Supremes Album 2000

[Ollie9]

Not wishing to raise to many temperatures regarding much discussed RTL-GATE but....
If in 99/2000 Diana had recorded a new Supremes album featuring both Mary and Cindy instead of “EveryDay Is A New Day” might things have proved very different.
A promotional tour would have been a natural and they would have had new as well as old Supremes product to promote. Quite possibly a hit single featuring all three women.
Negotiations for a promotional tour would surely have commenced sooner so everyone involved knew exactly what was on offer.
Often [[not always) a reunion tour includes a new album from the reforming band which I think adds additional interest and excitement to the whole proceedings. Something RTL lacked.
just a what if ponder.

[Bluebrock]

Not wishing to raise to many temperatures regarding much discussed RTL-GATE but....
If in 99/2000 Diana had recorded a new Supremes album featuring both Mary and Cindy instead of “EveryDay Is A New Day” might things have proved very different.
A promotional tour would have been a natural and they would have had new as well as old Supremes product to promote. Quite possibly a hit single featuring all three women.
Negotiations for a promotional tour would surely have commenced sooner so everyone involved knew exactly what was on offer.
Often [[not always) a reunion tour includes a new album from the reforming band which I think adds additional interest and excitement to the whole proceedings. Something RTL lacked.
just a what if ponder.
It was briefly discussed as i recall, but it never got beyond the planning stages for obvious reasons.

[daviddh]

To me no. Mary seemed to be the hold out .so I don't think an album would have made a difference.
A live cd was planned with Mary and Cindy as well as dvd. Btw

[captainjames]

In my opinion I don't think there would not have been any benefit to Diana, Cindy or Mary. I am sure Diana would have been the lead and it would seem awkward to me as it does today hearing Mary singing those songs as the lead on their tours. The music in 2000 was just not in their favor.

I hate to compare other groups to the girls but I could not wait until Labelle did their reunion tour after hearing some of the things Patti said and that tour ended without a whisper and they went their separate ways. I did buy the album but it died a quick death too. Sorry, but I know some hurt feelings came from that tour and I think the same thing would have happen with Cindy, Mary and Diana.

We had yesterday, we have the memories and everyone has a different way they saw it with the Supremes. Personally, I am glad it didn't happen because we would be discussing a new book that would have come out. Diana is in a good place right now with her career and family. It would have been beneficial monetary for all three ladies but hey sometimes we never grow up.

[RanRan79]

Not wishing to raise to many temperatures regarding much discussed RTL-GATE but....
If in 99/2000 Diana had recorded a new Supremes album featuring both Mary and Cindy instead of “EveryDay Is A New Day” might things have proved very different.
A promotional tour would have been a natural and they would have had new as well as old Supremes product to promote. Quite possibly a hit single featuring all three women.
Negotiations for a promotional tour would surely have commenced sooner so everyone involved knew exactly what was on offer.
Often [[not always) a reunion tour includes a new album from the reforming band which I think adds additional interest and excitement to the whole proceedings. Something RTL lacked.
just a what if ponder.

You may not have wished, but you'll probably be gifted the rise in temps anyway.:p

But to address your question...In a perfect world, Diana would've called Mary before even a whisper of the possibility of a tour reached anyone else's ears. They would've met to hash out any potential personal issues that existed between them and hopefully put it all to bed once and for all. With that out of the way, the business side of things could begin. They could come to an agreement about who does what and how much. Most of us recognize that Diana was putting some of her own money into this tour, while Mary in all likelihood would not. So while I think it cruel to expect an original Supreme to be a part of something so momentous and only need to "show up", I don't begrudge Diana having final say so in whatever the details. Anyway, the ladies, Cindy included, could map out their visions for the show. Once everyone is on the same page, an album would seem like a worthwhile project. While it's hard to imagine them having a hit single at that point, I could definitely imagine an excellently produced album going gold, if not platinum, and garnering critical acclaim. The show is then taken on the road to promote the album and it all could've turned out as a highlight in all of their careers.

But in reality...Keeping all the actual details from that time in place, an album wouldn't have made a difference. Diana would've wanted 1968 DRATS hierarchy all over again [[i.e. Mary and Cindy show up, sing, play the step sisters to her Cinderella) and Mary would've still wanted more money. Diana would've still gone forward with a reunion of Supremes no one really wanted to see, because, after all, the group was all about her anyway, or so she thought. And Mary would've still pitched a fit and figured she'd make even more money by running around playing the victim.

