and i'm not really assuming she doesn't leave because of a lack of a top hit [[like how the failure of Sign delayed her departure).
Mary has been quoted, when talking about Ladder, that even if Diana hadn't left, the group would have needed to evolve their sound.
so what direction could/should they go in?
would DRATS have worked doing the "peace love god" themes of Ladder and Stoned Love?
would the group have worked well w/ the A&S stuff?
what about the Bones Howe? or something else altogether?
Truth be told, Diana’s first 3 solo albums sounded like Supremes albums so I can see them going with the A&S production. Ladder and SL would have had to be reworked to fit Diana’s style of singing.
I don't think Diana had anywhere to go but as a solo. The whole DR&S setup didn't work well at all, record sales tanked except for a few occasions. Also critics and the public were feeling increasingly sympathetic to Mary and Cindy and perhaps a bit weary of Ross's dominance. They simply could not have continued as Diana Ross and the Supremes if for no other reason than the whole concept was to prepare Ross for solo stardom, and that took about a year longer than expected.
what do you think would have happened had Diana's solo career NOT gone well? would they have tried to return her to the group?Quote:
Originally Posted by BayouMotownMan
I def like the reformatting of the Supremes to become more of a "group" again and allow M and C more to do. I agree that if for whatever reason Diana had stayed with the group, you'd have to find opportunities for M and C to participate more. the structure of the show would have had to allow more interplay, more spotlighted leads and all. just like Cindy laughed about in their script "they even let me speak now!"
I think the 3 part harmonies with MJC worked better than the 3 part harmony of DMC, mostly because in the Diana group, Diana took the middle or bottom note and Cindy took the top. with MJC, Jean had a stronger 1st soprano and so she often took the top harmony. she is a stronger 1st than Cindy so that helped the new group have a bigger more dynamic sound.
I couldn't agree more. I've always said that Diana REALLY left the group around 1973.Quote:
Originally Posted by blackguy69
I think you'd basically have what Diana was recording at the time, slapped with a DRATS label on the 45.
I've also given some thought to that question. Looking at their releases from 70-73, which songs would the group release? I can totally see DRATS doing Ain't No Mountain High Enough as a follow up to Someday and then Up the Ladder.
Or you could say that backwards and say that Diana left the group in 1967 and just slapped DRATS labels on her solo efforts like Someday and Love Child and other songs.Quote:
Originally Posted by marybrewster
That’s far more accurate. “Cream Of The Crop” was itself virtually a solo album. I think Diana’s voice sounds a lot stronger and far more mature on those early solo albums then with the Supremes.Quote:
Originally Posted by milven
Couldn't you say something similar about all the female groups?Quote:
Originally Posted by milven
Various friends have thought both Ain’t No Mountain High Enough and Stoned Love were Diana Ross & the Supremes [[i.e. DRATS) records! :eek:Quote:
Originally Posted by blackguy69
I suggest that if Diana & The Supremes stayed together, they would've done both the 'peace, love, god' themes of songs like "Up The Ladder To The Roof" & "Stoned Love" [with both of these re-worked to fit Diana's voice] and the Ashford & Simpson songs. After all, both The Supremes [with The Four Tops] & Diana Ross recorded versions of A&S's "Reach Out And Touch". They also could've pulled off a song like "Floy Joy" [which was a successful throwback to their '60s hits].Quote:
Originally Posted by sup_fan
I also suggest that if Diana Ross & The Supremes stayed together, they would have to 'keep an eye' on the other female Soul/Pop Groups that were coming up in the early '70s [such as The Honey Cone, The Three Degrees & Love Unlimited] and do songs similar to [or Better Than] what the other groups were doing at that time.
They would be friends no more if that were me. :eek: In the past I’ve heard radio announce such hits as “Up The Ladder” as being DR&TS. I know I shouldn’t, but i do sometimes get annoyed.Quote:
Originally Posted by lucky2012