from vinyl to stage - studio recordings versus live versions

[sup_fan]

in general, the Sups live shows [[like Talk of the Town) are able to translate the great HDH hits into exciting stage renditions. some times this worked better than others.

which are the best live version? which are worse? which are songs that improve with the live version?


I think the live version of My World on Sullivan is terrible. the moodiness and haunting quality of the song is totally abandoned. it worked ok enough in the Hits Medley they started using in 67. i do think the total reinvention of the song in the 70s was fascinating

You Can't Hurry Love - i think this one works live. the added brass sections, the tambourines. obviously the original vinyl is unquestionably the best. but i think the live Sullivan version is really strong

[floyjoy678]

I agree My World Is Empty sounded awful live any time they did it. They turned a somber depressing song into an upbeat showtune lol. I think I Hear A Symphony was a good one live. I do like Come See About Me live but not the one on the Roostertail, that was just a little too fast.

I also agree that I do love the live You Can't Hurry Love on Sullivan but other times live not so much. Mainly because Mary is really trying to reach for those high notes in the background and you can tell she's struggling lol.

[sup_fan]

I agree My World Is Empty sounded awful live any time they did it. They turned a somber depressing song into an upbeat showtune lol. I think I Hear A Symphony was a good one live. I do like Come See About Me live but not the one on the Roostertail, that was just a little too fast.

I also agree that I do love the live You Can't Hurry Love on Sullivan but other times live not so much. Mainly because Mary is really trying to reach for those high notes in the background and you can tell she's struggling lol.

yeah sometimes the stage version lacked the polish. i guess that's why motown often opted to pre-record the tv live versions.

if you notice in YCHL the backing vocals at the Roostertail are slightly different from Copa 67. i agree with you that sometimes M and F missed the notes on "love don't come easy" but for Copa 67 they adjusted the rhythm a little, maybe to make it easier to hit those notes

[reese]

I really like the live version of COME SEE ABOUT ME on the Copa album. IMO, that song always was done well live, even though the tempo might have been too fast as the years went on.

I also really like YOU KEEP ME HANGIN' ON and I HEAR A SYMPHONY on TCB.

REFLECTIONS is another fave.

[sup_fan]

in the 70s i think they were more hit or miss. either the songs adapted great for live or where terrible live

Everybody and YWSSL both worked really well live. i think both are stronger than the original 45s. Ladder also did really well live

FJ - i've only heard the scratchy version on Merv and then the medley on Japan. i'm guessing it too worked pretty well

BW and I Guess also seem to mostly do well. the tv versions of BW are strong although the version on Japan lacks a solid bassline.

Stoned Love, Nathan Jones both suffer in the live versions. as so the disco tracks

[bradsupremes]

I never got why "My World Is Empty" was included in their live shows for so many years especially when there were number one hits that got dropped instead. They dropped "You Can't Hurry Love" after being in the show for a year. It was gone before 1968. "I Hear A Symphony" didn't last long either. To me, it made more sense to drop "My World" out of the hits medley and put "You Can't Hurry Love" in its place.

"Love Is Here And Now You're Gone" worked best live. Maybe due to the original recording having an orchestral arrangement and the live version had strings, brass, etc. The version on Talk of the Town just soars. I especially enjoy the trumpet part [[I call it the rooster's call) in the last verse.

[sup_fan]

I never got why "My World Is Empty" was included in their live shows for so many years especially when there were number one hits that got dropped instead. They dropped "You Can't Hurry Love" after being in the show for a year. It was gone before 1968. "I Hear A Symphony" didn't last long either. To me, it made more sense to drop "My World" out of the hits medley and put "You Can't Hurry Love" in its place.

"Love Is Here And Now You're Gone" worked best live. Maybe due to the original recording having an orchestral arrangement and the live version had strings, brass, etc. The version on Talk of the Town just soars. I especially enjoy the trumpet part [[I call it the rooster's call) in the last verse.

i think similar can be said about In And Out Of Love. wasn't that also recorded in LA, at least the backing track? i found the version on TOTT better than the original

[BayouMotownMan]

i think similar can be said about In And Out Of Love. wasn't that also recorded in LA, at least the backing track? i found the version on TOTT better than the original

The one hit that I have always hated live...no matter who was in the group, was Where Did Our Love Go. It just didn't work live.

[sup_fan]

The one hit that I have always hated live...no matter who was in the group, was Where Did Our Love Go. It just didn't work live.

interesting. i didn't think it was terrible. but they didn't do it live much. i wonder if they felt similarly. it's a simple song, there isn't much going on. the lean arrangement and all works perfectly on record. maybe though it's just too simple to be as captivating live.

