The Three Degrees - Medley - Parodies the Supremes and other female groups

[CoolKatz]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVbeVReLaN4

[BigAl]

That's one I missed. Thanks for posting it. They should have inserted a Mcguire Sisters number between the Andrews Sisters and the Chordettes. Faye's impression of Diane stepping out in front and putting up her hand to obscure Sheila's face is priceless!

[marv2]

Strange that they were named the Top Female Group by some magazine at the time. At time of this appearance [[December 1970), the Supremes were near the top of the charts again with "Stoned Love"!

[Boogiedown]

Interesting. I didn't realize that Diana's scene stealing was so apparent in the industry that it got parodied on , of all places, Ed Sullivan ! I wonder if Ed saw it coming? It somehow got approved for airing... seen as harmless fun ?
Still, I'd bet Berry Gordy was more than a little peeved by this characterization.

[marybrewster]

This is fantastic. Thanks for sharing.

[BigAl]

Strange that they were named the Top Female Group by some magazine at the time. At time of this appearance [[December 1970), the Supremes were near the top of the charts again with "Stoned Love"!
That was a head-scratcher for me as well, since the group didn't crack the top 40 until 1974, and then only one time. Ed was known for getting facts scrambled and/or forgetting who he was introducing, like the time he introduced the Supremes as simply, "The Girls" when their name escaped him. Considering the look the 3Ds were working, maybe he thought he was introducing The Supremes!

[marv2]

Interesting. I didn't realize that Diana's scene stealing was so apparent in the industry that it got parodied on , of all places, Ed Sullivan ! I wonder if Ed saw it coming? It somehow got approved for airing... seen as harmless fun ?
Still, I'd bet Berry Gordy was more than a little peeved by this characterization.

You should see Sister Sledge's over the top imitation of them. It's even worse. LOL!!!

[marv2]

That was a head-scratcher for me as well, since the group didn't crack the top 40 until 1974, and then only one time. Ed was known for getting facts scrambled and/or forgetting who he was introducing, like the time he introduced the Supremes as simply, "The Girls" when their name escaped him. Considering the look the 3Ds were working, maybe he thought he was introducing The Supremes!

He drank a lot too.

[lakeside]

That was funny. I wonder if they used that in their live act at the time?

[reese]

That was a head-scratcher for me as well, since the group didn't crack the top 40 until 1974, and then only one time. Ed was known for getting facts scrambled and/or forgetting who he was introducing, like the time he introduced the Supremes as simply, "The Girls" when their name escaped him. Considering the look the 3Ds were working, maybe he thought he was introducing The Supremes!

He might have meant to say "Top New Female Group," although that wouldn't have been totally accurate either as the group had been around since the early 60s. But they had recently hit with their first Top 30 pop [[Top 10 soul) hit MAYBE.

[Boogiedown]

You should see Sister Sledge's over the top imitation of them. It's even worse. LOL!!!:eek:

Ha ! Sounds curious.

I could see a jabbing like this being done on IN LIVING COLOR , but ED SULLIVAN ??? :confused:

[marv2]

:eek:

Ha ! Sounds curious.

I could see a jabbing like this being done on IN LIVING COLOR , but ED SULLIVAN ??? :confused:

Sister Sledge did their send up of the Supremes in a television of theirs back in the 80s. It was later released on VHS. They made Diana Ross look like a attention craved ego maniac with exaggerated bugging of the eyes and strecthing of the arms over the faces of the others, etc, etc. LOL!

[marv2]

He might have meant to say "Top New Female Group," although that wouldn't have been totally accurate either as the group had been around since the early 60s. But they had recently hit with their first Top 30 pop [[Top 10 soul) hit MAYBE.

Still, they were no where near the level of the Supremes. This video was from the end of 1970 and the Supremes had two Top 10 Hits, two more Top 40 Hits and a Number 1 R&B hit in just 1970 alone!

[gman]

I am nowhere near as familiar with the 3D as I am with the Motown groups...is that Valerie finishing up the clip? Her voice has gotten a lot richer with age. I like the way she performs now better....also, is that their song Maybe? [[I thought they recut the Chantells hit) That MAYBE LP got a really big push in [[my first ever) Columbia record club back in the day. The club offered no Motown titles at all at the time. I had the Swan label 45 Gee Baby, I'm Sorry....go it used God knows how around 1971...and a friends mother also had it in her box of 45's, so I assumed it was a really big hit. And I believe in the PBS special Mary Wilson co-hosted she said "We'll be back with Helen and the girls" referring to the 3 D

[luke]

The 3 Degrees had a lot of legal issues going on with their name in the USA when Mary introduced them as far as I know, though I don’t know why she couldn’t have said each name.

[jobeterob]

I’ve heard it said WWISYA sold 10 million copies worldwide - they parlayed that into a lot

[PeaceNHarmony]

'I Do' has been a favorite since its release and love revisiting this clip for that performance. They parodies, though ... 3D should have been singing their own material and establishing their own excellence, not 'good-naturedly' copying others. Bad career move on as big a podium as Sullivan.

[marv2]

'I Do' has been a favorite since its release and love revisiting this clip for that performance. They parodies, though ... 3D should have been singing their own material and establishing their own excellence, not 'good-naturedly' copying others. Bad career move on as big a podium as Sullivan.

No, what Ed should have done was have the Supremes on there singing "Stoned Love" right at that time! His show was off the air just a few months later.

[Bluebrock]

No, what Ed should have done was have the Supremes on there singing "Stoned Love" right at that time! His show was off the air just a few months later.

It is not often that i agree with anything you say but i am with you 100% here. It is such a pity that the 70's Supremes only got on his show that one time.

[sup_fan]

^one rumor is that Gordy had agreed for Diana to do her tv debut on Sullivan but then she didn't. and she did do a Mike Douglas show. Supposedly Ed wasn't pleased and cancelled any remaining Sup and/or Diana appearances. although the Temps, J5 and Gladys all did appearances in the 70s on Sullivan

Another rumor is that Ed only did the first diana-less appearance as a favor to Gordy. That Ed really thought the world of Diana and, frankly, didn't care about the 70s sups once she was out of the picture