The Supremes-shakin it big time!

[luke]

Ready Steady Go http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kikOuLBNjc

[marv2]

Ready Steady Go http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kikOuLBNjc

Those girls need to quit all that stuff! Shakin' it and protruding the buttocks! Ms. Powell would have a fit!@ LOL!!!!

[luke]

LOL--interesting camera work!

[blueskies]

Shocking!!!

[marv2]

Shocking!!!

hehehehehehehehe.......!

[robbert]

For all the non-UK inhabitants: this is from a BBC-televised special on the Motown sound, hosted by singer Dusty Springfield, in 1965. She's the blond announcing the Supremes.
Also performing were Martha & The Vandellas, The Miracles... and [[help, please)??? :o

[nomis]

..the temptations were on it as well I cant remember if Stevie was..ive got a copy on VHS somewhere I should dig it out..I have a tv interview with Martha where she says Diana was non too pleased that Dusty requested Martha duet with her on the show..she said she could see Ross in the wings pouting while she was singing with Dusty..
This is by far the best version the Supremes did of Shake its alive and when the music cuts out at the end and Diana keeps singing gives me goosebumps they also sang a brief version of baby love with Dancers running on the set when they werent supposed to and running off again..they then did Stop in The Name of The Love and at the end Where Did Our Love Go with Florence really singing loud in the chorus and a brief chorus of Mickeys Monkey
Many people including Mary have got mixed up about this apperance saying it was the first time the girls were in the UK - it wasnt.They had been there a year earlier to sing Baby Love on various tv shows and they did radio as well..this is the secound Supremes UK visit they would be back soon for a quick taping of Top Of The Pops and Ready Steady Go to sing "Nothing But Heartaches.."

[theboyfromxtown]

Stevie Wonder was there as was Earl Van Dyke.

[rovereab]

Earl Van Dyke was there but as far as I can remember from my pre-recorded VHS copy of the show all songs were performed to the Hitsville backing tracks. The finale of Mickey's Monkey is fantastic IMO.

[marybrewster]

You wanna see some Supremes shakin'? :)

Check this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtzy1e5ka4M

[westgrandboulevard]

nomis

Didn't The Supremes first, and briefly, visit UK and appear on Top Of The Pops, wearing what I seem to recall as long white dresses and long white gloves, promoting "Where Did Our Love Go" when it was very high in the charts here....or is my memory crossing over?

I would have said they then nipped back shortly after, to appear on Ready Steady Go to promote 'Baby Love'..and maybe even perform 'Where did our love go' [[?)..something tells me they may even have performed 'Baby Love' a little before it was released, but I might be wrong.

Think it was on that occasion that one of Diana's dress straps slipped down over her shoulder, much to the amusement of Mary & Flo...a little touch which was picked up and used by The Barron Knights, in their comedy parody of 'Baby Love'....

If that was so...that would make the UK tour & RSG special their third visit? However, it was such a long time ago that I could easily be condensing the memories!

Also, I have a feeling that, although the Temptations were in the UK about the time of the UK tour but not on it, they weren't actually present in the studio when the RSG special with Dusty was recorded? Maybe their performance was inserted,as I don't recall them being in the final 'Mickey's Monkey' finale.....?

Again....maybe it's just the old age setting in...!!

[roger]

For all the non-UK inhabitants: this is from a BBC-televised special on the Motown sound, hosted by singer Dusty Springfield, in 1965. She's the blond announcing the Supremes.
Also performing were Martha & The Vandellas, The Miracles... and [[help, please)??? :o

Actually Robbert it wasn't the BBC who produced "Ready Steady Go", it was on the Commercial Network ITV.

Here is some info about the show ..

http://www.televisionheaven.co.uk/rsg.htm

Personally I wish it HAD been on the BBC, my grandmother had an aversion to TV commercials and if it had been on the BBC she might have allowed me to watch it more often .. :)

Roger

[reese]

The Tempts didn't stay for the whole tour, but they did do the READY STEADY GO special. During the finale, you can see them on the same side as Dusty, and the Vandellas. The Supremes were on the opposite side alone, and the Miracles and Stevie Wonder [[on a pedestal) were in the middle.

As written above, the Funk Brothers were there,but most [[if not all) of the songs were performed to pre-recorded tracks. There was some controversy over this regarding union rates, I believe. It is detailed in Nelson George's book on Motown.

When the special was released on vhs, they inserted two RSG performances of Marvin Gaye, as he had recently passed. But he wasn't on the original special, or on the tour.

[detmotownguy]

Good point Marv, where was Ms Powell? Still it was done with class. Their performances we always very tight, well near perfect. Thanks for posting Luke, made my morning!

[detmotownguy]

You wanna see some Supremes shakin'? :)

Check this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtzy1e5ka4M

With the proper promotion this could have been a decent hit. In Detroit, I remember this song being played in the clubs a bit. Jean, well she is one of the finest. Mary was really dancin in those heels!

[reese]

Good point Marv, where was Ms Powell? Still it was done with class. Their performances we always very tight, well near perfect. Thanks for posting Luke, made my morning!

