The Supremes at The Shubert Theater, Century City, CA. Sept. 29th 1975

[CoolKatz]

[BobbyC]

Wow--now that's rare! Thanks for posting. Ticket prices seem pretty high for that time period.

[BobbyC]

Okay I have only heard We've Only Just Begun" so far and have to ask why in the hell did they feel the need to speed so many songs up so much? The girls barely have enough time to spit out the words.

[BobbyC]

Now I'm at Early Morning Love. It is so sped up that poor Mary sounds frantic trying to Keep up.

[BobbyC]

Okay, The Way We Were sounds great. Man this group was so good, vocally.

[BobbyC]

Mary sounds superior here IMO

[sup_fan]

unfortunately most of their shows were at a breakneck pace. that was just how they did it.

I do agree that for the most part, they sound really quite good here. It's interesting to hear this and then the bootleg from the Manchester UK show. basically the same except Mercedes Benz is cut from the UK.

and glad that by this time they were at least including a few more songs from their lp. would have loved if they included some more - especially Can't stop a girl or Color my world. but mary isn't lead on either of those

did anyone else notice in the ad that Pedro is credited as the show's producer lol

[BobbyC]

Gotta say Body Heat really wins this one for me. MSC could handle this song effortlessly. Make you wonder what would have happened had they gotten a song this strong to record.

[blackguy69]

I do agree that Body Heat was very good. Some of the songs were too fast but they Were sounding Great.

[TYK1986]

Is that Cindy hitting that note at the end of My world is empty? I've never been a fan of when the Supremes, doesn't matter which line up, rushed through their hits in a medley. Thanks for sharing btw!

[BobbyC]

Sup_fan I noticed that immediately! "Produced by Pedro Ferrar" my azz. What did he do here, exactly? This whole format, well most of it, is WRONG especially the tempos. So sad that these talented singers went down the drain because no competent "producer" could get to them, or were not allowed to. Tragic. I hear fans all the time saying this one or that one "couldn't sing." I am not hearing "non singers" here. At all

[Roberta75]

Wow that was real manic and only about an hour long. If theyd have slowed it down it wouldve been about 90 minutes LOL.

[daviddh]

Thanks for sharing. Kinda fast paced.would liked more of their own material.
I usually don't like way we were but hear it sounds good.
Just don't get the frantic show.
Scherrie sounds great

[brothadc]

Obviously this recording is playing faster than real time. That's not to say that sometimes songs weren't sped up a little too much, but you can easily hear from the tone of their voices, the higher keys of the more familiar songs that this recording is definitely playing fast.

[sup_fan]

i didn't notice too much that the recording was simply playing faster than real time. there have been some bootlegs like that. and it's possible that it had warped a bit over time

In Sup Faith, Mary mentions that when they took this show to the UK, they really got hit by the critics for being too "Vegas-y" and that is more than evident here. the intro with Tonight and We've Only Just Begun is cheese personified lolol. not only is it too fast, but it's just too vegas-y. This is pretty much the embodiment of how the group was not evolving in the 70s. They did a version of Tonight back in their Copa debut.

Within a 60 min show they did 3 of their tunes plus a 60s medley. by the mid 70s that simply wasn't acceptable any more.

As for the dream sequence, i'm torn. On one hand, it's great to hear each girl and it's a fun segment. But on the other hand, it's just not contemporary. If it was the only point in the show where they dove into Vegas, then it could have worked well. But after Tonight, We've only just, Maybe this time, the way we were, it was just getting too much.

they'd just released Sup 75 and were desperately trying to re-establish themselves as a contemporary presence in the music industry. The design, format and strategy of this show was not conducive to that.

[BobbyC]

I think you are right, Sup_fan. You can get strangled by your own past.

[milven]

There was a review in the LA TIMES the next day that seemed to agree with some of the opinions in this thread. The reviewer liked the new Supreme Sherrie Payne but that she was bottled up in this Las Vegas styled show and the reviewer said that Mary and Cindy were competent background singers who were too prominent in this act.

