The Supremes....Live at Bachelor's III 1976

[lakeside]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsOXd9m1S34

I was living in Miami back then and saw these shows.
Memories!

[marv2]

They were funny with the "He's My Man" segment. Some great singing here. Thanks.

[RanRan79]

Horrible harmony. Something is always off with this lineup, which is why it's my least favorite lineup. With that being said, Mary sounds fantastic on "The Way We Were", "A Song for You" and "How Lucky Can You Get". Scherrie is outstanding on "Maybe This Time".

[blackguy69]

It sounds screechy I like susaye but her voice sometimes doesn't fit. Also as mentioned many times in the past, they sound like they're competing for lead vocals. But i did like you're what's missing in my life

[luke]

To be honest I was disappointed with this. The hits medley was too fast and couldn't appreciate the songs. . Scherrie screaming a lot. Highlight for me and it sounded like for the crowd was tribute to Flo by Mary. I could only make it up to He's my Man.

[blackguy69]

To be honest I was disappointed with this. The hits medley was too fast and couldn't appreciate the songs. . Scherrie screaming a lot. Highlight for me and it sounded like for the crowd was tribute to Flo by Mary. I could only make it up to He's my Man.
She did a song for you and how lucky can you get. If you gotten to he's my man you should have listened to the rest. You're what's missing in my life, he ain't heavy, and I'm gonna let my heart do the walking.

[luke]

Yes I heard how lucky and song for you. I just couldnt take the yelling anymore! Lol. Susaye and Scherrie shrieking background on Someday we'll be together! PS. I've always said Scherrie should be on Broadway belting them out!!

[marv2]

Yes I heard how lucky and song for you. I just couldnt take the yelling anymore! Lol. Susaye and Scherrie shrieking background on Someday we'll be together! PS. I've always said Scherrie should be on Broadway belting them out!!


Yeah Scherrie aka "The Merm of Motown" LOL!!!!

[luke]

Lolol. Perfect!!

[detmotownguy]

Yeah Scherrie aka "The Merm of Motown" LOL!!!! Good one Marv!

[Bluebrock]

Horrible harmony. Something is always off with this lineup, which is why it's my least favorite lineup. With that being said, Mary sounds fantastic on "The Way We Were", "A Song for You" and "How Lucky Can You Get". Scherrie is outstanding on "Maybe This Time".
Scherrie and Susaye were great singers but this trio somehow did not work as a live act. They lacked the style and grace of previous line ups. This was one unholy mess and the end was obviously nigh. Sad but true.

[marv2]

Scherrie and Susaye were great singers but this trio somehow did not work as a live act. They lacked the style and grace of previous line ups. This was one unholy mess and the end was obviously nigh. Sad but true.

They were gorgeous. They could all sing and dance very well. Very classy ladies, Mary, Scherrie and Susaye!

[sup_fan]

I'm not a fan of the way they did He's My Man, but that's just my opinion. just didn't like the "arguing" part of it. This grouping was one of the best in the studio but i agree they struggled live. I think part of it was the constant 3-part harmony in the arrangements. it just gets too much at times. Also the accelerated pace of the disco songs, combined with the routines, just made them gasping for air.

[Circa 1824]

The vocal shenanigans and hijinks of Susay and Sherrie are so grossly over the top and unnecessary!!! God, my ears ........ Couple that with Mary's bland vocal, and you have a cringe-worthy show.

[sup_fan]

of course some of this might be due to not being professionally recorded. remember this was a fan with some sort of tape recorder smuggled in and has since been reproduced and dubbed a zillion times. so some of the piercing nature of the vocals could simply be due to distortion and deterioration of the tapes.

i bought a cassette of this show from a fan in the late 90s. then i converted it to digital around 2014 or so.

[RanRan79]

of course some of this might be due to not being professionally recorded. remember this was a fan with some sort of tape recorder smuggled in and has since been reproduced and dubbed a zillion times. so some of the piercing nature of the vocals could simply be due to distortion and deterioration of the tapes.

i bought a cassette of this show from a fan in the late 90s. then i converted it to digital around 2014 or so.

I thought of that as I listened to the harmonies, but the lead vocals are fine. Like I said Mary sounded fantastic on some of her leads, as did Scherrie. It was when they were singing together that it becomes a hot mess.

I think the problem with this lineup is Susaye. A great singer in her own right, but she probably shouldn't have been in the group. Mary is TOPS at harmonizing. Barbara often threw the harmony off in the beginning IMO, but the original trio was great together. The DRATS years essentially became the Diana Ross show, but they had moments where the three of them would harmonize: perfection. Mary with Jean and Cindy, the harmonies were still glorious. Mary with Lynda, probably the hippest harmonies the Supremes ever had. Mary, Cindy, Scherrie, they were great together. As Blackguy69 says, with Susaye it sounds like they were competing for the lead instead of finding their one collective voice. As a huge fan of group harmony, it's a turn off for me.

One thing is especially clear to me listening to this show: it was time for Mary to ditch the group and strike out on her own. At this point the group was a crutch for a woman who struggled with her lead singing confidence. She was very good and it was time to see what she could do without another woman standing on each side.

[lakeside]

I saw these shows at Bachelor's III and don't remember all the
criticisms I'm reading. But, I was young [[just out of college) and
caught up in the moment. I do recall Mary was the stand out. Her
dedication segment to Florence, who had recently passed, was moving.

