Who saw DRATS in concert?

[Circa 1824]

Who here actually attended a DRATS concert? Where and when? [[RTL does not count.)

I saw DRATS twice in Columbus, Ohio. Once at the Ohio State Fair and the other at Veterans Memorial Colloseum. Both shows had Cindy, not Flo. For the second show I was in the front row center. I have both souvenir program books.

[DWSheffer]

I'm looking forward to reading the responses on this topic. I wasn't even a thought in either of my parents minds when they were still a group, but would've loved to have seen both of the original line-ups!
Darin

[BobbyC]

I'd like to hear what you all recall from these shows!

[motony]

I saw Diana Ross & the Supremes at the Orlando Sports Stadium in 1967. My brother & I were on the 3rd or 4th row. I went crazy when it was announced that Gladys Knight & the Pips were the unadvertised opening act!!The sound system was never better at the Sports Stadium. My brother was always in love with Diana since we met the Supremes through Mary Wells in 1962.Although I was/am a bigger fan of Martha & the Vandellas & the Marvelettes...Diana Ross & the Supremes were EXCELLENT LIVE that night. I was never a fan of that "supper club" type music but they really put on a great show.Ity might have been 1968. My brothers memory is better. I do know that "I Heard it Through the Grapevine" had already been a huge hit for Gladys Knight & the Pips. My brother just informed me it was April 3rd 1969!!Wow, I'm 72 so LOL He said it had already been announced that Diana would be going solo!

[Circa 1824]

I'd like to hear what you all recall from these shows!

For the second show, Mary was in her short blonde wig. I remember because when I got home after the show, my sister asked me if Mary wore the blond wig. Bobby Taylor and the Vancouvers were the opening act.

[Circa 1824]

Who here actually attended a DRATS concert? Where and when? [[RTL does not count.)

For the second show I was in the front row center.

front row center seat cost $5.00. They did two shows that night, 7 pm and 9 pm. I attended the 7 o’clock show.

[jobeterob]

I saw Diana Mary Cindy in 1968 at the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver - it seated 18000 people and we were in the nosebleeds.

[ejluther]

I saw Diana Mary Cindy in 1968 at the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver - it seated 18000 people and we were in the nosebleeds.

Wow - I always think of them in small places like The Copa or on TV and not arenas! How was the show?

[marybrewster]

I saw Diana Ross & the Supremes at the Orlando Sports Stadium in 1967. My brother & I were on the 3rd or 4th row. I went crazy when it was announced that Gladys Knight & the Pips were the unadvertised opening act!!The sound system was never better at the Sports Stadium. My brother was always in love with Diana since we met the Supremes through Mary Wells in 1962.Although I was/am a bigger fan of Martha & the Vandellas & the Marvelettes...Diana Ross & the Supremes were EXCELLENT LIVE that night. I was never a fan of that "supper club" type music but they really put on a great show.Ity might have been 1968. My brothers memory is better. I do know that "I Heard it Through the Grapevine" had already been a huge hit for Gladys Knight & the Pips. My brother just informed me it was April 3rd 1969!!Wow, I'm 72 so LOL He said it had already been announced that Diana would be going solo!

I don't believe they had announced Diana leaving in April, 1969. THE COMPOSER was released in March; NO MATTER SIGN in May. I think once SOMEDAY was released in October and it looked like it was going to be a hit, is when the announcement was made.

[milven]

Officially, it was announced in late 1969, but it was an open secret that everyone seemed to anticipate, expect or know. Even when radio dj's made the official announcement in late 69, they were not surprised of the news that they were announcing.

[lucky2012]

I've posted about this before, but to reply to OP Circa:

I saw DRATS on August 16, 1969, at The Forum in Inglewood, California [LA]. It was my first concert. I'd been too young to go to a DMF concert, to my everlasting regret. :[[ I'm not sure if the concert was sold out, but the Forum seated 18,000 people at the time.

The opening acts were Edwin Starr, the Edwin Hawkins Singers [Oh Happy Day] and The Jackson Five! Their first single I Want You Back hadn't been released yet. I didn't know who they were, but they practically stole the show. I mean, how do you follow not just a child act but a dynamo superstar-in-the-making like Michael Jackson?! I believe he was only 11 at the time.

But, for me, not to worry as it was a non-issue. The concert really started for me when Diana, Mary & Cindy came running down to the stage from the rear. I was too excited to remember or memorize the set list. I do remember strobe lights [popular in the late 60's], Mary doing a solo on Can't Take My Eyes Off You and Diana doing a solo [My Man?] seated on the stage floor.

I was to see Jean, Mary & Cindy a couple of years later at Disneyland. Of course, I've attended many Diana Ross concerts, starting in 1973 at the Universal Amphitheater.

[BobbyC]

Very cool Circa and Motony!!

