Good points but you have to remember she had to work with what she had in front of her. If she had a producer who saw the potential things would have been different. Also Mary didn’t meet Rita til a little later on so it would have made a different impact
Quote Originally Posted by benross View Post
Ollie9, you're right; Slow Hand could have been a strong, excellent vehicle for Mary. It is too bad she didn't have the personal sensitivity, awareness and judgment -- or the helpful guidance of knowledgeable producers -- The Pointer Sisters drew on.

I often wondered why she didn't ask Rita Coolidge, who she said was a friend of hers, for some advice on picking songs. Much of Rita's material could have worked for Mary; it had a very relaxed, contemporary sound that was somewhat akin to Mary's work on I Keep It Hid or certain other ballads.

Importantly, Rita conveyed a certain energy that didn't sound forced or artificial. Mary sometimes seemed to try too hard to project excitement, although her repertoire was comprised, mostly, of less-than-compelling lyrics and melodies. No matter how much enthusiasm she tried to inject, the results were sad. She was like a sales clerk at Target pretending that a second-rate dress really was worth purchasing, trying to convince the customer even though she realized all along that the fabric was cheap, the dye was uneven and garish and the style would soon fade.

For the most part, Rita, like Diana Ross and other successful interpreters, seemed to offer something genuine when relating an experience, feelings and reactions; these singers came across as sincere. Diana could take a dubious narrative, such as the one in Slow Down, and make it seem at least half-way credible [[although I suspect that even she would have had difficulty in presenting the occasional junk tune, like The Sha-La Bandit or Mr. Boogie, that The '70s Supremes should have rejected). Mary too often came across as dishonest and untrustworthy because of such choices. With stronger material and a less pushy approach, she would have done better.