[blackguy69]

I’ve seen that review and it seems he wanted them to revert to more of a Drats version [[presentation wise). I would have changed the opening, cut the dream sequence, added a few more album cuts and maybe add Stoned Love or do a something that was on the charts at that time [[maybe Shame Shame Shame or Rocking Chair) and it would have been a better show

[marv2]

Diana Ross was in the audience that night. Mary acknowledged her from the stage. I bet this is when Ross got the idea of wanting to play Josephine Baker. Less than 2 years later she gave it her first public try on her television special in 1977.

[blackguy69]

Marv drop it. Don’t start assuming stuff you don’t know.

Diana Ross was in the audience that night. Mary acknowledged her from the stage. I bet this is when Ross got the idea of wanting to play Josephine Baker. Less than 2 years later she gave it her first public try on her television special in 1977.

[khansperac]

Diana Ross was in the audience that night. Mary acknowledged her from the stage. I bet this is when Ross got the idea of wanting to play Josephine Baker. Less than 2 years later she gave it her first public try on her television special in 1977.

Because Diana had no idea of who Josephine was prior to this? Never mind the fact that Diana attended a performance by Josephine and interacted with her. LMAO.

[marv2]

Marv drop it. Don’t start assuming stuff you don’t know.

I have an opinion and I can state it! I am starting to get tired of you telling me, what I can and cannot say! I am a grown-ass man!

[daviddh]

The only two new songs I hear are Early Morning Love and Hes My man...
No Stoned love
No bad weather
No color my world blue...
Glad I wasn't their mgr.i would be fired.
Who let this show go on

[khansperac]

That review was brutal.

[lucky2012]

That review was brutal.

Lol. But it was high praise for Scherrie! I was a college student in 1975 so I couldn't and didn't pay much attention to concerts and reviews. The ticket prices do seem high for that time. The Shubert was in Century City, though, an upscale section of Los Angeles.

The Supremes 1975 album was just out and I was disappointed and discouraged. I was impressed, though, by Scherrie and thought It's All Been Said Before was the one standout track and should have been the lead single.

[sup_fan]

side 2 of Sup 75 is a much better experience than side 1. which is odd that the back half of an lp would be loaded with the higher quality material

I've said it before. Ivey and Woodford were the strongest producers on this lp. even better than the Holland material. And i bet the critic in the article would agree - this was heavily because they focus on Scherrie's voice and made her center stage. She delivers knockout performances. and you can compare a few of the tracks when Mary or the group did the lead and they pale when compared to the scherrie leads.

[Roberta75]

Because Diana had no idea of who Josephine was prior to this? Never mind the fact that Diana attended a performance by Josephine and interacted with her. LMAO.

LOLOLOLOLOLOL. All that one hears in its head all day is Diane Diane Diane Diane Diane Diane Diane Diane Diane Diane Diane Diane

I almost feel sorry for the obsessed old B**ch. Almost. LOL

[blackguy69]

But sometimes you act like a little child with some of your post. With that being said, I do like your input and what you contribute on here. But please leave that Diana hatred alone.

I have an opinion and I can state it! I am starting to get tired of you telling me, what I can and cannot say! I am a grown-ass man!

[sup_fan]

of the Dream sequence, the highlight has always been Scherrie's stunning version of You've Been A Good Old Wagon. damn!!! she's so gifted

and not only goes she sing it beautifully, but she's not playing for comic relief. Both Cindy and Mary do their segments with too much silliness.

A year or two later, Diana incorporated a "working girl's" segment into her show but she did it like scherrie - respectfully. She built the segment up to be an homage to these great woman.

