Revisiting Return to Love - the Promoters Tried to Tie Diana Down for 5 Years

[midnightman]

Hindsight is 20/20 as they always say. IMHO Mary should have accepted the $1 million offer. As the tour progressed and the crowds increased, THEN she should have demanded more to continue. Probably would have gotten it despite bad feelings with Ross which were going to be there anyway.

My thing is Mary was ticked off Diana waited months to call and rightfully so. Why wait that long? It's like "no you had me waiting too long, goodbye!" LOL

[Boogiedown]

Is there footage of this ‘at last for the first time’ reunion?
how was it staged ? Banter ? Clothes ?
Diana comes out first :
“Ladies and gentleman allow me to introduce my 2 favorite Supremes of them all !!!!” Hee ho

[reese]

Is there footage of this ‘at last for the first time’ reunion?
how was it staged ? Banter ? Clothes ?
Diana comes out first :
“Ladies and gentleman allow me to introduce my 2 favorite Supremes of them all !!!!” Hee ho

There is at least one concert [Madison Square Garden] on YouTube as well as other misc. interviews. I think the portion that aired on the VH1 series OPENING NIGHT is there as well.

[reese]

I was always confused about the fact that Diana was putting up her own money to make the tour work. Whoever her manager was at the time probably didn't wanna ruffle feathers suggesting Diana hire someone to look after touring contracts. That's likely why things got on the wrong foot in the first place especially as far as Mary's situation goes.

I think Diana has managed herself since she left Motown in 1981.

[Boogiedown]

There is at least one concert [[Madison Square Garden) on YouTube as well other misc. interviews.

thank you Mr. Reese

[sup_fan]

My thing is Mary was ticked off Diana waited months to call and rightfully so. Why wait that long? It's like "no you had me waiting too long, goodbye!" LOL

my understanding is in the summer prior, rumors were starting about a reunion. so where did those rumors start? according to Randy, originally this was a DR Tour and perhaps within the format of that show, she would do a larger/longer segment of Sup tunes. and do them in full as opposed to medley style.

it's from there that it morphed into a reunion. did the producers start to plant this idea? someone involved in the planning? This certainly wasn't Diana originating it. and so when do rumors become strong enough that its time to start thinking, well hey - maybe we should?

Diana had also just gotten divorced? not sure of timing. the fact that she did 0 promotion for EDIAND shows how uninterested she was in touring and promotional work. and so with all of that, maybe it just took her longer to go from rumor to reality

[marybrewster]

What everyone has seemingly forgotten in the past almost 25 years is that a REUNION starts with a CONVERSATION. It DOESN'T, NEVER, EVER start with "sign these contracts then we'll talk". How pompous.

Can you imagine Paul McCartney's reps reaching out to John Lennon that way? Oh and Paul gets $6 million, John gets $3 million, Ringo gets $1 million, and George gets $500k? Laughable.

The Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, The Police, New Kids on the Block, The Backstreet Boys.....they've all reunited and had successful tours, which is what Diana, Mary, and Cindy COULD have had, had it started out on the right foot.

It was destined to fail from the beginning because of too much ego, and too little acknowledgement.

[jobeterob]

Looking back, do you think the Supremes [[or some of them) got along worse than the Beatles, Beach Boys, Fleetwood Mac, Temptations and others? Or were they just like any other group - ups, downs, all around, we all get sick of each other if we are together long enough?

It looks from what is said that the Diana/Mary relationship was not great; perhaps also not the Mary/Linda and Mary/Flos. But I just pick that up from what I read. The rest seem reasonable enough. I don't think I believe the lines about "deep down they really loved each other, they were like sisters". Some of the pictures of Diana/Mary seem to show a very uncomfortable Diana.

[sup_fan]

Looking back, do you think the Supremes [[or some of them) got along worse than the Beatles, Beach Boys, Fleetwood Mac, Temptations and others? Or were they just like any other group - ups, downs, all around, we all get sick of each other if we are together long enough?

It looks from what is said that the Diana/Mary relationship was not great; perhaps also not the Mary/Linda and Mary/Flos. But I just pick that up from what I read. The rest seem reasonable enough. I don't think I believe the lines about "deep down they really loved each other, they were like sisters". Some of the pictures of Diana/Mary seem to show a very uncomfortable Diana.

i'd say the bad blood between the Temps is right up there with the sups. you had the Otis-led Temps vs the Eddie/David/Dennis trio. they tried a reunion and it worked well at times but was ultimately [[i believe) very difficult. much of that trouble could probably also be tied to the drug use by David and others.

