Originally Posted by
RanRan79
To my ears on the #1s collection it's definitely Mary. Sounds like Florence, particularly after Diana sings "all the tears that I've tasted, all in vain..." and the background comes in with what is indecipherable lyrics to me, that sounds like Florence. I would not be shocked to learn that it's Marlene, however.
I'll wait on further information from the guys with the goods when the Reflections expanded is released. I generally trust their word. To Marv's point he's right, for many years "My World Is Empty" was credited to Mary and an Andante. As far as I can tell that info hit the streets via JRandyT's CHMR, and it's very possible that he was relayed information that mixed up "My World" with "Hurry Love". Still, because the backgrounds on the original version of "My World" were so mixed in with the orchestra, everybody ran with it as fact until the guys with the goods produced the elevated backing vocals to the song on the Symphony expanded edition, hopefully teaching us all the lesson of not believing everything you read.
Regarding Ollie's point, ultimately the enjoyment of any Supremes song shouldn't hinge on who is in the background or not. And I think to most fans of the group the enjoyment of any particular song is unaffected by rumors or confirmed revelations of who or who isn't in the background. However, as a huge Florence Ballard fan, I do want people to be careful with her legacy. If she isn't on a song, it is what it is. But if she's there and people are screaming that she isn't, that someone is diminishing Florence's work and her contribution to the group [[some unintentional, others intentionally so), as it would to any singer, group or solo, who is being erased from credit for a song.
I've seen internet debates about Diana Ross not singing lead on "Let Me Go the Right Way". Lets pretend that it comes out that it somehow wasn't Ross, for fans of "Right Way" this knowledge should change nothing as far as song enjoyment. Of course in reality we know it was Diana, so to suggests that it isn't her is a discredit, even if we would still dig the song anyway.
So I get the point that is often made in this forum ad nauseam that Diana's lead is the key to what makes a particular song so enjoyable, but I think credit should be given where it's due even if you think the credit isn't important. So until the guys with the masters and notes within reach confirm who it is, I'll stick to crediting the song to Diana Ross, Mary Wilson and Florence Ballard. Anything else is internet gossip as far as I'm concerned.
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