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I never liked that phrase at the time, it sounded 'plastic' as we used to say;
when Ruffin was ousted, they didn't called them the "New" Temptations;
I think this was a major misjudgement, it was just a very poor idea.. The Supremes were still The Supremes, the entity itself
I never saw this name used on any of their albums, concert bookings or TV appearances? Maybe I missed something? Or, was it used in just general conversation? I wasn't aware of the use professionally?
i don't think it was anything too serious. had they printed it on the album jackets or something, then that might be an issue.
the Sullivan clip is the only tv show i'm aware of where they're announced as The "New" Supremes. but i know it was in articles and stories and all
i think it helped give a bit of energy to the change. I just wish they had continued with some of their evolution later in 70 and 71. meaning that they had started to change their sound and all with Jean. i think by late 70 they should have done more to change their visual image. the sequins needed to be phased out more - obviously the most brilliant move would have been an lp entitled Stone Love and the afro pic. but they needed to be less plastic glam girls.
Other than Jean, everything "Supreme" remained; the wigs, the sequins, the showtunes. Indeed, a new grouping with a new lead needed a new direction, or at least image.
Actually the gowns were the only thing that remained. At least for the first 2 years.Quote:
Originally Posted by marybrewster
Jean was still singing "Somewhere" in Japan in 1973.Quote:
Originally Posted by blackguy69
They were never billed as THE NEW SUPREMES anywhere. Some magazine articles, some dee-jays, and many fans did refer to them as THE NEW SUPREMES, but their official name was THE SUPREMES. Years later, fans referred to the post Diana Ross Supremes various groupings as THE SEVENTIES SUPREMES.Quote:
Originally Posted by lakeside
Even on their official introduction to TV audiences, Ed Sullivan said "Let's have a fine hand now for THE SUPREMES".
https://www.udiscovermusic.com/news/...sullivan-show/
I think using “The New” initially helped remove the question of who was who and really drew interest. LOTS of folks wanted to see who replaced Diana Ross and everyobe I knew was pleasantly surprised.Quote:
Originally Posted by blackguy69
NOT NEW: the gowns, the wigs, the show tunes, the structure of the act. Jean, made them “new” because there was a totally new focal point, but the rest was same old/same old and needed to change. Wearing 8-10 year old gowns was so far from innovative, cutting edge or hip stage wear that they needed badly.
I did say at least the first 2 years. I am aware they brought back somewhere in 73 and it was gone soon after.Quote:
Originally Posted by marybrewster
We been over this before. We all know whyQuote:
Originally Posted by TheMotownManiac
Thank you!Quote:
Originally Posted by TheMotownManiac
This should not be surprising. This topic comes up every few months and the same points are made over and over again. This horse has been beaten to death brought back alive and beaten to death again. I’m sure we will cover it again. Wash, rinse and repeat.
Quote:
Originally Posted by marybrewster
And that's okay, no? I mean, we could talk about Motown 25 or RTL for the 8000th time.Quote:
Originally Posted by blackguy69
LOL I actually liked to the Supremes moniker for a little while because there was excitement to it and it helped build interest and for those of us that wanted to see the group continue as an important act in the business, classifying the group as new meant that it was important to General public to be able to differentiate, indicating how important the group was as an institution. Call disc jockeys used it for a couple months sometimes longer sometime shorter, but I did I actually thought it was exciting plus it’s an absolutely killer record out _ what could be more exciting than that?Quote:
Originally Posted by marybrewster
I think they SHOULD have been officially named The New Supremes. It would have added a little excitement since nobody knew what to expect, and showed that they weren't pretending to be Diana Ross and The Supremes part two. When the Jackson 5 changed their names to The Jacksons it was kind of exciting, like they were maturing and changing with the times. Yes I would absolutely have made them The New Supremes.
Made no difference either way.
no actually in the dialog Ed said prior to the medley of If They Could See Me Now, Ed introduces them as "in the tv debut as the New Supremes, the girls have..."Quote:
Originally Posted by milven
[QUOTE=TheMotownManiac;662213]LOL I actually liked the new Supremes moniker for a little while because there was excitement to it and it helped build interest and for those of us that wanted to see the group continue as an important act in the business, classifying the group as new meant that it was important to General public to be able to differentiate, indicating how important the group was as an institution. disc jockeys used it for a couple months sometimes …longer sometime shorter, but I thought it was a great way to launch the killer debut record to hear “here’s the NEW supremes with Up the ladder…..” it made them fresh, a new group with a great record Which is what Pop music is all about. Look how well the first album did, there was excitement surrounding the group.
I received a private message that said the previous message above made no sense, and it didn’t make any sense because I didn’t proofread it, I just dictated it. I have now corrected it so at least it’s understandable!
Sometimes little changes can make the world of difference. Jean was her own woman, being a dynamic vocalist with a completely different sound and vibe from Diana. Adding new to the name would have emphasised this.
As it was, and to varying degrees the group would always live under the shadow of the original lineup.
Wonder if it may have helped if they went the LaBelle route and just changed the name to Supreme. "And here is Supreme singing their latest hit Stone Love ". I could see announcers still calling them the Supremes though out of habit.
New Supremes. Supreme. The Supremes. I don't think it would have made any difference. 70s Supremes had a few great singles, some good solid ones, and a lot of talent. But the world was changing and they never really totally re-invented themselves for the 70s though they did their best to keep up, at least musically with the songs and albums they recorded.
the girls were sort of damned if the they, damned if they dont in 1970. they couldn't just totally abandon the DRATS/old Sup image, look and brand. that would have alienated the fan base.
in early 70 with Jean and Right On, i think they did a sufficient adjustment to the new sound, the new act and the new times. My only complaint is that the photos on RO used the old gowns. Ladder was released in Jan and was an immediate hit. they bought just the red pantsuits at the time, just in case the single flopped. But they had time to get a least a few more fresh images for the lp. i think even just something as simple as this would have been new, fresh, up to date. this could have easily been the back album graphic.
Attachment 19383
they still look glamorous and fashion forward. but less Vegas-y
The problem is that the NW album just didn't work. too many covers, the cover jacket was off, the issue with the title. etc. That combined with the nonsense of the duets which just paled in comparison with most of the material the Sups were recording and it was pretty easy to just cast the sups into the dustbin, so to speak.
had the album been called Stone Love with the afro cover, a few tweaks to the song list and shelving the duets, you could have had a really strong lp and this new look and sound would have been a great evolution of what they started in early 70
that then might have set them up to go into 71 on a much stronger footing and kept their recording reputation intact.