Mary Wilson Did Not Like Where Did Our Love Go [[A Half Hour Interview)

[milven]

Nice interview with Mary for Black Music Month. She discusses about performing for the Queen Mother, says how she did not like Where Did Our Love Go, says that Flo brought her into the group,


http://ca.music.yahoo.com/blogs/hip-hop-media-training/mary-wilson-being-dubbed-no-hit-supremes-never-235445370.html

[Boogiedown]

it's disappointing to learn that about Where Did Our Love Go .
but, if she doesn't like it ,
she doesn't like it.

[BigAl]

From all accounts, nobody liked WDOLG except for HDH. We all know that the Marvelettes turned it down flat first, and none of the Supremes liked it, either. Diane reportedly didn't want to sing in the lower register which it required and I believe it was Brian who decided to let Mary take the lead but was overruled by his partners. I'm sure almost any big hit record is the result of a lot of back-and-forth, but this one in particular seems to carry a whole lot of "what if's." What if the Marvelettes had accepted it? What if Mary had been given the lead? What if HDH hadn't stumbled upon those stray wood blocks to use as makeshift percussion instruments? Great subject matter for idle rumination.

[captainjames]

There is also the "What if" WDOLG was given to The Marvelettes or Mary Wilson and they had a hit it but, I always believe even though I sometimes tire of hearing it [[I don't believe I said that) was "Baby Love". The minute I heard Ross sing that first OooooooooooooooahOooooo I was hooked.

[roger]

I loved "Where Did Our Love Go" from the first time I heard it and it came as a great surprise to me to learn years later that THE SUPREMES didn't want to record it and had to be virtually forced to perform. Indeed I recall hearing an interview some years back [[not sure if it was with Miss Ross or Miss Wilson) where it was said that they were in tears after recording it as they thought their career was finished having had to sing such a "rubbishy" song ....

However .. if I think about it .. perhaps the fact that Diana,Mary and Flo sound so fed up with life when they are singing it actually ADDS to the performance .. it is a song all about quiet resignation and they sound just perfect.

Roger

[rod_rick]

I loved "Where Did Our Love Go" from the first time I heard it and it came as a great surprise to me to learn years later that THE SUPREMES didn't want to record it and had to be virtually forced to perform. Indeed I recall hearing an interview some years back [[not sure if it was with Miss Ross or Miss Wilson) where it was said that they were in tears after recording it as they thought their career was finished having had to sing such a "rubbishy" song ....

However .. if I think about it .. perhaps the fact that Diana,Mary and Flo sound so fed up with life when they are singing it actually ADDS to the performance .. it is a song all about quiet resignation and they sound just perfect.

Roger

I guess they were thinking while recording Where Did Our Love Go, was Baby, Baby, Where did Our Career Go. I have to say that I really like this song, always have :)

[Jimi LaLumia]

Mary didn't like "Holiday' either, which went to Madonna instead..
I spoke to John Jellybean Benitez about that when we DJ ed a gig together not too long ago.

[Boogiedown]

not enough of the right songs "touch" her I guess





http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qPGDTp-pDw

[Roberta75]

Mary didn't like "Holiday' either, which went to Madonna instead..
I spoke to John Jellybean Benitez about that when we DJ ed a gig together not too long ago.


LOL. Thank you for the laugh. I need this tonight.

Fondly,

Roberta

[Jimi LaLumia]

in all fairness to the fabulous Mary Wilson, she probably listens from the perspective of what sounds good to her, and what she'd like to sing, as compared to what would sound good at Top 40 radio and what the public would react to..
Bette Midler had to be wrestled into recording her cover version of "Wind Beneath My Wings" while filming "Beaches", she thought it was dentist office music and corny;
it became the biggest hit she ever had and revived her recording career in the 90's..
artists really need an 'outside' voice calling the shots as far as 'singles' material goes,like Gordy's old music meetings

[bradsupremes]

I never really liked "Where Did Our Love Go" because it was too plain and too simple of a song. HDH really followed the KISS method on this one. I always preferred "Baby Love" and "Come See About Me" because I felt there was more to them. However, I'll admit it that "Where Did Our Love Go" is a number one hit song because it grabs your attention, has a good melody and it's catchy. The beginning always grabs my attention whenever I heard it.