Also Diana's solo career outpaced most of the others on here. the individual Beach Boys or the members of Fleetwood. Paul McCartney would be right up there with Diana. did we ever get some sort of quasi beatles reunion? obviously they didn't prior to John's death.

[gman]

did anyone not get along and have as much below the surface issues as Fleetwood Mac? Like anything partially legitimate with the Supremes ending when Mary passed, When Christine McVie passed recently it def. put the kabosh on any legit upcoming Fleetwood Mac reunion.

[jim aka jtigre99]

First off, the general public can be quite stupid [[like someone on Jeopardy thinking Diana is in her 90s). Of course, Cindy Birdsong is recognized as a name because it is unique and they even used to kid her onstage asking if that is her real name. Outside of Diana, though, no other Supreme has been so visible as Mary Wilson-be it for the Supremes, her books or Motown. Once on Geraldo she was asked how she was doing with her cancer because someone thought she was Mary Wells. Geraldo commented that was a constant problem, true even at Motown 25 they put Wells and Birdsong together in a dressing room. But Mary was truly the most visible ex-member besides of course Diana.
I read Mary did accept the 4 mil but was told the train had left the station. Quite frankly, Mary should have negotiated the best possible deal for herself. She was an original and her treatment was degrading. Honestly, they should have got together and talked and I include Cindy in this. As far as bad blood, I do think Mary and Diana had a bond that couldn't be broken no matter how much each one of them bent it.

As for Lynda, I like her and she was a Supreme and brought a youthful voice to the group for the 18 months she was there but I can see how Mary might not be a fan of someone who left after 18 months and then would ride on the coattails of Dreamgirl to be in The FLOS which took away bookings from Mary because of their lower price. Lynda may have been a good businesswoman but that acumen cost her in her friendship with Mary, IMHO.

[Boogiedown]

First off, the general public can be quite stupid [[like someone on Jeopardy thinking Diana is in her 90s). Of course, Cindy Birdsong is recognized as a name because it is unique and they even used to kid her onstage asking if that is her real name. Outside of Diana, though, no other Supreme has been so visible as Mary Wilson-be it for the Supremes, her books or Motown. Once on Geraldo she was asked how she was doing with her cancer because someone thought she was Mary Wells. Geraldo commented that was a constant problem, true even at Motown 25 they put Wells and Birdsong together in a dressing room. But Mary was truly the most visible ex-member besides of course Diana.
I read Mary did accept the 4 mil but was told the train had left the station. Quite frankly, Mary should have negotiated the best possible deal for herself. She was an original and her treatment was degrading. Honestly, they should have got together and talked and I include Cindy in this. As far as bad blood, I do think Mary and Diana had a bond that couldn't be broken no matter how much each one of them bent it.

As for Lynda, I like her and she was a Supreme and brought a youthful voice to the group for the 18 months she was there but I can see how Mary might not be a fan of someone who left after 18 months and then would ride on the coattails of Dreamgirl to be in The FLOS which took away bookings from Mary because of their lower price. Lynda may have been a good businesswoman but that acumen cost her in her friendship with Mary, IMHO.

good post! But how do you conclude there was any kind of bond between Mary and Diana? They fed off each other yes , but as for any sisterly life long buddyness , seeing zero evidence of such, and with this fiasco being discussed as a glaring example , I would put it at zero.

[floyjoy678]

I think you can have a sisterly/brotherly bond with someone and still have issues with them. Don't we all have issues with family? But at the end of the day, when they are in despair you will be there for them. I think this was proven when Diana was one of the first people to reach out to Mary when she lost her son.

I had a very close childhood friend who I fell out with as an adult but we still text here and there to see how the other is doing. We just have that brotherly type bond and if he ever really needed anything I'd help him the best I could. But that doesn't mean I want to have a friendship with him again, it would never go back to how it was when we were kids.

