Backing vocals- qusetion for Harry/Andy

[mwmr]

Shocked-and saddened- to know That FB & MW werent on backing vocals on Stop! In The Name Of Love.

I'm intrigued to know how you know this. Is it just by listening or do the tape boxes state who are on backing vocals.

Which other Supremes singles [[aside from the ones after Love Child) would we not find flo and Mary?

[Jimi LaLumia]

I still look at the front and back cover pictures of MERRY CHRISTMAS and can't get over how phony the whole thing is..

[motony]

In the 70's Philly Int'l did the same thing.Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes , Teddy on lead then the Blue Notes on record were Harold Melvin, Sharon Paige, Bunny Sigler & Kenny Gamble, The Sweets backed up the 3 Degrees[[& or they were all overdubbed)ect ect.

[jobeterob]

I believe the Complete Singles only refers to In and Out of Love and the Merry Christmas album as well as Stop in the Name of Love.

There are no other references to no Supremes other than the obvious and well known singles from Love Child forward; it just obviously started a lot earlier than we knew.

Jimi is right about Merry Christmas though..............that was pretty phony. You could never pull that off today.

[BayouMotownMan]

I find this hard to believe, I hear Flo clearly on that first verse

[jsmith]

I know that for groups that were always out on the road [[not Motown groups but outfits such as the Platters in the 60's), only the lead singer [[Sonny Turner) would be flown back to the recording studio to lay down the group's tracks for upcoming releases. Thus, he would be joined in the studio by whatever local session backing singers were available.
After a 6 to 8 hour recording session, he would be straight on another plane to team back up with the rest of the group for their next club date.
I don't believe Motown operated a similar system on a regular basis but they must have done so on the odd occasion.

[jillfoster]

I find this hard to believe, I hear Flo clearly on that first verse

You ain't the only one.

[marv2]

I believe the Complete Singles only refers to In and Out of Love and the Merry Christmas album as well as Stop in the Name of Love.

There are no other references to no Supremes other than the obvious and well known singles from Love Child forward; it just obviously started a lot earlier than we knew.

Jimi is right about Merry Christmas though..............that was pretty phony. You could never pull that off today.

I don't know what you are talking about? Mary Wilson and Florence Ballard are both on the song "In and Out of Love". They recorded it in June of 1967. The Andantes were simply overdubbed in July 1967 so you have Mary, Diana and Flo backed with the Andantes. Mary, Flo and Diana are on "Stop In the Name of Love" also.

My question is why are you continually posting misinformation even after you been told what the deal was? Is there some kind of hidden agenda you have here because I cannot believe you are just plain stupid and cannot remember what Andy had said and the acapella versions others have posted. So what is it with the continually posting of wrong information by you?

Marv

[marv2]

One more time for the "hearing impaired" Jobeterob! Now after this if you continue to say that Mary and Florence are not on this song, then I know you are full of it and purposely trying to spread misinformation:

[skooldem1]

Isn't this about the released version? It would be best to compare the RELEASED version against other versions of the song found on compilations/albums. The odds are that the Supremes are on some of the tracks mentioned, but its not JUST THEM in the background. So whether the argument is if they were replaced, or added vocals, the point is that it is not always just them all the time.

[luke]

Thx Marv I was gonna do same thing. Florence is very audible.

[marv2]

Isn't this about the released version? It would be best to compare the RELEASED version against other versions of the song found on compilations/albums. The odds are that the Supremes are on some of the tracks mentioned, but its not JUST THEM in the background. So whether the argument is if they were replaced, or added vocals, the point is that it is not always just them all the time.

Who cares if it was JUST THEM? They were not a self contained band! They neither wrote their own material or played the instruments on their records! It was not just diana ross on those records!

[marv2]

Thx Marv I was gonna do same thing. Florence is very audible.

Anytime. I hear Florence and Mary, along with Diane on Stop in the Name of Love.

[luke]

You sure that's Diane? Didnt her sister Barbara fill in at times?

