Flo's adlibs

[luke]

I watched a video recently and when Mary and or Diana said something about not getting married Flo said something like"oh yea well they told me to go ahead and get married" which seemed to crack everybody up--with Mike Douglas or someone like that. I had never heard this line before. I know of the following ones:

Thats what YOU think[[per being the quiet one)
Thin may be in but fat is where it's at[[I imagine she said that at her last show)
Show me the money and I'll do my own shopping

Do people know of others? Did they know when she was going to do it-as time went on-or was a new one a total surprise? Her timing was absolutely perfect in the one I saw recently.

[Roger Polhill]

They did not sound like ad libs to me - more rehearsed.

[marv2]

They started off as ad-libs and when she got a positive response from audiences, they continued but maybe a little rehearsed thereafter. She got flack at first from management, but then when everyone realized how the crowds loved Florence's sassy ad-libs, management backed off. I thought you were at first referring to her ad-libs on record. I immediately thought of how Flo tore up the ending to "Let Me Go the Right Way" whew! That girl was bad!

[skooldem1]

Totally scripted....from day one.

[marv2]

Totally scripted....from day one.

Not true. Berry wanted her to stop it.

[Roberta75]

They did not sound like ad libs to me - more rehearsed.

Agreed.

Roberta

[marv2]

Who was the scriptwriter? Who wrote those lines for Flo to say over the years? That's right! There weren't any! Those ad-libbed one-liners came from Florence! Later on, once Cindy was in the group, THEN the "ad-libs" became scripted. They had Cindy delivering lines that Florence created.

You can agree to the wrong thing if you want. But that is the truth in what I just wrote!

[luke]

They were not scripted per all witers except JRT and Flo herself discussed it with Peter B who is also writing the Mary Wells book. She had big fight with Berry about it and he backed off.

[BayouMotownMan]

In the beginning Flo did throw in the barbs in different places during the Supremes show. Once they starting playing bigger venues, they needed more comedy in the act. The intro to You're Nobody Til Somebody Loves You started as a script but Flo changed it to match her personality. Gordy did not like it that Flo took it upon herself to change something, but he couldn't deny that audiences loved Flo's quick shots. As time went on, the weight issue was added and Flo even chided the audience that they didn't know who was singing what behind Diana. She was a showstopper! This was her sense of humor in real life.

[BayouMotownMan]

I might add, Flo was the only Supreme brave enough to try adlibs during concerts. Cindy never took these chances and when she delivered Flo's lines they fell flat. She finally found her own personality and eventually got laughs [[Ed Sullivan Show).

When Scherrie, and later Susaye joined the group they took a few chances onstage as well. In a 1974 Magic Mt concert, there was dialogue of Scherrie finding 78 rpm records in Mary's collection...poking fun of Mary's age. One night, Mary shot back with "You had 78's too" to which Scherrie responded with "The only 78 I know of is your hip size." Thunderous laughter. But it did not stay in the act. Hmmm. Wonder why

[luke]

Yes I heard that they cut out Cindys lines when they fell flat-? Anyway do we know of any more lines Flo delivered? I read the adlibs were the one time Flo felt she got to shine after her solo was cut and yes it sure took guts for her to do it.

[smark21]

Interesting. Poor Flo.

[franjoy56]

if you have the supreme box set there is some more chatter from flo

when Diana says shes' the quiet one flo says that's what you think.

and when diana says that not your real voice flo says "they don't know the difference.

and then when the go into your nobody her classic line "give me that gold and ......& you know the rest that was 1967 probably her last hurrah, cause less than 2 mos later she was fired.

[luke]

Yes I listed a couple of those above. I wonder if she did these lines at all of their shows or just the major ones.

[floyjoy678]

I think in the beginning the lines were ad libbed but later they were scripted for instance Flo was the one who started the line "Don't nobody care about little old me" but as you hear on the Copa album Mary started saying it. And to the original poster that bit came from the Andy Williams Show in 1967 and I think Flo said that off the cuff because Mary's facial expression after she says it is like "What the hell Flo?!" and Diana bursting out laughing after she said it seems natural to me. I think it's funny though cause Andy says in the beginning of the interview "There's no petty, jealousy or rivalry between the three of you girls, you all get along so well together" and keep in mind this was early 1967. He also calls Diana "Diane" and Mary "Mary Ballard".

[marybrewster]

Show me the money and I'll do my own shopping

I think the line is :"Give me that gold, and I'll do my own shoppin'".

But no matter. I question: Flo was "famous" for the "Honey, we is terrific" line, but I've only heard Mary say it, interestingly enough, during "T.C.B." AFTER Flo had left.

Was THAT line scripted? I am surprised that any subtle reference to Flo was even allowed, especially for such a big television special.

[marybrewster]

And with the "Thin may be in, but fat is where it's at" line, I've seen a Sullivan clip of Cindy using that line, and to me, it's just awkward. It did get thunderous applause [[and even a "Bravo!" from Sullivan), but in no way would I consider Cindy fat [[not that I would consider Flo either), but it just doesn't sound like something Cindy would say.

[skooldem1]

I seem to recall now the interview where Florence talks about her "lines". But something still seems off. IMO these were comedy setups. One person says something, in essence setting up the joke, then there is the response [[punchline). Its a classic setup. I see no point in saying, "thin is in" without the punchline "Fat is where its at". This is why I say it was practiced. Now maybe Florence didn't stick to the exact script but those jokes were part of the act. I don't believe that they only became a part of the act, after the fact. It doesn't make sense.