[drlorne]

I saw the RTL tour in Toronto and was ecstatic. It was a DR concert. It was always DR and the Supremes once they hit it big, so to expect MW to have a say in the program would have been a non-starter. After all it wasn't MW who could get promoters to consider backing a re-union tour. Given all of that, it would have been a difficult decision for MW because she had spent a lot of time and energy creating her own brand and name and she was risking that to become a background singer again.

[jobeterob]

I saw the RTL tour in Toronto and was ecstatic. It was a DR concert. It was always DR and the Supremes once they hit it big, so to expect MW to have a say in the program would have been a non-starter. After all it wasn't MW who could get promoters to consider backing a re-union tour. Given all of that, it would have been a difficult decision for MW because she had spent a lot of time and energy creating her own brand and name and she was risking that to become a background singer again.

That's a viewpoint I've not heard expressed a lot. There's logic to it. Maybe Mary really didn't want to do it - maybe she couldn't do it - because she didn't want to go back into that subservient role. I remember one of the last appearances where they sang Someday where one way or another, the Supremes slipped far into the background as Diana moved forward.

I say again and again - these other groups probably fought more and may have detested each other more than the Supremes, but I always feel there was more reunion type affairs for the Beach Boys, the Temptations, even various Beatles, than there were of the Supremes. For the Supremes we got 10 seconds of Motown 25 [[God I hated that) and a picture at Motown the Musical - did I miss another moment of togetherness? But there was so little.

[Spreadinglove21]

If RTL had been able to get Mary and Cindy on board, what would the chances have been for Diana and Mary to get into a physical on stage altercation during the tour? And how many fans would have shown to see such an event? And would there have been fans there to heckle Diana or Mary? Would fans of Diana or Mary have gotten into physical fights during a show, especially if they thought their favorite was being upstaged or mistreated by the Supreme they perceived as the enemy of their fave?

[milven]

That's a viewpoint I've not heard expressed a lot. There's logic to it. Maybe Mary really didn't want to do it - maybe she couldn't do it - because she didn't want to go back into that subservient role. I remember one of the last appearances where they sang Someday where one way or another, the Supremes slipped far into the background as Diana moved forward.

I say again and again - these other groups probably fought more and may have detested each other more than the Supremes, but I always feel there was more reunion type affairs for the Beach Boys, the Temptations, even various Beatles, than there were of the Supremes. For the Supremes we got 10 seconds of Motown 25 [[God I hated that) and a picture at Motown the Musical - did I miss another moment of togetherness? But there was so little.

Yes you missed the Elton John Oscar Party of 2019 when Mary and Diana took a picture with Quincy Jones. This wound up being the last picture that they would ever take together.



We discussed the picture back in 2019 on Soulful Detroit. Here is a link to that thread

https://soulfuldetroit.com/showthrea...-s-Oscar-Party

[jobeterob]

Yes you missed the Elton John Oscar Party of 2019 when Mary and Diana took a picture with Quincy Jones. This wound up being the last picture that they would ever take together.



We discussed the picture back in 2019 on Soulful Detroit. Here is a link to that thread

https://soulfuldetroit.com/showthrea...-s-Oscar-Party

Yes, Mary looks excited and vivacious. Quincy looks his age. Diana looks like she knows she’s got to put a smile on her face.

But maybe that is parsing it too much

[Ollie9]

If RTL had been able to get Mary and Cindy on board, what would the chances have been for Diana and Mary to get into a physical on stage altercation during the tour? And how many fans would have shown to see such an event? And would there have been fans there to heckle Diana or Mary? Would fans of Diana or Mary have gotten into physical fights during a show, especially if they thought their favorite was being upstaged or mistreated by the Supreme they perceived as the enemy of their fave?

I definitely would have worn a knuckle duster. After all, a fans gotta do what a fans gotta do.

[RanRan79]

I saw the RTL tour in Toronto and was ecstatic. It was a DR concert. It was always DR and the Supremes once they hit it big, so to expect MW to have a say in the program would have been a non-starter. After all it wasn't MW who could get promoters to consider backing a re-union tour. Given all of that, it would have been a difficult decision for MW because she had spent a lot of time and energy creating her own brand and name and she was risking that to become a background singer again.

