This Supremes' song has a similiar production sound as Mary Wells' song, "My Guy".Was the same producer utilized for both songs? The harmonies are gorgeous in this Supremes' song.
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This Supremes' song has a similiar production sound as Mary Wells' song, "My Guy".Was the same producer utilized for both songs? The harmonies are gorgeous in this Supremes' song.
One of my favourite Supremes songs. Love Diana’s gentle, sensual lead vocal with superb backup from Mary and Flo. Would have done well as a single had there not been so many other brilliant songs around at the time.
Mary Wells recorded and released "Whisper You Love Me Boy" and "He Holds His Own" for her album "Mary Wells sings My Guy" [[1964); both songs were re-recorded on the Supremes for "More Hits" [[I believe even using the same instrumental tracks). Both are Holland-Dozier-Holland productions; "My Guy" obviously a Smokey Robinson one.
I think both versions are equally as good. Talking of Mary Wells, i would have loved for Mary Wilson to have recorded the sultry “When I’m Gone”. It being the perfect fit for her voice. Might have been a sizeable hit for the group, though not really sure Diana would have agreed.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jaap
I am very sure Diana would not have agreed Ollie! Lol.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ollie9
i think Whisper is the same track but they wiped Mary's lead and the A's backing.
as for Mary Wilson leads, i completely agree. the style and sound would have worked well for her. Mary does excel at these more mid tempo-ed numbers. Plus she had a bit of jazz influence/style in her vocals. that approach would have worked wonderfully on When I'm Gone and Whisper.
I never thought of “Whisper” but absolutely. It’s perfect for Mary’s singing style. “Two Lovers” is another Wells track that would have sounded good.Quote:
Originally Posted by sup_fan
and i'd love to hear Flo attempt some really soft sexy leads too. I know i'm sometimes critical of the leads we have from Flo. it's not that i don't think she could sing - it's that i think she [[like everyone would) needed coaching and guidance. Her lines in Breathtaking Guy are just that - Breathtaking! so soft and sensitive. Unlike Hey Baby or Popcorn, where she's really going for a grittier soundQuote:
Originally Posted by Ollie9
and i hate People - by pretty much any and all singers. and the Sup version is dreadful IMO. partially because, once again, the pace is a slow as a funeral march
Whisper is a soft sexy ballad-ish type number. Diana knocks it out of the park. I think Mary's smokey vocals with a touch of jazz would have been stunning. And i'd love to have heard what a producer might have done with Flo on it. it certainly would have been different from the other two but i think it could have been wonderful too. soft and sexy, maybe a touch of sass, a little wink of the eye. maybe just a hint of a little more soul
I’m not sure Flo would have lent the song enough vulnerability which I think it definitely needs. Diana sounds coquettish and sweet while i think Mary might have come across as soft and demure. Flo on the other hand would have been more, you better start whispering boy if you know what’s good for you lol.Quote:
Originally Posted by sup_fan
lolol if he didn't whisper fast or long enough, flo might take matters into her own hands lolQuote:
Originally Posted by Ollie9
I know most of Flo's vocals have been more "powerhouse" style but i'm going off of her lovely lead lines on Breathtaking Guy. that shows she had more range. maybe she needed to work and experiment on it but i think it might ahve been interesting to try her on this.
it also not quite as girly-girl as Love Is In Our Hearts or Baby Love. so the heaviness of her vocals might still work.
at least interesting to experiment on it
I think many of Mary Wells' songs fit Mary Wilson. They were similar vocalists, except Wells had the ability to sing a bit higher than Wilson, and also get grittier than Wilson.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ollie9
I think a great example of Flo's toned down lead style is the first version of "It Makes No Difference Now". She sounds absolutely beautiful. Yes, it would've been interesting to hear the producers experiment with this side of Flo's talent.Quote:
Originally Posted by sup_fan
see to my ears, her lead on Makes No Difference is quite similar to her energetic and forceful approach on Good News.Quote:
Originally Posted by RanRan79
out of the handful of Flo leads at motown, most seem to fall into three camps.
there's her big, boisterous work that is full of soul and with a bit of wink-wink thrown in. IMO these are her finest moments. Good News, Hey baby, Makes no difference. Love ain't love
then there's her attempts at cutesy, lighthearted vocals. i'm probably not describing this one really well but the examples are Save Me A Star, I Saw Him Standing There. and a lot of the lightweight tracks on her ABC album. IMO these are her weaker tracks
finally there's her ballad work - People, Silent Night, o Holy Night. And I'd include her brief lines on Breathtaking here. IMO this is very hit or miss. Breathtaking is just that - breathtaking. she sings those lines with such a lovely tenderness. But she seems to stumble around a bit on those other songs, in large part IMO to the idiotic production given to them. all three songs have the same pace as a funeral march. a slow ballad doesn't have to be THAT slow.
I think #s 1 and 3 are her better work. her voice is just too thick and heavy to handle the lightweight stuff.
I'm referring to the version of "It Makes No Difference Now" recorded in 1963, not the re-record from 1964 that made the CWP album. On the album version, Flo tears it up. But on the first version she sings fairly softly. It almost has a lullaby quality to it. She doesn't rip into it like she does on the re-record. It's this that I feel would've been cool to see experimented with.
"Save Me A Star" was just a bad fit, IMO. It's a nice enough vocal, but I think it was more suited to Mary than Flo. Same with "Heavenly Father". The latter would've worked better had it probably had more of a "true" r&b production as opposed to the doowop. Had it been almost gospel hymn like, I think Flo would've killed it. I think there's a reason why Flo sang stuff like "Night Time Is the Right Time" and "The Twist" while in the Primettes. She wasn't a doowopper, unlike Mary and Diana, the latter of whom seemed to have that pliable voice we talk about even back then.
"People" has it's moments, but overall another poor fit for Flo, even though audiences apparently loved it. I'm not crazy about "Silent Night", but the production is so scant on it that it leaves the song a bit on the boring side. However, I think "Oh Holy Night" is probably the most outstanding Christmas vocal of the Supremes entire Christmas recordings.
oh yes! i forgot that version. i didn't realize the released one was recorded in 64. i just assumed both takes were from 63
there a stunning moments in those two holiday tunes, along with some stunning cringes.
on one of the Holy Nights, towards the end she sing "night, divine" and how she handles the lyric is so soft and sensitive. i adore it. there are some others just like this. But then there's the crazyass "nuh" on the end of "born" in Silent Night that are just terrible. no one with any singing skills should think this was a good way to end word lol That's something a church choir director teaches the 1st Graders in the kiddie choir lol
anyway i think there were opportunities to mold flo's voice and explore this softer sound. but seems they never did