He's My Man 46th Anniversary

"He's My Man" turns 46 the day after tomorrow. Anyone feeling old?:p

I realize that "He's My Man" has been dissected and used for ad nauseum discussions regarding what went wrong with the group. But how about a break from that and a little appreciation of this song? It was the fandom's introduction to Scherrie [[as a Supreme). Cindy was back. Mary was Mary. Did anyone ever hear this one on the radio? Did you go out and buy the single? It's not a fav of mine, but I like it enough. It sounds good to me as is. Apparently it was popular in the clubs. Anyone remember frequenting the discos and hitting the floor when this one came on? Love to read the memories.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCZSwhHxL_c

Yes I feel old for that and many other reasons! I actually loved that song and considered it to be among the best singles of the post-Diana years. However I cannot recall ever having heard it on any radio station either back then or since.

the track for this song is just sizzling. i'm not a huge fan of the lyric but not terrible. i just really wish Scherrie had been a focal point of the song. have her do the bulk of the lead but then bring mary in and bring cindy in more. their 3 part harmony sounds spectacular. i just find the verses sort of dullsville

I believe it was an article in RIGHT ON! magazine where I first learned of Scherrie and HE'S MY MAN. I never heard it on the radio, which was the case with me for all post-FLOY JOY singles, with the exception of WALKING.

The first time I actually heard HE'S MY MAN was when I caught the group by accident on a tv show called SUPERSONIC. I thought it was ok but it didn't make me run out and buy it. I was a kid at the time and had to be choosey with my $. I even remember going to the record store and THE SUPREMES [1975] had just been released and my mom and the store owner were encouraging me to purchase it but I wanted [and bought] AT THE COPA instead.

Many years later, I did end up buying the album and it remains my favorite of the Scherrie-era releases.

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Originally Posted by sup_fan

the track for this song is just sizzling. i'm not a huge fan of the lyric but not terrible. i just really wish Scherrie had been a focal point of the song. have her do the bulk of the lead but then bring mary in and bring cindy in more. their 3 part harmony sounds spectacular. i just find the verses sort of dullsville

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100% agree Mr M. We have previously discussed this many many times. I do have a soft spot for this song, but i totally agree Scherrie should have sung the bulk of the song, and maybe give Mary the "when i need cheering up"verse.
I really do think.it could have made a big difference to it's potential success.

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Originally Posted by RanRan79

"He's My Man" turns 46 the day after tomorrow. Anyone feeling old?:p

I realize that "He's My Man" has been dissected and used for ad nauseum discussions regarding what went wrong with the group. But how about a break from that and a little appreciation of this song? It was the fandom's introduction to Scherrie [[as a Supreme). Cindy was back. Mary was Mary. Did anyone ever hear this one on the radio? Did you go out and buy the single? It's not a fav of mine, but I like it enough. It sounds good to me as is. Apparently it was popular in the clubs. Anyone remember frequenting the discos and hitting the floor when this one came on? Love to read the memories.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCZSwhHxL_c

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It gained lots of airplay here in the UK. The much respected radio 1 dj Tony Blackburn made it his record of the week on his hugely successful morning show. The girls were over here making several high profile tv appearances. It looked all set to be a substantial hit, but for some reason it failed to chart. I was amazed by it's failure to sell. As i said in my post above i think giving Scherrie the lead could and would have made a difference, but we will never know for sure.

just a fun fact to share

HMM did to to #1 on the regional Disco Charts for NYC

But Where Do I Go From Here and This Is Why I Believe both also hit #1 on that same regional chart. so if we're counting HMM, then we need to count these others too

the girls also did quite a few tv appearances in the states to support HMM too

Dinah Shore [[2x)
Tonight Show
Sammy Davis Jr
Soul Train
and then a local LA tv show too
American Bandstand [[i know they did This Is Why and Where is It I Belong - did they also do HMM?)

and these are just the ones I know of.

The Dinah episode in the black pants and the lavender sequin tops looks hot. but some of the others were rather a mess. The Tonight show clip is awful. Sammy is ok but they're in those old fashion gowns.

plus HMM was released in spring 75 but Sammy show was in Jan 76, Tonight Show and one of the Dinah's were in Sept

Curiously in Sept they had just released Where Do I Go but they didn't promote it on tv.

Can someone refresh my memory? He's My Man did not make the Billboard Top 100 but it did make it onto the R & B Singles/Soul Chart?

