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  1. #1

    Question What Supremes songs does Mary Wilson typically sing in her solo sets?

    I haven't had much experience with Mary's solo years post-Supremes, and I have yet to see her live. What does a typical modern Mary Wilson set typically consist of? The only full concert I've listened to from her was her first solo outing and a few clips of the Supremes hit medleys she's done over the years.



    Does she ever sing the great ballads she did post-Diana? Do fans ever get to hear Supremes Mary Wilson solos like The Tears and anything else besides their most obvious hits? It just seems strange to me that Mary insists on singing many of the Supremes songs she either wasn't present on or sang backup. I have no problem with other Supremes members singing lead on tracks they weren't originally lead or present on -- once a Supreme, always a Supreme, and I'll never take away those ladies' rights to sing the songs that made the group famous. I don't even have an issue with Mary singing Diana's tracks, but I just find it odd that I never hear her singing all the great lesser-known Supremes songs that feature her on lead even though they are out there. Even if the crowd isn't familiar with certain singles and album cuts, Mary could certainly educate the crowd with song about why those tunes were great.

    To me, Mary Wilson is synonymous with a sexy, understated alto that really came into its own in the 1970s when she was given more of a spotlight after Ross left. While her singles and tracks never reached the recognition Diana, Jean, and Scherrie achieved, Mary gracefully handled her songs and verses like a champ. From your folks' knowledge, has Mary ever publicly performed some of the lesser-known songs she's solo'd on? Does she ever sing songs from her solo albums as well?

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    I've seen Mary in concert several times. While I can't exactly remember the sets, I'm pretty sure that "Love Child", "Stop!", and "My World is Empty" have been in her shows consistently.

    The first few times I saw her, she performed "Walk the Line". The last time I saw her, she did not.

    I've seen clips of her doing 70's hits like "Stoned Love", "Nathan Jones", and "Floy Joy", but I don't ever recall myself personally ever seeing her perform these live.

    I guess it depends which Mary Wilson you see: she does a "rock" show, a "symphony" show, and an "Up Close" show. I assume the sets and song choices differ for each one.

    I've always though Mary should include "Red Hot" in all of her appearances.

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    Mary Wilson's set does differ depending on the venue. I have seen her a few times and in 1984 she sang "Red Hot", after that she sang "Walk the Line". I have heard her sing "Bad Weather" and "River Deep Mountain High" in concert. I have not heard her do much of the 1970's songs nor any of her leads , she used to sing her solo "Can't Take MY Eyes Off Of You" years ago. I have seen clips of her singing "Floy Joy" in the UK from a few years ago. I have only seen her a handful of times but mostly they are Supremes songs from the 1960's along with Non-Motown songs where she shines like Fields of Gold, I Am Changing, et al.

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    She does a superb rendition of........"Don't Know Why"


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    Quote Originally Posted by jim aka jtigre99 View Post
    Mary Wilson's set does differ depending on the venue. I have seen her a few times and in 1984 she sang "Red Hot", after that she sang "Walk the Line". I have heard her sing "Bad Weather" and "River Deep Mountain High" in concert. I have not heard her do much of the 1970's songs nor any of her leads , she used to sing her solo "Can't Take MY Eyes Off Of You" years ago. I have seen clips of her singing "Floy Joy" in the UK from a few years ago. I have only seen her a handful of times but mostly they are Supremes songs from the 1960's along with Non-Motown songs where she shines like Fields of Gold, I Am Changing, et al.
    Her set has changed many times over the years. She does three types of concerts, Supremes/Rock, Symphony, Jazz [[Up Close Shows). Her current show is a combination along with a conversation with the audience feature she debut at the Apollo late last year.

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    She usually nails these three early and upfront:


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    Sat. the 24th in Daytona Beach she did great versions of "Baby Love, Come See About Me" Stop In The Name of Love" "My World Is Empty" "Love Child" She did a rousing version of some Jennifer Hudson[[?) song from DreamGirls that she got a standing ovation, she has such a great personality that really shines on stage.

