Let the truth be told!! Cindy Birdsong is well respected by everyone and said Lynda was a temp. End of story.
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Let the truth be told!! Cindy Birdsong is well respected by everyone and said Lynda was a temp. End of story.
Thanks skooldem1
Sometimes people just continue to hear voices in their heads and make up all kinds of things.
Perhaps Cindy should ask Mary why she said that !!!!! Honey We Are Terrific !!!
Can this magazine be bought online? Where in Canada could we get one?
About Lynda, it's 40 years hence ~ it's kind of a rut; but perhaps for the Supreminado's, important for history.
So, if Lynda was a replacement in some eyes, she still was on the Floy Joy cover. Mary has said the albums didn't sell, and sold less and less but the fall off was greatest after the Floy Joy album and they reverted to a lot of generic covers after Lynda - Jimmy Webb and High Energy and At their Best. Does it make any difference?
Also, if this magazine is connected to Mary Wilson, perhaps she does harbor resentment toward Lynda as well as Diana? I thought that was all gone after all these years?
Im so glad you pulled out Mary's book and used her exact quotes. We all know Lynda was a bonafide Supreme who replaced Cindy. If Lynda was only "Temporary" why have her record with the group? And why have her on the cover of "FLOY JOY?" Yes, Cindy was pregnant at the time of the shoot, but so was Mary when they shot the 1975 Album. They easily coverd Mary's pregnancy with Scherrie, Cindy and some well placed flowers. I loved all the Supremes, and it's sad that some people are trying in vain to reduce other members contribution. History cannot be changed. Even in 1973 on Soul Train Mary said "We are THE SUPREMES." I appreciate the work of Andy Skurrow and George Soloman and wish they were in volved in this project. They always get their facts correct and give due credit to all the ladies who were Supremes.
This is too funny! The games have begun over a magazine. Perhaps marv2 should write what "actually" happened since he was there and has all the facts for a book of his own. Then the world will be finally able to move on about what really took place in The Supremes and sleep at night. As far as "Diane" goes, I would just call her Di or maybe even Earle. I'll check the birth certificate wallpaper replica I have in my 1000 sq. ft. Supremes Worship Room. Oh and by the way, those gowns Mary can't locate....??? Haven't seen 'em. :rolleyes:
Again.. in the words of Mary Wilson ... in the essay entitled "Promises Kept" -The Supremes -The 70's Anthology
pg. 12 "Floy Joy was our last album recorded in Detroit, and one of the last Motown albums cut there, period. After the album was done Cindy brought me bad news; she was expecting a baby and LEAVING the group. I was not too happy about REPLACING her, as by that time people considered Cindy an original member. I knew another personnel change was risky; but it had to be done. I CHOSE Lynda Laurence, who had sung backup for Stevie Wonder. You see Lynda in the Floy Joy cover shot but she's not on the album".
pg 15 " Lynda having sung with Stevie Wonder was to our advantage, because for us he produced and co-write 'Bad Weather' with Lynda's brother Ira Tucker. Stevie Wonder was hot then with 'Talking Book'. He was a magician in the studio. Too bad the single failed. It's one of our best songs of the period. Around that same time we also cut The O'Jay's 'Love Train', which still carries a positive message of universal love. Jean brought it home with her special gospel flair. But Jean and Lynda left in '73.
I wrestled with deciding whether it was time to step down. But I was determined to keep the group on top. I took on the Supremes' business affairs. I RE-HIRED Cindy Birdsong".
I didn't realize Mary didn't take control of the Supremes business until 1973. That is when they went into a real lull and nothing much happened until the hopefulness of High Energy. It was probably all doomed no matter what they did ~ Lynda, Scherrie, or even if Jean had stayed or Diana came back. They were "yesterdays" by 1973.
And yes Marv, many of us recall an actual Supreme coming into one of these threads to remind you that "you were not there".
Temporary Supreme or not Lynda made enough appearances with the group to make herself known. From 1972-73 the group appeared constantly on TV with Lynda. Even when Cindy came back into the group Mary's plan was to carry on the group with her, Cindy and Lynda...then when Lynda saw Pedro was taking over the group she dropped out. And whoever said Mary was ALWAYS with the Supremes, to be technical there was a couple nights in 1972 where Mary was sick and Jean, Cindy and Lynda performed and in her own words she doubts anyone even noticed or cared.
