Jean Terrell's "illness"

[TheMotownManiac]

Yeah, when you think about groups like the Staple Singers and such, having hits with this heavy gospel influence, it would seem a perfect marriage for JML. I'm starting to think now that where producers go, my first choice for the follow up to Floy Joy is Ashford and Simpson.

It never dawned on me to consider Willie Hutch, but I think it’s a brilliant idea. It would give Jean a chance to veer away from Rossnosity and make the group her own. Love this!

anyone at Motown could record anyone at Motown if that artist wanted to work with them. There was nothing stopping smoky or Willie Hutch or anybody from working with The Supremes if they wanted to. I don’t think smoky wanted to work at The Supremes the first time but he did it as a favor to Barry Gordy because he was vice president of that group label. The success of the album would certainly have inspired him to do another one as it wasn’t all that busy. He wasn’t touring, and for a guy who is used to working a lot, just working on his own solo stuff would be considered taking it easy.

of course everyone would like Marvin Gaye to do everything, and I agree in a perfect world he might do some wonderful things with them, but he wasn’t exactly someone that could work producing others successfully because he spent so much time crafting his work and playing around with vocals endlessly. I don’t think it would ever Cross his mind to work with the Supremes or any other artist the way he worked on his own material.

Addressing something mentioned earlier, I believe it was you, but whoever it was: I disagree that the public gave a damn word about the style of music the Supremes or any act did, as long as they liked the sound. A good commercial record is a good commercial record regardless who sings it and it works, it works. It might not ultimately be the best thing for an act in the long run, but a hit is a hit and The Supremes needed to hit badly. So, I think any genre would work for them and they came close with several things on opposite side of the scale. Bad weather and, I guess I’ll miss the man, in my opinion, both had great potential to become hits, But they needed a fair amount of tweaking. I don’t believe Deke Richards crafted I guess I’ll miss the man to go out as a single. That is not the kind a song on the Supremes are known for but they could have had a hit with it if it was a better record, and the same goes for bad weather. Nothing could have saved touch, I know a lot of people like it, but as a radio single it’s a hot mess.

at the time, I was clinging to the last thread of The Supremes wanting desperately to dig them again, hear them on the radio again, be mesmerized in shows again, but it just wasn’t happening. All this at a time when I got to know them enough to grab a burger after the show with them and get backstage.....very strange. When I heard Jimmy Webb, after being told how great it was going to be, my heart sank. There was nothing close to a radio single there. It doesn’t matter if it’s a good album or a bad album, they needed a hit record, a big hit record, and it was nothing even close. Willie Hutch I love that idea!

[RanRan79]

It never dawned on me to consider Willie Hutch, but I think it’s a brilliant idea. It would give Jean a chance to veer away from Rossnosity and make the group her own. Love this!

Yeah, I really think Jean, and Mary and Lynda honestly, would have really fit with the sound Willie was crafting. I also think he would have been great when Scherrie came in also. I could hear her killing something like Willie's "Love Power".

anyone at Motown could record anyone at Motown if that artist wanted to work with them. There was nothing stopping smoky or Willie Hutch or anybody from working with The Supremes if they wanted to. I don’t think smoky wanted to work at The Supremes the first time but he did it as a favor to Barry Gordy because he was vice president of that group label. The success of the album would certainly have inspired him to do another one as it wasn’t all that busy. He wasn’t touring, and for a guy who is used to working a lot, just working on his own solo stuff would be considered taking it easy.

What evidence is there that Berry asked Smokey to do it or that he didn't want to do it?

Addressing something mentioned earlier, I believe it was you, but whoever it was: I disagree that the public gave a damn word about the style of music the Supremes or any act did, as long as they liked the sound. A good commercial record is a good commercial record regardless who sings it and it works, it works. It might not ultimately be the best thing for an act in the long run, but a hit is a hit and The Supremes needed to hit badly. So, I think any genre would work for them and they came close with several things on opposite side of the scale.

Sorry but I don't believe this. When acts stray too far outside of what they were known for, they were often met with a lack of success. The style that Sup Fan referenced was not going to fly with the Supremes' R&B audience, and there's no reason to believe that the group's pop audience would've taken them any more seriously. Remember, part of the charm of the singer/songwriter "period" is how personal the entire process was with that particular artist. Unless the Supremes were going to write their own material, this really doesn't fit them. Are there exceptions? Absolutely. As I mentioned before, I think if Carole King had been brought in to do the Supremes' album instead of Jimmy Webb, she had a certain quality that I think would have leant itself well to the Supremes staying true to themselves while also stepping into a bit of new territory. Nothing about JW says this would've been the case. I agree, the group needed a hit badly, but why think so far outside the box, when the box was working for awhile and seemed to be doing extremely well for so many others?

Bad weather and, I guess I’ll miss the man, in my opinion, both had great potential to become hits, But they needed a fair amount of tweaking. I don’t believe Deke Richards crafted I guess I’ll miss the man to go out as a single. That is not the kind a song on the Supremes are known for but they could have had a hit with it if it was a better record, and the same goes for bad weather. Nothing could have saved touch, I know a lot of people like it, but as a radio single it’s a hot mess.