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    Quote Originally Posted by motony View Post
    Sat. the 24th in Daytona Beach she did great versions of "Baby Love, Come See About Me" Stop In The Name of Love" "My World Is Empty" "Love Child" She did a rousing version of some Jennifer Hudson[[?) song from DreamGirls that she got a standing ovation, she has such a great personality that really shines on stage.
    The song from Dreamgirls is "I Am Changing". I wished I could have been there.

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    Mary dedicated that song to Flo.

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    When I saw her live in 2003 she only did the 60's hits, but she's been known to do "Stoned Love", "River Deep-Mountain High", "Floy Joy" and "Bad Weather". I saw a clip from the last few years where a fan in the audience asked her to sing "Touch". She laughed and sang the first few words, but didn't have the music to do the whole song.

    This is roughly the order of the set she did in 2003. The concert ran about an hour. Only time I've seen Mary live, but she put on an amazing show.

    Love Child
    My World Is Empty Without You
    Reflections [[she made a point to say she recorded this song with Florence Ballard and Diana Ross)
    Fields of Gold
    You Are So Beautiful To Me
    Come See About Me/Back In My Arms Again/You Can't Hurry Love
    Love Is Like An Itching In My Heart
    Brown Sugar
    Someday We'll Be Together
    Dancing In the Street
    Walk The Line
    Baby Love/You Keep Me Hangin' On/Stop! In the Name of Love
    Last Dance
    God Bless America [[it was a 4th of July show)

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    Mary rarely does the same show twice in a row, there are always some variations but the show stoppers are always there. And there are several of them.

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    It all depends on the venue. She has her set shows [[Supremes/Rock, Symphony, Upclose). Most of the time it’s the Supremes/Rock show. I saw her do the Symphony show with the Detroit Symphony which was pretty amazing. She did a specialty show with the Columbus Jazz Orchestra with arrangements specifically for that show that I don’t think she’s used in other venues. I’ve also seen her incorporate some of her Upclose songs into her Supremes/Rock show. She usually doesn’t do the 70’s hits here in the US. She’ll do those in the UK.

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    I saw Mary twice in the last year. Both times she sang I Don’t Know Why And I am changing and speaks about if Flo were alive Flo would be singing the latter and she’s always going to sing it to remember Flo. She sang Reflections, Love Child and My world is Empty both times and Walk the Line. At one show she did a fantastic performance of Life’s Been Good to me. She never sang any 60s songs she led on. Would love to hear her do The Tears and Breathtaking Guy, Baby dont Go etc!

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    That's quite interesting... but I've heard the same too.

    Like she'll do the Supremes stuff first, then a rock show, then a jazz show and do other genre songs in between...

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    Quote Originally Posted by luke View Post
    I saw Mary twice in the last year. Both times she sang I Don’t Know Why And I am changing and speaks about if Flo were alive Flo would be singing the latter and she’s always going to sing it to remember Flo. She sang Reflections, Love Child and My world is Empty both times and Walk the Line. At one show she did a fantastic performance of Life’s Been Good to me. She never sang any 60s songs she led on. Would love to hear her do The Tears and Breathtaking Guy, Baby dont Go etc!
    Ive never bought that line that FLo would be singing I am Changing if she was still alive. Its simply a good set up to a show stopping song.

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    Lol I Am Changing was about Effie White. Even Jennifer Holliday claimed Flo wasn't based on Effie White [[on her Unsung, she brought up the fact that Jennifer Hudson thanked Florence Ballard, and not her [[Holliday) for winning the Golden Globe [[she did thank her at the Oscars IIRC though) saying "this wasn't about Florence Ballard, it was about Effie White"). Also IIRC, after Dreamgirls [[the film) came out, I think the original Broadway cast of Dreamgirls [[not just Jennifer, but also Sheryl Lee Ralph, Loretta Devine, etc.) took offense to Smokey, Martha & Mary claiming it was "just like Motown". Inspiration is one thing but you can't stop some folks from seeing it how they wanna see it.

    Nonetheless it's a great song and Mary does a great rendition regardless.

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    Quote Originally Posted by motony View Post
    Mary dedicated that song to Flo.
    She use to sing "Don't Let My Teardrops Bother You" as a tribute to Flo.