All of this over a Supreme magazine that will be lucky to sell a few thousand copies. lol
Roberta
This Supremes thing is funny. If Lynda was a "temp", why was she picked to sing in placement of Jean when Jean left, why even have her on the cover of "Floy Joy" and then have her sing on material between 1972 and 1973 or whatever if she was a "temp". Technically, Cindy started her Supremes career as a "temp" for Flo in 1967 and the same could be same for Marlene Barrow when Flo was absent on some gigs [[which was telling to the owner of the Copacabana who ordered Berry to get Flo or the gig was off). In Mary's mind, though, it seems the only ones she think were "real Supremes" were her, Flo and Diana and the rest were "temps" to her. Even Cindy was dismissed when it came time for the '60s era Supremes to be inducted to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame though Cindy didn't really sing on the post-Flo '60s hits [[and neither did Mary in that regard).
I consider Lynda to be a real Supreme. I saw Mary was upset that Lynda was picked for Diana's 2000 tour when she decided not to do it. Lynda was part of the FLOS so I could see why Diana picked her and Scherrie when Mary dropped and then Cindy decided not to do it because her heart wasn't really in it at the time [[Cindy didn't really perform much after leaving the Supremes in 1976).
Sad thing is Lynda definitely could've brought more to the table than she did. But I think also, the situation with Motown was a difficult one. I think their Motown contract was up by the time the Supremes put out "Bad Weather". Once Jean left, it became difficult for the Supremes to continue as they did. After Scherrie Payne was brought into the group and Cindy returned - either by Mary asking her or just simply hiring her - it was a struggle before they finally signed a new Motown contract and around this time, Pedro Ferrer started managing the group - due to Mary. I don't know, those late periods of the Supremes were really nightmarish IMHO. They were doing real good with Mary, Jean and Cindy and then that fell apart. Sad.
But of course with this magazine, obviously it was gonna be biased based on Mary.
I wonder why Motown included her in this collage if she was only a temp and not a true Supreme
http://www.scherriepayneandlyndalaur...alsupremes.jpg
A pleasure Roberta. I'm glad someone has a sense of humor about this frail old newspaper of a story, yellowed and cracking apart by time. However, if someone chooses to live in the past regarding a singing group that is no longer in existence now for 35 years, that is certainly their choice albeit a pathetic one. Musical history is great but this has gone from annoying to hysterical. I was a hardcore fan back when but I certainly grew out of it and in 2012 I still enjoy the music. But I certainly don't care what the hell Lynda Laurence's part was in all this as vague as it was. Neither does 99.9% of the public. This subject will never die in this lifetime but it does still have comedic value. ;)
NEVER?
From 'Supreme Faith' pg 67
"Lynda called. 'Mary? Jean is very sick again, and she's on her way back to Los Angeles'......Would we cancel the show or go on, just Lynda and me, as a duo? Copa owner Jules Podell was not pleased with either choice, and Motown and our agent wanted to cancel.
Cindy came in and did the shows with us on Saturday and Sunday, with Lynda singing lead. We had only the gowns we brought with us, and Cindy's pregnancy was showing, so the fit wasn't perfect. Cindy was happy to be back, and I was thankful for her flying in on a moment's notice.then on Tuesday, Jean was back, AND I GOT SICK, so for the FIRST AND ONLY TIME the Supremes performed without a single original member on stage'."
Linda Laurence was signed to Motown and was an official Supreme. She did not however live out her 18 mo probationary period.
The way it worked at Motown, one can assume that all the ladies were temps by contract
There was a one-time only line-up of The Supremes in 1972, when Jean, Lynda and Cindy appeared together at The Copacabana.
It happened during the same time engagement that I saw Lynda, Mary and CIndy perform there while Jean was sick. That must have been a rough time for the Supremes. They were constantly at The Copa but in 1972 Jules Podell had to put up with no fewer than four separate groupings of the ladies within the space of one engagement!