I had a memory that it reached #1 on the Disco Chart??? Or was it just the regional disco chart mentioned above?

Thanks for your thoughts everyone! Love reading the memories as I wasn't even a thought when this song came out.

My personal intro to it was on the GH&Rare Classics set. I like it on first listen, but wasn't wowed by it. I had the cassette, so of the disco cuts that made it, I was much more in love with "Where Do We Go From Here" and "Let Yourself Go". My mother had the 45 of "Walking", so I was already a fan of that one.

They didn’t do this us where I belong on Bandstand but they did do he’s my man.

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Originally Posted by sup_fan

the girls also did quite a few tv appearances in the states to support HMM too

Dinah Shore [[2x)
Tonight Show
Sammy Davis Jr
Soul Train
and then a local LA tv show too
American Bandstand [[i know they did This Is Why and Where is It I Belong - did they also do HMM?)

and these are just the ones I know of.

The Dinah episode in the black pants and the lavender sequin tops looks hot. but some of the others were rather a mess. The Tonight show clip is awful. Sammy is ok but they're in those old fashion gowns.

plus HMM was released in spring 75 but Sammy show was in Jan 76, Tonight Show and one of the Dinah's were in Sept

Curiously in Sept they had just released Where Do I Go but they didn't promote it on tv.

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https://youtu.be/QlvwKee8ByI

im sure a lot of us has this video tape that’s been floating around for years. At the 5:41 mark shows clips of he’s my man on American bandstand

i have a clip of them on Bandstand doing This is Why. it's just a short segment of it. they're wearing the black pants and the lavender tops [[like from Dinah) and Mary is NOT wearing a bra lololol. and when they go going with the routine for This is why, she's flying ALL OVER THE PLACE lolololol

but love the clip you shared!!!!!! i've not seen that one before!!!!

what tv is it where they're in the green gowns doing HMM?

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Originally Posted by sup_fan

what tv is it where they're in the green gowns doing HMM?

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Maybe Merv Griffin?

Yes; they also perform "Mercedes Benz". Awful.

I have always found the song to be mega cheesy with choreography to match. “He calls says get dressed and i put on my best” kills it for me. Given its popularity on this forum i have attempted to like the song many time over to no avail......Alas.

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Originally Posted by Ollie9

I have always found the song to be mega cheesy with choreography to match. “He calls says get dressed and i put on my best” kills it for me. Given its popularity on this forum i have attempted to like the song many time over to no avail......Alas.

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Very "animated" choreography; better suited for a group of teen girls than grown women.

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Originally Posted by Ollie9

I have always found the song to be mega cheesy with choreography to match. “He calls says get dressed and i put on my best” kills it for me. Given its popularity on this forum i have attempted to like the song many time over to no avail......Alas.

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The song seems to divide opinion amongst fans.
I always liked it, but i would have loved Scherrie to have handled the lead.
Sup Fan perfectly described the situation when he referred to Mary's lead vocal as "sleepy". The song demanded a full throttled vocal performance which Mary was quite simply not capable of. It has that great intro by Scherrie and then dips dramatically when Mary begins singing.
I still regard this as a lost opportunity for the girls. It was so frustrating, and remains so almost 50 years down the line.

i think the choreography in the green gowns and on Dinah is MUCH preferred to the idiotic "fighting" they did other times where they were fighting over the guy. I thought the Dinah choreography was strongest. and for lip syncs, it's fine. but for live singing it's WAY too much. the girls would be breathless and out of tune trying to sing and dance.

it is cheesy but the sound it really sharp. Greg Wright did an amazing backing track and the 3 part harmony sounds super fresh. it's stronger IMO than the 3 part harmony on Stoned Love, which was excellent.

My understanding is that Mary/Pedro were pushing for her to be the lead. motown said no but sort of went along with dual lead with Scherrie. My guess is that they were ok with that on album tracks and in the shows but frankly wanted more Scherrie leads on the singles. Mary/pedro said "no" to It's All Been Said and really pushed HMM ,as it was the strongest Mary lead on a disco tune.

