Love Train/Oh Happy Day Apollo Theater 1972 live

[blackguy69]

[sup_fan]

Miss Lynda lets it rip!!!

[marybrewster]

Too much over singing.....sounds like a bunch of screaming. Hot mess.

[blackguy69]

Wouldn’t say it was too much. They were feeling it. Thought it was cool to hear Mary go to church

[bradsupremes]

Too much over singing.....sounds like a bunch of screaming. Hot mess.

I agree. This does not sound good. Mary's "ooo's" and "yea's" went on for way too long and then it got incredibly messy with everyone trying to sing over each other. Reminds me of what would happen later during the MSS live shows. I know some will say they're just letting loose, but when they're all singing something different and you can't make out who is singing what...it's messy. I prefer the more structured, harmony centered version of "Love Train" done by MSC.

[RanRan79]

The sound quality is not very good so I would think it impossible to judge at all that they sound bad. Judging by the audience reaction though- at the Apollo no less- I'd say the Supremes were doing what they did best. Too bad they didn't keep with the feeling.

[sup_fan]

i have their full show from this Apollo engagement. and overall the show sounds pretty good, given the recording device used. of course the bigger problem was the set list:

TCB
60s Medley
Can't take my eyes off you/quiet nights
Stoned Love
I Guess I'll miss the man
60s medley #2
he Ain't heavy - Jean solo
Love Train/Happy day

the audience reaction was very positive throughout the show. and people really liked I Guess. They extended it a bit by repeating the second verse and the Oooos, which helped give a bit more substance to the song.

I love Lynda's brief lead in O Happy Day and how she let's it rip. too bad they didn't utilize her talents a bit more in their songs and shows.

[PeaceNHarmony]

i have their full show from this Apollo engagement. and overall the show sounds pretty good, given the recording device used. of course the bigger problem was the set list:

TCB
60s Medley
Can't take my eyes off you/quiet nights
Stoned Love
I Guess I'll miss the man
60s medley #2
he Ain't heavy - Jean solo
Love Train/Happy day

the audience reaction was very positive throughout the show. and people really liked I Guess. They extended it a bit by repeating the second verse and the Oooos, which helped give a bit more substance to the song.

I love Lynda's brief lead in O Happy Day and how she let's it rip. too bad they didn't utilize her talents a bit more in their songs and shows.

Sounds like an entertaining show but certainly with that set list not something that would lead the group any further. Hit-less lounge singers need to resort to out-dated covers, not a group trying to operate under the moniker of The Supremes. Anyone looking to identify a single reason for the group's demise can find it in this song selection.

[blackguy69]

i have their full show from this Apollo engagement. and overall the show sounds pretty good, given the recording device used. of course the bigger problem was the set list:

TCB
60s Medley
Can't take my eyes off you/quiet nights
Stoned Love
I Guess I'll miss the man
60s medley #2
he Ain't heavy - Jean solo
Love Train/Happy day

the audience reaction was very positive throughout the show. and people really liked I Guess. They extended it a bit by repeating the second verse and the Oooos, which helped give a bit more substance to the song.

I love Lynda's brief lead in O Happy Day and how she let's it rip. too bad they didn't utilize her talents a bit more in their songs and shows.

the set list isn’t bad but they have to get rid of TCB for a better opening number. With that said, this does show their willingness to vamp it up and not some lounge act. I guess some will always believe that Diana and Diana alone was the group

[sup_fan]

it also baffled me a bit that 1) jean was given a complete solo number and 2) that solo number was someone else's song. sure she did a great job of it but seems that they could have used some sort of Supremes song and made a solo number. also they were a GROUP so why a solo spotlight?

From what i understand, the Apollo shows were always an abbreviated set list as they did a bunch of shows a day and each performer's stage time was more brief than a stand-alone show. They were appearing there with Eddie Kendricks. Wonder if the girls and Eddie would have finished with a joint performance of I'm Gonna Make You Love Me. they did do that on their double-billed shows with the Temps, along with Rhythm of Life.

[blackguy69]

You can ask the same question when Diana did Didn’t We and My Man during their last tour as a group

[marv2]

it also baffled me a bit that 1) jean was given a complete solo number and 2) that solo number was someone else's song. sure she did a great job of it but seems that they could have used some sort of Supremes song and made a solo number. also they were a GROUP so why a solo spotlight?

From what i understand, the Apollo shows were always an abbreviated set list as they did a bunch of shows a day and each performer's stage time was more brief than a stand-alone show. They were appearing there with Eddie Kendricks. Wonder if the girls and Eddie would have finished with a joint performance of I'm Gonna Make You Love Me. they did do that on their double-billed shows with the Temps, along with Rhythm of Life.

I saw Mary Wilson sing with Eddie Kendricks and David Ruffin, along with Mary's singers one New Year's Eve. They sang "Someday We'll Be Together" and "Auld Lang Syne". We wanted them to sing "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me" though.

[marv2]

i have their full show from this Apollo engagement. and overall the show sounds pretty good, given the recording device used. of course the bigger problem was the set list:

TCB
60s Medley
Can't take my eyes off you/quiet nights
Stoned Love
I Guess I'll miss the man
60s medley #2
he Ain't heavy - Jean solo
Love Train/Happy day

the audience reaction was very positive throughout the show. and people really liked I Guess. They extended it a bit by repeating the second verse and the Oooos, which helped give a bit more substance to the song.

