Mary Wilson with The Supremes - Sunset

[marv2]

A very young Mary Wilson and she still sounds great today!

[marv2]

The guitar work is superb......

[TheMotownManiac]

The guitar work is superb......

mary is spot-on here. It’s no surprise to me that she was given more lead sheets than Flo - she’s a much better singer and I believe she knows that and has always known that. Yes flo had power, but Mary has power and depth. I love em all, but damn, this album has some good stuff on it.

[RanRan79]

mary is spot-on here. It’s no surprise to me that she was given more lead sheets than Flo - she’s a much better singer and I believe she knows that and has always known that. Yes flo had power, but Mary has power and depth. I love em all, but damn, this album has some good stuff on it.

While I disagree with your opinion, that's neither here nor there. Factually, Florence and Mary had about the same amount of leads while in the group together. Mary's lead count far outweighs Florence's when you factor in all the leads she did because she outlasted her original singing partners by several years.

As for my own opinion about Mary's voice, I think "Sunset" is really her crowning moment during the 60s. The song should've been a part of their live act, and while Diana sounds very good on it, I think the song could've gotten along without her lead contribution and just let Mary handle on her own.

Between Flo and Mary, though, I much prefer Flo as a vocalist.

[sup_fan]

I think Makes No Difference now properly displays the great talents each girl had. Mary was low key, smokey/misty vocals, sort of jazzy. Flo was big and bold, with a little sass. and Diana was sweet and emotional

of much of the 60s DMF material, i think the CW&P set was the most aligned to Mary's talents. I think she would have sounded marvelous on Funny.

in regards to the M and F leads, Flo had a few more during the Meet period than Mary. but by 62 or so, it was pretty much all Diana leads except for the specialty album materials which usually allowed 1 or so lead for M and for F.

[RanRan79]

I agree about "Difference". That's a great example of how each lady sort of introduces herself and her particular gift. I never thought of Mary doing "Funny". I LOVE Diana's lead on both versions, but she is particularly heartfelt on the album version. But I always thought Flo's more bluesy voice would've made for an even more emotional version. But with the suggestion, I can hear Mary doing justice to the song also, and agree that she probably was well suited to most, if not all, of the cuts on that particular album.

I also think Mary should've gotten more leads during the "Place", "Tribute" and "B&H" sessions. I suspect, if allowed, she might have recorded some killer leads to those jazzy ballads. And I will always say it was a mistake giving Diana the lead to "Yesterday". That should have gone to Mary. I'm not particularly fond of the song no matter who sings it, but I think Mary may have been able to make that Symphony track a worthy listen.

[lucky2012]

I agree about "Difference". That's a great example of how each lady sort of introduces herself and her particular gift. I never thought of Mary doing "Funny". I LOVE Diana's lead on both versions, but she is particularly heartfelt on the album version. But I always thought Flo's more bluesy voice would've made for an even more emotional version. But with the suggestion, I can hear Mary doing justice to the song also, and agree that she probably was well suited to most, if not all, of the cuts on that particular album.

I also think Mary should've gotten more leads during the "Place", "Tribute" and "B&H" sessions. I suspect, if allowed, she might have recorded some killer leads to those jazzy ballads. And I will always say it was a mistake giving Diana the lead to "Yesterday". That should have gone to Mary. I'm not particularly fond of the song no matter who sings it, but I think Mary may have been able to make that Symphony track a worthy listen.

Sunset is one of my favorite 60's Supremes Mary Wilson lead, the others being The Tears and Baby Don't Go.

I love It Makes No Difference Now because of the three leads. I love Lazybones because of the trio harmony. [[Please don't tell me they're the Andantes!)

Either Flo or Mary on Funny would have been great, too. I think Funny was a primary reason to release the C&W album, so I'm not surprised Diana was given the lead as I think she already was being noticed and recognized on the hits.

By the time of I Hear A Symphony & Merry Christmas, Diana was most definitely recognized as the Supremes lead singer [[though not in title). Yesterday is practically a solo recording. I don't think HDH or Motown would have given the song to Mary.

[sup_fan]

Sunset is one of my favorite 60's Supremes Mary Wilson lead, the others being The Tears and Baby Don't Go.

I love It Makes No Difference Now because of the three leads. I love Lazybones because of the trio harmony. [[Please don't tell me they're the Andantes!)

Either Flo or Mary on Funny would have been great, too. I think Funny was a primary reason to release the C&W album, so I'm not surprised Diana was given the lead as I think she already was being noticed and recognized on the hits.

By the time of I Hear A Symphony & Merry Christmas, Diana was most definitely recognized as the Supremes lead singer [[though not in title). Yesterday is practically a solo recording. I don't think HDH or Motown would have given the song to Mary.

there are two versions of Lazy now. the released version and then on Motown Unreleased 63 is the MFD version with no Andantes. the girls are definitely on the original lp version but the A's were added to fill it out

i really like Diana's version of Funny. you almost could have had any of the girls sing it. I do wish they'd done more legitimate country songs and less Motown originals. Your Cheatin' Heart for instance.

Yeah clearly by the time they got to the B&H set, it was all about Diana. I'm not sure the M and F are even doing that backing vocals. the tracks are definitely heavy on A's. maybe it's M and F and A

[RanRan79]

I love It Makes No Difference Now because of the three leads. I love Lazybones because of the trio harmony. [[Please don't tell me they're the Andantes!)

