TCB Script - 1969 with Rehearsal Schedule

[LoveSupreme]

161991620016201

Interesting notes: If you look at the rehearsal schedule you see they did a "Dress Tape" of the show with an audience earlier in the day and then afterwards they did an "Air Tape" of the show with an audience. So, there is a complete taped alternate version of this special floating around someone's archive, that is if those tapes weren't erased and re-used.

I suspected there was, based on stills I've seen of the show where Diana is wearing wigs that are different from the ones she wore when it aired. Also at the beginning of the special in the long shot as she is walking down upstage she is wearing what looks like a bobbed wig, then as she turns to face the camera and it cuts to a medium shot she is wearing an upswept wig.

Also on the bottom left hand corner of the page you see the VTR [[Video Tape Recording] dates listed as: August 23, 24, 1968 and the Air Date listed as: December 9, 1968.

Everything that is spoken on the show of course was scripted and the girl's opening lines are on the first page I've attached. I do have to say that Mary's line "We is terrific" makes me wince. First of all it's not grammatically correct. It feeds into the perception that African Americans don't speak the English language correctly therefore perpetuating that misconception. Back in 1968 no one batted an eye or questioned it. They certainly didn't question it...maybe they thought it was harmless. I'm surprised Berry Gordy allowed it since he was so image conscious especially where The Supremes and especially Diana was concerned. I don't think you'd get away with that today.

16201

16200

16199

[LoveSupreme]

I tried to upload bigger files of these shots but I was unable to.

[marv2]

161991620016201

Interesting notes: If you look at the rehearsal schedule you see they did a "Dress Tape" of the show with an audience earlier in the day and then afterwards they did an "Air Tape" of the show with an audience. So, there is a complete taped alternate version of this special floating around someone's archive, that is if those tapes weren't erased and re-used.

I suspected there was, based on stills I've seen of the show where Diana is wearing wigs that are different from the ones she wore when it aired. Also at the beginning of the special in the long shot as she is walking down upstage she is wearing what looks like a bobbed wig, then as she turns to face the camera and it cuts to a medium shot she is wearing an upswept wig.

Also on the bottom left hand corner of the page you see the VTR [[Video Tape Recording] dates listed as: August 23, 24, 1968 and the Air Date listed as: December 9, 1968.

Everything that is spoken on the show of course was scripted and the girl's opening lines are on the first page I've attached. I do have to say that Mary's line "We is terrific" makes me wince. First of all it's not grammatically correct. It feeds into the perception that African Americans don't speak the English language correctly therefore perpetuating that misconception. Back in 1968 no one batted an eye or questioned it. They certainly didn't question it...maybe they thought it was harmless. I'm surprised Berry Gordy allowed it since he was so image conscious especially where The Supremes and especially Diana was concerned. I don't think you'd get away with that today.

16201

16200

16199

The line Mary spoke " Honey we is terrific" and later in regards to the Temptations " They is terrific too!" was meant to be a joke. You know HAHA. I even got it as a kid watching the show. If you watch the program again, you can see it was said in a jokingly manner.

[sansradio]

The "honey, we is terrific" line was a nod to Flo, who used to say that phrase in the act. It does seem a little incongruously Amos-'n'-Andyish to today's ears, but I guess it was Mary's stab at keeping the Flo torch lit. Flo's Pearl Bailey-esque asides became a touchstone for the group's live act, so Berry probably said to hell with it and stick with what works. I can understand why it would stick in the craw, though, given Motown's position as a civil-rights era crossover beacon of respectability politics.

[marv2]

The "honey, we is terrific" line was a nod to Flo, who used to say that phrase in the act. It does seem a little incongruously Amos-'n'-Andyish to today's ears, but I guess it was Mary's stab at keeping the Flo torch lit. Flo's Pearl Bailey-esque asides became a touchstone for the group's live act, so Berry probably said to hell with it and stick with what works. I can understand why it would stick in the craw, though, given Motown's position as a civil-rights era crossover beacon.

Sammy Davis Jr. said things like that all the time in the 60s on shows like "Laugh-In". It was meant as a joke, no big deal.

[reese]

This past weekend, I went to the Museum of Radio and TV and watched the tv special "SOUL." It starred Lou Rawls, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, Joe Tex, and comedians such as Redd Foxx, George Kirby, and Slappy White. It originally aired in 1968 and like TCB and Laugh-In, is a George Schlatter production. Some of the humor in it is cringe-worthy today. I remember one cast member referring to another as a "silly savage." But in 1968 it was probably par for the course.

[floyjoy678]

Wasn't the "Honey, we is terrific!" line something that Flo used to say? Mary seemed to take over Flo's ad-libs after she left.

[marv2]

Wasn't the "Honey, we is terrific!" line something that Flo used to say? Mary seemed to take over Flo's ad-libs after she left.

