Behind the Curtains - The FLOS!

[marv2]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrRxUlBuUc4

[gman]

Not my cup of tea...I was a big supporter of the first line up of FLO'S [[JSL)...once Jean left, I lost a lot of interest. I still spot checked...I did like Freddie Poole's vocals. She is now with Helen and Valerie in the Three Degrees....unlike here, the older material they do still sounds relatively good [[although attempting to reprise the once rapid disco/ precise choreography doesn't work well) Valerie is much more suited to singing Sheila's parts then these FLO's are singing DRATS material. I think I would appreciate Scherrie more as a solo these days, doing previously released material that is hers.

[PeaceNHarmony]

Not my cup of tea...I was a big supporter of the first line up of FLO'S [[JSL)...once Jean left, I lost a lot of interest. I still spot checked...I did like Freddie Poole's vocals. She is now with Helen and Valerie in the Three Degrees....unlike here, the older material they do still sounds relatively good [[although attempting to reprise the once rapid disco/ precise choreography doesn't work well) Valerie is much more suited to singing Sheila's parts then these FLO's are singing DRATS material. I think I would appreciate Scherrie more as a solo these days, doing previously released material that is hers.Regardless of the talent involved I can't manage to see post-Jean FLOS as anything other than a cash grab. To each their own.

[gman]

Regardless of the talent involved I can't manage to see post-Jean FLOS as anything other than a cash grab. To each their own.

I am a HUGE Sherrie fan...I think she's got a ton of talent, and made a significant contribution to the group as a lead vocalist. The change from Jean to Scherrie was a big difference presentation wise . Like Jean, she had the whole package...style, visual appeal, attitude....and I am a fan of the Partners LP, and her later solo work for Altair, Megatone and Motorcity.

I personally do not care for Flo, Lynda or Susaye as lead singers for more than a featured vocal.

They benefit from having a Supremes tag in the billing. They may be talented, but other than the fans who've followed the group thru the 70's they are independently not household or publicly recognizable names.

[marybrewster]

There's a heavy cheese factor here. Susaye looks FANTASTIC and you can tell she's holding back, trying to stay true to the original. I'd love to see some reworking and interpretation, kind of like what's been done with the slow, moody version of "My World".

Joyce would benefit greatly if she smiled from time to time; these are happy, upbeat songs.

Scherrie I barely recognized; sight and sound. Is she trying to emulate Diana? I always thought she had a better voice than what's here. Maybe it was an off day.

[gman]

the entire thing is lackluster....I too thought it was a bad day.

[luke]

I thought it was pretty good. I think they are trying to be Supremey and present more as the originals.

[PeaceNHarmony]

I am a HUGE Sherrie fan...I think she's got a ton of talent, and made a significant contribution to the group as a lead vocalist. The change from Jean to Scherrie was a big difference presentation wise . Like Jean, she had the whole package...style, visual appeal, attitude....and I am a fan of the Partners LP, and her later solo work for Altair, Megatone and Motorcity.

I personally do not care for Flo, Lynda or Susaye as lead singers for more than a featured vocal.

They benefit from having a Supremes tag in the billing. They may be talented, but other than the fans who've followed the group thru the 70's they are independently not household or publicly recognizable names.Right. And it's my opinion that, regardless of talent or 'niceness' of personalities the FLOS are cashing in on a legacy that they simply had no part in creating.

[BigAl]

I can enjoy the FLOS if I view them as a tribute act, which, in reality, is what they are. The fact that the act comprises two actual contracted replacement members and one almost-replacement gives them a small measure of credibility, but by no means could they be construed as having more than an oblique connection to the original trio. They do a better job as a tribute act than, say, Kaaaaaaren’s group ever could. Still, they ain’t The Supremes by a long shot. Real fans know the deal. Average ticket-buyers usually only know The Supremes as Diana Ross and two other women and don’t care one way or the other; they just want to enjoy the old songs.

I’ve always looked askance at the group’s name. “Former Ladies,” has always seemed to imply that they once were ladies but no longer are!

