Supremes, Andantes, and Mary's new song

[skooldem1]

TMZ did a story on the fact that Mary and Cindy didn't sing on some of the songs released under DRATS. They interview Mary Wilson, and then play her new song. Check it out, it starts at around 18 minutes into the video:

http://www.tmz.com/videos/0_xkgeou6d/

[jobeterob]

What would be more interesting is to comment on what Andy and George say happened to Stop in the Name of Love, the 45, on the 50th Anniversary set.

It sounds as if Mary might not know that happened although she must know her own voice.

[marv2]

That was great. It is good to see that Mary's new recording is getting mentioned.

[carole cucumber]

Interestingly, although the thrust of the presentation centers on Mary & Cindy not providing background vocals on several Diana Ross & the Supremes singles, the second photo shown is Harvey Levin posing with Jean , Mary & Cindy [[Andy Williams Show taping). There is also a photo of J-M-C in hotpants, and a photo of D-M-F.
And Harvey, who claims to be the biggest Supremes fan, appears to have never read Mary Wilson's books.
Mary mentions feeling embarrassed performing "Love Child" on Ed Sullivan, as she & Cindy were not the background vocalists on the song. Yet they did perform it a second time on Ed Sullivan and provide their background vocals, which Mary fails to mention. She also does not indicate that she & Cindy had already performed "Forever Came Today" and "Some Things You Never Get Used To"[[ according to 'Dreamgirl') on Ed Sullivan. Was she embarrassed then?- she doesn't say.

[smark21]

I suspect Mary doesn’t remember…obsessive Supremes fans probably know more about Supremes history than any of the women who were in the group.

[bradsupremes]

I'm sure she was just saying that she was embarrassed in general to go on TV and perform songs she didn't record in the studio.

I found it funny too that Harvey claims to be the biggest Supremes fan in the world, yet he doesn't know that Mary and Cindy were not on any of the Diana Ross & the Supremes singles [[aside from the B-sides and singles with the Temptations). I thought that was common knowledge among Supremes fans for the past 20-25 years. At least it was good to see Mary's single getting mentioned.

[carole cucumber]

Life is quite interesting. We view the same reality from different perspectives. I can't fault Mary for her recollections.
However, I wonder if I or others would be too embarrassed from not performing on an actual recording to take money made from tv or live performances of the song subsequently.
It's just a thought.

[jobeterob]

I'd be embarrassed too.

I might be pissed that after all these years, they drop the info that the Andantes got the released version of the Stop in the Name of Love single. Now, I can hear the difference on that single and I would have preferred Mary and Florence. I wonder what HDH heard that caused them to make this decision; maybe they heard a flaw in the recording.

I would have taken the money; they probably were entitled to it by contract. And it wasn't always a choice they got to make about who would be on those records. Perhaps Mary had a choice on Love Child but not on all the others.

[franjoy56]

No I don't think Mary should feel embarrassed from not performing on the actual recording, because the record was labeled DR and The Supremes, and it was Motown
who decided to use the Andantes, they could have easily used Mary and Cindy cutting
the vocals before or after Mary returned from her vacation, the actual group members were entitled to the royalty not the session singer repalcements they were paid a flat fee if i understand it correctly. "Forever Came Today" performed in March of 1968 on sullivan sounds like the Andantes behind the curtain, does anyone remember the Supremes performing "Somethings you never get used to" on the Sullivan Show. I remember seeing them at the Forest Hllls Tennis Stadium in 68 perform that song in the black and white print gowns with the tambourines, I had no idea they were not on that song either [[but i was suspicious about that until the book came out. Someday well be together was a different story altogether it did not sound like Mary and Cindy it sounded like a gospel trio. so thank god for UP THE LADDER TO THE ROOF.

[helga]

I'd be embarrassed too.

I might be pissed that after all these years, they drop the info that the Andantes got the released version of the Stop in the Name of Love single.

Aren't the Andantes mixed in with Mary and Flo on Stop?

[franjoy56]

Aren't the Andantes mixed in with Mary and Flo on Stop?