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    I remember beginning in 1989, Mary would perform "I Can't Get Enough of Your Love", "Piano in the Dark" and "A Bad Case of Loving You" by Robert Palmer.

    in the early 2000s, she would do this very dramatic opening singing "Coming Out of the Dark".

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    Quote Originally Posted by luke View Post
    I saw Mary twice in the last year. Both times she sang I Don’t Know Why And I am changing and speaks about if Flo were alive Flo would be singing the latter and she’s always going to sing it to remember Flo. She sang Reflections, Love Child and My world is Empty both times and Walk the Line. At one show she did a fantastic performance of Life’s Been Good to me. She never sang any 60s songs she led on. Would love to hear her do The Tears and Breathtaking Guy, Baby dont Go etc!
    Yeah I know what you mean. Since Effie the character in Dreamgirls sang "I Am Changing" and everyone knows that she was based on Florence Ballard, I could see Flo singing that song if she were here now.

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    Quote Originally Posted by midnightman View Post
    Lol I Am Changing was about Effie White. Even Jennifer Holliday claimed Flo wasn't based on Effie White [[on her Unsung, she brought up the fact that Jennifer Hudson thanked Florence Ballard, and not her [[Holliday) for winning the Golden Globe [[she did thank her at the Oscars IIRC though) saying "this wasn't about Florence Ballard, it was about Effie White"). Also IIRC, after Dreamgirls [[the film) came out, I think the original Broadway cast of Dreamgirls [[not just Jennifer, but also Sheryl Lee Ralph, Loretta Devine, etc.) took offense to Smokey, Martha & Mary claiming it was "just like Motown". Inspiration is one thing but you can't stop some folks from seeing it how they wanna see it.

    Nonetheless it's a great song and Mary does a great rendition regardless.
    Jennifer Holliday is lying. She knows damned well that when they were in workshop for that show with Michael Bennett that it was written to have Effie die at the end of the first act! She raised all kinds of Hell about it because she did not want to exit the show so early on, so they change it to have Effie return triumphantly. They did not change it because of her screaming about it, it was changed because it was agreed that it was TOO much like what happened to Florence Ballard and the Supremes! Jennifer Hudson had it right.

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    Oh yeah, back in the early 90s.....90, 91', Mary use to do Sam & Dave's "Hold On I''m coming", the Rascals "Good Lovin" and her own recording, "One Night With You". She has always changed up her set list over time.

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    Marv, why do you think the producers were so uptight, at times , about saying it was based on the Supremes? ICopyright issues? And then in the movie they even replicated album covers of the Supremes 60s and 70 ones!

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    Quote Originally Posted by luke View Post
    Marv, why do you think the producers were so uptight, at times , about saying it was based on the Supremes? ICopyright issues? And then in the movie they even replicated album covers of the Supremes 60s and 70 ones!
    Lawsuits. The creators of Dreamgirls were very careful about crafting the story and characters in a way as so Motown, Gordy, Ross, Wilson, Ballard’s family, and Birdsong couldn’t sue them. They made sure to say publically it wasn’t about them. They knew exactly what they were doing. Ross, Gordy and Motown still had power then.

    Those who did the film were foolish to mix the Supremes story in and totally muddy the waters. Looking back, I don’t love the film version as much as I used to and I would frankly love to see it redone.

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    The film version sucks. PERIOD.

    The original Dreamgirls musical > the film.

    #Facts

    But thanks for clarifying about why the musical's writers had to work around making sure Motown didn't sue 'em. Diana had left Motown when Dreamgirls opened in December 1981 so I doubt she had THAT much power but Motown and Gordy sure did.

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    Quote Originally Posted by luke View Post
    Marv, why do you think the producers were so uptight, at times , about saying it was based on the Supremes? ICopyright issues? And then in the movie they even replicated album covers of the Supremes 60s and 70 ones!
    During the original Broadway run of the play, Diana Ross made it VERY well known that she was not happy with the play and that it was about HER life and they had turned it into "ice cream". She used the F-word is continuing on to describe her life as not being a "F-ing story" LOL! I was in college. I would laugh my ass off back then even when she would try to make everything about her ,when it really was more about Florence and "Them". By the time of the movie I guess they felt they got away with only going so far with the play that they took the chance and went all the way with the movie LOL! The movie really was not the Supremes story if you noticed the personalities of the main characters. Like, who was Beyonce suppose to be? LOL!