And it didn't work out for either of them. And we fans got cheated out of what could have been a fantastic experience.

[reese]

Not wishing to raise to many temperatures regarding much discussed RTL-GATE but....
If in 99/2000 Diana had recorded a new Supremes album featuring both Mary and Cindy instead of “EveryDay Is A New Day” might things have proved very different.
A promotional tour would have been a natural and they would have had new as well as old Supremes product to promote. Quite possibly a hit single featuring all three women.
Negotiations for a promotional tour would surely have commenced sooner so everyone involved knew exactly what was on offer.
Often [[not always) a reunion tour includes a new album from the reforming band which I think adds additional interest and excitement to the whole proceedings. Something RTL lacked.
just a what if ponder.

Surely things would have been different. They probably could have had something similar to how the Labelle "BACK TO NOW" album and reunion was planned [[even though I heard that reunion wasn't always great behind the scenes as well).

From what I've read, RTL sprung out of an idea to add more Supremes songs to Diana's EDIAND tour and things sort of ballooned from there. So already the concept was different. Perhaps if they had taken more time in the planning stages with each lady things would have turned out differently. But dirty water under the bridge now....

[sup_fan]

to build on what Reese said, i believe that once Diana's tour with a Sup segment had expanded to a full reunion concept, there was some talk about music and other media. but keep in mind those were just initial ideas. the problems arose with Mary from the onset so once they started to get a sense of the difficulties, i'm sure many of these more remote ideas were scratched. even before Mary completely exited the idea.

from what i've heard there was talk of some sort of song. not sure about a whole album though. a tv special could have been done too

[PeaceNHarmony]

Surely things would have been different. They probably could have had something similar to how the Labelle "BACK TO NOW" album and reunion was planned [[even though I heard that reunion wasn't always great behind the scenes as well).

From what I've read, RTL sprung out of an idea to add more Supremes songs to Diana's EDIAND tour and things sort of ballooned from there. So already the concept was different. Perhaps if they had taken more time in the planning stages with each lady things would have turned out differently. But dirty water under the bridge now....... but 'Back to Now' was a great album and incredible live performance. I had never thought I'd see a reformed Labelle and the concerts I saw were sublime.

[reese]

... but 'Back to Now' was a great album and incredible live performance. I had never thought I'd see a reformed Labelle and the concerts I saw were sublime.

No doubt. I went to the Apollo [[both nights) and Beacon Theatre shows and all were great.

[jobeterob]

But they could have made a fortune

[BobbyC]

I went to the Labelle show at the Apollo and the power went off. I was devastated because I flew from Austin to see the show, and was flying back the next day. It was Christmastime, and a snow storm, so rescheduling the flight was not an option. They did a rescheduled show the next night. Yes I was bitter.

[reese]

I went to the Labelle show at the Apollo and the power went off. I was devastated because I flew from Austin to see the show, and was flying back the next day. It was Christmastime, and a snow storm, so rescheduling the flight was not an option. They did a rescheduled show the next night. Yes I was bitter.

I recall hearing that someone had actually flown in from Europe for that one night. Yikes!

I was lucky that I was spending that weekend in NYC. So when they rescheduled, I only ended up missing a performance of GYPSY, a show I was iffy about anyway.

[Ollie9]

Surely things would have been different. They probably could have had something similar to how the Labelle "BACK TO NOW" album and reunion was planned [[even though I heard that reunion wasn't always great behind the scenes as well).

From what I've read, RTL sprung out of an idea to add more Supremes songs to Diana's EDIAND tour and things sort of ballooned from there. So already the concept was different. Perhaps if they had taken more time in the planning stages with each lady things would have turned out differently.

Something along the lines of what Labelle achieved with the ‘Back To Now’ album might have proved a shrewd marketing strategy. It would at the very least have allowed both Mary and Cindy more involvement, making the whole thing appear more legit.
Can you imagine the amount of media attention a new Diana Ross & Supremes album would have garnered. It might also have lent further energy and excitement to the whole concept of a reunion tour, making it appear less about financial gain and more a real celebration of the music.
I wonder what public reaction might have been had Diana recorded an album with Scherrie and Lynda before hitting the road?. Best not to think about it lol.

[BobbyC]

Reese--I talked to a lot of people [[especially when the power went off and there was nothing else to do) and the crowd was from all over the place!