Just for the record, the line-up's were:
Jean, Mary & Lynda
Mary, Lynda & Cindy
Jean and Lynda
Jean, Lynda & Cindy
Did you attend any of these shows milven?
99.9% of the public could consider beer to be a vegatable and I wouldn't care. Since the topic of this thread is Mary Wilson's 50th Anniversary Supremes Magazine, it is completely topical to discuss it's contents. I think you are the one that is out of place with all due respect!
Didn't the original Supremes sign a new contract in the mid-1960s that speculated if any of them left the group, Motown would keep the Supremes name and in turn just have anyone sign a contract with Motown and to be a Supreme until they left? That can explain why Motown cancel the Supremes once Mary Wilson decided to leave.
[QUOTE=marybrewster;133406]
It bothers me more that this late in the game we still have "typos" such as "A Bag of Liverpool" and "Splish Splash". Who proofed this? Obviously no one that "knows" the Supremes would have let this slip.
Sad that something so cool comes across as being half-assed. I wish someone like Andy or George would have had their hands in this. Not that they aren't without fault, but they certainly know their facts[Quote]
Both Andy Skurow and George Solomon [[among others) are listed in the credits for supplying photos. However, it seems that only a few photos are actually captioned as to ownership- yes, you guessed it- a few provided by Mary Wilson & by Mark Bego .
There are proofreaders listed- Dave Markin [[who is also copy editor) and Patrick Wood [[also named as a contributor). I wonder what their ages might be and if they ever actually listened to many Supremes' albums/cd's?
I also suspect that as the writers are listed as Mark Bego & Mary Wilson, that Mark wrote the majority of the actual text, often throwing in his own bias. Mary likely trusted him and didn't peruse the copy all that closely. Had Mary read the text, she would have corrected the errors already mentioned and this one.. 'Mary's lead vocals on Simon & Garfunkel's " Bridge Over Troubled Water" . How Mary got herself to sound just like Jean and Cindy must be one of the greatest mysteries of the early 70's!
And I hope that all noticed that Mark Bego likely does not have a copy of "This Is The Story The 70's Albums Vol 1, 1970-1973 The Jean Terrell Years"- as it is not pictured, yet Volume 2 is. I'm sure that Mary would have provided her copy for inclusion.
David Nathan's 1974 Interview with Mary Wilson on Changes Within the Supremes
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By David Nathan
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Home > SOUL MUSIC INTERVIEWS & FEATURES > Classic Interviews & Features > CLASSIC FEATURE: The Supremes 1974 Interview
PERHAPS MORE than any other female group around today, The Supremes have undergone what seem like almost regular personnel changes and to my mind, it's quite amazing that the institution as such, still exists. Kicking off, with the departure of Florence Ballard, then, of course Diana Ross, the group has tried to retain the success formula that once put them way above all their competitors.
But what with these internal changes, the departure of the Holland/Dozier/Holland team and what appears to be some confusion as to which direction the group should head, their success – or at least chart success – has been severly restricted of late. Now comes the news of yet more changes and David Nathan got the chance to check out with Mary Wilson, the only remaining original Supreme, exactly what's been happening...
"Well, let me explain. Cindy Birdsong has come back into the group, having had a baby and she's now back permanently. Linda [[Laurence) was only brought in on a temporary basis anyway, just to take over from Cindy. Jean Terrell just resigned from the group – I really can't tell you why because I don't know – she just left. Anyway, we now have Sherrie Payne [[Freda's sister) to replace Jean.
"How did we manage to find her? Well, Lamont Dozier heard that we were looking for a new Supreme a few months back and he knew that Sherrie was unhappy being with The Glasshouse so he suggested we might like to get together. She's now been with us for some three months and everything seems to be working out well."
With all these constant changes, I asked Mary if she ever got tired and considered just giving it all up. "No, never!" was her swift and indignant reply. She qualified it further.
"Sure I get tired with all the comings and goings but I'd never consider going solo. The Supremes mean too much to me and to so many people that I wouldn't even dream about just quitting altogether. No, I've never even thought about making it on my own!"
Mary did admit that the group have been going through a pretty rough patch chartwise and she explained: "We were all very disappointed that 'Bad Weather' didn't make it and we really don't know why. I personally thought it had all the right ingredients for a hit but we've been told that one of the problems these days is that unless you're on the charts consistently, a lot of radio stations just won't give you a chance."
