I can't find the thread in which a lively debate took place a few months ago regarding "Reflections" and who is singing background, so I'll just start this new post. In the Hollands' book Eddie admits that Diana is the only Supreme on "Reflections". Trusting that his memory of this is intact, I say this should be placed in the "fact" category.

After the "Did Any Of Flo Ballards Go Into Show Business..." thread I gave myself a well deserved break from this forum. Who needs the frustration of people twisting and turning one's words or reading things unsaid? Not I and I'm so disgusted that I'd rather not participate in the forum at all. My self imposed break is still intact, but I am currently reading the Hollands' book and after the debate surrounding "Reflections" in whatever thread we discussed it, I felt it necessary to pop back in and let Brad know that Eddie has confirmed what Brad has said all along.

No doubt there will be some who won't accept this, and there will be even more who will use it to say "Nah-nah-nah-nah, Diana was the only Supreme who mattered".

To the doubters I say this: Get over it. There were times when the producers used session singers in place of one or more Supremes for a variety of reasons. If you love "Reflections", as I do, knowing Diana is the only Supreme present should not affect your love of the song very much. [[Admittedly, the song has dropped a notch or two for me with this new information, but Diana's vocal and the instrumentation are so great that I could never be forced into disliking such a fantastic cut.) Continue to rest in the knowledge that the original trio is still overwhelmingly the voices on tracks labeled "Supremes" up until Cindy's entrance.

To the "Na-Na-Na" group: Nothing I say will stop you from doing that. Diana Ross was the official lead singer of the Supremes, and as such, she was the most important vocal component to the group and it's success. That's a fact. But the presence of the Andantes or other background singers can't be used to diminish the importance of Flo and Mary. After all, Florence is the only Supreme on "Silent Night", backed by the Andantes, and Mary is the only Supreme on "Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You" [[group studio version, not duet with Eddie or any live version). And try as I might to hear her, but I'm betting Diana is nowhere to be found on "Come And Get These Memories"; it's Mary, Flo and the Andantes. Which all leave me to believe that even if Flo and Mary's leads in the group doubled or tripled, there would be times that they too would be backed by singers who were not Supremes. It's the way Motown did business regardless of the lead singer- group or solo.

Anyway, just wanted to let Brad have his "I told you so" moment, if he chooses-- and it's back to ignoring this forum for me.