I’ve said said this before and I’ll repeat it again, what makes anyone think that a Scherrie led group was going to be successful and lift them into competition with the current girl groups. Do some really think a Scherrie led He’s My Man was going to be a big hit? Or even If “It’s All Been Said Before “ was going to be a hit? More than likely the same results would have played thru if this scenario were to happen.

my understanding is that motown had little interest in a Mary Wilson-led Supremes. whether it was 1970 or 1974 or 1977. She also mentions many things along these lines throughout Sup Faith - the story of how she wanted to be lead in 73 when J and L left and motown wasn't interested. her story in the 80s of a meeting with Suzanne and how in the meeting she received the first compliment on her voice and that they thought they might be able to do something with it.

According to fan dialog/gossip, when J and L left, motown and berry assumed that the Sups were essentially disbanded and that the group and mary would just go away. mary didn't have any other options really available to her and so she kept touring with C and S. motown didn't really care because they got their % and were probably just waiting for things to fizzle out. but things didn't fizzle. the girls still had a relatively steady touring schedule and the reviews were much stronger for this lineup than the MJL one. The fans were still supporting the group and so Motown sort of went along with the idea of "ok - let's see if we can make something of this again."

M and S began splitting leads but i would guess this was NOT something motown was super excited about. sure a song or two could have some shared lead vocals or maybe a ballad or two for mary. in Sup Faith, mary also acknowledges her uncertainty with singing lead on songs intended for Scherrie.

It's All Been Said Before was scheduled for single #1 but apparently M and pedro insisted that a Mary lead/co-lead be issued instead. that pretty much drained what little enthusiasm motown had for the new group. Would IABSB be a #1 smash? probably not. would it have generated some interest? very possibly. maybe gone top 40. of course we'll never know for sure

people have brought up "well HMM was the only Mary co-lead single in the US and all of the rest were Scherrie." that is true. and one of those songs did sell better and chart higher than any song since spring 72. there was 0 promotion for Where Do I Go. Mary and Pedro were running the group and causing problems with Motown staff. Maybe what mary and pedro were asking wasn't outlandish or a bad idea - i dont' know, wasn't there. but the politics of the situation were not being played properly. mary also mentions much of this - highlighting mistakes Pedro made and problems he had with the motown execs.

Walking was probably a hit by a total fluke. it's an amazing dance song and the gay fans and disco fans had been supportive of the group's recent efforts anyway. so here comes this sensational song and it's a relative hit.

if there was ANY hope of a modicum of motown support and effort, Mary/Pedro should have jumped at the chance to have motown run things post Walking. get some label support to help the HE album go a bit further and also to support the follow up.

i realize this is mostly speculation. we have mary's book, fan recollections, a few quotes from Scherrie here and there. hard to come up with a conclusive answer to these nagging questions. I've just tried to assemble what is available and interpret things the best i can.

I always liked the song well enough. I think Mary did rather well on lead, adding a certain sexiness to the vocals. There was always too much choreography in the group during the MSC and MSS days. There were a number of very good songs on the 1975 LP. I wouldn't have chosen Where Do I Go From Here as the second single, I found the harmony to not be very good and it sounded unpolished compared to everything else and this grouping had one of the best harmonies of any grouping. Don't forget it was 2 years since the last single, by 1973 the mass public had even lost track of JML and since Motown wasn't keen on reviving the group, having Mary sing any lead except an occasional album track, they didn't like Pedro and since Jean sounded very slightly like Diana the mass public knew it was the Supremes even when Jean was on lead [[I have heard DJs attribute Stoned Love to Diana Ross & The Supremes) so both Scherrie & Mary were not the lead voices expected by the mass public. I think He's My Man is a pretty good song and single for the Supremes, from the concert recordings I have heard the way they played it out with them playfighting over whose man he was was kind of hokey. Still, it was so welcomed to hear them back and they did sound exciting compared to the last JML efforts. I think if Berry and Motown had really still been behind them, the whole thing would have done much better and been better received. Honestly, the first record I bought was Up The Ladder but when Jean left and Scherrie joined and Mary started singing some leads I was far more excited as I thought they were glamourous and talented with alot of excitement. I think He's My Man was just fine as a start for this new era in the group.

I remember my first time hearing this song and thinking OMG listen to that child doing those Tarzan yells. I fell in love with Scherrie Payne right then and there. Mary does a real good job here and you can tell she had come out of her cocoon but I agree with most that Scherrie should have taken the lead. I do remember hearing it on the radio but I do mot remember hearing it in the club.