[BigAl]

I know of the following ones:
Thats what YOU think[[per being the quiet one)

Later, she also started delivering that same line after Diane would introduce Mary as "The Sexy One." Flo would then again say, "That's what YOU think!" and then she'd do a bump'n'grind with the drummer beatin' it out behind her. That always got the biggest laugh and applause.
Sadly, Cindy's personality wasn't of the saucy/sassy/earthy variety and when she was made to deliver the lines which Flo had crafted so well they fell horribly flat for her. I felt really bad for when when that would happen. She had a hard enough job to do filling Flo's musical shoes. After Cindy was hired, they dropped the "quiet one" and "sexy one" from the introductions but still made her continue to do, "Fat is where it's at," which was absurd. They also made her keep Flo's "Uh-uh, honey," in "Queen of the House" after the "...pretty soon there'll be one more" and Mary would point to Cindy's abdomen. [[Diane would point to Mary's abdomen in the first chorus but Mary would just pretend to look peeved and not throw out a line.) It was all really tacky and so contrived. With Flo, even though it all had obviously become part of the script it still worked. With Cindy it just didn't.

[skooldem1]

I agree. Those lines didn't go over well with Cindy. By that time they should have dropped all of that.

[marv2]

...and the most famous "Floism" of all.........."Honey, We is terrfic!"

[luke]

I think I remember reading that Diana saying to Mary "ok that was great now get back to your microphone" was only for their last show-correct?

[honest man]

Luke you beat me to it,Diana had the best punchline get BACK to your microphone,love it she wins everytime with that one, i wonder if that was rehearsed ,the best ever, cheers.

[smark21]

Luke you beat me to it,Diana had the best punchline get BACK to your microphone,love it she wins everytime with that one, i wonder if that was rehearsed ,the best ever, cheers.

It was a part of the act. There was a thread here some time back about the last set of concerts performed by DRATS in their final months when Mary had her Can't Take My eyes off of You solo. One of the members here saw the show and remembered it. All of it, from the Direct from the RKO Proctor Theater to get back to your microphone was done every night.

[nomis]

Deke discussed the Farewell nights on here a few years ago and he said that there was alot of editing due to the patter being all over the place,especially Mary who basically said what she wanted to..The Copa show and the following year they all basically stayed on script but as the tense '67 wore on Flo was saying lots of unscripted stuff.. on the box set after flo says "do my own shopping" Diana Mimics her with a mumbled noise..now that aint in the script thats the tension between them coming out just like Mary at the begining of Aquarious on Farewell saying "what is she getting out there?" her mic maybe only turned up half volume but the barb is on the album..

[franjoy56]

that line was cute in the Farewell Tour act and showed that diana was in command of the act, but it was workable with the DRATS and not with the Supremes it would not have worked because of the sensitivity and tension already showing itself with the DMF lineup, Flo would not have felt that line was so cute even being delivered to Mary [[and thankfully it only surfaced after Flo left the group).

[Roberta75]

that line was cute in the Farewell Tour act and showed that diana was in command of the act, but it was workable with the DRATS and not with the Supremes it would not have worked because of the sensitivity and tension already showing itself with the DMF lineup, Flo would not have felt that line was so cute even being delivered to Mary [[and thankfully it only surfaced after Flo left the group).

Poor poor Flo.

[franjoy56]

there is an unreleased version of the supremes on the sullivan show in 1965 when the supremes performed on the oct. 10, 1965 air date show that was not released on the Supremes on the Sullivan series last fall, when they did "your nobody till somebody loves you" i think for the first and last time with the original lineup Flo delivered the line "give me that gold and i'll do my own shopping"

[nomis]

when they wore the copper outfits on Sullivan and Cindy said Flos ablibs..I didnt like it..I thought it was a bit tacky..Motown could have come up with some new lines..I mean theres filling someone shoes and theres trying to be someone your not..the lines just didnt work for Cindy on that show...

[smark21]

when they wore the copper outfits on Sullivan and Cindy said Flos ablibs..I didnt like it..I thought it was a bit tacky..Motown could have come up with some new lines..I mean theres filling someone shoes and theres trying to be someone your not..the lines just didnt work for Cindy on that show...

Poor Flo. I wonder if she started crying if she watched that performance?

[luke]

I think shed start laughing. One book states she critiqued the performance and said "Mary, wake up, it's all about Diana!"or something like that.

[marybrewster]

I think shed start laughing. One book states she critiqued the performance and said "Mary, wake up, it's all about Diana!"or something like that.

I wonder if that author was in the room while Flo was critiquing this; otherwise it's all speculation.

[nomis]

I dont know the venue but there was at least one occasion Flo sat centre stage front row at a concert after she was dissmissed..its in "Forever Faithful " book..as for the "mary wake up.." quote that originated in Tony Turners book...Flo told Peter Benjaminson that she couldnt even listen to Supremes songs for many years because she found it too heartbreaking..when he met her she had no Supremes vinyl in her home..she had given it all away to people who asked for copies of her records..but in her last year she had pride when she heard one of the groups songs on the radio..and in the long run she must have held no grudge against Cindy because theres that beautiful,warm photo of them together around "75..