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    Quote Originally Posted by bradsupremes View Post
    Lawsuits. The creators of Dreamgirls were very careful about crafting the story and characters in a way as so Motown, Gordy, Ross, Wilson, Ballard’s family, and Birdsong couldn’t sue them. They made sure to say publically it wasn’t about them. They knew exactly what they were doing. Ross, Gordy and Motown still had power then.

    Those who did the film were foolish to mix the Supremes story in and totally muddy the waters. Looking back, I don’t love the film version as much as I used to and I would frankly love to see it redone.
    Yeah, they made the James Thunder Early character a composite of male Soul singers from the sixties. My guess they used James Brown, Wilson Pickett and Marvin Gaye to create James Early.

    I would rather see a Supremes movie finally done rather than another "Dreamgirls" film.

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    Quote Originally Posted by midnightman View Post
    The film version sucks. PERIOD.

    The original Dreamgirls musical > the film.

    #Facts

    But thanks for clarifying about why the musical's writers had to work around making sure Motown didn't sue 'em. Diana had left Motown when Dreamgirls opened in December 1981 so I doubt she had THAT much power but Motown and Gordy sure did.
    Diane had left Motown, but she was screaming all over New York City to anyone that would listen that she was very pissed about the play. They say she went to see it in disguise but always claimed she did not see it. Mary Wilson went to see it several times and cried each time she saw it.

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    I have said this before and I will say it again:

    I have a poster from Motown Records circa 1982 that says:

    THE SUPREME GIRLS.....Are they really the DREAM GIRLS?

    This is an advert to promote Diana Ross/Supremes records and tapes.

    In 1982, Berry and Smokey were still at Motown. And with ads like this, they used the success for "Dreamgirls" to sell their product, and promote their business.

    They can't have it both ways. You can't jump on the bandwagon when it benefits you, only to denounce it and threaten lawsuits.

    I've seen an interview with Smokey where he is LIVID about "Dreamgirls". He wasn't so livid when those albums and cassettes were lining his pockets.

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    Quote Originally Posted by marv2 View Post
    During the original Broadway run of the play, Diana Ross made it VERY well known that she was not happy with the play and that it was about HER life and they had turned it into "ice cream". She used the F-word is continuing on to describe her life as not being a "F-ing story" LOL! I was in college. I would laugh my ass off back then even when she would try to make everything about her ,when it really was more about Florence and "Them". By the time of the movie I guess they felt they got away with only going so far with the play that they took the chance and went all the way with the movie LOL! The movie really was not the Supremes story if you noticed the personalities of the main characters. Like, who was Beyonce suppose to be? LOL!
    Most straight guys I knew in college were pumpin iron or chasing girls. Only my gay friends even knew about Dreamgirls and how Diane Ross felt about the play.

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    Quote Originally Posted by marv2 View Post
    Diane had left Motown, but she was screaming all over New York City to anyone that would listen that she was very pissed about the play. They say she went to see it in disguise but always claimed she did not see it. Mary Wilson went to see it several times and cried each time she saw it.
    Mary ran to the red carpet for Extra TV for the Dreamgirls Movie premiere but once the check was cashed and spent she was back to sayin Dreamgirls the movie or the okay wasnt about The Supremes cause she didnt get paid a line shes been saying in her nightclub acts ever since. Hehehehehehe

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    Quote Originally Posted by Roberta75 View Post
    Most straight guys I knew in college were pumpin iron or chasing girls. Only my gay friends even knew about Dreamgirls and how Diane Ross felt about the play.
    and your point would be? good grief what's going on around here.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Boogiedown View Post
    and your point would be? good grief what's going on around here.
    I was just fasinated that he was so heavily involved in Dreamgirls and Diane Ross feelings about the play when hes at college. No harm meant at all.

