Mary Wilson Son of a Preacher’s Man 1969

[blackguy69]

just saw this

[marv2]

I love it! They should have finished it, cleaned it up and included it on an album. I'm always happy to hear Supremes demos with Mary on the lead. She did several in 1969 that I've heard. One was "Send Him to Me". Thank you Blackguy69! Thank you Weslley!

[luke]

The Soulful Supreme!

[marv2]

The Soulful Supreme!

Super Soul Sister!

[BayouMotownMan]

If you can listen to this and call it music Marv then you need to be turned on to Yoko Ono

[daviddh]

i think this to fast for her. but I do think if the right mix was used it could have worked well. I do like it.thanks for sharing this

[thommg]

This sounds like a run through performance to me, not a finished vocal. Still, I'm always glad to have a Mary Wilson performance. It does seem a bit too fast and, if slowed down a bit, would certainly have been more sultry and more to Mary's strength at the time.

[Boogiedown]

Makes me wonder how much better ode to Billie joe might have been

[vgalindo]

This was not very good at all. I can see why it was never finished and released! I could barely get through it one time.

[marv2]

This sounds like a run through performance to me, not a finished vocal. Still, I'm always glad to have a Mary Wilson performance. It does seem a bit too fast and, if slowed down a bit, would certainly have been more sultry and more to Mary's strength at the time.

Same here. This is clearly a first take of demo, but I'm still glad to hear it after all these years.

[BayouMotownMan]

One of the worst, most amateurish recordings in history. She couldn't even hit the notes

[PeaceNHarmony]

Can't find this but LC from her July 18 river freebee came up on YT and she's worse than I'd imagined.

[vgalindo]

One of the worst, most amateurish recordings in history. She couldn't even hit the notes

I agree. Just horrible!!

[BayouMotownMan]

Wasn't it awful. Reading the lyrics from Imagine. So unprofessional. Giving her band dirty looks for drowning her out

[DMCFAN]

The video of that on YouTube is pretty astonishing.

[antceleb12]

Come on, some of you guys are being a little harsh. It's not the best, but I think it's a little unfair to be so critical of a rough draft, first-take demo on which the vocal was likely just meant to be a run-through. I doubt Mary was expecting her take here on a demo to be solid.

[khansperac]

It wasn’t the worst thing I’ve ever heard. With that said it seems like everyone is really going with the “First take demo” angle. Lol. I guess if it’s repeated enough, it becomes truth online.

[khansperac]

Wasn't it awful. Reading the lyrics from Imagine. So unprofessional. Giving her band dirty looks for drowning her out

.

Oh my goodness. Just looked that video up. Talk about dirty looks. Pun intended. She even walked off with an attitude. It must be difficult when you want everything to be perfect and it’s not.

[PeaceNHarmony]

Wasn't it awful. Reading the lyrics from Imagine. So unprofessional. Giving her band dirty looks for drowning her out

That entire river performance is: One. Hot. Mess. I can understand that Wilson's negligible voice has failed her in her senior-citizen years [[*hit happens) but it's difficult to understand that after 60 years and her formative years spent with the legendary Motown training methods she still has no stage presence or stagecraft skill whatsoever.

[bradsupremes]

It wasn’t the worst thing I’ve ever heard. With that said it seems like everyone is really going with the “First take demo” angle. Lol. I guess if it’s repeated enough, it becomes truth online.

I really don't want to get into this conversation as I try to avoid the drama, but I think it needs to be clarified that this was a first take scratch vocal. Mary was marking her way thru the song. This was done on a lot of tracks and most first takes were erased or dubbed over when the artist would do a second or third vocal take. This track didn't get to that stage. Also this was cut in a key too high for Mary. It's possible the track was cut in Diana's key and intended for her. This doesn't diminish Mary's talent or ability to sing. A good example would be Diana's "Somewhere Over The Rainbow." The track was too high for her and her vocal is unpleasant and at points irritating to listen to. That doesn't mean Diana was a bad singer. All singers are going to sound bad if it's not in their key. I believe if "Son Of A Preacher Man" had been cut in a lower key, a little bit slower, and Mary had a little more practice with it, it'd sound very good. Just my thoughts on this.