Marilyn, Josephine and Bessie all deserved similar treatment. By adding too many silly comedy bits into the routine, they made it less of an homage and more a joke. The intro Dream song is nicely done and what they could have done is skip the genie and talk about how each of them idolized these famous women and always "dreamed" of being like them. then go into each song

[blackguy69]

They did This is Why I believe in You

The only two new songs I hear are Early Morning Love and Hes My man...
No Stoned love
No bad weather
No color my world blue...
Glad I wasn't their mgr.i would be fired.
Who let this show go on

[sup_fan]

The only two new songs I hear are Early Morning Love and Hes My man...
No Stoned love
No bad weather
No color my world blue...
Glad I wasn't their mgr.i would be fired.
Who let this show go on

according to the ad, Pedro was the producer of the show. Geoffrey Holder came up with the concept and staging. He's a marvelously talented person - great pedigree in theater and dance. But i think he brought too much Broadway and MOR to the option and IMO the girls needed to be more inline with the contemporary scene.

now if the Supremes had landed another ongoing gig or residency in Vegas, then this show would have been fine. and perhaps they really needed 2 show formats. A cabaret act and then one for general public that would want hit after hit.

[marv2]

But sometimes you act like a little child with some of your post. With that being said, I do like your input and what you contribute on here. But please leave that Diana hatred alone.

I don't hate Diane. She has become a joke to me. They want this woman to be important enough to be hated? Not here!

[detmotownguy]

Wow--now that's rare! Thanks for posting. Ticket prices seem pretty high for that time period.

A $10 ticket is worth approx $50 in today’s dollars. A $100 ticket is worth approx $500 today.

[daviddh]

Sup fan
I agree with Supremes 75
Side two is good.
Scherrie rocks it

[BobbyC]

I believe it!

[Roberta75]

Wow--now that's rare! Thanks for posting. Ticket prices seem pretty high for that time period.

It was a benefit but still high priced for a manic show.

[marv2]

Marv drop it. Don’t start assuming stuff you don’t know.

This show is even called "An Evening With The Supremes"! Diana Ross calls her TV special "An Evening with Diana Ross". Cindy Birdsong plays a "Marilyn Monroe" character in this show. Diana Ross does the same thing on her TV special when she does a number called "T&A". Scherrie Payne plays "Bessie Smith", Diana Ross plays "Bessie Smith" on her TV special, and of course, Mary Wilson plays "Josephine Baker" and Diana Ross winds up doing the same thing on her special! My, the similarities are uncanny! LOL!!!!

[detmotownguy]

Isn’t there a way to slow the speed down? I swear I have seen that option in the past. I am pretty much alone on my opinion, but thought the band was pretty good and the ladies sounded great. But yes, the speed is an issue.

[TheMotownManiac]

A $10 ticket is worth approx $50 in today’s dollars. A $100 ticket is worth approx $500 today.

This was a benefit and that is why the ticket prices were what they were.

[TheMotownManiac]

That review was brutal.

The review was brutal but it was spot on. I’ve mentioned many times on this forum how much I disliked that show. The dream sequence was imaginative but the material was beyond the abilities of Mary Sherry and Cindy to carry it off properly and they look like amateurs drowning in material they didn’t understand. It was cringe worthy …… And while I am definitely a fan of Mary’s ballads and think that they should have been featured in a different and better way, giving Mary and Cindy more spotlight than they have the talent to hold was very hurtful to the group. Way too often on stage, after Sherry joined, all three of them acted like they were trying to take attention away from the others. That isn’t what they were trying to do, but it appeared that way - like they were just trying to win over the audience by being us over the top as possible but it came across horribly and they often look like three children trying to get the attention of their parents. So often people have said that after Diana left it was a group again and each member got to shine more blah blah blah blah blah blah blah, the problem with that is, just because the spotlight is on them doesn’t mean they are going to shine. Anyone who knows Cindy will tell you she’s the sweetest thing that Ever drew a breath, but in no way shape or form was she any kind of entertainer. She was a singer with a bland voice that was often eschewed in the studio or augmented. And that’s just a fact. She had no idea what to do with the comedy line, and Mary, sometimes good and sometimes couldn’t. They were singers they weren’t expected to be more than that except that their material demanded it, and then there shortcomings were in the spotlight and it really made the group look bad. They like to blame their demise on Motown, but a lot of it was just an foresight. This shows with Jean were 1000 times better.

[RanRan79]

They like to blame their demise on Motown, but a lot of it was just an foresight. This shows with Jean were 1000 times better.