A bit of revisionist history. When the Supremes made it big, all three were a big deal. They were promoted as an equal membered group. Each lady had her own group of devoted fans. Those are facts, not opinions. When the group became DRATS it was a totally different configuration of the previously known Supremes. RTL was being conceived as a Supremes reunion tour. To expect the Queen Supreme herself to take a backseat to anyone would have been asinine. I don't think the promoters cared who was on the planning committee for the details of the show. And honestly, I'm not convinced Diana would have been overly upset at having to include Mary in Supremes decisions. Her issue was not wanting to deal with the negativity of the past. The promoters' issue was getting Mary to sign at all, but apparently on their terms, financially speaking.

[RanRan79]

That's a viewpoint I've not heard expressed a lot. There's logic to it. Maybe Mary really didn't want to do it - maybe she couldn't do it - because she didn't want to go back into that subservient role. I remember one of the last appearances where they sang Someday where one way or another, the Supremes slipped far into the background as Diana moved forward.

I say again and again - these other groups probably fought more and may have detested each other more than the Supremes, but I always feel there was more reunion type affairs for the Beach Boys, the Temptations, even various Beatles, than there were of the Supremes. For the Supremes we got 10 seconds of Motown 25 [[God I hated that) and a picture at Motown the Musical - did I miss another moment of togetherness? But there was so little.

Let's be real: if Diana Ross wanted a Supremes reunion at any time after Motown 25, she would have gotten it. Mary wouldn't have turned it down. Cindy probably wouldn't have either. So those other groups apparently had people who didn't thumbs down the idea of a reunion, regardless of how crazy things might have gotten between them. Diana was different. She wasn't interested. And you know people suggested a reunion all the time, so she was likely saying "no" to it every few months or so. I think the only reason the promoters got her to agree to a reunion when they did is because she was going through some tough personal stuff.

If Mary really did eventually attempt to accept the 4 million and was told the offer was no longer on the table, that really makes the failure of RTL more of a Diana thing the more I think about it. I've always thought her decision to move forward with Scherrie and Lynda was all about her mentality that she was the Supremes and she didn't think Mary would be missed. If Diana really wanted to keep the Supremes' name out of the mud she would have gone to the promoters and gotten in their ass about revoking the offer to Mary. She would have demanded that the reunion go forward with two of the Supremes she sang with and that the greater public recognizes as The Supremes. Her decision not to do that caused yet another distraction from the Supremes' great musical legacy. Not to mention Mary did it no favors by screaming all around the world about how things went wrong with the negotiations.

[RanRan79]

We discussed the picture back in 2019 on Soulful Detroit. Here is a link to that thread

https://soulfuldetroit.com/showthrea...-s-Oscar-Party

That thread...It's so ridiculous to see how many people were low key invested in the drama between these two women. Someone mentioned Diana's smile seeming forced. It's the same stupid smile she always has on for the past 25 years. I've always suspected she had some serious dental work done. Her smile isn't the one the world fell in love with. But good grief, it couldn't be that. It had to be Diana was forcing it with Mary. I don't get it.

[RanRan79]

But maybe that is parsing it too much

Ya think?

[RanRan79]

If RTL had been able to get Mary and Cindy on board, what would the chances have been for Diana and Mary to get into a physical on stage altercation during the tour? And how many fans would have shown to see such an event? And would there have been fans there to heckle Diana or Mary? Would fans of Diana or Mary have gotten into physical fights during a show, especially if they thought their favorite was being upstaged or mistreated by the Supreme they perceived as the enemy of their fave?

No to all of these. But I'm pretty sure a Soulful Detroit DRATS forum meetup might put a few people in danger. Some of y'all are crazy.

[floyjoy678]

Back when there was still a glimmer of hope.

Mary looks gorgeous in this video.

[thanxal]

Some of y'all are crazy.

Pot, meet kettle!

[1382hitsville]

Now, I'm not able to find the original longer interview of Mary Wilson she did about RTL,

However I did find another segment. For your pleasure, nitpicking, mind reading and entertainment:



And back to back with the Diana Ross interview she gave:



And 12 years later:



I love the quote Barbara Waltses gave, "everybody loved the Supremes, except the Supremes"

[lucky2012]

No to all of these. But I'm pretty sure a Soulful Detroit DRATS forum meetup might put a few people in danger. Some of y'all are crazy.

LOL. I think your'e right!