By the time of I Hear A Symphony & Merry Christmas, Diana was most definitely recognized as the Supremes lead singer [[though not in title). Yesterday is practically a solo recording. I don't think HDH or Motown would have given the song to Mary.

I don't think the Andantes are on either version of "Lazy".

"Yesterday" isn't practically a solo, it is a solo. Around this time Flo also recorded a solo for "Oh Holy Night". There isn't anyone on it but her, so I don't think it's too far a stretch to imagine Mary being given "Yesterday".

[RanRan79]

Yeah clearly by the time they got to the B&H set, it was all about Diana. I'm not sure the M and F are even doing that backing vocals. the tracks are definitely heavy on A's. maybe it's M and F and A

"What Now My Love", "The Sound of Music" and "Fancy Passes [[version 2)" are Flo and Mary. "Strangers", "Shadow", "Tender", "Who Can I Turn To" and "If I Ruled the World" are the Andantes.

[jim aka jtigre99]

Very nice. I think Mary apparently enjoyed this album because of the group harmony which she really enjoyed. Mary sounds wonderful here as does Diana on their lead lines. I read that Mabel John said Mary had the better ear for harmony. This kind of sharing on album cuts would have been so much better for fostering a feeling of group unity. Mary has such a wonderful voice.

[RanRan79]

Very nice. I think Mary apparently enjoyed this album because of the group harmony which she really enjoyed. Mary sounds wonderful here as does Diana on their lead lines. I read that Mabel John said Mary had the better ear for harmony. This kind of sharing on album cuts would have been so much better for fostering a feeling of group unity. Mary has such a wonderful voice.

Agreed. Diana also said something similarly about Mary's ability to harmonize. The three original Supremes were all talented and capable of lead singing on songs. I think their albums and their shows would've been ten times better with more Flo and Mary leads. Diana on the singles was a great business decision. [[Although there are a couple instances where I think either Flo or Mary could've done just as well on a couple of those big hits.) Artistically, building most of the songs around Diana "cheapens" the experience. She is one of my all time favorite vocalists PERIOD, but even I listen to some of those filler cuts and unreleased cuts and conclude that another Supreme was probably better for that job than Diana.

[jobucats]

mary is spot-on here. It’s no surprise to me that she was given more lead sheets than Flo - she’s a much better singer and I believe she knows that and has always known that. Yes flo had power, but Mary has power and depth. I love em all, but damn, this album has some good stuff on it.

I agree with you, TheMotownManiac. Mary's voice, during her tenure with Diana and Florence, was the extra padding to soften the voices of the other two. As others have noted, she's seems to have such a natural flair for providing harmony. And "Where Did Our Love Go" really featured her voice as the background vocal line [[we have discussed before if anyone can actually hear Florence....I can't). Along with Sunset, I especially loved her vocal on "Come and Get These Memories."

On a side note, every time I listen to Diana's "Leave a Little Room" [[from the Touch Me in the Morning album), I can't help but think, "that alto voice on the last phrase of the song sure does sound like Mary." This is my opinion and I am not saying that it is her.

Oh, and on Diana's Chain Reaction video, there's a spot where it looks like [[to me) the 60s-era Mary is one of the dancers on the dance floor. It looks like; but I know it isn't her.

[BobbyC]

Jobucats--Have you heard the 5th Dimension's version of Leave a Little Room? Billy does a stellar job on it

[gman]

some of the best harmony work is on CW&P, Liverpool and Sam Cooke... I always wished both Clarence Paul and Norman Whitfield would have worked with Jean Terrell.

[TheMotownManiac]

some of the best harmony work is on CW&P, Liverpool and Sam Cooke... I always wished both Clarence Paul and Norman Whitfield would have worked with Jean Terrell.

when Smokey did Floy Joy, I was hoping other producers like Norman or Deke would take The Supremes on. After Gladys stopped recording for Motown, I’m surprised that Norman didn’t give JLM a shot - he just might have come up with the right formula, but either he didn’t have the time or didn’t want to. I can understand that Deke, Who was extreme fond of Diana, may not have had much of an affinity to work with the Supremes after she left. But after he was done with the Jackson 5, it might have been fun to hear his slick pop soul on JML - like Bless You.

[Ollie9]

when Smokey did Floy Joy, I was hoping other producers like Norman or Deke would take The Supremes on. After Gladys stopped recording for Motown, I’m surprised that Norman didn’t give JLM a shot - he just might have come up with the right formula, but either he didn’t have the time or didn’t want to. I can understand that Deke, Who was extreme fond of Diana, may not have had much of an affinity to work with the Supremes after she left. But after he was done with the Jackson 5, it might have been fun to hear his slick pop soul on JML - like Bless You.

After the effervescent Floy Joy set, Norman Whitfield would have been the perfect producer for JML. As he achieved with the the Tempts, he could have brought their sound bang up to date and possibly had Jean and Mary sharing more leads. I was going to say + Cindy, but she always seems to be out of the equation.
Fact is he was a busy busy guy, so as you say may not have had the time or possibly the inclination to consider producing the group.

[sup_fan]

certainly an interesting idea to have Norman work with the girls. i'd assume he had his hands full with the Temps. not sure he could have added the supremes.

also someone[[s) were set on keeping the supremes being these giggly, glamour girls. Part of the problems Jean and Lynda complained about was that the group wasn't evolving and staying relevant. Norman might have been too extreme for the "girly girls" even though that could have been exactly what they needed