"Reflections" original cover

[WaitingWatchingLookingForAChance]

Flo was also still under contract to motown until Feb 68. supposedly motown was going to continue to record her as a single artist [[not sure how THAT would have worked) but that would have kept her at the label and avoided any messy PR nightmares.

Perhaps they would say something like "Flo is tired of the relentless pace of DRATS and wishes to have a more private and quiet life. she'll continue to record some with motown while she also enjoys more time with her family" and then they'd have probably never done anything with her.

I often wondered just what that would have sounded like, had Florence remained with Motown. Probably very much like a David Ruffin affair where Florence would have gotten shuttled to the 2nd and even 3rd tier songwriting/production teams. Some songs tepid, some brilliant. Still, I'm sure the material would have been much more gripping than her ABC output [[The Funk Brothers could make just about anything swing). Still, no matter how good the material, no doubt, the albums would be heard by only the most die-hard fans. Even as I'm saying this, it sounds TOTALLY implausible that any recordings would have come out other than a one-off single on V.I.P. [[because it would be absolutely "illegal" by Motown Law to have Florence share the same label as The Supremes!)

[sup_fan]

I often wondered just what that would have sounded like, had Florence remained with Motown. Probably very much like a David Ruffin affair where Florence would have gotten shuttled to the 2nd and even 3rd tier songwriting/production teams. Some songs tepid, some brilliant. Still, I'm sure the material would have been much more gripping than her ABC output [[The Funk Brothers could make just about anything swing). Still, no matter how good the material, no doubt, the albums would be heard by only the most die-hard fans. Even as I'm saying this, it sounds TOTALLY implausible that any recordings would have come out other than a one-off single on V.I.P. [[because it would be absolutely "illegal" by Motown Law to have Florence share the same label as The Supremes!)

plus Tammi Terrell was on the Motown label. And wasn't Chris Clark also on the motown label? they wouldn't have wanted so many female solo artists on that 1 imprint. so i think you're absolutely right. had Flo stayed, she would have been shifted to a small label and then lingered. Maybe they could have placed her on Soul and had a little success.

[WaitingWatchingLookingForAChance]

plus Tammi Terrell was on the Motown label. And wasn't Chris Clark also on the motown label? they wouldn't have wanted so many female solo artists on that 1 imprint. so i think you're absolutely right. had Flo stayed, she would have been shifted to a small label and then lingered. Maybe they could have placed her on Soul and had a little success.

Great points about the other female solo artist already on Motown. I really wish she had remained at Motown. Yes, I know they wouldn't have pushed her records, but Motown knew how to make great records. Even the worst Motown record beats many other record companies' music in terms of production. The Motown producer, for the most part, knew how to make an artist sound as good as they possibly could. ABC gave Florence weak productions. If your foundation is shoddy, even the best singer will sound second-rate. Florence may have been frustrated working at Motown, but she definitely would have come out sounding much better than what ABC were giving her. Imagine if she had been given the song "I Got A Feeling" sung by Barbara Randolph. I like Barbara, but she seemed very much like a one-off artist to me. Now turn Florence loose on that one? WOW!

[RanRan79]

I often wondered just what that would have sounded like, had Florence remained with Motown. Probably very much like a David Ruffin affair where Florence would have gotten shuttled to the 2nd and even 3rd tier songwriting/production teams. Some songs tepid, some brilliant. Still, I'm sure the material would have been much more gripping than her ABC output [[The Funk Brothers could make just about anything swing). Still, no matter how good the material, no doubt, the albums would be heard by only the most die-hard fans. Even as I'm saying this, it sounds TOTALLY implausible that any recordings would have come out other than a one-off single on V.I.P. [[because it would be absolutely "illegal" by Motown Law to have Florence share the same label as The Supremes!)

Florence was smart enough to not take the deal, but I've always said had she taken Motown up on it's offer, if she even made it into the studio, we wouldn't have heard those cuts until the Motown Unreleased series.

[sup_fan]

but can you imagine the explosive interactions she would have had with people there? obviously she and Berry would have had 0 interaction

wonder what producer they might have put her with? maybe Norman?

[WaitingWatchingLookingForAChance]

but can you imagine the explosive interactions she would have had with people there? obviously she and Berry would have had 0 interaction

wonder what producer they might have put her with? maybe Norman?

Norman was HOT by this time so I doubt they would have paired him with Florence. Instead, she would have gotten a succession of producers; George Gordy, Allen Story, Dean/Weatherspoon, [[maybe) Ivy Jo Hunter- all the producers whose work always seemed to end up not be pushed or promoted. Very much how Chris Clark, The Monitors, Rita Wright, The Originals and other 2nd line artists were handled.

Yeah, "explosive" is THE word! "Berry's coming down the hall, get Flo out of sight, RIGHT NOW!!!!!!" would have been routinely said, most every day.

[sup_fan]

Norman was HOT by this time so I doubt they would have paired him with Florence. Instead, she would have gotten a succession of producers; George Gordy, Allen Story, Dean/Weatherspoon, [[maybe) Ivy Jo Hunter- all the producers whose work always seemed to end up not be pushed or promoted. Very much how Chris Clark, The Monitors, Rita Wright, The Originals and other 2nd line artists were handled.

