A declined 1982 supremes' re-union ??

[milven]

I just read of this on the Supremes' Wikipedia page.

In 1982, around the time that Motown reunited all of the Temptations, it was rumored that Motown would reunite the Supremes. The 1974 line-up of the Supremes [[Wilson, Birdsong and Payne) was considered for this reunion, which was to include new recordings and a tour. Under advisement from Berry Gordy, Wilson declined to reunite, and the idea was scrapped

Forgive my ignorance, but does this mean that Berry Gordy advised Mary not to reunite, or did Mary not take his advice to reunite? I think it is the latter.
If it is the latter, that Mary declined to reunite after Berry advised that it would be a good idea and would back her with new recordings and a tour;
then Mary made a mistake in my opinion. At this time, she was touring with every configuration of the Supremes' name in her billing with two non Supremes.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Supremes

[reese]

In her book, Mary wrote that someone at Motown came up with the idea. Suzanne dePasse discussed it with Mary, a new album, a tour, etc. Mary was interested but didn't want to give up what she had achieved so far in her solo career. She also wanted to do some lead singing, which Motown objected to. They wanted Scherrie to do all the leads.

When Mary went to Berry's house for a meeting, she asked Berry what he felt about the project. Mary said that she knew that nothing would happen if Berry didn't get behind it. Berry told her that someone else had brought him the idea and basically said that he wasn't really interested in the proposed reunion.

[Boogiedown]

Makes sense to bring back the supremes at the same time as the temptations and wasn’t Motown’s roster seeming a bit thin then ? For that reason, I’d think Berry would want to go with it. [what’s there to lose?].
But then Berry might also worry that adding The Supremes might water down the significance of achieving a reunited Temptations.
If Berry wasn’t on board then who was the ‘Motown’ behind this reunion notion ?

Also leading into this entire storyline , I see it is lead off with the word “rumor”.

added: thank you Reese for already filling in most of the gaps

[luke]

I believe it was Suzanne De Passé. I wonder the response if it was jean and not Scherrie

[RanRan79]

It was an absolute worst idea. Period.

For us die hards, every lady from Barbara to Susaye is a Supreme, no ifs, ands, or buts about it. But to the general public the Supremes are Florence, Diana, Mary, and to a lesser degree, Cindy. In 1982 there was probably still enough memory among the general public of Jean, and if it were suggested that she, Mary and Cindy reunite, it makes at least a little bit of sense. Scherrie? The general public didn't give two nickels about the Scherrie Supremes.

The Tempts reunion was significant because David and Eddie, the two main lead singers during much of the Tempts glory days, were coming back, along with Dennis, David's replacement and lead singer. These were people the public "cared" about. Nobody would've given a second thought to the Tempts reuniting with Damon Harris or Ricky Owens. Lol And no one would have cared about the Supremes reuniting with Scherrie. It would have been a continuation of the last time they were together, where the public just wasn't interested. [[Yes, I recognize the chart success of "Heart Walking", but in the bigger picture it wasn't enough to make the Supremes "relevant" again.) To a lot of people, by the time Scherrie entered the picture, the group was just another group, not the legendary Supremes.

The only Supremes reunion that was guaranteed money in the bank in 1982 was Mary, Cindy and Diana, and that wasn't going to happen with Diana at RCA and still making hit records. Reuniting the group with Jean is the only other option that would make sense. But with the 50s and 60s nostalgia being a big factor in a lot of what was going on in the 80s, the Jean Supremes doesn't really fit the bill, so it's likely that even that might have been a bust, unless the group hooked up with top of the line producers who could maybe- just maybe- send the new/new/new/new/new/new Supremes on a Pointer Sisters type career phase.

Mary left the group behind for a reason. It didn't make sense for her to go back to struggling Supremes.

[khansperac]

Ran I agree with all, well most of what you said. But you have to remember this was 1982. Dreamgirls was a phenomenon, literally the talk of the town. So anything “Supreme” was guaranteed solid booking. This was also before Mary’s “comeback” with her book. She was performing at the Holiday Inn. She was already struggling.

