Would things have been different for the Four Tops if H-D-H had stayed at Motown

[Philles/Motown Gary]

why would Motown reward THEM? Do you honestly feel that Motown would jeopardize their #1 and #3 money makers’ fortunes to be that petty? I sincerely doubt it. Remember that The Supremes had not hit #1 since Flo left, And the prior single, In & Out was a bust that barely hit the top ten for a brief minute, and The Tops hadn’t been top ten in a year.....no way wouldvMotown sabotage these groups to make a point. Both singles were not that commercial - both were weak, IMHO, I like them, yes, but hit material? NFW. I hate the sound of the bg on FCT - they needed Mary and Flo or a sweeter sound from The A’s.

I don’t know if that’s true or not, but it doesn’t have that HDH gloss to me.

Well, MotownManiac, I honestly don't know what to think. I merely offered that view as a possibility which, for all I know, may very well have been true -- especially if Berry were in a vengeful mood toward HDH having defected. When Diana demanded creative freedom, Berry stopped financing her exhorbitant shows to teach her a lesson that with freedom comes responsibility. She would have to finance her shows herself. If Berry would risk decreasing the quality of his top artist's live shows, he may have gambled the same risk to "Forever Came Today" and "I'm In A Different World" in order to punish HDH. Who knows? It's a shame because I love both of those records -- especially "FCT". I also love the back-up vocals.

[TheMotownManiac]

Well, MotownManiac, I honestly don't know what to think. I merely offered that view as a possibility which, for all I know, may very well have been true -- especially if Berry were in a vengeful mood toward HDH having defected. When Diana demanded creative freedom, Berry stopped financing her exhorbitant shows to teach her a lesson that with freedom comes responsibility. She would have to finance her shows herself. If Berry would risk decreasing the quality of his top artist's live shows, he may have gambled the same risk to "Forever Came Today" and "I'm In A Different World" in order to punish HDH. Who knows? It's a shame because I love both of those records -- especially "FCT". I also love the back-up vocals.

there is nothing in BG’s DNA to suggest he would mess with the sanctity of his top acts just to show HDH that not all of their songs are hits - they already knew that and the relative failure of those singles would prove nothing at all except even they were not perfect. Anyway, I disagree with you that there’s even a snowballs chance in hell he blew those two records on purpose. With The Happening not going top ten Black, then Reflections not going to #1, then In & Out a dismal #16 Black, that was a warning sign and he needed FCT to anchor the Reflections album since the title song had been off the charts for nearly 6 months. There was simply too much riding on it to afford two weak singles in a row and selling the new line-up. Just my opinion.

Do do you know what the bgs are singing in FCT? If so, please advise as I cannot get them at all during the change.

Berry stopped financing Diana’s live shows because she wasn’t making any money on them - and was wondering why she was selling out at top prices everywhere and her money still seemed a mystery. Those lavish shows were Berry’s productions - as soon as a Ross took over, she began to whittle them down. By the time she left Motown, she was basically the show. Period. GenevSimmons helped her realize how majorally she had been screwed over by Motown. She was touring arenas and basically was in salary - if even that since she couldn’t get a real accounting of anything.