I think Motown should get some blame. Why even have the Supremes on the roster if you aren't going to be all in? The name was just too valuable. Either sit it aside and let it grow some vintage value or do everything you can to see to it that the group, at the very least, is doggy paddling instead of treading water or just flat out drowning. Whatever amount of attention they gave promotion is always up for debate around here, but with the exception of "Walking", and probably "Energy", none of the Scherrie era singles had a chance at hitting the big time IMO, so promotion or not, it wouldn't have made a difference. Motown should've seen to it that the Supremes were releasing high quality, commercial singles that the general public could get behind.

Having said that, I think some fans [[and the Supremes themselves) may not give as much credit to how horrible an image these new-new-new-new and new Supremes had. It was as if they were sometimes stuck in a time warp instead of being hip. So much of it was old hat. It wasn't working for them or the fans and the result is people not paying attention. No amount of Motown thrusting them in anyone's face was going to change that. Supfan's point about Geoffrey Holder makes a lot of sense. Interestingly, around this time I think the Pips were still using Cholly, and I know the Sylvers were working with Cholly. Cholly and his wife were still renting from Mary back in Detroit. She really couldn't get him to take the group on again?

"Hey Cholly, this is Mary."

"Who?"

"Mary. Mary Wilson."

"Who?"

"Your landlord, Mary Wilson."

"Oh. Maye said she gave your mama the rent..."

"No, no, that's not why I'm calling. Me and the girls are having some issues working out the new act and I was hoping you would come on board again and whip us into shape, like the old days."

"Has Diana returned to the Supremes?"

"No."

"Has Florence?"

"Of course not."

"Any chance either or both of them are coming back?"

"Not if I have anything to say about it. Uh, I mean, no. Diana is very busy and Flo has other priorities right now. It's just me, Scherrie and Cindy."

"I don't think so."

"What if I cut the rent in half and have your heat turned back on?"

"You got a deal."

[Thornton]

This is quite a find, but just another reminder of how under-used Scherrie was during this period. I mean, only five full leads in a 70-minute show? I enjoy the dream sequence as a hardcore fan, but it really wasn't good enough to warrant the space it has in the show. I wish they had slowed down the hits medley [[I realize this recording is also sped up) and thrown in their four biggest hits with Jean in their entirety. There's so much raw talent here, but it isn't used well. With a better song selection on the '75 album and a more contemporary live act, they could have pulled off a comeback.

[TheMotownManiac]

[QUOTE=RanRan79;579790]I think Motown should get some blame. Why even have the Supremes on the roster if you aren't going to be all in? The name was just too valuable. Either sit it aside and let it grow some vintage value or do everything you can to see to it that the group, at the very least, is doggy paddling instead of treading water or just flat out drowning. Whatever amount of attention they gave promotion is always up for debate around here, but with the exception of "Walking", and probably "Energy", none of the Scherrie era singles had a chance at hitting the big time IMO, so promotion or not, it wouldn't have made a difference. Motown should've seen to it that the Supremes were releasing high quality, commercial singles that the general public could get behind.

Having said that, I think some fans [[and the Supremes themselves) may not give as much credit to how horrible an image these new-new-new-new and new Supremes had. It was as if they were sometimes stuck in a time warp instead of being hip. So much of it was old hat. It wasn't working for them or the fans and the result is people not paying attention. No amount of Motown thrusting them in anyone's face was going to change that. Supfan's point about Geoffrey Holder makes a lot of sense. Interestingly, around this time I think the Pips were still using Cholly, and I know the Sylvers were working with Cholly. Cholly and his wife were still renting from Mary back in Detroit. She really couldn't get him to take the group on



yes I would Surely give some blame to Motown, But we don’t know their side of it except Berry was angry about Jean. He offered to manage them again in the mid 70s but Mary said no. She chose Pedro over Berry. You have no idea how much Nary has grown as a performer since then.