I think "Bad Weather" needed a bit more punch in the groove. I find no fault in Jean's vocal, or Mary and Lynda's, or the writing. But there was a bit of punch that was usually present in a Stevie hit that was missing from the instrumentation of "Bad Weather". And while this is probably the most insignificant of critiques that could have any bearing on the outcome of the record, I have to say that the title of "Think I'm Going To Run Into Bad Weather", which Mary says was the original working title, seems more catchy than the simple "Bad Weather". Maybe that's a nitpick, but it resonates with me.

Is it possible that "I Guess I'll Miss the Man" was released to satisfy a need for product as opposed to being recorded specifically for single release? Interesting scenario to ponder. I suspect though that it was recorded and released as intended. It is a beautiful vocal by Jean, but it's failure may, again, speak to my point about going outside the box. Give this song to Barbara Streisand or Dionne Warwick, as is, no deviations, and it's probably a hit. Certainly charting better than it did. In the hands of the Supremes, I imagine people heard it and said "That's the Supremes? PASS!".

[TheMotownManiac]

Yeah, I really think Jean, and Mary and Lynda honestly, would have really fit with the sound Willie was crafting. I also think he would have been great when Scherrie came in also. I could hear her killing something like Willie's "Love Power".



What evidence is there that Berry asked Smokey to do it or that he didn't want to do it?



Sorry but I don't believe this. When acts stray too far outside of what they were known for, they were often met with a lack of success. The style that Sup Fan referenced was not going to fly with the Supremes' R&B audience, and there's no reason to believe that the group's pop audience would've taken them any more seriously. Remember, part of the charm of the singer/songwriter "period" is how personal the entire process was with that particular artist. Unless the Supremes were going to write their own material, this really doesn't fit them. Are there exceptions? Absolutely. As I mentioned before, I think if Carole King had been brought in to do the Supremes' album instead of Jimmy Webb, she had a certain quality that I think would have leant itself well to the Supremes staying true to themselves while also stepping into a bit of new territory. Nothing about JW says this would've been the case. I agree, the group needed a hit badly, but why think so far outside the box, when the box was working for awhile and seemed to be doing extremely well for so many others?

in theory, I agree with you, however, this act needed a hit - any hit IMO - to stay alive. You can’t build a following on Floy Joy. I think a hit n an unfamiliar genre might have led them into a new, positive direction. Even DMC slipped some due to the off time from Reflections to Love Child. The box, in this case never really worked as JMC began to slip from day one. They needed that big smash but only got “hits”...music was evolving and their box was not. Three Degrees, Labelle and Honey Cone were fresh and new while JMC were wearing the gowns and beating a ten year old act to death. They seemed old and passe’.


I think "Bad Weather" needed a bit more punch in the groove. I find no fault in Jean's vocal, or Mary and Lynda's, or the writing. But there was a bit of punch that was usually present in a Stevie hit that was missing from the instrumentation of "Bad Weather". And while this is probably the most insignificant of critiques that could have any bearing on the outcome of the record, I have to say that the title of "Think I'm Going To Run Into Bad Weather", which Mary says was the original working title, seems more catchy than the simple "Bad Weather". Maybe that's a nitpick, but it resonates with me.

in retrospect, Jean’s Recorded vocal is fine. In ‘73, it was a screeeeetchy mess that most folks hated. Everyone I played it for Literally winced. There’s a reason it was totally dismissed by radio even with Stevie’s name attached.

Is it possible that "I Guess I'll Miss the Man" was released to satisfy a need for product as opposed to being recorded specifically for single release? Interesting scenario to ponder. I suspect though that it was recorded and released as intended. It is a beautiful vocal by Jean, but it's failure may, again, speak to my point about going outside the box. Give this song to Barbara Streisand or Dionne Warwick, as is, no deviations, and it's probably a hit. Certainly charting better than it did. In the hands of the Supremes, I imagine people heard it and said "That's the Supremes? PASS!".

renember it was program directors that had the first vote and they’re open to anything they think people will not change the channel on. That’s their only criteria. Babs and Dionne were both not charting then much either, so I disagree. The song, as produced is too simple. List to First Time Ever or Killing Me Softly - those are brilliant productions. There was never any song on top 40 pop or R&B that was as plain as IGIMTM.

[RanRan79]

renember it was program directors that had the first vote and they’re open to anything they think people will not change the channel on. That’s their only criteria. Babs and Dionne were both not charting then much either, so I disagree. The song, as produced is too simple. List to First Time Ever or Killing Me Softly - those are brilliant productions. There was never any song on top 40 pop or R&B that was as plain as IGIMTM.

But when the public heard "Guess", they would not have been surprised if it were being sung by either of those two ladies. Of course the song being a hit with either is debatable, but that type of music was their "lane". You can add Roberta Flack to that list of singers who may have allowed the song to be better received. I might opine that even Diana Ross could've gotten away with releasing it as single.

I don't hear "plain" when I listen to "Guess". IMO it has more going on than the aforementioned "Killing Me Softly". Which brings me to ask this: might Mary's lead have been a better fit for this song? Her mellow style seems well suited to this type of balladry. Might the public have received it better than it did Jean's?