IMO why Mary Wilson was not made lead singer in the Supremes--Enjoy yourself

[BobbyC]

I am not bashing Mary--I was a big fan. That being said, I have to call 'em like I hear 'em. My question remains, why was Mary so all over the place in terms of vocal showings, particularly later in the 60's? I admit that many times I literally had to turn off early recordings of Diana Ross--they were that bad! BUT, seemed like Berry carefully controlled what was actually released when it came to her.

Spreading--I guess your info on how Enjoy Yourself explains it--it wasn't released!! Not at the time, anyway. Live, if the recordings are to be believed, Diana was always right on the money, vocally. She was no Aretha or Patti, but she was carefully packaged and directed by Berry and Motown. They should never have let Mary near Enjoy yourself. That being said, why did Mary blow everybody away with her lead on People in the Orient? Same time frame, but it's like it's two different singers!!

[RanRan79]

I am not bashing Mary--I was a big fan. That being said, I have to call 'em like I hear 'em. My question remains, why was Mary so all over the place in terms of vocal showings, particularly later in the 60's? I admit that many times I literally had to turn off early recordings of Diana Ross--they were that bad! BUT, seemed like Berry carefully controlled what was actually released when it came to her.

Spreading--I guess your info on how Enjoy Yourself explains it--it wasn't released!! Not at the time, anyway. Live, if the recordings are to be believed, Diana was always right on the money, vocally. She was no Aretha or Patti, but she was carefully packaged and directed by Berry and Motown. They should never have let Mary near Enjoy yourself. That being said, why did Mary blow everybody away with her lead on People in the Orient? Same time frame, but it's like it's two different singers!!

It's not that you're bashing Mary, it's that you've opened the door to it. The title of the thread itself will invite those salivating at yet another opportunity to dog Mary. Fingers crossed that I'm wrong.

That being said, I get that you don't...err...enjoy "Enjoy Yourself". I don't either. And I agree, it's a pretty bad Mary vocal. But I don't think your question about it has a deep answer. It's likely that she was just a bad fit for the song. It happens. Or she was having an off night. It happens. Yes, Diana had a beautiful voice, and it was often perfectly captured onstage, but no one has a perfect night every night, including Diana, Aretha and Patti.

Also keep in mind this song was chosen to spotlight all three Supremes, or just Diana and Mary [[I'm not convinced that Flo ever had an intended part in the song, that the part about her being scared was some kind of bit). While it should have been priority to choose a song that equally fit the three of them, I imagine that was also a hard thing to do because they were three very different singers. To my ears EY was much more up Diana's lane than Mary's anyway. And with that being said, I don't think the song is all that great either way, and Diana isn't exactly wowing the crowd with it either. Certainly not wowing me.

[sup_fan]

It's not that you're bashing Mary, it's that you've opened the door to it. The title of the thread itself will invite those salivating at yet another opportunity to dog Mary. Fingers crossed that I'm wrong.

That being said, I get that you don't...err...enjoy "Enjoy Yourself". I don't either. And I agree, it's a pretty bad Mary vocal. But I don't think your question about it has a deep answer. It's likely that she was just a bad fit for the song. It happens. Or she was having an off night. It happens. Yes, Diana had a beautiful voice, and it was often perfectly captured onstage, but no one has a perfect night every night, including Diana, Aretha and Patti.

Also keep in mind this song was chosen to spotlight all three Supremes, or just Diana and Mary [[I'm not convinced that Flo ever had an intended part in the song, that the part about her being scared was some kind of bit). While it should have been priority to choose a song that equally fit the three of them, I imagine that was also a hard thing to do because they were three very different singers. To my ears EY was much more up Diana's lane than Mary's anyway. And with that being said, I don't think the song is all that great either way, and Diana isn't exactly wowing the crowd with it either. Certainly not wowing me.

i agree that the song was most likely intended for each girl to sing. i'm gonna guess here, based on the various books, that Flo was actually just recovering from the flu. I don't know which nights they recorded the shows. perhaps the first couple? Enjoy Yourself was only captured 1 time during those three nights of recordings. Was it in the act during the other Copa nights? was it in the show beyond the Copa? i seem to think it was, based on some of the reviews i've read of their shows throughout the year. perhaps it was on the Lincoln Center show? can't remember. it doesn't seem to have been in the act PRIOR to the copa. so maybe it was something Berry just threw in at last minute and flo had hardly had any time to learn her part?

right or wrong, i could see this being a MAJOR issue for Berry. the Copa was THE gig of their career and to have someone backout on stage from performing a part would have been considered heretical! and maybe Ran is right, maybe it was part of the act. they did the "quiet one, sexy one, intelligent one" during only 1 show - perhaps that was the EY show and the whole Flo being bashful thing was part of the act.

[RanRan79]

right or wrong, i could see this being a MAJOR issue for Berry. the Copa was THE gig of their career and to have someone backout on stage from performing a part would have been considered heretical! and maybe Ran is right, maybe it was part of the act. they did the "quiet one, sexy one, intelligent one" during only 1 show - perhaps that was the EY show and the whole Flo being bashful thing was part of the act.

There's no way Florence Ballard was so unprofessional that she would make the choice in the moment to back out of a lead...on stage...in front of an audience of people...at the Copa. Nope. No way. I can't recall one criticism of Florence on her professionalism on stage until that infamous last night in 1967. Some kind of comedy bit is the only thing that makes sense.