[skooldem1]

Who cares if it was JUST THEM? They were not a self contained band! They neither wrote their own material or played the instruments on their records! It was not just diana ross on those records!

I don't think anyone is claiming that. I've been following these threads and Andy said that Mary and Florence were on most of those songs, which means there are some where one or both are not. That is what it all boils down to. In some rare cases, Florence was not on some songs. It appears that Mary is on all of them. The point Andy was making about STOP is that on the RELEASED version they weren't but there many versions/mixes of that song where they are on them.

[skooldem1]

One thing that should never be forgotten in this whole debate is that Diana, Florence and Mary were SINGERS. If stories are to be believed, many were impressed with their harmony and how sweet they sounded. I know they could all sing and I will not accept some people out there trying to say this is some Milli Vanilli type shit [[excuse my language). But it can't be ruled out that there were session singers sometimes. Both Mary and Diana have stated this. No need to fight over which songs we think they are or are not on. At this point it should really just be about the amazing songs that they were.

[marv2]

You sure that's Diane? Didnt her sister Barbara fill in at times?

Bobbie lives down the road from me here and she said she did not sing on records. Her Dad did suggest that they replace Diane in the Primettes at one point with Bobbie, as he did not feel that Diane would be much of a teamplayer.....HA!

[luke]

How could Mr Ross say such a thing??!!

[marv2]

How could Mr Ross say such a thing??!!

Well , "Father Knows Best" aka "he wasn't lyin'" LOL!!!

[luke]

LOL---alright now! Mr Ross didnt pull any punches. Diana forbade him from gving interviews and you know what he said to that dont ya?

[jobeterob]

Wise words Skool Dem.

But the haters can't hear. They won't even listen to Mary Wilson.

[marv2]

LOL---alright now! Mr Ross didnt pull any punches. Diana forbade him from gving interviews and you know what he said to that dont ya?

I can imagine, but I don't want to discuss it here in this public forum! LOL!!!! Fred, Fred, Fred, God Bless Ya!

[luke]

Lets see thats Mary Wilson and Fred Ross--two people!!

[marv2]

Lets see thats Mary Wilson and Fred Ross--two people!!

Yeah buddy, but there are a whole lot more than that. I would talk about it but I don't want to upset Jobeterob. It could push him over the edge if I said everything and I am not a mean person. Give him something to hold on to. But ok, ask any of the Funk Brothers.....hehehehehe!

[luke]

LOL ! I hear ya--and maybe Raynoma!

[Jimi LaLumia]

I have no doubt that Miss Ross is testsy...good for her...
I enjoyed her voice from the moment I heard it and her presence from the moment I saw her, and I admire her for holding her tongue about all the Supremes records, like Merry Christmas and the latter singles, when she was under attack, by her 'group mates', she refrained from embarrassing them, which would have been very easy to do with the daily information that pops up here, but which she obviously knew about all along..

[jobeterob]

But I wonder if she really knew?

I know everyone should know their own voices.............but there were several versions recorded and I think I remember Mary and Diana saying they never knew what would be released.

Maybe Martha figured it out anyway; and maybe many of them did't really want to know..............hence, Motown From the Background was a lot more than just a title.

[marybrewster]

I find this hard to believe, I hear Flo clearly on that first verse

Exactly. I'm sorry, but that's Flo on "Name" and "Love" as well as "Break" and "Heart".

[johnny_raven]

Just to play devil's advocate, didn't Marlene Barrow have a voice similar to Flo's?

[marybrewster]

Just to play devil's advocate, didn't Marlene Barrow have a voice similar to Flo's?

About as similar as Cindy's "look" was to Flo's.

[drlorne]

When I first heard Love is Here and Now You're Gone, with the high angelic voice intro, I knew then that there was a backing group [[and got over it then, too). If you want to create the best product, sometimes you augment it, with overdubs etc. The point is, the Supremes could perform there songs live and there live recordings speak for themselves.

Lorne