"The fact is that we haven't had a big chart record for a long time now so that may have been one of the reasons why no one really got onto that single. But, you know, it's a totally concentrated effort and it really is a matter of coming up with right material at the right time. A lot of hard work goes into coming up with the right record and finding the right producer. Since 'Bad Weather' we haven't recorded anything with anyone but we expect to be starting back into the studios very shortly."
Any suggestion that possibly the girls might be behind the times is almost totally rejected since Mary feels that the public expects certain things from The Supremes and it's very hard for the group to move off into a totally different direction. She concedes that not having had a big hit record may have lost the group some of its followers and she does feel that a big hit would bring a whole new audience to the girls.
"However, we are well aware that there are still many people who have been with us from the beginning and are still with us – and we really appreciate them."
Mary revealed that she doesn't expect The Supremes to undergo many major changes as far as their act is concerned and she says that with the return of Cindy and the arrival of Sherrie, there will be more sharing of the lead singer's task. "Both Sherrie and I will be sharing lead and Cindy will gradually be doing that too. In fact all of us will be doing a little of our own thing in the future on stage."
On a completely personal level, Miss Wilson is no longer Miss Wilson – since she was married several weeks back to a young gentleman she met in Puerto Rico, Mr. Pedro Ferrez. What happened? "We just met and fell in love!" was the straight answer I got to a pretty dumb question! Mary said that she digs being married since "all my friends have got married now – Diana, Cindy and so on. I guess it's about time for me." She intends to start up a family in due course and the girls' future schedule is being planned to ensure that they have sufficient time at home with their families.
On the subject of coming over to this country, Mary said that there had been plans for the girls to make it during April but the energy crisis had put paid to that. "We do expect to get back around September. In the meantime, please say 'hi' to everyone from me, won't you?" No doubt, by the time we see The Supremes again, the new line-up will have established itself and hopefully they'll be returning with a hit record under their collective belts. It's surely only a matter of time before The Supremes are back on the hit track.
Click here for THE SUPREMES STORE AT SOUL MUSIC.COM for CDs, MP3s, bio, etc.
Carole, you evidently don't know the Supremes music that well yourself! Mary Wilson did sing part of the lead on "Bridge Over Troubled Waters". Give it a listen sometime. Learn something new before you begin criticizing others.........Quote:
Originally Posted by carole cucumber;133641
It bothers me more that this late in the game we still have "typos" such as "A Bag of Liverpool" and "Splish Splash". Who proofed this? Obviously no one that "knows" the Supremes would have let this slip.
Sad that something so cool comes across as being half-assed. I wish someone like Andy or George would have had their hands in this. Not that they aren't without fault, but they certainly know their facts[Quote
Diana and Flo are mentioned in it quite often. Because Mary [[and Patty Romanowski) want to tie the two parts of the story together [[and as it was reported that Mary had originally hoped to only write in one volume the complete story of Mary Wilson & the Supremes) there are many recollections and references to information in "Dreamgirl: My Life As A Supreme' . But Mary also incorporates Flo into the narrative as she interacts with Mary/the Supremes in the early-mid 70's and Diana throughout the book's time-frame.
[QUOTE=marv2;133645][QUOTE=carole cucumber;133641
Carole, you evidently don't know the Supremes music that well yourself! Mary Wilson did sing part of the lead on "Bridge Over Troubled Waters". Give it a listen sometime. Learn something new before you begin criticizing others.........[/QUOTE]
I do know that Jean, Mary & Cindy SHARED leads on that song. The text indicates that Mary was the sole lead vocalist on "Bridge Over Troubled Water'
Earlier the writer [[likely Mark Bego & not Mary Wilson) states "Following what had been done by recording The Supremes with The Temptations in the 60's came a new combination: by teaming The Supremes with another popular group: The Four Tops' The resulting album , The Magnificent Seven found Mary and Cindy PROMINENTLY DISPLAYED WITH SOLO VOCALS.
Had Mark merely meant part of the lead , he would have said so- as he did for the Magnificent seven.