Dream compilation - The Florence and Mary Leads

[antceleb12]

Not sure if this idea has ever popped up around here, but I've ben thinking of all the Supremes compilations and reissues that have popped up over the years, one I would love to see is one that compiles all of the [[or the best of the) tracks featuring Florence and/or Mary on lead, either as solo leads or group leads, between 1960-1969.

I've compiled a potential track list of 20 tracks, in order from the era in which they were recorded. I am excluding tracks in which Diana is the primary lead with Mary or Flo adding in minor solo featurettes [["Let Me Go the Right Way," "Manhattan," "Fancy Passes," etc.).

Here's the challenge: if you had to narrow it down to a typical 10-track LP, which ones would you select?

1. After All [[Mary, Florence, Diana)
2. Buttered Popcorn [[Florence)
3. Save Me a Star [[Florence)
4. Hey Baby [[Florence)
5. Heavenly Father [[Florence)
6. Baby Don't Go [[Mary)
7. I Saw Him Standing There [[Florence)
8. It Makes No Difference Now [[Mary, Florence, Diana)
9. [[Ain't That) Good News [[Florence)
10. People [[Florence)
11. Our Day Will Come [[Mary)
12. Silent Night [[Florence)
13. O Holy Night [[Florence)
14. The Christmas Song [[Merry Christmas to You) [Mary]
15. Come and Get These Memories [[Mary)
16. People [[Live at the Roostertail, 1966) [Florence, Mary]
17. Falling in Love with Love [[Diana, Mary)
18. The Ballad of Davy Crockett [[Mary, Florence)
19. Can't Take My Eyes Off You [[solo version) [Mary]
20. Son of a Preacher Man [[Mary)

[antceleb12]

If I had to narrow it down to just 10, here would be my picks [[eliminating all the group lead tracks and others):

1. Buttered Popcorn [[Florence)
2. Save Me a Star [[Florence)
3. Heavenly Father [[Florence)
4. Baby Don't Go [[Mary)
5. [[Ain't That) Good News [[Florence)
6. People [[Florence)
7. Our Day Will Come [[Mary)
8. Silent Night [[Florence)
9. Come and Get These Memories [[Mary)
10. Can't Take My Eyes Off You [[solo version) [Mary]

[floyjoy678]

1. Buttered Popcorn [[Florence)
2. The Tears [[Mary)
3. Hey Baby [[Florence)
4. It Makes No Difference Now [[Mary, Florence, Diana)
5. [[Ain't That) Good News [[Florence)
6. People [[Florence)
7. Sunset [[Mary, Diana)
8. Falling in Love with Love [[Diana, Mary)
9. Silent Night [[Florence) *2015 version
10. O Holy Night [[Florence) *2015 version

[sup_fan]

that's pretty much everything that we know of. I did a playlist in itunes for each of the girls. I did go ahead and add in songs where they were "featured"

Amen
Mrs Robinson
Mas que nada
enjoy yourself
long gone lover
You really got a hold on me - Mary takes Bobby Roger's part so she's spotlighted at least
got to get you into my life
Can't shake it loose - again, mary sings a spotlighted harmony on some of the verses

[marybrewster]

Like "Son of a Preacher Man", there are a couple of other Mary-lead tracks from 1969. I think "Send Him to Me" is one. Can't think of the other. They both were on YouTube a while back.

[marybrewster]

"If You Let Me" is the other.

[lucky2012]

My 10 favorite Flo & Mary leads:

After All
Buttered Popcorn
The Tears
It Makes No Difference Now
Sunset
[[Ain't That) Good News
Falling In Love With Love
The Christmas Song
Silent Night
O Holy Night

*Bold = my absolute favorite vocals by "the other two Supremes". The others sound unfinished and/or flawed to my ears, which is probably why they were previously unreleased. I included After All because it has historical significance for me.

[sup_fan]

Like "Son of a Preacher Man", there are a couple of other Mary-lead tracks from 1969. I think "Send Him to Me" is one. Can't think of the other. They both were on YouTube a while back.

i thought Send Him To Me was recorded as part of the JMC material in late 69? still a valid point that it's a mary lead in the vaults.

[blackguy69]

Technically it’s a Mary solo. Not sure if backgrounds were gonna be in there or not

i thought Send Him To Me was recorded as part of the JMC material in late 69? still a valid point that it's a mary lead in the vaults.

[sup_fan]

Technically it’s a Mary solo. Not sure if backgrounds were gonna be in there or not

yeah - and i'd be very interested to hear the canned material at this time. so wish we could get a L&F or Right On EE

for this discussion, i only was going through the songs that were Diana era ones. There really are only a handful during these years. Even back in the early years. I think to describe the original Supremes back in 60 and 61 as a group with shared leads is very misleading. from 60 - 74, it was predominately a group comprised of a primary lead singer while the other members occasionally were spotlighted. it wasn't until Scherrie joined that it was two primary leads

[sup_fan]

in terms of lp releases, here's how things line up too

Meet The Supremes - M and F each have separate leads
WDOLG - Flo has a spotlighted lead at the end of Long Gone Lover and M and F join the chorus on Breathtaking
Liverpool - M duets with Diana on You Really got a hold on me. F was supposed to lead I saw him standing there
Country - Mary leads Sunset, each girls leads on Makes No Difference
Sam Cooke - mary has a small lead/duet on Chain Gang doing the alto intro, Flo lead on Good News
More Hits - while the bg vocals are very prominent, there aren't any shared leads or spotlights
Copa - could have included Enjoy Yourself with M
Christmas - could have included one of Flo's leads and Mary's lead on Christmas Song
Symphony - no leads
A Go Go - Mary on come and get
Sing HDH - no leads
Sing R&H - mary on Falling in love

[reese]

in terms of lp releases, here's how things line up too

Country - Mary leads Sunset, each girls leads on Makes No Difference

On Sunset, Mary and Diana share the lead.