Also, you’re spot on about personnel changes which became a giant gate of avoidance ever since Diana left. Fans That didn’t split would cling to each new grouping as if nothing had changed. To this day, there are Supremes dans who insist the changes meant nothing. Most of the fans I know bailed early on but Definitely the time Scherrie joined. They just weren’t The Supremes anymore By most folks standards - that had nothing to do with talent, just the people involved. I WANTED to like them because the were the supremes and I got to know them and hang with them when I could. That’s fucking amazing. I WANTED to love the show, but I often hated most of it because if wretched arrangements, disturbing choreography and amateurish presentation. Yeah we all overlooked that or tried to because we were loyal to the group and we loved them and we wanted them to do well so we pretended it was good when we know it wasn’t. And how do you say that to them? I remember this Schubert review and they were others that were not complementary as well. we were all in Denise about the situation except the ex - fans . They knew what was up.

[luke]

As much as I admire Scherries talent she didn’t have vocal subtlety and “it” the way Jean and Diana did.

[rod_rick]

[QUOTE=TheMotownManiac;579795]

I think Motown should get some blame. Why even have the Supremes on the roster if you aren't going to be all in? The name was just too valuable. Either sit it aside and let it grow some vintage value or do everything you can to see to it that the group, at the very least, is doggy paddling instead of treading water or just flat out drowning. Whatever amount of attention they gave promotion is always up for debate around here, but with the exception of "Walking", and probably "Energy", none of the Scherrie era singles had a chance at hitting the big time IMO, so promotion or not, it wouldn't have made a difference. Motown should've seen to it that the Supremes were releasing high quality, commercial singles that the general public could get behind.

Having said that, I think some fans [[and the Supremes themselves) may not give as much credit to how horrible an image these new-new-new-new and new Supremes had. It was as if they were sometimes stuck in a time warp instead of being hip. So much of it was old hat. It wasn't working for them or the fans and the result is people not paying attention. No amount of Motown thrusting them in anyone's face was going to change that. Supfan's point about Geoffrey Holder makes a lot of sense. Interestingly, around this time I think the Pips were still using Cholly, and I know the Sylvers were working with Cholly. Cholly and his wife were still renting from Mary back in Detroit. She really couldn't get him to take the group on



yes I would Surely give some blame to Motown, But we don’t know their side of it except Berry was angry about Jean. He offered to manage them again in the mid 70s but Mary said no. She chose Pedro over Berry. You have no idea how much Nary has grown as a performer since then.

Also, you’re spot on about personnel changes which became a giant gate of avoidance ever since Diana left. Fans That didn’t split would cling to each new grouping as if nothing had changed. To this day, there are Supremes dans who insist the changes meant nothing. Most of the fans I know bailed early on but Definitely the time Scherrie joined. They just weren’t The Supremes anymore By most folks standards - that had nothing to do with talent, just the people involved. I WANTED to like them because the were the supremes and I got to know them and hang with them when I could. That’s fucking amazing. I WANTED to love the show, but I often hated most of it because if wretched arrangements, disturbing choreography and amateurish presentation. Yeah we all overlooked that or tried to because we were loyal to the group and we loved them and we wanted them to do well so we pretended it was good when we know it wasn’t. And how do you say that to them? I remember this Schubert review and they were others that were not complementary as well. we were all in Denise about the situation except the ex - fans . They knew what was up.

I agree that their show should have consisted of more of their hits and album cuts. What I don't agree with is having Scherrie doing the majority of the leads. I for one get tired of sound if I had to hear it for an entire show. That dream sequence should have been scratched with each lad doing a solo that would compliment their voice. All three ladies sound terrific imo and the vocal balance was very good for a change.

We have to consider the audience the ladies were performing for which was broadway supper club Vegas type audience for 70 minutes. Lastly funny thing the Three Degrees did the same type of show with the solos and covers.

[TheMotownManiac]

[QUOTE=rod_rick;579816]

I agree that their show should have consisted of more of their hits and album cuts. What I don't agree with is having Scherrie doing the majority of the leads. I for one get tired of sound if I had to hear it for an entire show. That dream sequence should have been scratched with each lad doing a solo that would compliment their voice. All three ladies sound terrific imo and the vocal balance was very good for a change.