[daviddh]

To bad HDH could write a song for them

[marybrewster]

One thing I've never understood about RTL and the "reunion" concept:

How does it work when other bands reunite? Like the Eagles, or Fleetwood Mac, or LaBelle, or countless others? Shouldn't everyone come into it as an equal player? Shouldn't a meeting of Diana, Mary, and Cindy have taken place prior to any type of announcement? I guess I don't understand why Diana had to "back" the tour? Shouldn't an investment company do the backing, and everyone gets paid equally? I can't imagine Stevie Nicks or Patti putting out all types of money and treating their former singing partners as employees. You know Nona don't play that.

[carlo]

One thing I've never understood about RTL and the "reunion" concept:

How does it work when other bands reunite? Like the Eagles, or Fleetwood Mac, or LaBelle, or countless others? Shouldn't everyone come into it as an equal player? Shouldn't a meeting of Diana, Mary, and Cindy have taken place prior to any type of announcement? I guess I don't understand why Diana had to "back" the tour? Shouldn't an investment company do the backing, and everyone gets paid equally? I can't imagine Stevie Nicks or Patti putting out all types of money and treating their former singing partners as employees. You know Nona don't play that.

When it comes to reunion tours, and even any tour in general, I think it is somewhat common to not have every member be contracted/paid as an equal player. I have a hard time imagining Christine McVie bringing home the same pay cheque as Stevie Nicks from a Fleetwood Mac reunion tour. I say this as a general statement and not to argue about whether this should or shouldn't have been the case with Diana, Mary and Cindy.

Diana has always been very hands-on, in a business sense, so she navigated and directed the situation herself, as she would with any business proposal. She came into it as a business partner, partially financing the tour herself, with major support from the tour promoter companies, TNA/SFX. This kind of business move was not super common at that time, but that's what made Diana the unique trailblazing business woman that she's been. Dolly Parton is the same way. They like to be in control of their business.

[PeaceNHarmony]

No doubt. I went to the Apollo [[both nights) and Beacon Theatre shows and all were great.I as well, Reese! The memories still bring me chills, from the first Whoopie intro to the last 'What Can I Do For You'. For me it was a dream come true.

[jobeterob]

Perhaps things might have had a better chance if this hadn’t started out as Diana’s tour that morphed into a potential reunion.

Also I think Mary was tired of being treated like a footnote to Diana’s success and approached this as a chance for a return to stardom and the spotlight - but she overplayed that chance.

I remember reading this damaged the saleability of everyone connected with the Supremes and the money they could attract

[RanRan79]

To bad HDH could write a song for them

That would've been perfect. At least one song on the new album.

[RanRan79]

When it comes to reunion tours, and even any tour in general, I think it is somewhat common to not have every member be contracted/paid as an equal player. I have a hard time imagining Christine McVie bringing home the same pay cheque as Stevie Nicks from a Fleetwood Mac reunion tour. I say this as a general statement and not to argue about whether this should or shouldn't have been the case with Diana, Mary and Cindy.

Diana has always been very hands-on, in a business sense, so she navigated and directed the situation herself, as she would with any business proposal. She came into it as a business partner, partially financing the tour herself, with major support from the tour promoter companies, TNA/SFX. This kind of business move was not super common at that time, but that's what made Diana the unique trailblazing business woman that she's been. Dolly Parton is the same way. They like to be in control of their business.

Agreed Carlo, especially when one of the players is a superstar in their own right. When the subject has come up before, I always ask the question of who expects Tito to get the same money as Michael? Not that equal pay would somehow be bad, of course, just unrealistic, I think.

[RanRan79]

Perhaps things might have had a better chance if this hadn’t started out as Diana’s tour that morphed into a potential reunion.



That's an excellent point. Had this been an idea originally conceived as a Supremes only thing, the approach may have been different from Diana. Emphasis on "may". But for it to spring out of a Diana Ross show idea probably made Diana put the emphasis on "Diana".

[Ollie9]

Perhaps things might have had a better chance if this hadn’t started out as Diana’s tour that morphed into a potential reunion.