Cindy did a few too like "Fat is where it's at".

[LoveSupreme]

The "honey, we is terrific" line was a nod to Flo, who used to say that phrase in the act. It does seem a little incongruously Amos-'n'-Andyish to today's ears, but I guess it was Mary's stab at keeping the Flo torch lit. Flo's Pearl Bailey-esque asides became a touchstone for the group's live act, so Berry probably said to hell with it and stick with what works. I can understand why it would stick in the craw, though, given Motown's position as a civil-rights era crossover beacon of respectability politics.

Thanks sansradio. You get it. That's exactly where I was coming from.

[PeaceNHarmony]

Wasn't the "Honey, we is terrific!" line something that Flo used to say? Mary seemed to take over Flo's ad-libs after she left.... not to mention Flo's blonde wigs ...

[khansperac]

I don’t believe the story that Flo ad-libbed. Diana’s lines were standard comedy set ups.

[sansradio]

Thanks sansradio. You get it. That's exactly where I was coming from.

You got it, LS. Great find, by the way!

[LoveSupreme]

You got it, LS. Great find, by the way!

Thank you!

[sup_fan]

i believe you're correct that Flo's lines weren't totally ad libbed. if you listen to You're Nobody from the Live in Paris tracks that were released on More Hits EE, Flo is doing some of her comedy lines there. now they're slightly different than what she'd eventually be saying. but the story that she simply cracked the joke while onstage at the Copa about gold won't bring you happiness is not true. Unless they'd decided to remove the jokes for the "sophisticated" audience at the Copa and Flo simply added them back in

and regarding the Fat is where it's at, it's possible that the first time flo said it onstage it was an ad lib. don't know. But the girls had repeatedly joked during interviews about Flo being bigger. there are the alt versions of the interview that appeared on 25th Anniversary, there's an interview video on youtube of the girls in Canada.

But for the most part, the girls were NOT up on stage just winging it. or making lines up

[marv2]

Flo was great with her one liners......


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wGlOif1J0Q

[floyjoy678]

i believe you're correct that Flo's lines weren't totally ad libbed. if you listen to You're Nobody from the Live in Paris tracks that were released on More Hits EE, Flo is doing some of her comedy lines there. now they're slightly different than what she'd eventually be saying. but the story that she simply cracked the joke while onstage at the Copa about gold won't bring you happiness is not true. Unless they'd decided to remove the jokes for the "sophisticated" audience at the Copa and Flo simply added them back in

and regarding the Fat is where it's at, it's possible that the first time flo said it onstage it was an ad lib. don't know. But the girls had repeatedly joked during interviews about Flo being bigger. there are the alt versions of the interview that appeared on 25th Anniversary, there's an interview video on youtube of the girls in Canada.

But for the most part, the girls were NOT up on stage just winging it. or making lines up

I recall Flo saying that the "fat is where its at" line was ad-libbed and that she was worried if Berry was gonna get on her for it but he loved it.

[IMissFlo93]

Flo and John Lennon sure had some things in common being in their bands/groups. Joking around when asked about stuff was no exception....

[sup_fan]

I recall Flo saying that the "fat is where its at" line was ad-libbed and that she was worried if Berry was gonna get on her for it but he loved it.

and i've wondered if during rehearsals Flo shot off funny quips and lines and everyone laughed. and they kept them in.

[khansperac]

^^^ IMO that is most likely what happened. But like I mentioned earlier, Diana’s lines are a case of the classic comedy set up, so the intent was always for a response. I’m sure there was something scripted, and perhaps Flo came up with it. I don’t believe it just happened on stage one night.

[sup_fan]

^^^ i agree with you. i give Flo more credit that to do something as unprofessional as deviating from the scripted routine in the middle of a performance. that could seriously throw everyone else off and is not a move that a serious, professional performer would do. the girls were too good to do something like that

now during rehearsal and all, of course! i'm sure there were a LOT of lines [[maybe some rather inappropriate lolol) that were thrown out at times. and of course they'd test things and try them out.

that is what's been so fun with some of these EE sets. hearing the live show evolve from the early years, through WDOLG period, to the first Copa run, through the remaining Flo years. by the time flo left, the girls were only 23/24. that's very young still and look at how seasoned they were as performers! further proof of their excellence

[sup_fan]

i believe some of the segments were taped in a studio and possibly used pre-recorded audios. Basically it's the segments were there isn't an audience present like:

1. contemporary song medley - the groups are in the red/pink/orange outfits and sing current hits like Do You Know the Way To San Jose, Eleanor Rigby, etc.
2. Somewhere - majority of this song as it's just Diana on the stage and you can't see any of the pit orchestra. my theory is that they taped this part and then also taped her on the state with the orchestra and audience and when she hits the last notes they cut to this live version
3. funny girl

I wonder what the shooting schedule was for these segments. Can't open up the images above to read what's on the pages