[Jimi LaLumia]

"Where Did Our Love Go" was a hit because of the vocals provided by Diana Ross, the sound of which, at the time, was so unique that she literally jumped out of the car radio at me as I sat in the backseat of my friend's mom's car on the way home from the beach,I was like "Who is THAT?": i was 12 years old, I'll never forget it.. I hadn't heard any of the previous 'flops' out here on Long Island, although NYC's 77 WABC AM apparently did play "Lovelight", which was a moderate 'hit' in the city, that one never reached my ears..

[juicefree20]

I believe that one of the things that worked for "Where Did Out Love Go" is it's simplicity. Imagine had any of the girls tried to oversing that song.

It was simple, direct & to the point. It doesn't seem to have an ounce of filler, nor any holes. It's got a nice little lilt or bounce to it, the melody is very catchy & hummable. The musicianship is excellent, as are the ladies & their voices.

This wasn't a song that was constructed with any deep, profound thinking in mind. At that point in Pop music, it was just like other hits made by many other popular ladies of the day & the audience that it was aimed at. And Motown/H-D-H & The Supremes pulled it off with perfection & far better than just about anyone who wasn't associated with "The Wall Of Sound" & their 200 voices doubled & that echo.

I believe that the passing of nearly 50 years have made many people forget just how damn powerful this song was when it came out in those post-Leave It To Beaver years, when a youthful man from Harvard & his young wife held sway in the White House.

Looking back in hindsight & analysis gleaned from maturity gained from life from 1963 forward, is to somewhat foget the innocence of those days. Days when a guy could sing about going back to a "Sugar Shack", a bunch of kids from California could sing about profound things such as surfing & riding in their GTO's & a duo could sing "Hey Paula, I want to marry you...hey Paul...I want to marry you too..."

It seems almost crazy to think of just how naive those days were, but that's the crowd & the world that Motown & The Supremes were trying to reach. And I have to say that the record shows that they performed that feat with the precision of a surgeon.

[rod_rick]

The studio version of this song was alway best imo. It lost something for me when they sang it live.

[westgrandboulevard]

When, in the sixties, I first heard all the glorious Motown records that have become a constant part of our lives, I would revel in the textures of the rich, glorious sounds belting out of the transistor or car radios.

Not only that, but images and colours would float into my mind.

[[and I know just what you're thinking. No, I was not smoking any substance,and I was stone cold sober, thank you, LOL :))

Despite what they may wear from time to time,The Supremes as a group will always represent various shades of 'pink' to me, generally as large, showy, flamboyant floral blooms.

[[while Smokey Robinson's voice reminds me of 'pink' cellophane, the sort that florists use)

Also, certain records have a seasonal feel to me, no matter when they were actually first released.

'Where did our love go' always will be,for me, a summer record. It carries an image of blue/green/aquamarine/turquoise tones.

Light, cool,clear, breezy..and great to just cruise along with, free and easy.

It summons up the image of kids playing with a skipping rope [[the piano carries the beat) - you can skip 'fast time' on the beat, or 'slow time', on the alternate beat.

Just kids, gathered round, chattering and chanting with innocent hopefulness, assuming adult emotions, but without experience of the adult world, not realising the full implications of the words.

Diana had, still has, a childlike quality in her voice. Juicefree20 is absolutely spot on - it's a song that shouldn't be oversung, or oversold.

And rod-rick is right too. It's at its best just listening to it. Seeing The Supremes in their sophisticated gowns is great, but takes away some of the sweet, sincere appeal of that particular song, and reminds of just how much time has passed...and what has been lost.

One thing has always intrigued me about 'Where did our love go'.

The reason given for Diana singing lower on that recording is that it was originally intended for the Marvelettes, and is in Gladys's key [[I assume Wanda's key would have been nearer to Diana's)

If Diana had to sing in a lower key on 'Where did our love go', then presumably so did Mary & Florence?

So, if having Diana sing lower proved far more successful than with earlier releases, were the following singles [[Baby Love, Come See About Me etc) then also in that same lower key to maintain an identifiable sound - or did they revert to Diana's natural singing register once again?

While I have a fair musical ear, and know if a singer or instrument is off pitch, I've since lost the ability [[if ever I truly had it) to identify a singer's musical key, simply by listening to them.

Just curious to know if anyone here can identify any differences.....:)