That’s exactly how I feel about the whole situation. To quote a line from the Wicked Witch in The Wizard Of Oz....”these things have to be handled delicately”.
Had the concept of a Supremes reunion kicked off with the women recording an album together, seeing how that went then moving on to negotiations for a tour all could have proved different. A new recording would also have helped to unify everyone’s involvement.
With a new Supremes album in the can, it’s highly unlikely Diana would have considered touring with anyone else other then M & C had negotiations broken down.
Even in the worst scenario, fans would still have been left with a brand spanking new Supremes album to console themselves with. :D

[sup_fan]

i think a full album would have been a challenge. the cost to produce that and the most likely sales would have been a struggle. I think what might have worked would have been a new compilation album. it could be a mix of greatest hits, some updated/remixed tracks and then 2 or 3 new songs. maybe it would tie in with the pink box set somehow. sort of like how there was the Forever Diana box set but also the One Woman Ultimate Collection

of course hardcore fans would buy it but outside of that it would probably be viewed mostly for the novelty. I would wonder if a completely new tune would really do all that great as a single. at least without some sort of tie in with a classic tune. Maybe the new track goes for 2/3 of the song but then it segues into some classic chorus, like Someday we'll Be Together. Or the song could sample bits from the big hits.

the reunion wasn't meant to be a reformation of the group. it was to have a start and an end. so i think a new song or two plus some dance remixes would be the best bet

[marybrewster]

A new album might have been nice, but.

Was Cindy even up to recording, vocally? Wasn't the talk that if she would have done RTL, that her mic would be turned down low, and Scherrie would be somewhere offstage subbing for her?

And would Mary have gone back to ooh's and aah's behind Diana? These two had been hot and cold for decades; I can't imagine them just jumping into a recording booth.

[khansperac]

An “Every day is a new day” tour with special guest would have been a wonderful tour. I would have loved to hear some of those songs live. Can you imagine Diana singing “Until we me again” then the instrumental turns into “Someday we’ll be together” and Diana says ladies and gentlemen we have very very special guest with us tonight. The tour could have been called “Every day is a new day”, or “Love is all that matters”, or “Sugar free”.

BTW I saw the RTL tour in NYC and it was great.

[Ollie9]

A new album might have been nice, but.

Was Cindy even up to recording, vocally? Wasn't the talk that if she would have done RTL, that her mic would be turned down low, and Scherrie would be somewhere offstage subbing for her?

And would Mary have gone back to ooh's and aah's behind Diana? These two had been hot and cold for decades; I can't imagine them just jumping into a recording booth.

I have never heard that about Cindy before. Realistically they had one chance to go for this, so at some point in time there had to be a little swallowed pride for it to work at all.
Perhaps Mary And Cindy could have recorded their parts separately like in the good ole days lol. I think Mary would most certainly have had to been given at least one solo number.
An ultimate collection with a couple of new songs would have been an alternate idea.
As i have already mentioned, i genuinely believe something, as in anything new to promote would have made a huge difference.

[sup_fan]

I have never heard that about Cindy before. Realistically they had one chance to go for this, so at some point in time there had to be a little swallowed pride for it to work at all.
Perhaps Mary And Cindy could have recorded their parts separately like in the good ole days lol. I think Mary would most certainly have had to been given at least one solo number.
An ultimate collection with a couple of new songs would have been an alternate idea.
As i have already mentioned, i genuinely believe something, as in anything new to promote would have made a huge difference.

i doubt M and C would have had tons to do with reunion material and songs. Producers probably would have highlighted them here or there. and there most likely would have been additional BG vocals added.

I think in 2000 Cindy was fine enough vocally to have done it. even with Diana, Lynda and Scherrie they still had additional vocalists as part of the orchestra.

again the producers would have wanted something that would sell. on a reunion album, there might have been 1 mary solo. maybe a song or two with some shared lead lines. but there most certainly would not have been an even 3-way split between DMC on leads for songs. never

[floyjoy678]

Well we all know Mary's one solo on the tour was going to be Can't Take My Eyes Off You!

[sup_fan]

Well we all know Mary's one solo on the tour was going to be Can't Take My Eyes Off You!

lololol good way to economize! pull out the same old music charts lol

[carlo]

Agreed Carlo, especially when one of the players is a superstar in their own right. When the subject has come up before, I always ask the question of who expects Tito to get the same money as Michael? Not that equal pay would somehow be bad, of course, just unrealistic, I think.

Yeah exactly. To be fair to Mary, I don't think she herself expected a salary equal to Diana's either, for RTL. She just wanted more of the pie, and as we know, the rest is history lol.

[Ollie9]

Had all gone to plan, i think Mary singing “You Are The Heart Of Me” might have proved a concert highlight. Assuming she was allowed of course.