[BigAl]

Slightly off-topic here. Most members of the FLOS have been contractually and thus legally Supremes. Unfortunately, this has led unconscionable music purveyors to sell their recorded music under the guise of its being The Supremes — sometimes including FLOS tracks alongside actual Supremes tracks, but sometimes excluding any by the original group — but showing the original trio on the cover. I don’t know how that can ever be dealt with. It appears to be perfectly legal, because all tracks will include at least one Motown-sanctioned Supreme. There will never be sufficient truth in music.

[RanRan79]

I could only make it through about 30 seconds of this. The mic levels are bad and that video karaoke background is distracting. From what little I heard, the ladies don't sound bad, but like Gman it's not my cup of tea.

As for their legitimacy, they bill themselves as "former ladies of" so I don't have a problem with it. Honestly if all three ladies were former Supremes I wouldn't have a problem with them billing themselves as simply the Supremes. Diana nor Mary nor Flo nor Cindy are ever coming back to the act, so it's nice that there are legit Supremes actually doing their thing. The 70s Supremes were all replacements [[except for Mary of course) but I think they have the right- and should be encouraged to exercise said right- to capitalize off of any part of their work history they so choose to do. Their resumes are no less important than any of ours whose resumes do not include singing groups.

[marv2]

Slightly off-topic here. Most members of the FLOS have been contractually and thus legally Supremes. Unfortunately, this has led unconscionable music purveyors to sell their recorded music under the guise of its being The Supremes — sometimes including FLOS tracks alongside actual Supremes tracks, but sometimes excluding any by the original group — but showing the original trio on the cover. I don’t know how that can ever be dealt with. It appears to be perfectly legal, because all tracks will include at least one Motown-sanctioned Supreme. There will never be sufficient truth in music.

When you use the likeness of someone else to sell a product and you do it without their permission is akin to identity thief in my opinion.

[marv2]

I thought it was pretty good. I think they are trying to be Supremey and present more as the originals.

I like the original song they do that was written by Susaye Greene, "Unconditional Love".

[motownlover1964]

Years ago when I was living in Seattle a co-worker told me, knowing I'm a Motown fanatic, that she was going to see "The Sounds of the Supremes" at a local casino. I asked her if she knew they were never in the Supremes and she said "Yes, but I'm going to hear the music." She didn't care. Later she told me the show was pretty good AND she saw the original trio, along with Stevie Wonder, in Seattle in 1965 or 1966.

[lakeside]

I like the original song they do that was written by Susaye Greene, "Unconditional Love".

I like that song, too. I wish they'd do more 'original' material and
veer away from all that old Supremes material....though, I guess
that's their calling card.

[marv2]

I like that song, too. I wish they'd do more 'original' material and
veer away from all that old Supremes material....though, I guess
that's their calling card.

They would have to drop the word "Supremes" from their name and billing if they are not going to perform any Supremes songs.

[gman]

People like Supremes songs....we've been fed a pretty nice helping of successful covers over the years. I have a CD that I made of many relatively unknown 12" disco covers of Supremes songs. Some of them are petty good!....I have to say You Cant Hurry Love was in my top 5 Supremes songs til I heard the Phil Collins version too many times for my liking. I actually thought Maneater by Hall & Oates was a cover of it too, till the singing started. D. L Byron did a nice cover new wave version of YCHL...it is on the 1980 cult film classic 2 LP TIMES SQUARE soundtrack LP [[Detroit native glam/stomp rocker Suzi Quatro has the opening cut on the sdtrk…"Rock Hard")

[marv2]

People like Supremes songs....we've been fed a pretty nice helping of successful covers over the years. I have a CD that I made of many relatively unknown 12" disco covers of Supremes songs. Some of them are petty good!....I have to say You Cant Hurry Love was in my top 5 Supremes songs til I heard the Phil Collins version too many times for my liking. I actually thought Maneater by Hall & Oates was a cover of it too, till the singing started. D. L Byron did a nice cover new wave version of YCHL...it is on the 1980 cult film classic 2 LP TIMES SQUARE soundtrack LP [[Detroit native glam/stomp rocker Suzi Quatro has the opening cut on the sdtrk…"Rock Hard")

We do/did like Supremes songs. Keep in mind those songs were first recorded and performed by singers in their 20s and perhaps 30s. They were targeted towards kids, teens, young adults for the most part. They sometimes sound odd being sung and performed by women in their 70s now. That even includes Mary and Diane.