could sing than those who knew Florence and Mary could sing, but Florence and Mary were not merely background singers. Fans had their favorite Supreme. Fans wrote in when Florence was fired, and wrote in when Diana was leaving to get Flo back in the group. Today, Mary still has a very active career going for her. She might not have had the illustrious career Diana had, but Mary's doing well for herself. Florence, even posthumously, has garnered a lot of fame and attention for herself. Her story inspired the scapegoat character of Effie White, as well as several books.

Being valued by fans does not at all mean you're going to have a successful career. A lot of it has to do with having a good record deal, management, promotion, and a lot of luck.

[marv2]

I hope he [[BradSupremes) doesn't mind me quoting him:


"I have to disagree. Mary & Flo are on the overwhelming majority of songs recorded between the fall of 1960 and the summer of 1967 - roughly 269 songs. The Andantes do appear on more Supremes recordings between 1967 and 1969 than Mary & Cindy. However the Andantes appear on roughly 70 songs total between 1963 and 1969. Mary & Cindy are on roughly 42 songs done between 1967 and 1969. "

Last edited by bradsupremes; 11-10-2013 at 01:53 AM.

[skooldem1]

Wow. The Andantes were on a lot of records, that is like 1/4 of the songs recorded. Is this supported by evidence like record logs, or confirmation by the parties involved?

[marv2]

Wow. The Andantes were on a lot of records, that is like 1/4 of the songs recorded. Is this supported by evidence like record logs, or confirmation by the parties involved?


I don't know, but that does not sound like they were on that many recordings to me.

[Roberta75]

I don't know, but that does not sound like they were that many recordings to me.

I believe Ralph ask us to get over it.

[franjoy56]

I believe Ralph ask us to get over it. Well i don't feel like getting over it: My love for the supremes featured all the releases from 1963 through 1965 that were purely Supremes. Now what happened after that was understandbly big busines and getting the records out with a sound that sold records. The Andantes were three singers with a lovely gospel blend that made the records sound fabulous, yet the Supremes were two background singers, and a lead vocalist whose track record was distinguished on the 5 #1 songs that went to number one. It is hard to say if the Andantes sound better than the Supremes, because they were trained in gospel singing the Supremes were trained in singing period. Mary and Florence were trained singers period, I already outline the examples of why i felt they sounded better on their recordings.

[franjoy56]

and to top it off both Mary and Florence were lead singers, I never heard any of the Andantes sing lead no pun intended of course..