[TNSUN]

Does anyone know if the rehearsals for The RTL Tour were done at the stadium for The Trenton Thunders in Trenton, NJ? Driving by the stadium, via the nearest highway, I thought I heard a lot of Supremes songs in the year 2000! After Diana Ross left with a minor sum of money, after many years with Motown Corporation, I am glad she made it a point to be in business charge of her career. Many performers can't handle the business side of show business. "Right or Wrong", [[Lyric from "I Am Me"), Ms.Ross is the boss of her career. In her rehearsals for a show, she is a consummate perfectionist. Every performance of Ms. Ross that I have attended has left me in awe of her joy in performing and singing. Also, the audiences share her enthusiasm.
Thank you, Ms. Ross! We need a "Return to Joy" Tour!
P.S. Has Diana Ross or any Supremes formation ever performed live, "There's No Stopping Us Now". I know the song has a musical mis-break, yet it remains one of my favorites from the musical vault of Motown.
Was it an alternate encore song for The RTL Tour?

[Ollie9]

In her rehearsals for a show, she is a consummate perfectionist. Every performance of Ms. Ross that I have attended has left me in awe of her joy in performing and singing. Also, the audiences share her enthusiasm.
Thank you, Ms. Ross! We need a "Return to Joy" Tour!

I agree. The only concert performance i have ever walked out of in my life was at Wembley Arena in 82, where she shouted at the audience to shut up and kicked two sound monitors off stage. I was relieved it never became a trend lol.
Usually all goes well.

[marybrewster]

Does anyone have any RTL mementos? The tour was cancelled by the time it made it to Minneapolis, but I was able to find a tour book on eBay not too long ago for a good price. I'd have to dig it out, but I don't recall any mention of Flo, Cindy, or Mary by name. The book itself only contains a few photos of Scherrie and Lynda; none of their tenure in the 70's Supremes. It looks more like a Diana Ross program than a Supremes program.

[sup_fan]

Does anyone have any RTL mementos? The tour was cancelled by the time it made it to Minneapolis, but I was able to find a tour book on eBay not too long ago for a good price. I'd have to dig it out, but I don't recall any mention of Flo, Cindy, or Mary by name. The book itself only contains a few photos of Scherrie and Lynda; none of their tenure in the 70's Supremes. It looks more like a Diana Ross program than a Supremes program.

it was cancelled before reaching Houston i think too. even if it had, the ticket $ was so high.

If i remember the stories, at the start of the tour, L and S mostly did just backup. But then i believe they added Ladder and Stoned? and each did one? is that correct?

where there any updates to the stage pics or content for those two numbers?

[MotownFan1]

I saw RTL in Columbus OH. Lynda performed “Up the Ladder to the Roof” and Scherrie sang “Stoned Love.”

[reese]

Does anyone have any RTL mementos? The tour was cancelled by the time it made it to Minneapolis, but I was able to find a tour book on eBay not too long ago for a good price. I'd have to dig it out, but I don't recall any mention of Flo, Cindy, or Mary by name. The book itself only contains a few photos of Scherrie and Lynda; none of their tenure in the 70's Supremes. It looks more like a Diana Ross program than a Supremes program.

The tour was cancelled the week it was due to hit Boston. Believe me, I was not a happy camper. I ended up getting a program off eBay and I also ordered a t-shirt from [[I believe) the official website.

[Ollie9]

I have always thought the tour should have kicked off in Europe.

[Bluebrock]

I agree. The only concert performance i have ever walked out of in my life was at Wembley Arena in 82, where she shouted at the audience to shut up and kicked two sound monitors off stage. I was relieved it never became a trend lol.
Usually all goes well.
That particular tantrum made headlines for all the wrong reasons. There is no excuse for such behaviour. I must have seen Diana live over 100 times and i never once witnessed an on stage tantrum like that one. I witnessed a few pre concert tantrums and a few post concert tantrums and even a few interval tantrums, but she was always the model professional on stage. I recall one concert in Sydney around 1997. Diana was quite poorly and in fairness was àdvised by a Doctor to cancel the show at just a couple of hours notice, but she ignored the medical advice and took to the stage and gave a wonderful show. She was in a foul mood prior to the show, during the interval and after the show, but whilst on stage she was magnificent and the audience had no idea of how sick she really was. We all suffered the backlash, but she was the ultimate professional whilst on stage. What a Diva! What a Star!