[jim aka jtigre99]

I don't think the reunion would have worked well. The Temptations worked because they toured with their original lead singers in tow. Florence passed away 6 years earlier and Motown would never have considered her because of their past. Like stated, Diana was at RCA and had no plans to tour and reunite-doing so on Motown 25 was a mess. Mary had every right to want to sing some leads, she was pursuing a solo career and it just wouldn't be fair to have her not sing lead in a Scherrie and Cindy trio [[just like not being in on the planning stages on RTL wasn't fair but let's not get into that). If it would have been financially to her benefit than that wasn't always Mary's guiding force-fairness, her artistic aspirations as soloist etc. were also in mind , not to mention she knew if this reunion wasn't Berry's idea than the three of them would be treated less than ideal. A reunion of any combination other than Diana, Mary and Cindy would not have been considered something that Motown and the GENERAL public would be behind. Mary definitely made the right decision.

[RanRan79]

Ran I agree with all, well most of what you said. But you have to remember this was 1982. Dreamgirls was a phenomenon, literally the talk of the town. So anything “Supreme” was guaranteed solid booking. This was also before Mary’s “comeback” with her book. She was performing at the Holiday Inn. She was already struggling.

But would Dreamgirls really make the public accept a Scherrie fronted Supremes? Maybe, just maybe, a Mary fronted Supremes in the wake of Dreamgirls might have garnered some attention and support from the public. Mary said Motown wanted Scherrie to do all of the leads, but that seems weird since the last time Mary was a Supreme she was sharing lead duties to one extent or another. What made 1982 Mary different from 1970s Mary? Certainly not that she wasn't good enough. She seemed to have a better grasp of her vocal skill with every year that passed. So with Mary fronting the group, I might understand the idea.

Yeah, at this point Mary was struggling, but it's one thing to struggle on your own, it's another to struggle with two other women you may or may not get along with today or tomorrow. True enough, when it comes to Mary's recollections of Supremes, she seems to make it pretty clear that Cindy and Scherrie were the easiest Supremes to get along with, but a lot of time had passed since these ladies were Supremes together. And both Mary and Scherrie had done things on their own since leaving the group, so going back to a group may not have been easy for any of them, maybe especially Mary, since, looking back, I'm not sure she was ever truly happy as a Supreme after Florence was fired. I think she really did view the post Diana Supremes as a career lifeboat with a bunch of replacements. Not that she wasn't proud of the post Diana Supremes achievements, but her heart would always be the Supremes as herself, Florence and Diana. If she couldn't reform the group with the two of them, I think she was happier as a solo, and life is too short to be unhappy.

[RanRan79]

If it would have been financially to her benefit than that wasn't always Mary's guiding force-fairness, her artistic aspirations as soloist etc. were also in mind , not to mention she knew if this reunion wasn't Berry's idea than the three of them would be treated less than ideal.

I think that's fairly accurate of Mary, that no matter what, the financials weren't always the first thing she thought about. And yeah, if Berry was disinterested, it would've been silly to attempt to move forward. Mary needed to focus her energy on securing a deal somewhere for herself. The fact that she even contemplated this long enough to pay Berry a visit is further proof- to me anyway- that Mary wasn't focused 100 percent on landing a deal somewhere for herself.

[RanRan79]

Was it 1982 or 81 that Mary, Jean and another Supreme [[can't remember if it was Cindy or Lynda) reunited at a celebration for Frank Wilson and they sang to him?

[BobbyC]

I would have gone to see a Scherrie/Mary/Cindy show! The Temptations reunion was ruined by drugs, massive egos and the unreliability of Ruffin. The Supremes never really had those problems. All that being said, the average normie out there would have assumed a Supremes reunion would feature Diana Ross, not Scherrie. I think people would have been angry just like they were when the 5th Dimension continued on without Marilyn and Billy. Fans felt duped.

[carlo]

Was it 1982 or 81 that Mary, Jean and another Supreme [[can't remember if it was Cindy or Lynda) reunited at a celebration for Frank Wilson and they sang to him?

