Diana Ross & the Supremes The Impossible Dream Ed Sullivan Show

[luckyluckyme]

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

[PeaceNHarmony]

Lovely to see after these many years.

[Ollie9]

Terrific stuff. I always liked Diana’s hair/wig in this style. It really suited her.
Mary coming through loud and clear in the background.

[jobucats]

I also enjoyed revisiting this wonderful and powerful performance on the Ed Sullivan show where their first appearance was only 5 years prior. It is amazing to see how these cute girls from next door evolved into glamorous songstresses.

Because the camera seems to focus more on Diana, I happened to notice some little nuances that I thought were interesting. When switching her glance from toward the audience to the camera, she does that ever so subtle looking up and down at the camera similar to what she did when she was on the Apollo special singing "I Want to Know What Love Is." So seductive!

Also, because some fans often accused her of always holding her arms and hands over the other ladies' faces, I took notice that she was perfectly positioned in this performance not to do that. It is possible that the camera person worked diligently to keep this from happening.

Thank you for sharing this. My favorite performance of this song was when they were paired with the Temptations on TCB.

[sup_fan]

this is a stellar performance. all 3 girls sounds sensational. Cindy's is a bit harder to hear not so much because she's turned down or singing softly but because she's usually taking the middle harmony note as Diana's lead melody is typically the top note except for the end. this combined with the quality of Cindy's voice, in that she just blends beautifully with just about whomever is singing, makes it a little harder to make out. but if you know the chord structure and harmonies and focus on it, you can clearly hear her throughout.

this could have made an excellent tune to do the 3 in a lineup. Diana in Center. the first shot would have been wide and the group, but then slowly move in on Diana as she starts singing until it's zoomed in as a close up. then play with the broader group shots and then close ups throughout

while i get it that they had been working to establish Diana as THE star, i did like the use of the lineup effect in You Can't Hurry Love. having her move in and out. or in the opening of Forever Came Today, as diana STRUTS up the stage lol

[sup_fan]

also these gowns really are magical too. while they don't do much choreography on this performance, the gowns look like liquid gold and just are incredible. on Hollywood Palace, they wore these again and had more dancing. with the movement and the spotlights, they're just sensational.

what a shame these were lost in the Mexico fire

[TheMotownManiac]

This is perfect. To me this is the ultimate performance by the group. I know it’s a showcase for diana ross but it blows me away. The only thing I would change is putting those ads while the song is still ending blocking Mary’s face. The gowns are perfect, and in high definition it’s so easy to see the intricate design of the beading. I love that it is live and Diana is performing for the camera so brilliantly, I don’t know how I could ever have questioned her ability to be in movies. The Fats Waller medley is also wonderful and the Irving Berlin medley and they both feature Mary and Cindy much more prominently, but I think this is the best thing ross ever did on TV.

[after you]

What a performance thank you for Revisiting this masterpiece

[sup_fan]

This is perfect. To me this is the ultimate performance by the group. I know it’s a showcase for diana ross but it blows me away. The only thing I would change is putting those ads while the song is still ending blocking Mary’s face. The gowns are perfect, and in high definition it’s so easy to see the intricate design of the beading. I love that it is live and Diana is performing for the camera so brilliantly, I don’t know how I could ever have questioned her ability to be in movies. The Fats Waller medley is also wonderful and the Irving Berlin medley and they both feature Mary and Cindy much more prominently, but I think this is the best thing ross ever did on TV.

wow - hmmm. the best DR tv performance. now that's a tough one. I agree that this is just a stellar performance. but not sure I'd classify it as the VERY BEST of DR during the Sups years.

This one is magical because they 1) look so stunning and 2) the performance is just so sincere. there's no need for tap dancing, props, stunts, etc. Just 3 talented singers delivering a song with conviction

but if i had to find just 1 tv appearance from the diana years, to show someone just what was the magic of DMF or DMC, i think i'd have to use:

1. You're nobody till somebody loves you on Hullabaloo. this is probably hands-down IMO the most sensational DFM appearance we have on tape. the vocals are perfect, all three girls are SO into it and animated. I don't know if you could have scripted a scene more perfectly of three young best friends singing for the pure enjoyment of singing and not even realizing their sensational talent. they're just having FUN and their gifts just explode off the screen

2. fats waller - the DRATS era IMO was all about leap frogging to that next mega-level. gone is the girlish quality of DMF and now they're fully stars. they know they're perfect. and even though it's lip syncing, the vocals are amazing, the choreography is over the top. all three are just hitting it out of the ball park

[floyjoy678]

sup_fan, I agree with your ultimate TV picks. I do think that entire Hullabaloo episode is the epitome of the DMF line up.

I always really liked this clip of the Impossible Dream. It really was fitting for the group as Diana's exit was nearing. It was a nice change up from doing the usual Somewhere. Mary sounds great in the back too although I can't hear Cindy too well through most of the song. Diana kills it here and she should have been out on her own by this point.

[jobucats]

sup_fan, I agree with your ultimate TV picks. I do think that entire Hullabaloo episode is the epitome of the DMF line up.

I always really liked this clip of the Impossible Dream. It really was fitting for the group as Diana's exit was nearing. It was a nice change up from doing the usual Somewhere. Mary sounds great in the back too although I can't hear Cindy too well through most of the song. Diana kills it here and she should have been out on her own by this point.

Floyjoy678...Your last statement is, in my opinion, 'on point.' As much as I loved both the DMF and the DMC lineups of the Supremes, Diana was well groomed and equipped to have left the Supremes earlier than she did. Staying with the group and the opportunities it provided her to hone her craft also allowed for Mary and Cindy to remain very visible and relevant in not only the popular music forum but also in the broad entertainment world. Had she left earlier, many of her haters would have cried that she left Mary and Cindy out to fend for themselves. During those 1967-69 years, it was a win-win for both Diana Ross and for Diana Ross & the Supremes.

[jim aka jtigre99]

This was very good for the Diana Ross & The Supremes grouping. Even though Miss Ross is clearly highlighted, you can hear it as a real group effort and Miss Wilson and Miss Birdsong also sound great. The gowns are beautiful. The sound is beautiful. It was very nice to see that they could actually highlight the lead without making the other group members seem insignificant. Clearly, they were not. Very enjoyable.

[Spreadinglove21]

I'm not a fan of the song, but it's an impressive performance. Imagine watching this in a nightclub/supper club setting with appropriate lighting.

I wonder what impact appearances on Sullivan and Hollywood Palace, as well as TCB, had on their club and live gigs as that was essentially what they were promoting when they did the specialty numbers and show tunes and covers of popular hits.

[jobeterob]

Floyjoy678...Your last statement is, in my opinion, 'on point.' As much as I loved both the DMF and the DMC lineups of the Supremes, Diana was well groomed and equipped to have left the Supremes earlier than she did. Staying with the group and the opportunities it provided her to hone her craft also allowed for Mary and Cindy to remain very visible and relevant in not only the popular music forum but also in the broad entertainment world. Had she left earlier, many of her haters would have cried that she left Mary and Cindy out to fend for themselves. During those 1967-69 years, it was a win-win for both Diana Ross and for Diana Ross & the Supremes.

Berry often said it was a "two for one stock split" and from 1970 through 1972, that seemed true.

By 1973, singer songwriters became more popular and the group sound might have diminished. And the Supremes started to have management and group issues and the beneficial stock split died.