Florence Ballard's Solo Live Performances

[reese]

Interesting. So it seems like Florence was going for more of a nightclub act than a contemporary act. I recall the oft-told story that she was not able to use the name of the Supremes in her publicity so I'd assume Florence was also forbidden from performing Supremes songs. There just seems to be so little information: do we assume there were only a small number of live performances?

I don't know if there was any edict that Flo couldn't perform Supremes material in person. Even when Mary couldn't use the name, she still sang the songs. As long as royalties were paid, Motown probably didn't care.

When asked about Flo performing Supremes material, Cholly said she could have but didn't want to. They didn't want to set up any comparisons. In addition to HEY, LOOK ME OVER, he said she also performed BY MYSELF and PEOPLE.

[PeaceNHarmony]

I don't know if there was any edict that Flo couldn't perform Supremes material in person. Even when Mary couldn't use the name, she still sang the songs. As long as royalties were paid, Motown probably didn't care.

When asked about Flo performing Supremes material, Cholly said she could have but didn't want to. They didn't want to set up any comparisons. In addition to HEY, LOOK ME OVER, he said she also performed BY MYSELF and PEOPLE.

I was just guessing, Reese, and it seems to me that this would have been a major mis-step by Gordy. Yet ... it seems that Florence was focused on singing songs she liked and establishing a career beyond her Supremes work. Don't you wish we really knew the decision-making processes?

[floyjoy678]

I was just guessing, Reese, and it seems to me that this would have been a major mis-step by Gordy. Yet ... it seems that Florence was focused on singing songs she liked and establishing a career beyond her Supremes work. Don't you wish we really knew the decision-making processes?

Flo said for a long time that she wanted nothing to do with the music from the Supremes and she couldn't even listen to it. I do wonder if she had thrown in a couple Supremes numbers in her shows if it would have made any difference. But I get it, she wanted do her own thing.

[PeaceNHarmony]

Flo said for a long time that she wanted nothing to do with the music from the Supremes and she couldn't even listen to it. I do wonder if she had thrown in a couple Supremes numbers in her shows if it would have made any difference. But I get it, she wanted do her own thing.

I had not known that; it's sad to hear.

[RanRan79]

I don't know if there was any edict that Flo couldn't perform Supremes material in person. Even when Mary couldn't use the name, she still sang the songs. As long as royalties were paid, Motown probably didn't care.

When asked about Flo performing Supremes material, Cholly said she could have but didn't want to. They didn't want to set up any comparisons. In addition to HEY, LOOK ME OVER, he said she also performed BY MYSELF and PEOPLE.

Reese, is "By Myself" a Judy Garland song? I'm not familiar with a song of that name and so I Googled it and that's what came up. If it's the same song, reading the lyrics, wow, it would've been interesting to hear Flo do it as it seems so relevant to her experience at that point. If there were ever to be a Flo movie, I could see her performance of this song as a key scene.

[danman869]

Reese, is "By Myself" a Judy Garland song? I'm not familiar with a song of that name and so I Googled it and that's what came up. If it's the same song, reading the lyrics, wow, it would've been interesting to hear Flo do it as it seems so relevant to her experience at that point. If there were ever to be a Flo movie, I could see her performance of this song as a key scene.

I have versions of the song by Nancy Wilson, Barbra Streisand, and even Ann-Margret and I can see this kind of song being something good for a live show--especially with the lyrics and Flo starting a solo career. While Judy's version is slow build up to the typical Garland bombastic crescendo, I think I could've heard Flo doing something on stage closer [though maybe not exactly] like Nancy Wilson's version from her June 1968 album, "The Sound Of": silky, while still bouncy and jazzy. No, Flo is no Nancy Wilson, but just that general feel probably could've worked for Flo with this song during a live performance.



Part of me can understand why Florence might want to avoid singing Supremes songs or creating a comparison to Diana/The Supremes, but... I think she should have done a medley during a live show. Even if it were just the Come See/Stop!/Hangin' On/I Hear A Symphony medley. She wouldn't have to say, "I was a Supreme when I sang these," as she could've said something like, "here are a few songs I'm awfully familiar with..." Let the audience [who probably might've known her connection anyway] figure it out. ["Oh, oh, oh--that's how I know her!"] Then Flo could've continued with her show. In my mind, I think Flo could've mentioned her time in The Supremes during a live show. I just don't think Motown had anyone "watching over" Flo to make sure she didn't. Print media? Sure--that's gonna get easily caught. But who would know or honestly care whether over a year later she was trading on the idea of, "yes, I was a part of those ladies and now I'm doing my own thing!"? I think Florence, for all of her bravado about leaving, was probably scared about that possibility. I wish she had pushed the envelope and said, "f*ck Berry and f*ck Motown, just let him stop me from telling everyone I was a Supreme!" I mean, how much energy would Berry have really expended? I love Flo, but by the fall of 1968, she wasn't going to hit the top right out of the gate and she wasn't competition for Diana Ross. Given time, she might have been able to carve out a career, but for all the hard work she might have put in, she didn't have a large machine [Motown] behind her.

[reese]

...In my mind, I think Flo could've mentioned her time in The Supremes during a live show. I just don't think Motown had anyone "watching over" Flo to make sure she didn't. Print media? Sure--that's gonna get easily caught. But who would know or honestly care whether over a year later she was trading on the idea of, "yes, I was a part of those ladies and now I'm doing my own thing!"? I think Florence, for all of her bravado about leaving, was probably scared about that possibility. I wish she had pushed the envelope and said, "f*ck Berry and f*ck Motown, just let him stop me from telling everyone I was a Supreme!" I mean, how much energy would Berry have really expended? I love Flo, but by the fall of 1968, she wasn't going to hit the top right out of the gate and she wasn't competition for Diana Ross. Given time, she might have been able to carve out a career, but for all the hard work she might have put in, she didn't have a large machine [Motown] behind her.

I could swear that there was a thread on this forum where Al Abrams said that the idea of Flo not being able to use the Supremes name as promo was overblown. I think he actually said that for the most post, as her press agent, he ignored it. I've looked for that thread but haven't able to find it.

As with Mary at times, Motown most likely didn't want Flo to bill her shows as "Florence Ballard of the Supremes."

[reese]

Reese, is "By Myself" a Judy Garland song? I'm not familiar with a song of that name and so I Googled it and that's what came up. If it's the same song, reading the lyrics, wow, it would've been interesting to hear Flo do it as it seems so relevant to her experience at that point. If there were ever to be a Flo movie, I could see her performance of this song as a key scene.

It could be, I don't know for sure. Aretha recorded a song [BLUE] BY MYSELF for her Columbia debut but it has different lyrics. For a nightclub act, Judy's seems more likely.