[jim aka jtigre99]

RTL again. EDIAND is one of the better Ross CDs from that era. I like it very much. I am not sure if a CD release would have helped this tour because the way it was conceived it was as if the Supremes were mere afterthoughts. Had a reunion tour been the first business at hand and not one added to a Ross promotional tour maybe things would have been better if everyone spoke to one another and treated everyone with respect. There is plenty of things and faults but a CD would not have helped if the intention for a real reunion would have been foremost and not something were all 2 people had to do was "show up".

[captainjames]

I am one of the few people who are probably glad this didn't happen. There was too much being said that would tarnish the Supremes legacy in my mind and no new CD or television appearance was going to change that because Mary and Diana were not in a good place with each other. 1983 [[Motown 25) Strike one and they needed to get pass that and talk it over not ignore it. 1986 [[Dreamgirl) Strike two, nope that was not just going to be swept under the rug. Now its 2000 and there is a good chance this is strike 3. First Mary said it was not about money and then she said it was all about money so I lost interest in a Supreme reunion.

If you had an opportunity to catch RTL it was awesome and I wish they had of recorded that to disc/blu ray. We will never see that again. That staircase entrance was awesome. I think if Mary had of been on that tour with Diana it would have been a disaster and another book would have come out.

[Ollie9]

That particular tantrum made headlines for all the wrong reasons. There is no excuse for such behaviour. I must have seen Diana live over 100 times and i never once witnessed an on stage tantrum like that one. I witnessed a few pre concert tantrums and a few post concert tantrums and even a few interval tantrums, but she was always the model professional on stage. I recall one concert in Sydney around 1997. Diana was quite poorly and in fairness was àdvised by a Doctor to cancel the show at just a couple of hours notice, but she ignored the medical advice and took to the stage and gave a wonderful show. She was in a foul mood prior to the show, during the interval and after the show, but whilst on stage she was magnificent and the audience had no idea of how sick she really was. We all suffered the backlash, but she was the ultimate professional whilst on stage. What a Diva! What a Star!

It’s always good to read your recollections Bluebrock. I can remember that night well. The only other time i had ever seen Diana live was when my parents took me to see her at The London Palladium in 78.
I remember her yelling at the sound technicians “I’m warning you guys”.. Things got worse when a section of the audience refused to sit down during the LSTB segment. This led to chants of “sit down” from the people behind. At one point Diana stopped singing and was heard to say “shut up” though not directly into the microphone. It was then during i think “Keep Me Hanging On “ that she kicked two sound monitors off stage, threw her microphone down with a crash and stormed off.
I was absolutely mortified by her behaviour. Admittedly it was a rather boisterous audience, but even so. For me the evening was ruined and my friend and i decided to leave. The only time I have ever left a show or a concert early.
I have seen Diana numerous times since, all without incident......thank goodness.
P.S I was once told of some of those post concert tantrums lol.

[Bluebrock]

It’s always good to read your recollections Bluebrock. I can remember that night well. The only other time i had ever seen Diana live was when my parents took me to see her at The London Palladium in 78.
I remember her yelling at the sound technicians “I’m warning you guys”.. Things got worse when a section of the audience refused to sit down during the LSTB segment. This led to chants of “sit down” from the people behind. At one point Diana stopped singing and was heard to say “shut up” though not directly into the microphone. It was then during i think “Keep Me Hanging On “ that she kicked two sound monitors off stage, threw her microphone down with a crash and stormed off.
I was absolutely mortified by her behaviour. Admittedly it was a rather boisterous audience, but even so. For me the evening was ruined and my friend and i decided to leave. The only time I have ever left a show or a concert early.
I have seen Diana numerous times since, all without incident......thank goodness.
P.S I was once told of some of those post concert tantrums lol.
Thank you for the kind words Ollie. It is fans such as yourself who post comments on here that bring back memories of events that occurred 30+ years ago and make me want to share them.
During this most awful of years i have found solace in going back into the past and gaining much comfort from my memories. I'm not usually one to dwell too much on the past. I always preferred to focus on the future rather than living in the past, but the events of the past 6 months or so have made me appreciate what great memories i have, and now that i am in a better place than i was i want to relive those memories as well as hopefully making news ones if the fates allow.

[daviddh]

Didn't Lynda lawrence write a song called Return to love?? Thought it was going to be released and then it wasn't.
Didn't nile rogers remix many Supremes songs for release in 2000.
Think possibilities were there for several projects... If...