I don't think Mrs. Powell was in the picture yet. I believe she came aboard when Artist Development was started up to prepare the Supremes for the Copa engagement later that year.

[arrr&bee]

I didn't thing the original supremes could shimmy like that,i'm not surprised at the seventies group a lot more soulful!

[luke]

As I recall, Dusty wanted the Vandellas to be the stars and Gordy insisted the Supremes come and they be spotlighted. I think Dusty was adamant about the duet with Martha.

[theboyfromxtown]

nomis

Didn't The Supremes first, and briefly, visit UK and appear on Top Of The Pops, wearing what I seem to recall as long white dresses and long white gloves, promoting "Where Did Our Love Go" when it was very high in the charts here....or is my memory crossing over?

I would have said they then nipped back shortly after, to appear on Ready Steady Go to promote 'Baby Love'..and maybe even perform 'Where did our love go' [[?)..something tells me they may even have performed 'Baby Love' a little before it was released, but I might be wrong.

Think it was on that occasion that one of Diana's dress straps slipped down over her shoulder, much to the amusement of Mary & Flo...a little touch which was picked up and used by The Barron Knights, in their comedy parody of 'Baby Love'....

If that was so...that would make the UK tour & RSG special their third visit? However, it was such a long time ago that I could easily be condensing the memories!

Also, I have a feeling that, although the Temptations were in the UK about the time of the UK tour but not on it, they weren't actually present in the studio when the RSG special with Dusty was recorded? Maybe their performance was inserted,as I don't recall them being in the final 'Mickey's Monkey' finale.....?

Again....maybe it's just the old age setting in...!!

No dear...there's still life in the old girl! *smile*

[theboyfromxtown]

As I recall, Dusty wanted the Vandellas to be the stars and Gordy insisted the Supremes come and they be spotlighted. I think Dusty was adamant about the duet with Martha.

I loved Martha and Dusty together and they gave a great performance.

[nomis]

Westgrand - Ive never found any evidence of a second UK visit before RSG - and Ive really researched this- with the Top Of The Pops they taped Where and Baby at the same time these were then inserted into a few future shows - they didnt return to the BBC they just used the original video master as both singles climbed the charts..
there was a colour photo of the girls on the Top Of the Pops set in the last Anthology cd..

[stephanie]

I can tell you what ruined Your Wonderful Sweet Sweet Love that roulette wheel beginning and and that donald duck voice in the background. Yes promotion was needed but if the duck whom I was told is Smokey [[I dont know) was gone and the beginning was a little more sophisticated it would have done much better. I only heard it on the radio twice.

[theboyfromxtown]

Wasn't this a thread you started some time ago? We ought to dig that one out.

There might be confusion in referring to RSG in relation to both the Oct/Nov 1964 visit and special in March/April 1965.

I also seem to recall what Roger suggests about Baby Love not yet being released. The BBC was not that great at previewing new releases and it might have been that we were not familiar with it at that time. I definitely remember that Nov 64 performance with Keith Forydyce being smothered in lipstick by the Supremes. Florence caught me forever that day

[westgrandboulevard]

reese

Well, you're quite right, of course, about the Temptations being in the 'Mickey's Monkey' finale of the RSG Sounds of Motown special. I checked on You Tube, and there they were. Now, why didn't I just look there first.....

nomis

I'll go with your suggestion that 'Where..' and 'Baby Love' were taped at the same time. I can't disprove it, you've done the research...and it sounds very plausible, as they were bound to be very busy. I assume they just changed costume for the different songs...though I think Diana's hairstyle was the same for both performances, and possibly Mary & Florence too.

theboyfromxtown

Now, which old girl are you referring to, I wonder???? There were several on the show to choose from.....on stage, and many more in the audience *wink*. [[Mrs Powell taught so well, they all seem to have the same style, don't they....another *wink*)

So it was RSG, when Keith Fordyce was sat,with the Supremes around him, kissing him and ruffling his hair, to 'Baby Love' ??

[marv2]

I can tell you what ruined Your Wonderful Sweet Sweet Love that roulette wheel beginning and and that donald duck voice in the background. Yes promotion was needed but if the duck whom I was told is Smokey [[I dont know) was gone and the beginning was a little more sophisticated it would have done much better. I only heard it on the radio twice.

Stephanie, that duck in the background was Smokey! Happy Birthday Smoke! LOL!!!

[tomato tom]

I always thought you lot were quackers!!!!

[nomis]

the thread we put together the Supremes first UK tv apperances was called Supremes first UK promotinal visit..I think if someone could find it that would be great we put together dates and had lots of unpublished info on that first batch of tv and radio shows,,it was a good thread.. Baby Love had been released on single in September so it was climbing the charts when they performed it on Top Of The Pops Thursday 0ct 15 1964...
Im not sure they changed clothes for Where as details of this performance are sketchy- only Baby Love film insert survives and yes it was RSG where they were kissing that guy no studio photos exist but one does of the RSG rehersal with the girls in street clothes...

[detmotownguy]

Stephanie:
Thanks for the feedback. The Marathon station music played Sweet Wonderful on their speaker systyem a few months ago and the Shell station was playing FLY by Jean Terrell recently lol!

[captainjames]

It all looks rather tame to me.