Quote Originally Posted by sup_fan View Post
one thing that's puzzled me [[and maybe i'm taking to modern of an outlook on it) is that why in the 70s the supremes didn't have more voice in what they would record or what they would release. Sure i get it during the 60s - they were young AND berry was managing every step of Diana's career. but by the 70s i would have thought Mary at least would have had a bit more voice in the direction of things. maybe not releases but certainly of their concert material. which by late 72 was questionable at best. Seems like she really took things over post Jean and Lynda. wonder what might have happened had they done this together while Jean was in the group

or maybe that was part of the problem - with the conflicts between M and J, maybe they just couldn't take a unified direction on the group. I do also wonder if Mary wasn't instrumental in the lack of updating of their style and approach. She's said herself that she loved the glamour and glitz. maybe she was a significant part of the reluctance to become more in tune with the times
I think Berry had little respect for Mary or her opinions. Anyway, I doubt that she had the vision to lead the group. She certainly wasn’t able to when Pedro took over. Lynda was the most savvy of the lot, and had she stayed, things might have improved. What they needed was a manager with vision and they didn’t have it. Certainly Berry had no idea how to appeal to the 70s market - he was a rock n roller era dude. It’s sad cuz we all wanted our 2-For-1 stock split as promised, as evidenced by discussing what ifs for 5 decades later. TCB dresses in the sandbox says a lot. They should have refused and Jean should have refused to wear DR&TS gowns as identifiable as the green swirls, not to mention they were so hopelessly out of date. What were they thinking? Those gowns were brilliant 1968 pop art - not 1972 funk or granola. Geesh. No vision at all.

Gladys was a wise musician and business savvy. They needed someone like her to ask the tough questions, but I’m guessing maybe both Jean and Lynda did and that’s why they split. They knew they were not making any real money.