[RanRan79]

I definitely agree with many others on "My World". The worst is indeed the Sullivan performance, but the other concert versions were so Vegasy. Not until Scherrie's rendition in the group did the song get back some of the beauty of the single.

I tend to really like "Symphony", "Hurry Love", "Hangin On", "Love Is Here" in their live versions. They usually retain some of the core elements that make the singles so good.

I actually prefer the various live versions of "Stop In the Name of Love" to the hit version, which I'm not too fond of. I also love Flo and Mary's harmony during the verses that was apparently mixed out of the single. My two favorite "Stop"s are the one from Shindig and the one from Where the Action Is.

The Farewell version of "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me" is also very good. It translated well live. [[The Tempts also have a killer live version of it.)

[RanRan79]

interesting. i didn't think it was terrible. but they didn't do it live much. i wonder if they felt similarly. it's a simple song, there isn't much going on. the lean arrangement and all works perfectly on record. maybe though it's just too simple to be as captivating live.

They killed it on the TAMI Show. One of my favorite live performances ever.

[danman869]

They killed it on the TAMI Show. One of my favorite live performances ever.

I, too, was thinking that DMF had done a good job with WDOLG on the TAMI Show.

[sup_fan]

I definitely agree with many others on "My World". The worst is indeed the Sullivan performance, but the other concert versions were so Vegasy. Not until Scherrie's rendition in the group did the song get back some of the beauty of the single.

I tend to really like "Symphony", "Hurry Love", "Hangin On", "Love Is Here" in their live versions. They usually retain some of the core elements that make the singles so good.

I actually prefer the various live versions of "Stop In the Name of Love" to the hit version, which I'm not too fond of. I also love Flo and Mary's harmony during the verses that was apparently mixed out of the single. My two favorite "Stop"s are the one from Shindig and the one from Where the Action Is.

The Farewell version of "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me" is also very good. It translated well live. [[The Tempts also have a killer live version of it.)

the harmony Ooooo's that F and M do live - aren't those on the recording but it's the A's doing it? i don't listen to Stop much either so it's been a while. I thought the A's did the oooos, they all did the Baby Baby, is it the As or M and F then do the Ahhh's and then all on Think it Over and the chorus?

[reese]

the harmony Ooooo's that F and M do live - aren't those on the recording but it's the A's doing it? i don't listen to Stop much either so it's been a while. I thought the A's did the oooos, they all did the Baby Baby, is it the As or M and F then do the Ahhh's and then all on Think it Over and the chorus?

I think only the "Baby, baby"s are on the recording.

[RanRan79]

the harmony Ooooo's that F and M do live - aren't those on the recording but it's the A's doing it? i don't listen to Stop much either so it's been a while. I thought the A's did the oooos, they all did the Baby Baby, is it the As or M and F then do the Ahhh's and then all on Think it Over and the chorus?

It's my understanding the "oohs" are the Andantes on the recording. Might explain why the "oohs" didn't make it onto any of the official releases. Flo and Mary doing them live is a treat.

[sup_fan]

It's my understanding the "oohs" are the Andantes on the recording. Might explain why the "oohs" didn't make it onto any of the official releases. Flo and Mary doing them live is a treat.

it might be that they added backing parts just to fill things out more on the stage. or perhaps they were in an early version of the record but deleted.

like in Reflections, M and C there are added oooo's during the verses and then they always did the vocals on the bridge even though they were cut from the record. and in Ladder and Everybody, M and C sing more on stage that on vinyl.

[floyjoy678]

Always thought the oooohs on Stop was something that Mary and Flo came up with for when they sang it live so I was surprised when I first heard the acapella version and lo and behold they were on the recorded version too just deleted from the single release.

[RanRan79]

Always thought the oooohs on Stop was something that Mary and Flo came up with for when they sang it live so I was surprised when I first heard the acapella version and lo and behold they were on the recorded version too just deleted from the single release.

The crazy thing is that until I got the Copa album, I always "heard" oohs in my head during the verses on the release. I've always wondered if my "oohs" just made sense or if my ears somehow picked up the extremely faint sound of the Andantes' not completely removed. I always thought that was weird.

[TYK1986]

Was just thinking about live versions yesterday! Come see about me is one of my faves but the backing track of some of the live versions, on tv, just don't sound very good. It's as if the whole drum and bass section have been erased. The Shindig performance had a deeper bass sounding track whereas the Sullivan sounded more jazzy.

Stoned love is my number 1 Supremes song but almost all the live versions are bad. Either too fast or Jean changing her way of phrasing the lyrics. Lynda sounds too loud on some of the live versions and buries Jean's vocals. Always think this song only works if they use the right tempo and how they recorded the vocals. As much as I like Jeans vocals, I do think she can mess up sometimes with trying phrasing/ singing the lyrics differently every time she sang it live. Live in Japan had a nice build up by Jean and the orchestra and than it turned into this too fast pasted and Jazzy song. Let's say it's so so.