[Ollie9]

Thank you for the kind words Ollie. It is fans such as yourself who post comments on here that bring back memories of events that occurred 30+ years ago and make me want to share them.
During this most awful of years i have found solace in going back into the past and gaining much comfort from my memories. I'm not usually one to dwell too much on the past. I always preferred to focus on the future rather than living in the past, but the events of the past 6 months or so have made me appreciate what great memories i have, and now that i am in a better place than i was i want to relive those memories as well as hopefully making news ones if the fates allow.

Please keep sharing those memories B. I for one always enjoy hearing about them.
When reading your message today i suddenly realised that the WA concert was 38 years ago........Yikes!!.

[carlo]

Didn't Lynda lawrence write a song called Return to love?? Thought it was going to be released and then it wasn't.
Didn't nile rogers remix many Supremes songs for release in 2000.
Think possibilities were there for several projects... If...

It was Luther who wrote the Return to Love song, which was apparently the instrumental that was played by the orchestra at the show, during the costume changes.

Diana talked about how she had gone back into the studio in an interview in 2004 to re-record some of the Supremes hits, which were remixed by Nile Rogers. She said they were supposed to form an album that she presented to EMI, who had the option to release it, but she hadn't heard back from the label. The album ended up being shelved.

[carlo]

Also, I appreciate you guys sharing your memories of Ms Ross kicking the sound monitors off of the stage at Wembley in 1982. I remember reading about this incident but didn't know if it actually happened! Yikes lol. Still love her though. Did she return to the stage after her initial upset? Or was the concert over at that point?

[daviddh]

Maybe Lynda wrote the lyrics.
She said she was going to put it up on itunes.
Have to check on it

[Ollie9]

Did she return to the stage after her initial upset? Or was the concert over at that point?

Upon returning to the stage she kicked a member of her band in the groin. [[Joke) :D
But seriously, she did indeed return, but i was walking out of the complex at the time. I remember hearing the band strike up.
She was panned by the press the next day, and made an apology saying she liked everything to be perfect. Hmmm.
Hopefully she learnt from the experience lol.

[carlo]

Lol Ollie...the good ol' Ross kick to the groin.

She has certainly matured since then. :) Thanks again for sharing.

[Bluebrock]

Upon returning to the stage she kicked a member of her band in the groin. [[Joke) :D
But seriously, she did indeed return, but i was walking out of the complex at the time. I remember hearing the band strike up.
She was panned by the press the next day, and made an apology saying she liked everything to be perfect. Hmmm.
Hopefully she learnt from the experience lol.
She does indeed like everything to be perfect, but this was seriously unprofessional behaviour. Perhaps she was under the weather that particular evening. There must have been a reason for such an outburst, but she usually leaves such behaviour in the dressing room.

[marybrewster]

Lynda says a lot of things, lol.

[marybrewster]

Were there any Supremes releases put out around RTL? Like a repackage of a greatest hits or anthology? I know the PINK SET came out in 2000, but I don't recall if that was to coincide with RTL or not.

[daviddh]

The box set had just been released at the beginning of the tour ..I think April.
The ultimate collection and 20th century masters had had also been released.
I remember at the time billboard stated all the albums had all charted with sales of 2000. Copies each. But by the time the tour ended....so did the sales....as I recall

[carlo]

The pink box set was released in August of 2000 after the RTL cancellation. The Ultimate Collection came out in 1997.

[Bluebrock]

Didn't Lynda lawrence write a song called Return to love?? Thought it was going to be released and then it wasn't.
Didn't nile rogers remix many Supremes songs for release in 2000.
Think possibilities were there for several projects... If...

It was Luther Vandross who was initially approached to potentially produce an album with the DMC line up. He composed a song called Return to love and other songs too by all accounts.. It was still a possibility with the DSL line up, but was quickly dismissed when the tour ended in disaster which sent an already very fragile Diana on a downward spiral. You all know how that ended and there is no need to dredge all that up again. Not sure where the idea that Lynda composed a song called Return to love came from. Maybe she did, but it must have been a different song to Luther's composition.

[daviddh]

Blue rock.
Thanks for clarifying.
Lynda stated on the Flos web page...a while back.....she was being interviewed about RTL tour

[daviddh]

Thanks Carlo.
Your memory is better than mine...thought it was earlier but now....I think you are correct

[Ollie9]

Hindsight being a wonderful thing, l wonder how well the tour would have been received by public and media had in 99 Diana announced a solo world tour consisting entirely of Supremes songs. It perhaps could have been named “The Happening” and would trace the Supremes evolution from 61 to 69.