Not sure I've heard about a JML reunion for a Frank Wilson celebration? Perhaps you're thinking of the occasion when they reunited in 1984 at Jean's solo show? The footage is on YouTube...

https://youtu.be/Uo1MuOte3UU



Rod_Rick also confirmed in this thread [link below] that Mary attended an early FLOS show, back in the 80's, and Jean was seen at some of Mary's shows during that time as well.

https://soulfuldetroit.com/showthrea...n-Terrell-what

[Boogiedown]

I would have gone to see a Scherrie/Mary/Cindy show! The Temptations reunion was ruined by drugs, massive egos and the unreliability of Ruffin. The Supremes never really had those problems. All that being said, the average normie out there would have assumed a Supremes reunion would feature Diana Ross, not Scherrie. I think people would have been angry just like they were when the 5th Dimension continued on without Marilyn and Billy. Fans felt duped.

Add to that instead of being just the earliest members the group of temptations had ballooned to seven members. Maybe they should have gathered as many Supremes as possible….

The reunited Temptations did not exactly become headline news. Pop radio didn’t embrace them.
STANDING ON THE TOP did not make the top 40.
If that didn’t generate more excitement , what chance would a mixed bag Supremes combo have .

[khansperac]

Add to that instead of being just the earliest members the group of temptations had ballooned to seven members. Maybe they should have gathered as many Supremes as possible….

The reunited Temptations did not exactly become headline news. Pop radio didn’t embrace them.
STANDING ON THE TOP did not make the top 40.
If that didn’t generate more excitement , what chance would a mixed bag Supremes combo have .

That may be true, but the Temptation brand was still successful. In 1984 they hit big with “Treat her like a lady”.

[reese]

Add to that instead of being just the earliest members the group of temptations had ballooned to seven members. Maybe they should have gathered as many Supremes as possible….

The reunited Temptations did not exactly become headline news. Pop radio didn’t embrace them.
STANDING ON THE TOP did not make the top 40.
If that didn’t generate more excitement , what chance would a mixed bag Supremes combo have .

I thought the reunion tour was successful but because of difficulties with Ruffin, it didn't continue. In Otis' book, I believe he wrote that if things had gone well, Ruffin and Kendrick would have returned to the group permanently.

When the Tempts' reunion tour came to my city, they had to add a second show due to the demand. I think they have returned again a month or so later to play another show.

[BobbyC]

Thanks for that Jean clip. I have to say, she certainly had a regal air about her--like she was always under control onstage.

[BobbyC]

Feeling Good was also covered by Muse.

[Boogiedown]

Yes but not because of the return of the oldest members . They maybe even did better once they moved on without them
TREAT HER did not make the Top 40 either though

[reese]

Yes but not because of the return of the oldest members . They maybe even did better once they moved on without them
TREAT HER did not make the Top 40 either though

Their days of crossover success were long past. But with records like TREAT HER LIKE A LADY, LADY SOUL, SAIL AWAY, etc., the guys were still charting high on the R&B chart.

[Boogiedown]

I thought the reunion tour was successful but because of difficulties with Ruffin, it didn't continue. In Otis' book, I believe he wrote that if things had gone well, Ruffin and Kendrick would have returned to the group permanently.

When the Tempts' reunion tour came to my city, they had to add a second show due to the demand. I think they have returned again a month or so later to play another show.

I’m sure it was successful/made money,[big money?], increased attendance, but would the word triumphant be applied ??
A money maker from attracting in
part a curious audience, I imagine some with the hopes of seeing fur flying..
As a stunt, it succeeded, but even under the most ideal results, hard to imagine this bloated line up being maintained.

reese it sounds like you didn’t attend either , what happened ??

[khansperac]

With all due respect, I don’t worry about the Pop chart. I believe with their performance on M25 and the reunion tour, it was the spark they needed.

U.S. Billboard Hot 100 48
U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play 13
U.S. Billboard Hot Black Singles 2
UK Singles 12

[RanRan79]

Not sure I've heard about a JML reunion for a Frank Wilson celebration? Perhaps you're thinking of the occasion when they reunited in 1984 at Jean's solo show? The footage is on YouTube...

https://youtu.be/Uo1MuOte3UU



Rod_Rick also confirmed in this thread [link below] that Mary attended an early FLOS show, back in the 80's, and Jean was seen at some of Mary's shows during that time as well.

https://soulfuldetroit.com/showthrea...n-Terrell-what

No, I just looked it up. It's from the March 19, 1981 issue of JET Magazine. And it wasn't Jean, it was Scherrie and Cindy with Mary. Perhaps that's what prompted the phantom Motowner to suggest a reunion of this grouping. Anyway, the article says they sang "Stoned Love". I for sure thought it was Jean and Mary with someone, but it's probably because I was mixing up the Jet article and the Jean show.