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    Ain't nothing wrong with posting facts. Some folks are settled with being told lies. It's all good tho.

    ANYWAYS... back on topic, I wonder why Mary never did a show where it was not only vocally on point but also stylistically on point. Like when Janet Jackson did her '90s tours with all the extravaganza. Mary could've easily done that show.
    Last edited by midnightman; 02-28-2018 at 09:39 AM.

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    Quote Originally Posted by midnightman View Post
    Ain't nothing wrong with posting facts. Some folks are settled with being told lies. It's all good tho.
    xxxxxx������❤️❤️

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    Quote Originally Posted by midnightman View Post
    Lol I Am Changing was about Effie White. Even Jennifer Holliday claimed Flo wasn't based on Effie White [[on her Unsung, she brought up the fact that Jennifer Hudson thanked Florence Ballard, and not her [[Holliday) for winning the Golden Globe [[she did thank her at the Oscars IIRC though) saying "this wasn't about Florence Ballard, it was about Effie White"). Also IIRC, after Dreamgirls [[the film) came out, I think the original Broadway cast of Dreamgirls [[not just Jennifer, but also Sheryl Lee Ralph, Loretta Devine, etc.) took offense to Smokey, Martha & Mary claiming it was "just like Motown". Inspiration is one thing but you can't stop some folks from seeing it how they wanna see it.

    Nonetheless it's a great song and Mary does a great rendition regardless.
    The original DREAMGIRLS, as it appeared on Broadway was loosly based on the Supremes. Much like Law & Order episodes are ripped from the headlines and loosly based on that headline, the actual episode is fictional, just as Dreamgirls is fictional.
    I saw the show and saw many similarities, but I was not seeing the Supremes Life Story.

    When the movie came out, they went out of their way to make it Supreme based in that they even copied covers of the Supremes' records. If someone only saw the movie and not the play that it was based on, they could not help but think that they were seeing the Supremes' story. But it was fictional.

    Yes, it would be nice to see a movie or musical about the Supremes. But after Motown the Musical, and Dreamgirls, most people think that they already saw it

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    Quote Originally Posted by marybrewster View Post
    I have said this before and I will say it again:

    I have a poster from Motown Records circa 1982 that says:

    THE SUPREME GIRLS.....Are they really the DREAM GIRLS?

    This is an advert to promote Diana Ross/Supremes records and tapes.

    In 1982, Berry and Smokey were still at Motown. And with ads like this, they used the success for "Dreamgirls" to sell their product, and promote their business.

    They can't have it both ways. You can't jump on the bandwagon when it benefits you, only to denounce it and threaten lawsuits.

    I've seen an interview with Smokey where he is LIVID about "Dreamgirls". He wasn't so livid when those albums and cassettes were lining his pockets.
    Yeah and remember in 1982, Motown toyed with the idea of bringing the Supremes back with Mary Wilson, Scherrie Payne and Cindy Birdsong! Mary admits that she named her first book the way she did because they had "appropriated" the Supremes story for the play Dreamgirls.

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    From the end of last summer:


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    She always does this one in her current shows:


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    This is the song that I wished she would do, but she has never done in her shows. It did get radio play in NYC back when it was released:


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    Quote Originally Posted by marv2 View Post
    She always does this one in her current shows:

    If you grew up on a farm, you would know she sounds like a sick cow. Grandpa would have run to call the vet.

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    Quote Originally Posted by marv2 View Post
    She always does this one in her current shows:

    mary at her best: nailing it accepella, dealing with shouters and babies and making it all her own. She has truly become a great singer.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Boogiedown View Post
    and your point would be? good grief what's going on around here.
    Untreated mental illness.

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    Mary Wilson is a GREAT singer. I saw her LIVE last Saturday night. You can not name one of this newbreed group of catawallers that could even come close to Mary Wilsons natural talent.Plus she has real charisma that can't be taught or bought.

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    Quote Originally Posted by detmotownguy View Post
    Untreated mental illness.
    Thats real tacky and classless when you think of what happened at Parkland school in Florida. Shame on you,.

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