[blackguy69]

If I’m correct the Fourm concerts [[68 and 69) were sold out and broke capacity

[sup_fan]

this is a great thread!!! please share more!

do you remember certain songs they sang? what gowns they wore?

i love the memory that all three entered the auditorium from the rear and the ascended to the stage? am i restating that correctly? anyone remember other bits of choreography or if they performed in the round or what?

share share share! lol

[bradsupremes]

If I’m correct the Fourm concerts [[68 and 69) were sold out and broke capacity

I don't have the exact info on me, but Billboard reported the sale figures from the 1968 Forum show with Stevie Wonder. I think it was something around $95,000 in ticket sales which for 1968 was a lot. In that show they performed "Some Things You Never Get Used To."

At the Forum backstage, there is a wall that list all of the artists who performed there by year and I believe the ladies were one of the very first - right at the top.

[reese]

I don't have the exact info on me, but Billboard reported the sale figures from the 1968 Forum show with Stevie Wonder. I think it was something around $95,000 in ticket sales which for 1968 was a lot. In that show they performed "Some Things You Never Get Used To."

At the Forum backstage, there is a wall that list all of the artists who performed there by year and I believe the ladies were one of the very first - right at the top.

In his book, Otis Williams wrote that the Tempts played the Forum in 1968 and were able to break the Supremes' record because their manager [Shelley Berger] had the Forum bring in a few more seats and sell tix for those.

[BayouMotownMan]

I don't believe they had announced Diana leaving in April, 1969. THE COMPOSER was released in March; NO MATTER SIGN in May. I think once SOMEDAY was released in October and it looked like it was going to be a hit, is when the announcement was made.

Well there was an unofficial announcement on national tv during this time frame.

Paul Revere and the Raiders had a teen Saturday morning show in 1969 called Get It Together. There was a news segment during the weekly show where all the gossip about musicians was announced. I don't remember the ladies name who did this reporting but around the time of the release of The Composer, she made the announcement to audience astonishment that Diana Ross would be leaving the Supremes. Some weeks later during the same segment she reported that Ross was having second thoughts about going solo as Berry Gordy was "very persuasive."

Aside from that many newspapers and gossip columnists were reporting that Ross would be going solo. These reports were fueled by Diana appearing on Laugh In and a Dinah Shore TV special without Mary and Cindy.

[Boogiedown]

considering the unimaginable was happening about then: Paul, George, John, and Ringo were splitting up,

Diana Ross parting from her two back-up singers probably seemed relatively ho-hum.

[marybrewster]

I think it's safe to say that it was obvious around mid-1969 that Diana was leaving, but BG wasn't going to let her limp out with a #30 hit. Luckily "Someday" saved the day. Unfortunately Diana never grasped the importance of the Supremes in her career, as evidenced by RTL.

[motony]

we knew Diana was leaving the Supremes.Backstage I was asking Gladys Knight if she had seen Mary Wells lately & she put her finger over her lip, like shhh & called me over to a side as she did not want the Motown guy to hear our conversation, LOL Then when Mary & Cindy came out to go to the limo I yelled to Cindy "We remember the Blue-Bells" & she smiled & waived to me.

[Circa 1824]

DRATS were scheduled to perform at the Ohio State Fair for two days. I went the first day. The second day the girls cancelled and it was front page news. I read it and was so happy I went the first day. My memory of the cancellation is a bit foggy, but it had something to do about Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass getting top billing over The Supremes. Not sure of the details … but it was not a double act. Maybe one act was scheduled for the afternoon and the other the evening? Anyway, this infuriated Motown enough to cancel the girls second day show.

[floyjoy678]

this is a great thread!!! please share more!

do you remember certain songs they sang? what gowns they wore?

i love the memory that all three entered the auditorium from the rear and the ascended to the stage? am i restating that correctly? anyone remember other bits of choreography or if they performed in the round or what?

share share share! lol

I always wondered what the choreography for Boy From Ipanema was like. I know Mary writes in her book that they changed it around a few times because Diana didn't want to be in the middle for it.

Someone told me they remembered seeing DMF live and when they did Come See About Me, they did it around one microphone like on Ed Sullivan. But the clips of the Orient tour show they were doing the other choreography like on Hullabaloo.

[sup_fan]

I always wondered what the choreography for Boy From Ipanema was like. I know Mary writes in her book that they changed it around a few times because Diana didn't want to be in the middle for it.

Someone told me they remembered seeing DMF live and when they did Come See About Me, they did it around one microphone like on Ed Sullivan. But the clips of the Orient tour show they were doing the other choreography like on Hullabaloo.

seems like they did work to create some variety on the stage, as to where they stood.

for the Orient, looks like they opened with Come See. so you have the girls running out onto the stage to start the song. then during People and You Can't Hurry Love, they did the shared mic.

on tv for the Hollywood Palace performance of Reflections, you have M and C rotating positions.

the routine for Millie/Rose/Mame was wonderful on Sullivan and, while i get it that on a stage you can't completely replicate that, i wish they'd kept more of the choreography in the ongoing performances

[jobeterob]

I was a kid when we saw them. They were half a mile away from our seats.

It could have been 1968 or 1969. I think they were wearing Love Child kind of clothes. I have a slight memory of being disappointed that there were not enough hits and too many songs I didn’t know - which would have been standards.