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Originally Posted by blackguy69

I’ve said said this before and I’ll repeat it again, what makes anyone think that a Scherrie led group was going to be successful and lift them into competition with the current girl groups. Do some really think a Scherrie led He’s My Man was going to be a big hit? Or even If “It’s All Been Said Before “ was going to be a hit? More than likely the same results would have played thru if this scenario were to happen.

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You have indeed said it before and i have little doubt you will say it again given the chance, but i stand by my opinion that a Scherrie led He's my man would probably have sounded more appealing and more commercial than a Mary led version.
Personally i think Motown were probably correct in wanting It's all been said before as the 1st single. It was so catchy and perfect top 40 radio fodder back in 75. Hopefully the song would have been a decent size hit which could have been followed by a Scherrie led He's my man as the 2nd single. We will never know of course, but i really do think the girls could have got the final phase of their career off to a good start with these singles. However Mary and Pedro were having none of it and we ended up with a half hearted vocal performance and the song flopped spectacularly all over the world. Even reaching no.1 on the fledgling disco chart failed to halt the disastrous sales of the single and the album.
Such a wasted opportunity.

He's My Man was a great record with all the right elements for 1975 and a great showcase for Sherry's intro. The follow ups were poorly chosen and they missed an opportunity with Color My World Blue. Of course radio play was critical. I never heard He's My Man on the radio but I did catch the radio commercial for the album including a snip of Color My World Blue. There were plenty of tv performances but no support from Motown as for radio. Or maybe it was the stations themselves??? Such a great moment when they came back with Cindy. Scherrie is one knockout singer!

Motown wasn’t backing them up when Jean was doing most of the leads so how would it be any different if it was Scherrie

And for those who have forgotten. the Mary, Scherrie, Susaye album was the only Supremes album that had Scherrie doing most of the lead and gotten more promotion that the others and you saw how it performed.

Just my opinion here but I just feel Scherrie Payne was more of a commercial singer than Jean Terrell and yes Jean was a dynamite singer. I think Scherrie's voice would continue to attract more of that cross over crowd. Once I knew who she was I went right to the Glass House music and I knew right away why Mary picked her and Lamont Dozier recommended her.

He's My Man reached 69 on the Billboard R & B chart and 77 on the Cashbox R & B Chart. The song may have reached number 1 on some regional disco charts.

The Supremes 1975 album peaked at 152 on the Top 200 Billboard album chart and at #25 on the Billboard R & B Album Chart. Mary Scherrie & Susaye did not chart on the Top 200 album chart.

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Originally Posted by captainjames

Just my opinion here but I just feel Scherrie Payne was more of a commercial singer than Jean Terrell and yes Jean was a dynamite singer. I think Scherrie's voice would continue to attract more of that cross over crowd. Once I knew who she was I went right to the Glass House music and I knew right away why Mary picked her and Lamont Dozier recommended her.

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I love them both, but i do agree with you regarding the commercial viability of Scherrie's voice. The MSC line up should have hit the ground running had there been better decisions made with the choice of single and choice of lead vocalist.

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Originally Posted by blackguy69

Motown wasn’t backing them up when Jean was doing most of the leads so how would it be any different if it was Scherrie

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Jean could be a VERY stubborn person and had VERY definite ideas of what she did/didn't like, would/wouldn't do. again, based on fan recollections, suffice it to say that Jean wasn't always the easiest person to work with. and that's what this all is - work. this was their jobs. Just like in an office if you have someone that's an asshole or a real pain to work with, people are going to avoid it. part of the issue with the Jean era might have been that.

Does that mean motown was chomping at the bit for a new, fresh supremes? no. definitely not. but motown was lacking a strong disco act. Disco, by definition, had a glam aspect to it. and glam and Supremes were synonymous. so if they could recharge the old Sup brand and get a few disco hits, great. but apparently the feeling within the company was not in favor of Mary being the lead singer and once she brought Pedro onboard, they didn't seem too in favor of mary running the group.

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Originally Posted by captainjames

Just my opinion here but I just feel Scherrie Payne was more of a commercial singer than Jean Terrell and yes Jean was a dynamite singer. I think Scherrie's voice would continue to attract more of that cross over crowd. Once I knew who she was I went right to the Glass House music and I knew right away why Mary picked her and Lamont Dozier recommended her.

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i think both Jean and Scherrie had very commercial voices in the studio. the released material is mostly quite excellent and you can hear their individual talents shine through while not getting too crazy with things or too overboard.