[Boogiedown]

I saw the RTL tour in Toronto and was ecstatic. It was a DR concert. It was always DR and the Supremes once they hit it big, so to expect MW to have a say in the program would have been a non-starter. After all it wasn't MW who could get promoters to consider backing a re-union tour. Given all of that, it would have been a difficult decision for MW because she had spent a lot of time and energy creating her own brand and name and she was risking that to become a background singer again.

This adds a point that hasn’t been fully made [I think?]. At this point Mary Wilson wasn’t about to be relegated to one of Diana’s back ups , yet she couldn’t really demand more time or focus because she had nothing to bring to the table unless it was performing her “hit” RED HOT, and that would have been more of a speed bump than adding momentum to the show.
What was it she'd need to negotiate or what was her need to be included in the planning? The sad truth was all that was needed of her was to show up . .


At this late stage, Mary was far more happy being on stage as Mary Wilson than as a Diana back up.

Only 4 million would make that worth it.

[jobeterob]

This adds a point that hasn’t been fully made [I think?]. At this point Mary Wilson wasn’t about to be relegated to one of Diana’s back ups , yet she couldn’t really demand more time or focus because she had nothing to bring to the table unless it was performing her “hit” RED HOT, and that would have been more of a speed bump than adding momentum to the show.
What was it she'd need to negotiate or what was her need to be included in the planning? The sad truth was all that was needed of her was to show up . .


At this late stage, Mary was far more happy being on stage as Mary Wilson than as a Diana back up.

Only 4 million would make that worth it.

Yes this is what I suggested above

Maybe she just really didn’t want to do it unless they went back to 1963 or early 64 - when there were 3 together; her heart couldn’t let her return to deep in the background.

They did have Lynda and Scherrie each doing a solo

[Boogiedown]

Yes this is what I suggested above

Maybe she just really didn’t want to do it unless they went back to 1963 or early 64 - when there were 3 together; her heart couldn’t let her return to deep in the background.

I'm glad it fell apart. They weren't doing it for any of the right reasons.
Tricking a gullible audience eager to witness their continued closeness, they did enough of that con job in the 60's.

The RETURN TO 'LOVE' tour .....hee haw!! what nerve !

They did have Lynda and Scherrie each doing a solo

Lynda and Scherrie doing solos, nice, I guess. What songs did they choose? Hopefully Supremes songs they were on?

[marybrewster]

I'm glad it fell apart. They weren't doing it for any of the right reasons.
Tricking a gullible audience eager to witness their continued closeness, they did enough of that con job in the 60's.

The RETURN TO 'LOVE' tour .....hee haw!! what nerve !



Lynda and Scherrie doing solos, nice, I guess. What songs did they choose? Hopefully Supremes songs they were on?

I think Lynda sang "Up the Ladder" and Scherrie sang "Stoned Love". So, no.

[Boogiedown]

I think Lynda sang "Up the Ladder" and Scherrie sang "Stoned Love". So, no.

hee haw !! I bet 4% of the audience knew any better !

I'm glad they didn't trail way off with titles more removed, and at least they worked in some post Diana Supremes songs into the show that way.

What did Diana do during that time, stand there with her arms folded?

[Boogiedown]

OK, this would have been a fun show !!!

I see , how it worked, Diana kindly stepped off the stage and ......Lynda gets a shot and then
Scherrie at 44:00 stepped up....... and maybe stole the show [haven't watched the whole thing , but her performance, whoa ...

oh dear ......I WILL SURVIVE is the grand finale.....
various thank yous and acknowledgments then ...."and of course Lynda and Scherrie for helping me make this possible"...

[jim aka jtigre99]

This seems to be very honest, IMHO

[1382hitsville]

This seems to be very honest, IMHO

Jim, thanks for finding this and sharing it. Yes, this seems to me too very honest.

It's less angry and bitter than the other interviews she did. But that is solely my interpretation of those interviews. I'm still not a mind reader.

A big life lesson for everyone, if you are emotional, step back, breathe, count to 10, or more....look at the situation and then take action. Or not.

It's humans that attach emotions to life events. You can choose witch emotions, if you take the time to rationalize.

And as Mary said in above interview, sometimes is good not to have an opinion. And just let it pass.

[Boogiedown]

Mary does answer the question , in a very coy way ....and makes the point precisely.

Very impressed by the wisdom and poise of the 56-year old Supreme.