[RanRan79]

That may be true, but the Temptation brand was still successful. In 1984 they hit big with “Treat her like a lady”.

I play that one as much as I play the classic Tempts stuff. Ollie Woodson lays me out every time I hear him sing. Damn I miss him.

[carlo]

No, I just looked it up. It's from the March 19, 1981 issue of JET Magazine. And it wasn't Jean, it was Scherrie and Cindy with Mary. Perhaps that's what prompted the phantom Motowner to suggest a reunion of this grouping. Anyway, the article says they sang "Stoned Love". I for sure thought it was Jean and Mary with someone, but it's probably because I was mixing up the Jet article and the Jean show.

Thanks for clarifying, RanRan.

[RanRan79]

With all due respect, I don’t worry about the Pop chart. I believe with their performance on M25 and the reunion tour, it was the spark they needed.

U.S. Billboard Hot 100 48
U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play 13
U.S. Billboard Hot Black Singles 2
UK Singles 12

I like pop music, so the pop chart is something I consider at times. Being Black makes the R&B chart more important because the information contained within is more of a mark of what myself and my loved ones, and even the broader Black community, were digging at one time or another. Unfortunately, what's popular to us isn't always considered popular until someone else deems it so, i.e. making it popular among themselves. And if they don't view it as popular, and are able to back it up with poor pop chart showings, it isn't popular, or successful, despite what the r&b chart might say. Some people buy into that, I, however, do not. That's why I can look at the fact that Stephanie Mills' "I Feel Good All Over" completely missed the pop charts, but let that sista enter a room- any room- full of Black folks and start that intro...watch what happens. Success.

[RanRan79]

Thanks for clarifying, RanRan.

Glad I could. Like Reese said in another thread about himself, I have stuff in my head and I try to remember where I got the information. I knew what I read was in an article, that it was a Frank Wilson celebration, and the group had "reunited" for a song. The question was in what publication, because if I don't produce receipts around here, someone is bound to use the "L" word. No, not Lynda or Little Lisa.

[marybrewster]

Wouldn't the Mary vs Motown lawsuit in 1981/1982 still been pretty fresh? I'm surprised that this was even a thought.

I think Mary suggested that in the early 80s, there was a resurgence of Motown music, as evidenced by movies and soundtracks like "The Big Chill". Which made the thought of reuniting the Supremes and interesting and perhaps lucrative proposition. Then of course you have the "Dreamgirls" angle, which at the time, Motown tried to use their advantage.

I do think though the Tempts reuniting at the Supremes reuniting is apples and oranges. The Tempts were still a group, still recording, and still at Motown. The Supremes however had disbanded, and were individually forging solo careers.

It makes me wonder though: would a Supremes and Temptations duet album have worked in 1982/1983?

[reese]

I’m sure it was successful/made money,[big money?], increased attendance, but would the word triumphant be applied ??
A money maker from attracting in
part a curious audience, I imagine some with the hopes of seeing fur flying..
As a stunt, it succeeded, but even under the most ideal results, hard to imagine this bloated line up being maintained.

reese it sounds like you didn’t attend either , what happened ??

I was a kid with a limited allowance and didn't go to concerts all that much, unless it was a fave. As I recall, I saw Diana around that time.

[RanRan79]

It makes me wonder though: would a Supremes and Temptations duet album have worked in 1982/1983?

Interesting scenario, but would it have even made sense for the Tempts at this point? The proposed grouping of Supremes would supposedly be fronted by Scherrie, whom the public largely wouldn't know. Otis and Melvin might have been inclined to give such an idea a chance because of their relationship with Mary, but I don't know if teaming them for an album would have made a lot of sense. But a one off song might have done something.

[RanRan79]

Wouldn't the Mary vs Motown lawsuit in 1981/1982 still been pretty fresh? I'm surprised that this was even a thought.