Yes an Andante is mixed in with the released version of SItnol, people keep insisting that The Andantes are on the released version alone which is not true,. There seems to be a campaign to devalue the Supremes contributions to the background singing, annd I think it stinks. I also notice on Music Choice the tv music channels, when they play a Supremes 60's song, they only highlite Diana's musical contributions as an artist and no mention of the Supremes records at alll, we have to keep educating the public otherwise. The Supremes were Supreme.

[jobeterob]

No, no..............I don't think there is any campaign to discredit anything Supreme. The fans try and credit them all, always.

But when a group is as big as the Supremes, the fans , the true fans, are interested in the detail. And the 50th Anniversary set says it is revised from additional information garnered after the Complete Motown Singles and it says DMF recorded Stop but 4 days later it was recut with the Andantes and this was the released version.

The Music Channels appeal to the mass public and they really dont care about the background singers - they are looking for Smokey, Diana, Gladys, Michael and have no clue who the background singers were other than they were Miracles, Pips, Jacksons and Supremes.

[marv2]

I think that it is absolutely amazing that Mary Wilson has a new record that sounds so, so very good some 50 years after she started. She's looking great too! Life has definitely been good to her. She is one of the very few of the Motown Classic Artists with a new recording out and is also schedule to shoot a new movie! Amazing!

[marv2]

I have to congratulate Mary. It's been a long road from "Baby Don't Go" and "Life's Been Good to Me"!

[marybrewster]

I lip synch on a monthly basis and am never embarassed to get my money.

[franjoy56]

No, no..............I don't think there is any campaign to discredit anything Supreme. The fans try and credit them all, always.

But when a group is as big as the Supremes, the fans , the true fans, are interested in the detail. And the 50th Anniversary set says it is revised from additional information garnered after the Complete Motown Singles and it says DMF recorded Stop but 4 days later it was recut with the Andantes and this was the released version.

The Music Channels appeal to the mass public and they really dont care about the background singers - they are looking for Smokey, Diana, Gladys, Michael and have no clue who the background singers were other than they were Miracles, Pips, Jacksons and Supremes.

The Supremes were not merely background singers they were a group who participated in showbusines and the art of performing, [[when a song by the Supremes is played on Music choice they should hghlite some of the groups accomplishments like they did a year or two ago). I am not going to beat this Stop in the name of love horse again its been played over and over you Jobeterob seem to be the only one bringing this Stop in the name of love supremeless issue up over and over and this thread had nothing to do with it. My bible the complete motown singles says: "diana's captivating lead and the perky retorts from Mary and Flo with a little help from the Andantes' Marlene Barrow. The book i read by the Andantes mentioned nothing about any of them being on that single, they did however name several other tunes they backed the Supremes on, and now we know that Mary and Flo did do the background on MWIEWU, only the released version turned down the vocals, so it appears as a Diana solo. I wonder what Mary would say if she was told that she was not on the released version of Stop in the name of Love. and by the way her new record sounds great i plan to itunes it when it is available..

[smark21]

Mary new single is available on itunes franjoy. I downloaded it last month.

[jobeterob]

Well Fran, there are bitter pills all around in the Supremes story and if Stop is another one for some people, what can ya do hey?

The facts have been been repeated a few times on here by people like George; the 50th Anniversary says it flat out - EDITED from the Motown Singles.

And if you don't wanna believe it, hey, it's all good. You need to believe whatever it takes to get you through the day and you won't be the only one.

And yes, there are guys like me to always go back to the basic truth. Sorry.

[franjoy56]

Well Fran, there are bitter pills all around in the Supremes story and if Stop is another one for some people, what can ya do hey?

The facts have been been repeated a few times on here by people like George; the 50th Anniversary says it flat out - EDITED from the Motown Singles.

And if you don't wanna believe it, hey, it's all good. You need to believe whatever it takes to get you through the day and you won't be the only one.

And yes, there are guys like me to always go back to the basic truth. Sorry.

Here is my truth as a Supremes fan who has been listening to the background voices of Mary Wilson, Florence Ballard and Cindy Birdsong for almost 50 years

where did our love go
baby love
come see about me
stop in the name of love
back in my arms again
I hear a symphony
Love Is here and Now your Gone
YOu Keep Me Hangin on.


Up the ladder to the roof
Stoned Love


Mary Wilson Florence Ballard, Cindy Birdsong backing the lead vocalist.