[Ollie9]

Mary does answer the question , in a very coy way ....and makes the point precisely.

Very impressed by the wisdom and poise of the 56-year old Supreme.

I very much agree Boog, with Mary articulate and succinct.
I never realised just how sensational Lynda and Scherrie were on this tour. They certainly made full use of their solo spots, bringing the house down on each occasion.
This was definitely an event when “I Will Survive” should have been consigned to the vanity case. It seems totally out of place.

[ejluther]

One of my biggest culture regrets is skipping RTL in NYC - I had just moved to the city and had a lot going on and I remember being miffed Mary wasn’t there. In retrospect, I wish I’d gone - the videos/bootlegs of the show make my Supremes-heart ache! The arrangements, the setlist, the staging, the costumes…it all looks and sounds very impressive to me now [[even in the subpar bootleg videos). I wonder if VH1 professionally shot the whole opening night show…?

[reese]

I wonder if VH1 professionally shot the whole opening night show…?

It is a nice thought. VH1 definitely filmed the first two segments as they were edited down and shown during their OPENING NIGHT LIVE series. Although I think RTL might have been one of the few concerts that weren't actually shown live.

[Boogiedown]

I very much agree Boog, with Mary articulate and succinct.
I never realised just how sensational Lynda and Scherrie were on this tour. They certainly made full use of their solo spots, bringing the house down on each occasion.
This was definitely an event when “I Will Survive” should have been consigned to the vanity case. It seems totally out of place.

Yes I WILL SURVIVE has nothing to do with celebrating The Supremes. [or Diana Ross and the Supremes for that matter]

Diana Ross definitely proved her point with this venture that the Supremes were just her back-up singers and you could plug in whichever and get the same results.

Mary Wilson would have never been satisfied with her role in this, as Diana envisioned it, as were Lynda and Scherrie who only had everything to gain by just showing up.

Regrettably Mary wouldn't have been able to pull off a show stopper performance anywhere near Scherrie's....but she would have insisted on trying....and then some...because her days of remaining backstage to Diana throughout the show were long over.

Can you imagine either Cindy or Mary putting up with a closing-line thank-you from Diana like,

"and of course Mary and Cindy for helping me make this possible"...

[mwmr]

Let's be real: if Diana Ross wanted a Supremes reunion at any time after Motown 25, she would have gotten it. Mary wouldn't have turned it down. Cindy probably wouldn't have either. So those other groups apparently had people who didn't thumbs down the idea of a reunion, regardless of how crazy things might have gotten between them. Diana was different. She wasn't interested. And you know people suggested a reunion all the time, so she was likely saying "no" to it every few months or so. I think the only reason the promoters got her to agree to a reunion when they did is because she was going through some tough personal stuff.

If Mary really did eventually attempt to accept the 4 million and was told the offer was no longer on the table, that really makes the failure of RTL more of a Diana thing the more I think about it. I've always thought her decision to move forward with Scherrie and Lynda was all about her mentality that she was the Supremes and she didn't think Mary would be missed. If Diana really wanted to keep the Supremes' name out of the mud she would have gone to the promoters and gotten in their ass about revoking the offer to Mary. She would have demanded that the reunion go forward with two of the Supremes she sang with and that the greater public recognizes as The Supremes. Her decision not to do that caused yet another distraction from the Supremes' great musical legacy. Not to mention Mary did it no favors by screaming all around the world about how things went wrong with the negotiations.

Mary did accept 4 million . It happened while she was here in the uk in Sheffield on a tour with Martha. I was backstage as her guest pre show. She took a call and asked me to step out. Time passed and she asked me to find Martha which I did . There was much whooping of joy from behind the closed door and then when I went back in Mary told me

[Ollie9]

Yes I WILL SURVIVE has nothing to do with celebrating The Supremes. [or Diana Ross and the Supremes for that matter]

Diana Ross definitely proved her point with this venture that the Supremes were just her back-up singers and you could plug in whichever and get the same results.

Mary Wilson would have never been satisfied with her role in this, as Diana envisioned it, as were Lynda and Scherrie who only had everything to gain by just showing up.

Regrettably Mary wouldn't have been able to pull off a show stopper performance anywhere near Scherrie's....but she would have insisted on trying....and then some...because her days of remaining backstage to Diana throughout the show were long over.