[detmotownguy]

I saw these shows at Bachelor's III and don't remember all the
criticisms I'm reading. But, I was young [[just out of college) and
caught up in the moment. I do recall Mary was the stand out. Her
dedication segment to Florence, who had recently passed, was moving. I envy you! Would you say that the audio is part of the "problem"? Did the live performance sound anything like this? The MSS grouping was so talented. The tape does sound a bit distorted which is understandable.

[Thornton]

I do think part of the problem is the recording. Everyone's voice sounds a little higher than normal, but all the same it's not a great live act. Lots of competing vocals. It seemed like MSS got their live harmonies down for the farewell show, and Mary said in "Supreme Faith" that she felt their live act was getting better the more the three of them worked together. But here they're really only in sync on "The Way We Were/Maybe This Time" and "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother." I always loved Mary's tribute to Flo.

[sup_fan]

S and S both have excellent voices. And unique voices. their tone and pitch is bright and they have considerable vibrato. in the action moment of a live show, when the adrenaline is pumping, that can become even more so. I think what hindered the live performances was the fact that they were too free with their vocals. the ad libbing is out of control, there's too much 3-part harmony, they're vibratos start to get carried away, and the arrangements are too fast. That all leads to a crazy wall of sound that's hard to distinguish. While all three are extremely talented singers, they needed some sort of vocal coaching or critiquing to say "ok that was great - keep doing that there. or please pull back slightly."

[lakeside]

I envy you! Would you say that the audio is part of the "problem"? Did the live performance sound anything like this? The MSS grouping was so talented. The tape does sound a bit distorted which is understandable.

Honestly, that was SO long ago, I can't recall. I simply went as a fan. I remember I was disappointed as the
picture they advertised for show in the Miami paper
was of Jean, Mary and Lynda. I thought that's who I was going to see! I can't imagine they didn't have publicity shots of this group by then? It was a full house the night I went and the crowd was very enthusiastic as I remember. The orchestra was very good, too. I saw The Pointer Sisters there a couple of weeks later [[minus Bonnie).

[lakeside]

This is the picture that was used advertising The Supremes at Bachelor's III in 1976?
https://tse2.mm.bing.net/th?id=OIP.O8FpSJlaFfOU3RCErFBTbwDnEs&pid=15.1&P=0&w=300&h=300

[luke]

Totally agree RanRan. It was time for Mary to ditch the group. Did they hear themselves?

[sup_fan]

wow lakeside! can't believe they didn't use a more recent pic of the group! at least a MSC one, since Susaye had only been in the group a couple of months.

As I've looked over my vids and audios of the group during this time, it seems as though the whole thing [[other than the recordings) was a bit of a mess. And I place the blame on management, mostly Mary and Pedro. The outfits were just not right, the arrangements and live act was off. The overall presentation was just so haphazard, it appears. Whether that's rehearsal or lack thereof, poor decisions, last minute bookings [[like the Caesar Palace in Dec 76). Just a lot of bad decisions, compounded by the ingroup fighting and lack of label support

[blackguy69]

I would blame Pedro and management and to a lesser extent Mary. Advertisement that's on the club.

[Roberta75]

That was a really poor performance all that screaming and hollering and oversinging. Love Child was manic and real hard to listen to.

[marv2]

Good one Marv!


hehehehehehehehehe! Thanks.

[marv2]

This is the picture that was used advertising The Supremes at Bachelor's III in 1976?
https://tse2.mm.bing.net/th?id=OIP.O8FpSJlaFfOU3RCErFBTbwDnEs&pid=15.1&P=0&w=300&h=300

Now that just was not right. Do you know who the promoter was?

[marv2]

S and S both have excellent voices. And unique voices. their tone and pitch is bright and they have considerable vibrato. in the action moment of a live show, when the adrenaline is pumping, that can become even more so. I think what hindered the live performances was the fact that they were too free with their vocals. the ad libbing is out of control, there's too much 3-part harmony, they're vibratos start to get carried away, and the arrangements are too fast. That all leads to a crazy wall of sound that's hard to distinguish. While all three are extremely talented singers, they needed some sort of vocal coaching or critiquing to say "ok that was great - keep doing that there. or please pull back slightly."

The old Supremes songs did not require all of that vocal fire power.

[PeaceNHarmony]

It's like the Sweeney Sisters from SNL. Whoo! YEAH!! Alright!

[Bluebrock]

wow lakeside! can't believe they didn't use a more recent pic of the group! at least a MSC one, since Susaye had only been in the group a couple of months.

As I've looked over my vids and audios of the group during this time, it seems as though the whole thing [[other than the recordings) was a bit of a mess. And I place the blame on management, mostly Mary and Pedro. The outfits were just not right, the arrangements and live act was off. The overall presentation was just so haphazard, it appears. Whether that's rehearsal or lack thereof, poor decisions, last minute bookings [[like the Caesar Palace in Dec 76). Just a lot of bad decisions, compounded by the ingroup fighting and lack of label support
You have summed it up very well sup fan. They were an uncohesive mess and the public would not accept them as the Supremes anymore. Both Scherrie and Susaye should have been major solo stars. They both had the raw talent and energy, but they were like fish out of water within the confines of a group.

[rod_rick]

Thorton ou are right. Susaye took the top note above Scherrie and Mary took the note right under Scherrie which Cindy would sing i.e. "He's My Man". The Way We Were/Maybe This Time, Susaye sang the part the way Cindy did. With 3 great voices in the same group they often sound like a boxing match live. Less would have been so much more for this Supreme grouping.