[reese]

Hindsight being a wonderful thing, l wonder how well the tour would have been received by public and media had in 99 Diana announced a solo world tour consisting entirely of Supremes songs. It perhaps could have been named “The Happening” and would trace the Supremes evolution from 61 to 69.

I think it might have pulled in some fans from the Supremes days and definitely the die-hards that stuck with her all the way. Most of those songs had only been done by Diana in medley form or not at all since 1970. So it probably would have been something really special.

[sup_fan]

Hindsight being a wonderful thing, l wonder how well the tour would have been received by public and media had in 99 Diana announced a solo world tour consisting entirely of Supremes songs. It perhaps could have been named “The Happening” and would trace the Supremes evolution from 61 to 69.

it seems that was sort of the original concept. According to Randy's book, as Diana was starting to play tour options for 99 and 00, the promoters and her starting toying with the idea of having a section of the show focus on the Sup hits - full length versions of the songs and trying to more accurately replicate the sound of the songs too. The idea seemed to then evolve into actually structuring the show around this. Now what that means - i don't know exactly. would the show have been done in sort of a "this is your life" structure where she relived experiences and shared her story? would it be chronological? not sure

this is apparently though how the rumors got started about a reunion

[sup_fan]

and in a sense, that's what she's been doing since the later 00s. her show now is really a Greatest Hits live concept. while not chronological or set as a "story" her catalog is just so full of wonderful songs that she basically selects 90s mins or so of them and performs them live to thrilled audiences. i went to one in Atlanta 8 or 10 years ago. i was thrilled of course but even my friends had a ton of fun. we picniced ahead of time, it was at a big outdoor amphitheater. full house crowd. she had an amazing video screen in back of the set which had TONS of great video and photo footage playing. the whole audience sang along with wonderful songs they all knew and left very happy.

so she can pretty much, at this point, pick the dates of when she wants to go out and perform. go do a handful of gigs, have fun singing her fav tracks, and all are happy

[reese]

and in a sense, that's what she's been doing since the later 00s. her show now is really a Greatest Hits live concept. while not chronological or set as a "story" her catalog is just so full of wonderful songs that she basically selects 90s mins or so of them and performs them live to thrilled audiences. i went to one in Atlanta 8 or 10 years ago. i was thrilled of course but even my friends had a ton of fun. we picniced ahead of time, it was at a big outdoor amphitheater. full house crowd. she had an amazing video screen in back of the set which had TONS of great video and photo footage playing. the whole audience sang along with wonderful songs they all knew and left very happy.

so she can pretty much, at this point, pick the dates of when she wants to go out and perform. go do a handful of gigs, have fun singing her fav tracks, and all are happy

Her shows are still really great. The length has shortened but that's to be expected. The only complaint I ever leave with is that the audience stands throughout the entire show. I keep waiting for a ballad so I can get a rest. :-)

[Ollie9]

it seems that was sort of the original concept. According to Randy's book, as Diana was starting to play tour options for 99 and 00, the promoters and her starting toying with the idea of having a section of the show focus on the Sup hits - full length versions of the songs and trying to more accurately replicate the sound of the songs too. The idea seemed to then evolve into actually structuring the show around this. Now what that means - i don't know exactly. would the show have been done in sort of a "this is your life" structure where she relived experiences and shared her story? would it be chronological? not sure

this is apparently though how the rumors got started about a reunion

I remember her talking about devoting a segment of the concert to Supremes songs.
I was thinking more along the lines of a complete show featuring ONLY Supremes songs. Perhaps starting with “ I Want A Guy”. It would have been fantastic hearing her sing a couple of those pre “WDOLG songs. They could even have recreated The Copa Night Club, much the same way Streisand did with the Bon Soir. A far better idea then RTL ever was.

[PeaceNHarmony]

Her shows are still really great. The length has shortened but that's to be expected. The only complaint I ever leave with is that the audience stands throughout the entire show. I keep waiting for a ballad so I can get a rest. :-)I get your point, Reese about standing - but the standing just reflects the joy and excitement that Diana brings to her shows. It's always fun to hear a nearby show attender exclaiming at some point 'I've never seen Diana before - she's fantastic!'

[floyjoy678]

I never saw Diana live. Or Mary for that fact. I always said that if I couldn't see the original Supremes, then I don't care to see them individually. If Diana included some rarities in her show like Nothing But Heartaches or Love Is Here or Mother Dear, I'd probably make an exception.