Can you imagine either Cindy or Mary putting up with a closing-line thank-you from Diana like,

"and of course Mary and Cindy for helping me make this possible"...

Perhaps that line was Diana having a dig at Mary lol.
Aside from financial negotiations as to who would be paid what, Mary was never going to be satisfied with just one solo. Then of course there was Cindy to consider.
Perhaps if Mary had signed the dotted line, Diana’s solo numbers would have been dropped and replaced with further Supremes songs. A medley of their early flops would have been fun.
Hard to imagine Mary kicking her heels backstage while Diana went solo.

[BobbyC]

Well I can tell you guys that the RTL promoters sent Cindy to a fat farm before things went south. Cindy had put on some weight in her down time and she was very happy to be losing some of it. I've never seen anybody else comment on this but I know it to be a fact.

[reese]

Well I can tell you guys that the RTL promoters sent Cindy to a fat farm before things went south. Cindy had put on some weight in her down time and she was very happy to be losing some of it. I've never seen anybody else comment on this but I know it to be a fact.

I vaguely recall someone posting about this on the Return to Love website. There was some quote about Cindy "drinking Slim Fast by the ton" or something like that.

[BobbyC]

I got this info from one of Cindy's closest friends. I started hearing rumors about a Supremes reunion at the time, and I recall thinking the rumors were stupid because Mary and DR had too much bad blood between them. I decided to call this friend of Cindy's so he could clear things up. I will never forget when I explained the rumors, and how stupid they were. There was like 20 seconds of dead air and then he said "Bob, it's true." I couldn't believe my ears!! I mean it takes a lot to shock me, but this time I was completely shocked.

[sup_fan]

given how much we've all sniped at D and M and how they handled things, i think it's only fair that we call out Cindy for being a fucking idiot at allowing someone/anyone else to negotiate for her. now if she came to the decision on her own [[for better or worse) that if D and M couldn't iron things out, that C would bail. ok - agree or not, if she actively made that decision then that's that. but from my understanding, Cindy was not wanting to necessarily be out simply because M was bailing.

and so that brings up a VERY interesting point. what if C had NOT joined sides with Mary and yet M still walked from the tour. would D have still included Cindy? Cindy and whom then? Lynda? Scherrie?

certainly makes for another very interesting scenario

[jobeterob]

I vaguely recall someone posting about this on the Return to Love website. There was some quote about Cindy "drinking Slim Fast by the ton" or something like that.

Is there still a Return to Love website? I can’t quite imagine there would be - I’m going to go looking.

I don’t really feel that we in this group have thrown too many spears and snipes at Diana and Mary. I feel there’s just a lot of disappointment that jealousy and anger and a lack of empathy caused so much failure and loss

[reese]

Is there still a Return to Love website? I can’t quite imagine there would be - I’m going to go looking.

I don’t really feel that we in this group have thrown too many spears and snipes at Diana and Mary. I feel there’s just a lot of disappointment that jealousy and anger and a lack of empathy caused so much failure and loss

I was referring to 20 years ago. It probably has long since been out of function.

[RanRan79]

given how much we've all sniped at D and M and how they handled things, i think it's only fair that we call out Cindy for being a fucking idiot at allowing someone/anyone else to negotiate for her. now if she came to the decision on her own [[for better or worse) that if D and M couldn't iron things out, that C would bail. ok - agree or not, if she actively made that decision then that's that. but from my understanding, Cindy was not wanting to necessarily be out simply because M was bailing.

and so that brings up a VERY interesting point. what if C had NOT joined sides with Mary and yet M still walked from the tour. would D have still included Cindy? Cindy and whom then? Lynda? Scherrie?

certainly makes for another very interesting scenario

Do we know that Mary was negotiating on behalf of Cindy? That just seems so strange, as does Mary doing the negotiations even for herself. Seems like her attorney would be involved, and if that's the case, then maybe Mary and Cindy had the same attorney. It's all so weird.

Regarding your scenario, I think it probable that Cindy would have been brought on with Scherrie taking Mary's place. The reunion angle would have made more sense because Diana sang with Cindy and Cindy sang with Scherrie, as opposed to the optics of three Supremes "reuniting" [[whether they called it that or not) who had never sung together as the Supremes, as it was with RTL.