That might have been why there was a "Mary can be a Supreme again, but no lead singing" clause in the proposition. Lol

Grudges are often held in the business. They are also often quickly forgotten. Berry has demonstrated that throughout the years he's had as much affection for Mary as she did for him, which it seems was quite a lot. They had their ups and downs. So maybe word around the company was that Mary wasn't the enemy she was when they dropped her two years ago. And that Mary even contemplated a return to Motown after the way she had been treated...yeah, the grudges weren't quite as strong as we sometimes like to think they were.

What Mary should have done after Gordy made his disinterest in a reformation of Supremes known, is ask, "So Berry, what do you think about re-signing me to Motown as a solo artist now?" I would love to have heard his response. LOL

[reese]

I like pop music, so the pop chart is something I consider at times. Being Black makes the R&B chart more important because the information contained within is more of a mark of what myself and my loved ones, and even the broader Black community, were digging at one time or another. Unfortunately, what's popular to us isn't always considered popular until someone else deems it so, i.e. making it popular among themselves. And if they don't view it as popular, and are able to back it up with poor pop chart showings, it isn't popular, or successful, despite what the r&b chart might say. Some people buy into that, I, however, do not. That's why I can look at the fact that Stephanie Mills' "I Feel Good All Over" completely missed the pop charts, but let that sista enter a room- any room- full of Black folks and start that intro...watch what happens. Success.

Miss Mills can do no wrong! And she still sounds just as great as she ever did.

[RanRan79]

When it comes to Supremes reunions, I believe the best scenario was that if Motown 25 had run smoothly, and RCA and Motown could have come to an agreement, a Supremes album instead of Eaten Alive would have been successful. A reunion album of the most successful female group ever, containing one of the biggest stars ever, and accompanying tour, maybe a summer tour, I just don't see how that doesn't work...on paper.

Managing egos, past issues, etc, would have likely made the entire thing a disaster. Maybe Cindy could have been the voice of reason. Who knows? But the idea is good in theory. It's too bad reuniting Diana and Mary just seemed to go wrong every time. [[Not counting the last two times, but there was no music involved.)

[RanRan79]

Miss Mills can do no wrong! And she still sounds just as great as she ever did.

Oh, she is among the best ever. She can definitely do no wrong in my book.

[reese]

When it comes to Supremes reunions, I believe the best scenario was that if Motown 25 had run smoothly, and RCA and Motown could have come to an agreement, a Supremes album instead of Eaten Alive would have been successful. A reunion album of the most successful female group ever, containing one of the biggest stars ever, and accompanying tour, maybe a summer tour, I just don't see how that doesn't work...on paper.

Managing egos, past issues, etc, would have likely made the entire thing a disaster. Maybe Cindy could have been the voice of reason. Who knows? But the idea is good in theory. It's too bad reuniting Diana and Mary just seemed to go wrong every time. [[Not counting the last two times, but there was no music involved.)

If M25 had gone well, maybe a nice reunion segment during the Central Park concert would have worked to test the waters for a tour, album, etc.

[captainjames]

Nope Nope Nope and as I have said many times when Flo left us so did any chance of a reunion. Someone had to be the in between Supreme and that was Flo. Mary and Diana were not going to agree or compromise after all these years unless that third Supreme who was around from the beginning to knock some sense into them [[literally). This has nothing to do or against Cindy because we all love Cindy but it just ws nit going to happen. Mary had her reasons and Diana had hers and it was just not going to happen.

[Spreadinglove21]

Would an early 80s Supremes group of SMC be seen more as a relaunch of the group rather than a reunion?

[marybrewster]

Would an early 80s Supremes group of SMC be seen more as a relaunch of the group rather than a reunion?

This is what I said above, a bit wordy, lol, but I was trying to say exactly what you said:


I do think though the Tempts reuniting at the Supremes reuniting is apples and oranges. The Tempts were still a group, still recording, and still at Motown. The Supremes however had disbanded, and were individually forging solo careers.

[rod_rick]

Was it 1982 or 81 that Mary, Jean and another Supreme [[can't remember if it was Cindy or Lynda) reunited at a celebration for Frank Wilson and they sang to him?

It was a Mary, Cindy Scherrie performance for Frank Wilson

[jobeterob]

I think there are some realities that fans overlook.

