Jet Lagged Supremes Singles

[Jimi LaLumia]

Listening to the Jean Terrell 3 CD set, and still feeling the 'beat drag' on certain singles, I upped the setting on my CD player from 0 to 2.0 on "Your Wonderful Sweet Sweet Love"[[which brought it to 119 bpms) and "Bad Weather" [[bringing that to 111 BPMS) and "Bad Weather"[[bringing that to 106 BPMS, although it eventually morphs into 111 BPMS by the end), indicating the reason for the loopy, beat drag sound of the record, it speeds up as it goes along,for no reason whatsoever, creating an off, sour sounding record..
"Bad Weather"s original untouched BPM? 104 BPMS, way to slow to begin with..
Both tracks sounded like real, radio hit records with the upped proper "beats per minute":
the unreleased "Love Train" by comparision,is 126 BPMS at it's original setting, which is why it sounds so alive next to "Bad" or "Your Wonderful..", which were actually released as singles..
where was the Quality Control committee?

[Kamasu_Jr]

I didn't know you could change the settings on a CD player.

[marybrewster]

Lord, you're talking in tongues, LOL.

But if I understand what you mean:

When listening to "Your Wonderful Sweet Sweet Love" [[the released version) versus listening to "YWSSL" as performed by JML [[with the white, mini-dresses), I prefer much more the "sped-up", performed version.

And in my head, I can hear a 'faster' "Bad Weather" and can see how more [[?) bpms would have helped the song.

[marybrewster]

I didn't know you could change the settings on a CD player.

I think Mr. LaLumia is a professional DJ?

[BayouMotownMan]

I never felt either was a quality single release

[rovereab]

In a similar vein I always thought that the Four Tops' I Can't Quit Your Love needed to be a bit faster.

[carole cucumber]

[QUOTE=marybrewster;156760]
When listening to "Your Wonderful Sweet Sweet Love" [[the released version) versus listening to "YWSSL" as performed by JML [[with the white, mini-dresses), I prefer much more the "sped-up", performed version.

The 'sped-up' version [[featured on Flip Wilson with JML in those dresses) was quite good [[even though Jean missed part of the lyrics). The girls all seemed to have a lot of fun performing that one; and those moves by Mary and Linda! Lord have mercy!

[revvy]

I never felt either was a quality single release

I agree. "Life Beats" could have and should have been a hit had it been released.

[Jimi LaLumia]

BPMs are beats per minute..a slow Lionel Richie ballad could be something like 65 BPMs, while an uptempo Supremes record could be 130 BPMS, very up..
in the 70's, what came to be called "High Energy" dance tracks for the gay clubs could climb as high as 135, 140, 145 BPMS, quite fast and danceable..
any pro DJ system, be it vinyl, CD, etc alllows you to view the 'beats perminute' and adjust them, slow them down or speed them up, so that they sync into the next record seamlessly when you're mixing in a club..that's what mixing is..bringing the beats into accordance as much as possible as you move into the next song..
"Bad Weather", now that I actually viewed it, is a BPM nightmare;
it should have been faster, as on the Soul Train 'live' performance, and the beat actually changes for no good reason during the song,which creates that jet lag impression..
sabotage, or no quality control committee?..you decide

[davidh]

i agree with LIFE BEATS being a single. it should have been along with BEND A LITTLE.
I also agree on BAD/ YOUR WONDERFUL SWEET. the live versions are much better. if i were BG,i would have not released either as is .

[marybrewster]

[QUOTE=marybrewster;156760]
When listening to "Your Wonderful Sweet Sweet Love" [[the released version) versus listening to "YWSSL" as performed by JML [[with the white, mini-dresses), I prefer much more the "sped-up", performed version.

The 'sped-up' version [[featured on Flip Wilson with JML in those dresses) was quite good [[even though Jean missed part of the lyrics). The girls all seemed to have a lot of fun performing that one; and those moves by Mary and Linda! Lord have mercy!

Carole; I agree. Those moves by Lynda and Mary! Sweet Jesus. Great choreography and everyone loves a little titty shake now and then, LOL.

[luke]

I always felt Stevie must have had an appt and left early when producing Bad Weather. Something missing. Great potential though.

[Jimi LaLumia]

no, it's there, you can hear it, a real hit, when played at a proper BPM..
it's just that the 'beat mix' was not done properly, whether intentionally or unintentionally..

[LuvHangOva]

I always thought that "sour sounding" vibe in "Bad Weather" was intentional. Musically the sour sound of the horns in the intro underscores the fact that they're singing about a love affair that in the midst of "going sour". That whole chord progression in the beginning seems to be alluding to some impending doom. I thought that later on in the song the scatting brass and horns made up for it. But to me it DOES start off with a "sour" vibe. It's not easy to present that kinda negative vibe but still have a happy, uptempo finished product...l liked the record a lot but I guess I can see why it wasn't a huge hit. Nice work tho by Mr. Wonder and the girls!!

A good example of a dance record with a negative message with music that doesn't drag the whole thing down is "I Don't Love You Anymore" by Teddy Pendergrass. I love how the music refuses to surrender to the bad news in the lyrics.

[Jimi LaLumia]

making the music sound sour is a sure fire way to make a record flop..and at that point, The Supremes were in no position to experiment.. plenty of songs have sad messages but they don't sound musically horrible like the beginning of "Bad weather"..and the sound of the beginning of a record determines radio airplay..

[LuvHangOva]

I had a 25 year career as a pop radio d j ... You don't have to convince me... Yes, the first few seconds of a record determine hit potential... One of the greatest intros ever.... and one of my custom cell phone ringtones...the first 15 seconds of "Back In My Arms Again".....

I happen to like both " Bad Weather " and "Touch".... I realize neither one is radio friendly but I like em anyway. I have always been very good at being able to hear pop hit potential in on the first listen and I know how to keep my personal tastes from tainting my evaluation.