Live is another matter. Jean would very often deviate wildly from the melody line of her lead parts. have you ever tried to sing along with any of the bootleg versions of Stoned love live? if you attempt to sing the lead line as it was on the album to her live version, you're essentially singing two completely different parts. in a concert, people like to sing along with the songs they know.

Scherrie was much better about maintaining a melody but we have so few clips of her where she's audible. not sure if it's just the 1,000th generation of a bootleg tape that's the issue or her mic was always low.

They weren’t doing Mary any favors even before Pedro took over in 75. When Motown told her she had part of the lead im sure they were thinking it was only to appease her . I’m sure that she knew any material that she recorded and end up on an album was gonna be just that, another cut on the album. If Mary was really demanding to be lead, then Hes my Man wouldn’t have been the only single released with her lead vocals as an A side. If you really think Mary and/or Pedro had that much power to get Motown to release HMM then they would have pushed for more. And you’re giving them too much credit. I do think Scherrie is a very dynamic singer and deserves to be featured but at the same time for Mary to just do a lead on 2 on albums and on stage is putting her in the same position of the Jean years. Sooner or later Mary was going to emerge and when did you think that should occur?

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Originally Posted by sup_fan

Jean could be a VERY stubborn person and had VERY definite ideas of what she did/didn't like, would/wouldn't do. again, based on fan recollections, suffice it to say that Jean wasn't always the easiest person to work with. and that's what this all is - work. this was their jobs. Just like in an office if you have someone that's an asshole or a real pain to work with, people are going to avoid it. part of the issue with the Jean era might have been that.

Does that mean motown was chomping at the bit for a new, fresh supremes? no. definitely not. but motown was lacking a strong disco act. Disco, by definition, had a glam aspect to it. and glam and Supremes were synonymous. so if they could recharge the old Sup brand and get a few disco hits, great. but apparently the feeling within the company was not in favor of Mary being the lead singer and once she brought Pedro onboard, they didn't seem too in favor of mary running the group.

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1975 was several years later. Ewart Abner [[who had been Pres during the jean years) was gone. jean was gone. musical landscape had changed and disco was becoming hot. now i agree that none of the guarantees that if Scherrie had been HMM lead things would have been any different. but things were different and so it is possible that had different decisions been made, outcomes could have shifted

He’s My Man wasn’t a strong enough song to be a big hit - Diana could have returned for it and it wouldn’t have been a huge hit

I would have to agree with you

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Originally Posted by jobeterob

He’s My Man wasn’t a strong enough song to be a big hit - Diana could have returned for it and it wouldn’t have been a huge hit

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I like the song as it is with Mary and Scherrie sharing lead but have to agree that it , probably, would never have been a big hit even if Scherrie did the full lead. The shared Mary/ Scherrie lead makes it, for me, easier to listen to the song. I think if either Mary or Scherrie did the full lead I'd listen to it less. It's the same with the full lead of Mary and Scherrie singing You're whats missing in my life on the Final sessions set. I prefer the released duet version.

There seems to be a lot of footage of the girls singing He's my Man on tv and still the song didn't make it to the top 100. Songs like Automatically sunshine, Nathan Jones and Floy Joy were not or hardly on tv but still managed to get into the top 20/40. Was there really such a huge difference in promotion between say 71,72 and 75 that a non televised song, like Nathan Jones or Floy Joy, would do so much better?

Radio makes a difference. A group can be in tv performing it countless times, but if you can catch it on the radio while you’re getting ready in the morning, it might as well be a flop

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Originally Posted by TYK1986

I like the song as it is with Mary and Scherrie sharing lead but have to agree that it , probably, would never have been a big hit even if Scherrie did the full lead. The shared Mary/ Scherrie lead makes it, for me, easier to listen to the song. I think if either Mary or Scherrie did the full lead I'd listen to it less. It's the same with the full lead of Mary and Scherrie singing You're whats missing in my life on the Final sessions set. I prefer the released duet version.

There seems to be a lot of footage of the girls singing He's my Man on tv and still the song didn't make it to the top 100. Songs like Automatically sunshine, Nathan Jones and Floy Joy were not or hardly on tv but still managed to get into the top 20/40. Was there really such a huge difference in promotion between say 71,72 and 75 that a non televised song, like Nathan Jones or Floy Joy, would do so much better?

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