MSS Greatest Hits Medley

[TheMotownManiac]

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

[Roberta75]

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

Thats a hot mess IMO. Real rushed and too much oversinging.

[Thornton]

I think the hits medley would have been so much more enjoyable had the songs been slowed down [[that goes for all lineups). The three-part harmony MSS tried to do really didn't work. "Love Child" seems to take the brunt in most performances I've heard/seen.

[blackguy69]

There is something about Susaye's voice that just doesn't fit in

[blackguy69]

I understand that each singer wants to put their own spin on it but damn. I will give Diana credit for keeping it simple when recording these songs

[TheMotownManiac]

I purposely didn't offer a comment to see what the reaction would be, but this is why they failed: terrible TV appearances that usually did more harm than good - especially afer Jean left. It's sad, because they each had great voices and great moments in each show. I believe that after Jean left, Mary had the biggest positive impact on the show with her solos. Susaye could sing her buns off, but, like Scherrie, way distorted the songs in favor of showing technique - to the point where the songs lost their meaning - to me.
In this clip, I can't imagine ANYONE wanting to go see them live.

[blackguy69]

The made it almost 4 years so somebody wanted to see them live. I thought msc sounded great. I do think scherrie had control at times but I think she gets excited and lets it all out in a manner of speaking lol

[TheMotownManiac]

I didn't say no one went to see them. I said I can't imagine anyone WHO SAW that medley wanting to [[unless they were a big fan like me.) And yes, they made it four years, but those were some lean years and getting leaner, baby. They had the talent, just no one with vision in their camp.

[luke]

Though in some ways this was one of their better medleys they also seem to be mimicking their own hits on Baby Love [[until Mary sings slowly) and Love Child. Kind of bizarre.

[vgalindo]

I loved the last two studio albums with Mary, Sherrie, and Susaye. But they were a mess singing live together. The choreography was way to frantic. And Mary always looked like a giant compared to Sherrie and Susaye because they were so short.

[mysterysinger]

They could have been singing anything. How happy they were to be a "Love Child". There was no soul I'm afraid. Susaye actually sounded like Martha Reeves. Beautiful they are, performers they are, interpreters of songs NAH [[well not on this evidence anyway).

[masterblaster]

This performance is a mess and Mary playing to the audience is cringeworthy. I saw MSS when they toured the UK in 1975 and found the whole show very disappointing and wasn't surprised the group folded a year later.
I had always been a big fan since the late 60s and seen the group in its various formats on several occasions, but this was by far the worst show. I was like Mary was desperately trying to keep the group going and should have retired it a few years earlier.

[captainjames]

I remember seeing MSS in Detroit. The tickets were easy to get and there was not many people who were aware they were still together and others who didn't know who was in the group. Vocally Scherrie an Susaye sounded awesome. If I were producing I would have kept Susaye as my hidden weapon like when she sung "Until Its Time To Go" for New Birth. Mary didn't fit right except in the middle and even in the middle she looked like the Jolly Green Giant.
I knew the ladies could sing but someone had this all wrong as far the way they were presented.

[daviddh]

I agree with all above.

[blackguy69]

I think you got your dates mixed up. I think you meant 1976

[blackguy69]

The problem was that they were competing to be lead at the same time. Some of the comments I agree, some I don't.

[RanRan79]

The problem was that they were competing to be lead at the same time.

Agree 100 percent BG. I didn't bother watching the video because [[a) I've probably seen it before, and [[b) I can imagine the horror. With hindsight I think Susaye was a horrible replacement for Cindy. I like the idea of having Scherrie and Mary switch leads, but they should have brought in another buffer for the two. Susaye was a soloist now being employed as a member of what the industry was no doubt considering a has been girl group. Susaye should've been cutting her own album, not joining the Supremes. The group needed another harmonizer, not another lead singer. This grouping were constantly trying to outsing one another. They seemed to be controlled in the studio, but onstage they were running amok. No other incarnation of this group had a problem with control. Every grouping mastered the stage IMO. All except this last one.

[floyjoy678]

I really think Motown should have struck Susaye out as a soloist. She did not need a group. She had the looks, the charisma and a unique voice that stood out through the radio [[though too few times). She really reminded me of Diana but with a much wider vocal range.

The Mary, Scherrie and Susaye line-up recorded some really great music and I think Mary was really at her peak during those years but as someone else mentioned...it was Mary who looked awkward in this group and did not fit in and she was the only original member! Once the '75 album flopped they really should have called it a day. Scherrie gets "I'm Gonna Let My Heart" as a solo single while Mary gets "Don't Let My Teardrops Bother You" and everyone's happy.

[RanRan79]

I really think Motown should have struck Susaye out as a soloist. She did not need a group. She had the looks, the charisma and a unique voice that stood out through the radio [[though too few times). She really reminded me of Diana but with a much wider vocal range.

The Mary, Scherrie and Susaye line-up recorded some really great music and I think Mary was really at her peak during those years but as someone else mentioned...it was Mary who looked awkward in this group and did not fit in and she was the only original member! Once the '75 album flopped they really should have called it a day. Scherrie gets "I'm Gonna Let My Heart" as a solo single while Mary gets "Don't Let My Teardrops Bother You" and everyone's happy.

I can not disagree with any of this. Not one single thing.

[edafan]

In the 1990's I went to a show with about 7 acts. The Spinners were one of them. But they did the same as this show here. Too fast. I wanted to hear the tempo as we all know for the songs, not a speeded up version, which doesn't resemble the record. edafan

[jim aka jtigre99]

Most of the Supremes' shows placed their hits in a sped up medley. Mary Wilson stated in her book that when singing live it felt that all three were trying to sing lead and both her & Scherrie would pull back. On record they were the arguably one of the most talented technically but live they seemed to not mesh as well as all of the other groupings. Visually, the previous grouping with Cindy worked very well and they also delivered some beautiful harmony. This grouping's version of their hits medley seems too rushed and does not show them at their best.