We have to consider the audience the ladies were performing for which was broadway supper club Vegas type audience for 70 minutes. Lastly funny thing the Three Degrees did the same type of show with the solos and covers.

the Supremes were no longer appearing in smart NY supper clubs so they had no reason for this act. That being said, any act that is professionally done and expertly executed is worth watching by most audiences. That was not the case here. None of the girls had the chops to do the dream sequence material properly and, for some reason I thought Mercedes-Benz was out of the act by then, well, you just had to see it. These girls are not comedians. These girls are not actresses. These girls are singers and I believe the dream sequence could have worked with the right three girls. I don’t believe it was bad material, it just wasn’t suited to the Supremes particular talents. And that is no slam against the girls because they clearly were talented, that’s not even the point. It’s just that When material it’s so poorly performed, it just causes a gaping maw in the credibility of the act.

I am all for Cindy doing a solo – if - and only if, she can do one effectively and compelling. This is not a grade school talent show where everyone gets to perform to be fair, this is professional show business and an act with a stellar history Of lauded live and recorded performances. When Mary was given her solos in the 60s, she nailed them. Different people have said that Barry Gordy did not want Mary to have any solos but he finally gave in and she earned her spot. If she hadn’t done a great job, supreme’s audiences would not have been subjected to below fabulous fare and her solo would’ve been removed expeditiously. What I will never understand is that even if there was no one to tell them this act was not working well, they could watch themselves on television and see for themselves they looked bad running around crazy on stage while trying to sell their new hit record. Anyone who has seen Mary’s up close show knows that she can perform ballad after ballad and hold an audience perfectly. I believe that the general public does not really appreciate Mary‘s voice on pop tunes, so that leaves Scherrie to do the pop and dance music. Sherry is the kindest sweetest most genuinely wonderful singer in the world so I hate saying this, but she was not well-suited to step into the Supremes for the kind of act that they were doing. She certainly have the chops to sing the songs, but this material was not her forte and she really had no one to work with her intensely to polish it. Lynda what is best suited for the lighter material, even with her powerhouse voice.

[sup_fan]

Ran - motown did intend to shelve the group when J and L left. at the point, the company had no interest in continuing the supremes and felt the group was done. They were an expensive act with costumes and recording and stage shows etc. I really don't know the full story of how/why the Sups were allowed to continue. When J and L left in late 73 there were a few dates still but motown could have simply cancelled the shows, worked with the promoters to put another act in. I can't believe they didn't just drop the act altogether

There have been stories floating around that Mary personally appealed to Berry about not being dropped. I can imagine she would be panicking at this time. motown would certainly not have kept her on as a solo act. and there were no groups for her to join on the label. And she had not other immediate opportunities, unless she followed J and L to another label. So she'd be unemployed

The story goes that Berry felt sorry for her and basically agreed not to drop her or the act

[sup_fan]

[QUOTE=TheMotownManiac;579829]

the Supremes were no longer appearing in smart NY supper clubs so they had no reason for this act. That being said, any act that is professionally done and expertly executed is worth watching by most audiences. That was not the case here. None of the girls had the chops to do the dream sequence material properly and, for some reason I thought Mercedes-Benz was out of the act by then, well, you just had to see it. These girls are not comedians. These girls are not actresses. These girls are singers and I believe the dream sequence could have worked with the right three girls. I don’t believe it was bad material, it just wasn’t suited to the Supremes particular talents. And that is no slam against the girls because they clearly were talented, that’s not even the point. It’s just that When material it’s so poorly performed, it just causes a gaping maw in the credibility of the act.

I am all for Cindy doing a solo – if - and only if, she can do one effectively and compelling. This is not a grade school talent show where everyone gets to perform to be fair, this is professional show business and an act with a stellar history Of lauded live and recorded performances. When Mary was given her solos in the 60s, she nailed them. Different people have said that Barry Gordy did not want Mary to have any solos but he finally gave in and she earned her spot. If she hadn’t done a great job, supreme’s audiences would not have been subjected to below fabulous fare and her solo would’ve been removed expeditiously. What I will never understand is that even if there was no one to tell them this act was not working well, they could watch themselves on television and see for themselves they looked bad running around crazy on stage while trying to sell their new hit record. Anyone who has seen Mary’s up close show knows that she can perform ballad after ballad and hold an audience perfectly. I believe that the general public does not really appreciate Mary‘s voice on pop tunes, so that leaves Scherrie to do the pop and dance music. Sherry is the kindest sweetest most genuinely wonderful singer in the world so I hate saying this, but she was not well-suited to step into the Supremes for the kind of act that they were doing. She certainly have the chops to sing the songs, but this material was not her forte and she really had no one to work with her intensely to polish it. Lynda what is best suited for the lighter material, even with her powerhouse voice.