Yeah, "explosive" is THE word! "Berry's coming down the hall, get Flo out of sight, RIGHT NOW!!!!!!" would have been routinely said, most every day.

haha - and you know Flo wasn't one to back down from a fight. If people were trying to get her to hide, she'd step RIGHT OUT into the hall with her hands on her hips and a look of determination! lololol

[WaitingWatchingLookingForAChance]

haha - and you know Flo wasn't one to back down from a fight. If people were trying to get her to hide, she'd step RIGHT OUT into the hall with her hands on her hips and a look of determination! lololol

Oh yeah, you KNOW you're right about THAT! 😆

[sup_fan]

Norman was HOT by this time so I doubt they would have paired him with Florence. Instead, she would have gotten a succession of producers; George Gordy, Allen Story, Dean/Weatherspoon, [[maybe) Ivy Jo Hunter- all the producers whose work always seemed to end up not be pushed or promoted. Very much how Chris Clark, The Monitors, Rita Wright, The Originals and other 2nd line artists were handled.

Yeah, "explosive" is THE word! "Berry's coming down the hall, get Flo out of sight, RIGHT NOW!!!!!!" would have been routinely said, most every day.

and you mention C Clark.

i have a playlist of Motown Women with all sorts of tracks from all the ladies. I have the 2-cd anthology set of Chris' but i haven't really played it much or listened to it. so it was enjoyable to hear a few of her songs in the playlist

I think it was one of Randy's books where he described Chris' voice as a cross between Dusty Springfield and Mary Wilson. I'd actually say Dusty Springfield and Flo! now true, Chris might not have had quite the soulful flourishes that Flo had, like on the end of her verse in Makes No Difference. but when flo was singing more straight, her tone is similar to Chris'. And i think a lot of Chris' songs might have worked for Flo

Imagine Flo doing Love's Gone Bad!!! that's a hot song IMO

[RanRan79]

and you mention C Clark.

i have a playlist of Motown Women with all sorts of tracks from all the ladies. I have the 2-cd anthology set of Chris' but i haven't really played it much or listened to it. so it was enjoyable to hear a few of her songs in the playlist

I think it was one of Randy's books where he described Chris' voice as a cross between Dusty Springfield and Mary Wilson. I'd actually say Dusty Springfield and Flo! now true, Chris might not have had quite the soulful flourishes that Flo had, like on the end of her verse in Makes No Difference. but when flo was singing more straight, her tone is similar to Chris'. And i think a lot of Chris' songs might have worked for Flo

Imagine Flo doing Love's Gone Bad!!! that's a hot song IMO

I think Dusty/Mary is a more accurate description of Chris Clark's voice, but I do think Florence could've definitely worked Chris' material.

[RanRan79]

but can you imagine the explosive interactions she would have had with people there? obviously she and Berry would have had 0 interaction

wonder what producer they might have put her with? maybe Norman?

Norman would've definitely been a great fit. Maybe Smokey. Frank Wilson. Definitely Richard Morris.

[sup_fan]

IMO a lot of the Elgins material is more suited for Diana than Flo. Heaven, Darling Baby, Stay, Put Yourself - all of them have a style that's IMO more light and pop. at least in the versions the Elgins did

back to C Clark, her version of Whisper You Love Me Boy is quite an interesting take on the song. of course i'm so programmed with the Sup version. and done in that style, Diana or maybe Mary seem to be a fit. but the funkier Clark version could have maybe worked for Flo. I Want To Go Back There Again, Love's Gone Bad, You've Made me so very happy - these too for Flo

[WaitingWatchingLookingForAChance]

IMO a lot of the Elgins material is more suited for Diana than Flo. Heaven, Darling Baby, Stay, Put Yourself - all of them have a style that's IMO more light and pop. at least in the versions the Elgins did

back to C Clark, her version of Whisper You Love Me Boy is quite an interesting take on the song. of course i'm so programmed with the Sup version. and done in that style, Diana or maybe Mary seem to be a fit. but the funkier Clark version could have maybe worked for Flo. I Want To Go Back There Again, Love's Gone Bad, You've Made me so very happy - these too for Flo

You guys have some interesting takes on things Florence could have recorded. "Darling Baby" may have worked, if they dropped the key a bit. Chris Clark's strength was that husky quality that she shared with Mary Wilson. Florence may have sounded good on Chris's version of "Put Yourself In My Place", with its jazzier swing groove. I could also hear her on Chris's version of "Whisper".

Smokey Robinson though was VERY good at tailoring a song to an artist's strengths. Listen to what he did with Cal Gill of the Velvelettes on "Your Heart Belongs To Me." That was an amazing performance. I think Smokey woul have brought something out in Florence we've never heard before.

Dreams, dreams, dreams.

[RanRan79]

Smokey Robinson though was VERY good at tailoring a song to an artist's strengths. Listen to what he did with Cal Gill of the Velvelettes on "Your Heart Belongs To Me." That was an amazing performance. I think Smokey woul have brought something out in Florence we've never heard before.

Dreams, dreams, dreams.

Good point. Flo's range was really nice, and I think Smokey worked his best with females who had a lower range. So if Smokey produced Flo in her lower register, that might have been really nice and interesting.

[luke]

Johnjeb...I totally can hear Flo singing Darling Baby or Heaven Must Have Sent you . Never thought of it before but songs perfectly suited for Flo!!