Originally Posted by
bradsupremes
Mary held out hope for having a successful solo career in the pop market similar like Diana, Dionne, Chaka, etc. I think her best chance of having a hit was with the Gus Dudgeon tracks. Had Motown not released her from her contract, issued a second album consisting of the Gus Dudgeon tracks and actually put a little effort in promoting them, Mary could have a hit on the R&B/pop charts. I think still "Love Talk" and "Save Me" had the potential to be solid hits for her if properly promoted.
The thing going against Mary was her age, being in Diana's/Supremes shadow, and not having the commercial pop voice record labels were pushing at that time. This doesn't mean Mary couldn't have success in the pop market, but it would be so much harder to find the right material and going up against much younger artists. I think Mary's biggest mistake was not exploring the jazz market sooner. Her Up Close album/show is proof Mary could have been incredibly successful in the jazz world if she chose that path. She really could have reinvented herself - potential albums, Grammys, bookings at legendary jazz festivals, etc. were all attainable. She could have carved out a career and name for herself there. It's a shame she didn't see that in the 80s. Her whole career would have been entirely different and for the better because of it.
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