agree that as spokespersons and comediennes, the girls were not in their wheelhouse. to be honest, I've never particularly found Mary to be well spoken. even on many talk shows today she spends more time attempting to be funny than eloquent.

within the group dynamics with JMC, I think Cindy was properly used as sultry and sensual. Her lines on Bridge Over Troubled Water are lush and her spoken part in Wisdom of Time is too. I've always thought a simple and acoustic version of Bridge would have made a wonderful addition to the stage act. no fancy or silly choreography. no fast-paced antics. maybe the three girls start out on bar stools. simple and understanding band backing them. then as the song grows they stand and sing.

[RanRan79]

[QUOTE=rod_rick;579816]

I agree that their show should have consisted of more of their hits and album cuts. What I don't agree with is having Scherrie doing the majority of the leads. I for one get tired of sound if I had to hear it for an entire show. That dream sequence should have been scratched with each lad doing a solo that would compliment their voice. All three ladies sound terrific imo and the vocal balance was very good for a change.

We have to consider the audience the ladies were performing for which was broadway supper club Vegas type audience for 70 minutes. Lastly funny thing the Three Degrees did the same type of show with the solos and covers.

I'm with you on Scherrie. I think she and Mary splitting leads between them, and then when Susaye joined splitting the leads three ways, would have given the shows a perfect balance. I think too much in either direction makes for a less interesting show. Scherrie possessed a dynamic instrument, but as Luke points out above, Scherrie wasn't known for her subtlety. Not that she was incapable of it. I think her lead on "Seed Of Love" is fantastic and she doesn't really start to let loose until the song is about a half a minute away from the fade. But let's be honest, Scherrie is one of those singers you have to allow to reign free. I don't think she would enjoy being told to reign in it for multiple songs. It would've been like asking Patti or Aretha to do that. You have to let singers like that...go. So because of that I think Mary taking half the leads lead to a much better balanced entertainment experience. The problem with Mary is that her voice is not well suited to just anything. She has to have the right song or she can come across exactly the way the reviewer put it. It's clear that the first class backing that the Supremes received in the 60s was nowhere to be found in the 70s.

[RanRan79]

We have to consider the audience the ladies were performing for which was broadway supper club Vegas type audience for 70 minutes. Lastly funny thing the Three Degrees did the same type of show with the solos and covers.

As for the Three Degrees, I pointed that out a few weeks back, and suggested that their Vegasy act might have been responsible for their lack of success with the general public. Now where female groups are concerned, the 3Ds are probably in my top 5. I'd probably have to do some serious thinking, but off the top of my head I can only come up with the Supremes, SWV and the Pointer Sisters as being more of my favorites than the 3Ds. IMO their albums and their singles were ten times better than the best 70s Supremes single. So it came as a shock to me to discover just how little success their singles had in the US. [[They were, of course, very popular overseas.) The only two reasons I can come up with is their act being very old hat, although still fantastically executed. Or the public just wasn't that interested in female groups anymore. When you think about it, in the 70s what female group really took the world by storm? There were groups that had one, maybe two, maybe three huge hits, one, maybe two gold albums, but there was never another 60s Supremes, a group that could've been considered superstars, was there? I can't think of any. Of course I was born after all of this was over, so I'm relying on history. Those of you with first person memories, correct me if I'm wrong. If I'm not, perhaps this also explains why the Supremes probably didn't have a chance in hell of doing any better than they wound up doing. The Jean years contains two top 10 pop hits, 5 top 10 r&b hits, 1 r&b number one. They put up better numbers than most of their female counterparts with one major exception: no #1 pop single or album.