Beyond Diana Ross, there were no successful solo careers to speak of, no sizeable hits - if there was any success it was by Mary as an author not a singer

The FLOs, Flo, Mary were much less successful than Syreeta, Charlene, Rockwell etc in terms of hits

If Mary had been able to put the emotion aside, there were a few times she could have been part of a reunion that made her a lot of money. The Temptations, even if it was brief for some of them, long for others, dropped a lot of the bitterness, unhappiness, i. e. the emotion

[bradsupremes]

If Mary had been able to put the emotion aside, there were a few times she could have been part of a reunion that made her a lot of money. The Temptations, even if it was brief for some of them, long for others, dropped a lot of the bitterness, unhappiness, i. e. the emotion

That's comparing apples to oranges. The Temptations reunion was put together differently and a big factor in that reunion was the two most popular lead singers of the group were returning. Eddie and David had more leverage. RTL was a different ball game. It was hard for Mary to put emotion aside when the tour was being planned before she was told, she would have no creative input or say into the show, and the tour promoters were incredibly disrespectful to not just her but the other Supremes as well. It comes down to principle, not emotion.

[smallworld]

RCA would never have released Diana for a whole album.

[RanRan79]

If M25 had gone well, maybe a nice reunion segment during the Central Park concert would have worked to test the waters for a tour, album, etc.

That would have been nice, but when you say "test the waters", is that in terms of judging the public's interest, or Diana and Mary's ability to work together again?

If the former, I'm not sure it was necessary. I think the public was always hoping for a reunion of Diana Ross to the Supremes and a project would have most likely been well received.

If the latter, you might be right.

[RanRan79]

Nope Nope Nope and as I have said many times when Flo left us so did any chance of a reunion. Someone had to be the in between Supreme and that was Flo. Mary and Diana were not going to agree or compromise after all these years unless that third Supreme who was around from the beginning to knock some sense into them [[literally). This has nothing to do or against Cindy because we all love Cindy but it just ws nit going to happen. Mary had her reasons and Diana had hers and it was just not going to happen.

Florence may have been able to bring some levelheadedness to a reunion had she lived, considering she had done what neither Diana nor Mary had to do: return to "normal" life after being a star. Of course it's unfortunate that we'll never know. I like to think that Cindy would have been a voice of reason, not only because of her own experience of returning to regular life, but because she was older by a few years. Unfortunately, there's no evidence that Cindy had the personality for buffering between personalities like Diana and Mary.

The reunion idea post what actually happened during Motown 25 never really has a chance without Diana and Mary coming together to squash their issues. Even if RTL had somehow made it off the ground with Mary involved, there's a big chance it would have imploded because the pressure that causes it is ever present since they refused to address it with one another. Each lady had legit gripes with the other and I don't think either one was in position to see things from the other's perspective without a conversation. They refused to do this and we fans lost out on something that I'll always believe we deserved: a Diana and Mary Supremes reunion project.

But I do think Diana's actions at Motown 25 really pushed Mary to write Dreamgirl, and Mary writing Dreamgirl pushed Diana to put Mary in the "nope" category. So in an alternate universe where Motown 25 goes off without a hitch, and in a world before Dreamgirl is written, a Supremes reunion would have rocked.

It's interesting that in the 80s, had Flo lived, it's being considered that she would be the buffer, since in the 60s Mary was the buffer between Flo and Diana.

[RanRan79]

Would an early 80s Supremes group of SMC be seen more as a relaunch of the group rather than a reunion?

But to what purpose? The public didn't care the first time around. I'd love to know who brought the idea to Suzanne and what in the world made them think it was a good idea.

[RanRan79]

That's comparing apples to oranges. The Temptations reunion was put together differently and a big factor in that reunion was the two most popular lead singers of the group were returning. Eddie and David had more leverage. RTL was a different ball game. It was hard for Mary to put emotion aside when the tour was being planned before she was told, she would have no creative input or say into the show, and the tour promoters were incredibly disrespectful to not just her but the other Supremes as well. It comes down to principle, not emotion.

Agreed. The entire thing was mishandled by all involved, IMO, but I can't fault Mary for her position prior to "the train has left the station".