Jean sang Bad Weather better on Soul Train than she did on record. It sounded less restrained and more soulful.

As for Stop/ I hear a Symphony/ Keep me Hangin on and You can't hurry love. All live performances were good, my opinion, especially during the 60's. I never listen to Jean's interpretations of the 60's songs. Just doesn't sound good.

[Ollie9]

Was just thinking about live versions yesterday! Come see about me is one of my faves but the backing track of some of the live versions, on tv, just don't sound very good. It's as if the whole drum and bass section have been erased. The Shindig performance had a deeper bass sounding track whereas the Sullivan sounded more jazzy.

Stoned love is my number 1 Supremes song but almost all the live versions are bad. Either too fast or Jean changing her way of phrasing the lyrics. Lynda sounds too loud on some of the live versions and buries Jean's vocals. Always think this song only works if they use the right tempo and how they recorded the vocals. As much as I like Jeans vocals, I do think she can mess up sometimes with trying phrasing/ singing the lyrics differently every time she sang it live. Live in Japan had a nice build up by Jean and the orchestra and than it turned into this too fast pasted and Jazzy song. Let's say it's so so.

Jean sang Bad Weather better on Soul Train than she did on record. It sounded less restrained and more soulful.

As for Stop/ I hear a Symphony/ Keep me Hangin on and You can't hurry love. All live performances were good, my opinion, especially during the 60's. I never listen to Jean's interpretations of the 60's songs. Just doesn't sound good.

I find Jean’s live versions of “I Guess I’ll Miss The Man” far superior to the recorded version being a little more expressive and free.

[RanRan79]

I find Jean’s live versions of “I Guess I’ll Miss The Man” far superior to the recorded version being a little more expressive and free.

Not just Jean, but Mary and Lynda's contribution comes across stunningly live vs the single. They're nice on the single for sure, as is Jean's lead vocal, but live on this song, they all did absolutely beautiful.

[sup_fan]

given all of my comments on jean going off book on Stoned Love, it's rather surprising that she doesn't as much on IGIMTM. i think the vinyl version is stunning although not really a single IMO. they lyrics are too depressing.

there are a few live versions floating around - Mike Douglas, kate smith and then the Dec 72 Apollo show where they extend the song but repeating the second verse. Jean certainly adds more to the lead vocals with some runs and things but overall does an incredible job with delivering the lyrics and melody.

agree that SL was essentially murdered on stage. the combo of the breakneck speed and jean's abandonment of the melody rob the song of it's majesty and grandeur. not to mention eradicating the song's message

the BW clips are all quite strong. the song is sort of the opposite of SL. while SL really depends on a clear delivery of the lyric and message, BW is meant to be funky and getting into the groove. so i love the extra that jean delivers here. hard to pick a fav live version. if i were to get REALLY nitpicky, i like the Bob Hope special version except for the ending where jean sings "Baby baby baby" for about 10 mins lol. the Soul Train version is great but don't they skip one of the verses? it's also unusual that they're singing it live on Soul Train as they did IGIMTM. most Soul Train performances are lip synced. or maybe Jean is the only one live.

[blackguy69]

On Soul Train they sing the full version. On the Kate Smuth special they skip a verse

given all of my comments on jean going off book on Stoned Love, it's rather surprising that she doesn't as much on IGIMTM. i think the vinyl version is stunning although not really a single IMO. they lyrics are too depressing.

there are a few live versions floating around - Mike Douglas, kate smith and then the Dec 72 Apollo show where they extend the song but repeating the second verse. Jean certainly adds more to the lead vocals with some runs and things but overall does an incredible job with delivering the lyrics and melody.

agree that SL was essentially murdered on stage. the combo of the breakneck speed and jean's abandonment of the melody rob the song of it's majesty and grandeur. not to mention eradicating the song's message

the BW clips are all quite strong. the song is sort of the opposite of SL. while SL really depends on a clear delivery of the lyric and message, BW is meant to be funky and getting into the groove. so i love the extra that jean delivers here. hard to pick a fav live version. if i were to get REALLY nitpicky, i like the Bob Hope special version except for the ending where jean sings "Baby baby baby" for about 10 mins lol. the Soul Train version is great but don't they skip one of the verses? it's also unusual that they're singing it live on Soul Train as they did IGIMTM. most Soul Train performances are lip synced. or maybe Jean is the only one live.

[sup_fan]

^ah that's right!

i remember liking the Kate Smith version though cuz they extended the ending. Lynda got a bit more time for her ad libs.