A supremes doo-wop delight

Even more rare than[let me go the right way]is the very,very delightful 1961[the tears]which not only features mary on lead but maybe the only supremes song with[barbara martin]no it didn't sell but that's what makes it so rare today i don't think that berry thought much of it at the time[he was still searching for a sound for them]but this smokey written tune was a gem for all you oldtime doo-woppers if you can find it buy it[well worth having in your collection]and listen to the young diane ross singing in the background...and how many times will you hear that on a supremes record!!

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Originally Posted by arrr&bee

Even more rare than[let me go the right way]is the very,very delightful 1961[the tears]which not only features mary on lead but maybe the only supremes song with[barbara martin]no it didn't sell but that's what makes it so rare today i don't think that berry thought much of it at the time[he was still searching for a sound for them]but this smokey written tune was a gem for all you oldtime doo-woppers if you can find it buy it[well worth having in your collection]and listen to the young diane ross singing in the background...and how many times will you hear that on a supremes record!!

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Yes "The Tears" is even more rare because it was not released until 1986 on the Never Before Released Masters album. There is a slightly different version available on the expanded Meet the Supremes CD through Hip-O Select

Barbara Martin is on over half of the Meet the Supremes album plus she does the spoken part on "He's Seventeen. Check out the song "After All" in which each of the four Supremes [[Flo, Mary, Barbara, Diana) sing lead on a verse.

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Originally Posted by soulballad

Yes "The Tears" is even more rare because it was not released until 1986 on the Never Before Released Masters album. There is a slightly different version available on the expanded Meet the Supremes CD through Hip-O Select

Barbara Martin is on over half of the Meet the Supremes album plus she does the spoken part on "He's Seventeen. Check out the song "After All" in which each of the four Supremes [[Flo, Mary, Barbara, Diana) sing lead on a verse.

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Those amazing annotators at Hip-O document on the "Meet the Supremes [[Expanded Edition)" who sings on every track. I think Martin is on some of the previously unreleased tracks as well, as I recall.

Mary is terrific on the Tears.

Barbara Martin appears on roughly 37 recordings [[give or take a few recordings) as a Supreme. This includes the tracks featured on Meet The Supremes, the several singles released when the group was a quartet, the unreleased recordings released throughout the years, and alternate versions of previously known recordings. In fact, Barbara appears on more recordings as a Supreme than Lynda and Susaye.

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Originally Posted by bradsupremes

In fact, Barbara appears on more recordings as a Supreme than Lynda and Susaye.

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Lynda and Susaye combined? I'm too lazy to research it myself but my hunch is that it is combined.

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Originally Posted by bradsupremes

Barbara Martin appears on roughly 37 recordings [[give or take a few recordings) as a Supreme. This includes the tracks featured on Meet The Supremes, the several singles released when the group was a quartet, the unreleased recordings released throughout the years, and alternate versions of previously known recordings. In fact, Barbara appears on more recordings as a Supreme than Lynda and Susaye.

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That is really interesting information Brad. Thank you.

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Originally Posted by johnjeb

Lynda and Susaye combined? I'm too lazy to research it myself but my hunch is that it is combined.

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I am sure he means combined!

Here's the song in question:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sn78EuUP2oA

Yes, combined, but please don't take it the wrong way. This was no way a slam against Lynda or Susaye [[whom I absolutely love). I'm just trying to show that Barbara recorded a lot of material with the group but she's so easily forgotten about as a Supreme. Just because she wasn't featured on any hits or wore any of the trademark gowns doesn't discount her significance or her role in the group.

In case anyone was wondering, here is what I gathered on the recordings featuring Lynda & Susaye:
Lynda appears on around 19 recordings [[give or take a few songs) with the Supremes. Those include "Bad Weather," "Love Train," all of the Jimmy Webb album, the two other songs from the Stevie Wonder sessions, and publicly known unreleased recordings such as "Remote Control." There could be more tracks in the vaults that we don't know about that feature Lynda on them, but at this moment I can only count what we know.

Susaye did around 15 recordings with the Supremes. That includes "High Energy," "I'm Gonna Let My Heart Do The Walking," all of Mary, Scherrie & Susaye and the alternate versions. By this time the recording process was different than what it was during the 60's and early 70's when artists recorded songs just for the sake of recording. When Susaye joined, the group was recording songs with the clear intention for inclusion on an album.

Sometimes Barbara Martin isnt even counted by some people[[hmmhmm)-who say 8 Supremes. Mary has always given her props.

Thanks gang for the good info on barbara...see we can have a supremes discussion with out war,i'm very proud of you all...supremes forever!!!

Thanks, bradsupremes, for the info. I love this sort of trivia and history, that's why I enjoy this forum. I now buy many of the newer CDs for the booklets to get the background tidbits on the artists and the music - sometimes I even play the CDs!

How many of the Supremes are currently married? I believe two.

I believe Barbara and Susaye are the only ones married. I'm not sure if Lynda is still married or if Jean is too.

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Originally Posted by luke

Sometimes Barbara Martin isnt even counted by some people[[hmmhmm)-who say 8 Supremes. Mary has always given her props.

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I was lucky enough to see and hear Barbara sing with Mary in Detroit at Chene Park.

Can someone refresh my memory as to where Betty McGlown fits into the story? Is she on any any Supremes recordings or even Primettes recordings? Did she leave the group before they signed with Motown?

Betty was an original Primette, but left before the group ever recorded.

What did Barbara sound like Marv? Soprano?

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Originally Posted by luke

What did Barbara sound like Marv? Soprano?

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Just a bit lower than that. She sang a bit of "He's Seventeen". It was Mary's show and Barbara join her for a bit of it from the audience. Nice looking woman I might add.

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Originally Posted by johnjeb

...sometimes I even play the CDs!

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John, I'm with you on that! LOL

Are there any current pics of Barbara Martin?

I did see a pic of her within last few years-maybe from concert Marv mentioned above-very nice looking woman.

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Originally Posted by blueskies

Are there any current pics of Barbara Martin?

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I saw a photo a few years ago and the thing I recall the most was how beautiful her feet were.

Roberta

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Originally Posted by psychedelic jacques

Can someone refresh my memory as to where Betty McGlown fits into the story? Is she on any any Supremes recordings or even Primettes recordings? Did she leave the group before they signed with Motown?

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Betty sings backup on "Pretty Baby" and "Tears of Sorrw" on Lupine Records when they were the Primettes. She did other backup work for Eddie Floyd, Mable John and others.

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Originally Posted by Roberta75

I saw a photo a few years ago and the thing I recall the most was how beautiful her feet were.

Roberta

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Her feet were almost as beautiful as Martha Reeves' feet.

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Originally Posted by marv2

Betty sings backup on "Pretty Baby" and "Tears of Sorrw" on Lupine Records when they were the Primettes. She did other backup work for Eddie Floyd, Mable John and others.

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Are we sure Betty appeared on those songs? I only say this because in the Meet the Supremes expanded edition Barbara stated that she was on those recordings done at Lupine. Then again, I've heard multiple stories about who is on those recordings. Some say Betty was on them, some say Barbara was on them, others say it was Diana, Mary and Florence with two additional women. I do know Barbara was with them when they auditioned at Hitsville so Betty is not on any background work they did at Motown. There is a track called "Return of Stagger Lee" where the Primettes did background work as I can hear Mary, Florence and Barbara clearly on it but I have no clue which label it was recorded for.