[RanRan79]

RCA would never have released Diana for a whole album.

Would they have to? I don't know this part of the music business, how artists from different labels come together, the business side of it. Is there not a way that Motown and RCA both benefit from the idea?

[Ollie9]

Considering she was already a solo act, Mary Wilson and the Supremes would seem a suitable title if the group were to have reunited in 82. Being the only original Supreme featured, Mary surely deserved this recognition. I think Scherrie and Cindy would have been fine with the idea.

[khansperac]

It's interesting that in the 80s, had Flo lived, it's being considered that she would be the buffer, since in the 60s Mary was the buffer between Flo and Diana.

Was she the buffer or was she the instigator?

[reese]

That would have been nice, but when you say "test the waters", is that in terms of judging the public's interest, or Diana and Mary's ability to work together again?

If the former, I'm not sure it was necessary. I think the public was always hoping for a reunion of Diana Ross to the Supremes and a project would have most likely been well received.

If the latter, you might be right.

I meant test the waters in the sense of, could they get their groove back? Could they work together for a short medley without unforgotten slights from the 60s coming back?

[TheMotownManiac]

When it comes to Supremes reunions, I believe the best scenario was that if Motown 25 had run smoothly, and RCA and Motown could have come to an agreement, a Supremes album instead of Eaten Alive would have been successful. A reunion album of the most successful female group ever, containing one of the biggest stars ever, and accompanying tour, maybe a summer tour, I just don't see how that doesn't work...on paper.

Managing egos, past issues, etc, would have likely made the entire thing a disaster. Maybe Cindy could have been the voice of reason. Who knows? But the idea is good in theory. It's too bad reuniting Diana and Mary just seemed to go wrong every time. [[Not counting the last two times, but there was no music involved.)

Ross had no reason to do a Supremes tour instead of her follow up to swept away. Ross was making a fortune arena touring the world as a solo, there was nothing for her to gain. She was literally getting top prices with very very very minimal production.

RCA would never have let her release anything on Motown, they were still trying to recoup their 20 million. Epic would not allow Michael’s name to appear as an artist on eaten alive single or album.

I think this supremes reunion tour conversation is fun, however I don’t believe the public was clamoring for one.

Comparing it to the Temptations reunion tour is not comparing apples with apples. The Temptations were a very unique blend of a large range of fine voices. You had world-class falsetto, good bass, and two very strong R&B lead vocalists. This gave their performances an identity, and, most importantly, they sang their hits religiously similar to their single versions. Audiences loved that. The Supremes had one voice that attracted the public in a big way, but other than that, the general public had absolutely no idea who any other supreme was. Only diehard Supremes fans knew, and that was not enough to sell out all the seats in the Ramada Inn. Without ross in the mix, no one would care who was in the group and who was reuniting they didn’t care when they were there initially, why would they care now? They wouldn’t. Mary had a very difficult time selling tickets when she left the group. She was no star attraction. Using the moniker Mary Wilson in the Supremes would keep more people away because no one knew who she was. I’ve been till the name change in 1967, only the diehard fans knew the names of the group, including Diana.

I do think thatif they could get some material and some radio play, a grouping with Scherrie singing lead could’ve done some thing if they allowed Suzanne DePasse to run the ball game like she did the Jackson 5. That would’ve meant singing the hits as recorded, and I’m sure that they could’ve featured Mary a couple times in the show with ballads, but they were not going to allow her to be the lead singer or even a co-lead singer because, Right or wrong, there wasn’t anybody there that felt she had the chops to do it. Mary might’ve been able to build a name for herself within the group if it was under the direction of someone who knew what they were doing. Up until the book came out and she did her national tour of “I’ve been a victim of diana ross, Who slept her way to the top and kept the real talent of the group buried because of jealousy and ego but I manage to survive” then and only then did the general public know her name. And, rooting for the underdog, she was able to get the exposure she wanted and needed to prove that she could have a successful solo career. Without the book her name meant nothing.

I would have loved to be able to go see the Supremes over the years, but after a while of listening to any of the Supremes singers putting their stamp on a classic recording, it gets annoying very fast. The feeling at a Temptations concert is a party where you know all the words. The feeling of a Flos concert never gets halfway there.