I love Lynda's brief lead in O Happy Day and how she let's it rip. too bad they didn't utilize her talents a bit more in their songs and shows.

Other than the opening number, the only problem I have with this setlist is that they should have included more of their 70s hits. I also would have substituted "I'll Take You There" in place of "Oh Happy Day".

[sup_fan]

yeah i'm surprised these did two 60s medleys. the Japan show wasn't recorded until summer 73 so maybe they hadn't really created the 70s medley. at least in that show they did one from each era.

Love Train was a very recent song at this time. And i do like the revival closing number. the girls could really belt this out and have fun with it. great way to leave the show on a huge note. but they could have def included more of their original material

[marv2]

What I find most interesting about this live recording, is that The O'Jays original recording of "Love Train" did not enter the Billboard Charts until January of 1973. How was it possible for the Supremes to be covering a song in 1972 that was not released until the very tail end of the year in December 1972 when most of the public had not heard it until into the new year of 1973?

[jack020]

Marv2:
The album from which came it came, Back Stabbers was released august 1972.

[marv2]

Marv2:
The album from which came it came, Back Stabbers was released august 1972.

Ok. What is the date of this performance/recording?

[TheMotownManiac]

I think they sound great and, more importantly than what I think, the audience is all up in it and bottom line, that’s the mark of a great show.

‘’I love the Love Train/Oh Happy Day medley - yes, it’s a cover but one is so new that it’s cool to use and the other is a classic appropriate for ANY set list.

Jean gets a solo because she’s a soloist and deserves a shot at doing one song without dealing with the ooo/aaaa bg routine. Diana didn’t get 2 solos on her lady tour - she was doing one - My Man occasionally. Didn’t We was part if her solo act they threw in for the last show. Mary, deservedly had her solo for much longer after they cut People after Flo left. Yes, it’s a group but some talents deserve a showcase.

im ok with TCB opener if the arrangement rocks. I’m cool with the set list except two 60s medleys. I can see one, but not two. Yes, they were The Supremes but those songs are not Jeans and not her forte plus she hated singing them. Where’s Nathan Jones, And Floy Joy? Up The Ladder could be a strong opener and EGTRTL could have begun the LovevTrain medley. I think they blew it by ignoring their own hits while clinging to DR&TS songs. Yes, do a few certainly, but not two medleys at the expense of your own songs. Floy Joy left the chart in April of 72 - Automatically in July and YWSSL had just dropped off when this show happened - there’s nothing in this show from the album at all. That’s bad form IMHO as it marginalized their value. I’d love to hear the rest if this - they sound good to me.

[blackguy69]

November 1972

Ok. What is the date of this performance/recording?

[marv2]

November 1972

Interesting. So they started performing before the O'Jays even released it. Another bad move to be singing a song that general public would not know yet.

[sup_fan]

You can ask the same question when Diana did Didn’t We and My Man during their last tour as a group

well at least with that Berry was preparing Diana to emerge from the supremes as a solo star. in 1972 is wasn't Jean Terrell and The Supremes. just The Supremes. she was already doing nearly all leads. just doesn't seem necessary to me. especially when Lynda didn't have any leads except about 25 seconds in O Happy Day

[sup_fan]

in listening to the performance again, the girls do sound hot overall. in Stoned Love, jean really delivers during the opening. some gorgeous ad libs. and then she doesn't go overload with the main song. sings the melody and Lynda really adds some oomph to the backgrounds.

I Guess gets no audience reaction when Jean announces "we'd like to do our latest recording" no one screams or claps or gets excited. but afterwards the audience is thrilled with the performance. I'm guessing that few really knew the song but definitely liked what they heard.

this is also one of Mary's stronger performances on Can't Take. really does a nice job.

and for the closer, i think the girls sound great. of course there are distortions since this is a bootleg many times over of a cheap recording made on a little portable tape player. but still the girls sound wonderful

[sup_fan]

Interesting. So they started performing before the O'Jays even released it. Another bad move to be singing a song that general public would not know yet.

the liner notes in This Is The Story say the girls recorded this in 73 but dates unknown. since they incorporated it into their show BEFORE this was a #1 i wonder if they might have actually recorded this in late 72 in an attempt to beat the Jays to the street with it. sort of like Nella did with Come See About Me

[marv2]

the liner notes in This Is The Story say the girls recorded this in 73 but dates unknown. since they incorporated it into their show BEFORE this was a #1 i wonder if they might have actually recorded this in late 72 in an attempt to beat the Jays to the street with it. sort of like Nella did with Come See About Me

I saw the O'Jays at my high school in February 1973. During their performance, they introduced "Love Train" as their new record. It became quickly popular and was used as the warm up music for bsketball games.

[marv2]

the liner notes in This Is The Story say the girls recorded this in 73 but dates unknown. since they incorporated it into their show BEFORE this was a #1 i wonder if they might have actually recorded this in late 72 in an attempt to beat the Jays to the street with it. sort of like Nella did with Come See About Me

Since it was written by Gamble & Huff for the O'Jays, I highly doubt that. The O'jays were a priority for them at the time and there is no way they would have gave permission to the Supremes or Motown to record their song.