[lucky2012]

I really don't want to get into this conversation as I try to avoid the drama, but I think it needs to be clarified that this was a first take scratch vocal. Mary was marking her way thru the song. This was done on a lot of tracks and most first takes were erased or dubbed over when the artist would do a second or third vocal take. This track didn't get to that stage. Also this was cut in a key too high for Mary. It's possible the track was cut in Diana's key and intended for her. This doesn't diminish Mary's talent or ability to sing. A good example would be Diana's "Somewhere Over The Rainbow." The track was too high for her and her vocal is unpleasant and at points irritating to listen to. That doesn't mean Diana was a bad singer. All singers are going to sound bad if it's not in their key. I believe if "Son Of A Preacher Man" had been cut in a lower key, a little bit slower, and Mary had a little more practice with it, it'd sound very good. Just my thoughts on this.

^Thank you. I totally agree with you.

[sup_fan]

this is why we fans can't have nice things lolol

Andy and the team have always said they are not willing to release things that would portray any of the girls in a poor light. IF this actually is just a quick demo, of course that explains part of why the performance is the way it is. of course it would very interesting to hear an actual finished performance then and compare. or what other tracks did Mary record at this session and hear what she was working on.

i would be happy to hear all of these simply to learn more of what they did and what worked/didn't work

but of course some fans take things like this and use it as a weapon

[RanRan79]

but of course some fans take things like this and use it as a weapon

Yup. And some of them have the nerve to throw stones at He Who Shall Not Be Named. Far be it for me to defend him, but it is very clear that he is not alone in his ridiculous antics. He just happens to be on one side while they're on another. And I'm starting to notice that the side always taking shots at Wilson are outnumbering the side taking shots at Ross. Hmmm.

[RanRan79]

I really don't want to get into this conversation as I try to avoid the drama, but I think it needs to be clarified that this was a first take scratch vocal. Mary was marking her way thru the song. This was done on a lot of tracks and most first takes were erased or dubbed over when the artist would do a second or third vocal take. This track didn't get to that stage. Also this was cut in a key too high for Mary. It's possible the track was cut in Diana's key and intended for her. This doesn't diminish Mary's talent or ability to sing. A good example would be Diana's "Somewhere Over The Rainbow." The track was too high for her and her vocal is unpleasant and at points irritating to listen to. That doesn't mean Diana was a bad singer. All singers are going to sound bad if it's not in their key. I believe if "Son Of A Preacher Man" had been cut in a lower key, a little bit slower, and Mary had a little more practice with it, it'd sound very good. Just my thoughts on this.

Thanks Brad. That makes sense.

[cornybside]

That entire river performance is: One. Hot. Mess. I can understand that Wilson's negligible voice has failed her in her senior-citizen years [[*hit happens) but it's difficult to understand that after 60 years and her formative years spent with the legendary Motown training methods she still has no stage presence or stagecraft skill whatsoever.

I have seen Ms Wilson many times in the past, even as recent as the last couple of years, and she always puts on a solid show. Unfortunately I was taken aback to see these recent videos of her in Detroit, as well as the previous ones of her in New York at Westbury. Something does not seem right. She seems a bit out of focus and scattered as of recent. I don't know whether to chalk it up to aging? God Bless her for still doing her thing after all of these years and doing her Supreme best. But it does seem out of character for her, almost like she is "over it" and wants to throw in the towel and call it a day. Just the vibe I am getting, as I read a recent interview where she said something to the affect of she wishes she was no longer having to perform and travel at this age, but then went on to say she is thankful for her career and the opportunities she gets to perform. I hope I am wrong and I hope she is well, health-wise. I only wish her the best.

[BayouMotownMan]

I have seen Ms Wilson many times in the past, even as recent as the last couple of years, and she always puts on a solid show. Unfortunately I was taken aback to see these recent videos of her in Detroit, as well as the previous ones of her in New York at Westbury. Something does not seem right. She seems a bit out of focus and scattered as of recent. I don't know whether to chalk it up to aging? God Bless her for still doing her thing after all of these years and doing her Supreme best. But it does seem out of character for her, almost like she is "over it" and wants to throw in the towel and call it a day. Just the vibe I am getting, as I read a recent interview where she said something to the affect of she wishes she was no longer having to perform and travel at this age, but then went on to say she is thankful for her career and the opportunities she gets to perform. I hope I am wrong and I hope she is well, health-wise. I only wish her the best.

Miss Wilson is indeed dependent on performing as an income. I noticed on the NYC video she seemed unsteady on her feet as well.

Her "fan"'s assertion that she is a millionaire is totally false.