Did Mary and Flo Ever Perform As A Duo ?

[RanRan79]

I didn't realize The Girls were backing Kim on "Feel Alright." I've been systematically downloading all their background work, but this one escaped me. Thanks for the tip!

No prob Sansradio.

[RanRan79]

There is just so little to compare it to.

I may be misunderstanding the comment, so please straighten me out if necessary, but Barbara recorded quite a bit of material in the early days. The Meet the Supremes expanded is the best source for that. Not to mention the various background vocals for other artists. There's a sharp difference in sound from the background of a "Because I Love Him" and "Time Changes Things". Even during Barbara's tenure, when she apparently missed the "Those DJ Shows" session [[or whatever the issue was there), there's a drastic difference when Barbara is in the harmony and then what Flo and Mary are doing without her on "DJ Shows". Mary wrote that when she first heard Barbara sing it was clear she wasn't great [[which I suspect was Mary trying to tell the truth and remain nice about it). Barbara was a voice they could work with, but to my ears she was nobody's singer. Flo, Diana and Mary could really sing and that becomes even more clear when Barbara is gone.

[marv2]

I disagree slightly. I think the group got better when Barbara left. It's unfortunate that we don't have any known audio of the group with Betty, so there's nothing to compare that to. But IMO with Barbara in the harmony, they sound like your average teeny bopper girl group. Once Barbara was gone the harmonies seemed to get tighter and more sophisticated, and in many ways set them apart from the competition. In my mind the top best things to happen to the Supremes in the early years were:

1) Milton Jenkins no longer managing them
2) They refused to take "no" for an answer from Motown
3) Barbara left

Yeah, but they could not accurately produce three- part harmony after Barbara left which is one of the main reasons they would add the Andantes to the background with Mary and Flo on some records.

[bradsupremes]

Yeah, but they could not accurately produce three- part harmony after Barbara left which is one of the main reasons they would add the Andantes to the background with Mary and Flo on some records.

I don't know why Motown/HDH didn't have Diana record background with Mary & Flo more often like on the first version of "Heat Wave." They did it with the Temptations where all 5 of them went in and did backgrounds and then either Eddie, David or Paul would go in and do the lead.

[marv2]

I don't know why Motown/HDH didn't have Diana record background with Mary & Flo more often like on the first version of "Heat Wave." They did it with the Temptations where all 5 of them went in and did backgrounds and then either Eddie, David or Paul would go in and do the lead.

That is a good question because all 3 of the original Supremes would boast of their great harmonies at times and they were not kidding. For them not to be blood sisters, they sounded incredible when they harmonized together. Mary and Cindy were able to do that with Jean as well.

[detmotownguy]

I don't know why Motown/HDH didn't have Diana record background with Mary & Flo more often like on the first version of "Heat Wave." They did it with the Temptations where all 5 of them went in and did backgrounds and then either Eddie, David or Paul would go in and do the lead.

agreed, with Diane's higher register it added an extra dimension to the sound.

[sansradio]

No prob Sansradio.

Just to be clear, is the full title "Feel Alright Tonight"?

[RanRan79]

Yeah, but they could not accurately produce three- part harmony after Barbara left which is one of the main reasons they would add the Andantes to the background with Mary and Flo on some records.

I'd say they couldn't accurately produce it with Barbara either. LOL

[RanRan79]

I don't know why Motown/HDH didn't have Diana record background with Mary & Flo more often like on the first version of "Heat Wave." They did it with the Temptations where all 5 of them went in and did backgrounds and then either Eddie, David or Paul would go in and do the lead.

I said the same thing some posts ago. Perhaps HDH preferred Flo and Mary alone. What's interesting to me is that I think the two are fantastic on their own, like on "Come See About Me". They killed it. Didn't need anyone else help. And they continued to be able to sing at that level throughout 1965. So much great background work that year. But then 1966 rolls around and something is off. They have shining moments like "Satisfaction", but then sound a bit dull on quite a few of those Supremes A Go Go cuts. If there was ever a project where the three Supremes needed to hop into the background together, it was that one. Compare Mary and Flo's fantastic work on "You Keep Me Hangin' On" and then the Andantes great work on "Put Yourself In My Place" with Mary and Flo's dullness on something like "Blowing In the Wind" or "What the World Needs Now", both of which I think would have benefited from Diana singing with them.

[RanRan79]

Just to be clear, is the full title "Feel Alright Tonight"?

Yes that's the one.

[imakicola]

As far as I know she always she always said that we're the supremes. The only time I ever heard her use Diana Ross and the supremes was the farewell performance

Yes she used to always say hello I'm Diana ross and we are the supremes. But ed Sullivan would say here is diana ross and with her the supremes

[sansradio]

Yes that's the one.

Thank ya much, buddy!

[captainjames]

depending on what day it was, Ed would sometimes just say ,,,,,,Here they are ......The Girls.

[sansradio]

depending on what day it was, Ed would sometimes just say ,,,,,,Here they are ......The Girls.

Yep! Who can forget him introducing "Cindy Birdstone"? That Ed was a card.

[TomatoTom123]

Yep! Who can forget him introducing "Cindy Birdstone"? That Ed was a card.

LOL, I found it...