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  1. #1
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    Flo and the flu 1965

    Does anyone know exactly how long Flo was out of commission with the flu during this time? The date for when Marlene was filling in for her at the country club was June 18. And the Copa debut was over a month after that on July 29. It's been said Flo missed a good chunk of rehearsals due to
    being sick and was still sick opening night. And then I've also read that Marlene was filling in for Flo when they were doing "test" Copa shows at other venues leading up to the 29th date [[this was originally confused with the 1966 Copa run). Speaking of the 1966 run, does anyone know about
    the Sweden tour they cancelled because of Flo being ill?

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    you might be mixing up the Copa stories. although it's also possible that various authors mixed things too

    flo was apparently sick in June of 65 and yes, Marlene subbed for her in a few shows and then also in the studio.

    there's another story that flo was sick again in early 66. the girls made their 2nd appearance at the Copa in Feb and the stories are the Flo was sick and Berry was sick of her being sick. marlene was on the road with the girls and berry was considering replace Flo at the Copa with Marlene. but the Jules Podell put his foot down and wanted the three original girls.

    Tony Turner mentions too that Flo was late in arriving in NYC before the first Copa show. that the girls set up camp in NY for a couple weeks to rehearse and prepare. unfortunately that really can't be true. the group was booked from 7/9 - 7/18 at the Riptide Club in Wildwood, NJ. this is a city at the southern tip of NJ so the odds of the girls driving back and forth every day to rehearse in NYC at the Copa and then back in the evening is highly doubtful. there are about 4 days between the two bookings and i'd imagine that's when they got to NYC and rehearsed.

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    I don't remember where it's from but I remember a quote from Marlene saying she performed with the group in Wildwood. I wonder if Flo stayed in NYC to rehearse and catch up.

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    Quote Originally Posted by floyjoy678 View Post
    I don't remember where it's from but I remember a quote from Marlene saying she performed with the group in Wildwood. I wonder if Flo stayed in NYC to rehearse and catch up.
    and Randy just mentioned in his last DR book some stories of DFM and Berry and Gil. how the girls were starting to have second thoughts on the act and that there was too much MOR emphasis. he mentioned Flo in those stories and that it was while at the Riptide in Wildwood. so was that story right? was it maybe earlier as the set list was coming together? was Marlene thinking of another time? that's sort of the problem with tryin to merge all of the books and stories together. it requires some merge and purge but we don't always know what to keep or toss lol

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    Quote Originally Posted by floyjoy678 View Post
    Does anyone know exactly how long Flo was out of commission with the flu during this time? The date for when Marlene was filling in for her at the country club was June 18. And the Copa debut was over a month after that on July 29. It's been said Flo missed a good chunk of rehearsals due to
    being sick and was still sick opening night. And then I've also read that Marlene was filling in for Flo when they were doing "test" Copa shows at other venues leading up to the 29th date [[this was originally confused with the 1966 Copa run). Speaking of the 1966 run, does anyone know about
    the Sweden tour they cancelled because of Flo being ill?
    Remember, the rehearsals for something as big as the Copa debut started "long" before the actual date.

    Where is the info that Flo missed the country club gig in June due to the flu coming from? I was under the impression that we didn't have any information on that other than a photograph. I thought she may have missed the gig because her grandmother died.

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    Florence got ill sometime after their June 13 performance at Cobo Hall and before the time of their performance with Marlene at the Country Club of Detroit in Grosse Point for Christy Cole Wilson on June 18th. The exact duration of Florence's ill is unknown but we know by early July she was recovering as she was in the studio with them. Marlene's recollections in The Andantes book follows their actual schedule during this time.

    - Florence gets ill after the Cobo Hall show on June 13th.

    - Marlene joins Diana and Mary in studio sessions on June 17-18 with vocals being added to "Mister Sandman," "Sincerely," and "Fancy Passes."

    - The debutante party was later in the evening on June 18th.

    - On June 19, they head to Philadelphia for a performance at the Convention Hall with the Dave Clark Five. Marlene recalled going to Philadelphia so this lines up. She also mentioned going to Cleveland, but I haven't been able to find a Cleveland date in June 1965 and from an 1968 Cleveland Press article, the girls first show in Cleveland was 1966 at Leo's Casino during the outbreak of the Hough Riots.

    - They head back to Detroit after the Philadelphia show and HDH have Diana, Mary, Marlene add new background vocals to "Mother Dear" on June 21st.

    - On June 22, they head to Boston for an engagement at Basin Street South Boston where they test out the Copa show. Marlene remembers trying out the new songs, working closely with Mary, Cholly Atkins, and Harvey Fuqua, and Berry flying out to see how the new songs were working. She also recalls spending a day out with Mary, Diana, and Mrs. Ross on a boat in Boston Harbor for Motown/radio affiliates. The engagement at Basin Street goes to June 27th.

    - By July 3, vocals for the early versions of "Love Is Like An Itchin' In My Heart" are added and we know Florence is on those. Then there's the To Tell The Truth appearance on July 5th. So it's possible Florence was back between June 27 and July 3, but she could have been easing herself back in if she had been ill for over two weeks.
    Last edited by bradsupremes; 03-20-2023 at 11:27 AM.

  7. #7
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    So then was the recount of early 1966 events leading up to the 2nd Copa appearance in JRT's last book an error and they were mistaking it for the 1965 events?
    Last edited by floyjoy678; 03-20-2023 at 11:39 AM.

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by floyjoy678 View Post
    So then was the recount of early 1966 events leading up to the 2nd Copa appearance in JRT's last book an error and they were mistaking it for the 1965 events?
    i don't know. maybe?

    leading up to Copa 66 you have the girls:

    1/17 - 29 Roostertail in Detroit
    1/22 Swing Time tv show in Detroit
    1/24 Living Women tv show in Detroit
    1/25 Red Skelton Show
    1/31 in Puerto Rico [[seems odd that's the only date i have for the gig, would have thought they'd been there a week).
    2/5 Civic Arean in Pitts
    2/13 Holy Cross College Worchester, Mass
    2/17 - 3/2 Copa
    2/20 Sullivan My World
    2/27 What's my line

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