Flo is proof that fame and the illusion of fortune do not produce joy. I hate that she came into a cruel uncaring exploitive industry while she was already hurting because the industry only cares about the industry and NOT the people who make the industry its money. As fine as Flo is here, you can sense her pain and that whole "the show must go on" bullcrap is why so many celebrities have tortured souls. People are not meant to be treated like "income". That's slavery.
one thing i noticed about this bit is how different they look in pantsuit outfits it really fit Mary singing lead you can tell berry had thought on the other members to sing lead wish she got more time in spot light in mid to late 60s and thought out this bit you just cant stop taking your eyes off Mary she glowed on the Hollywood Palace
A good harmony singer don't stand out, they blend their voice with the others and Cindy sang her parts very well When you listen to the Tarzan clip of the Supremes singing Michael Row The Boat Ashore, Cindy"s voice soprano part really shine. Cindy is the reason why so many rave about the MCS harmony because they had a wonderful blend.
I don’t like how the male interviewer tried to insinuate that Dick Clark was responsible for their first hit! That’s NOT true! And I’m glad Mary shut that down!! “Did Dick Clark ever get any credit for that” Yes, Dick might’ve allowed them on the tour, but the that was not the reason that Baby Love became their first hit!!
Without Diana or Jean (the two officially appointed full leads), the UNIQUE DISTINGUISHED SUPREMES LEAD VOICE AND SOUND was gone. The group became an "Ensemble" act with no designated officially appointed lead singer. They are still fantastic, but more generic...No longer "Unique" in sound.
Plenty of musical acts appeared on both "To Tell the Truth" and "What's My Line" through the years, but rarely were they allowed to perform (it would have been difficult and cumbersome to set up for a single musical number). The fact that they made arrangements for the Supremes to sing live on the show was a testament to their talent and their huge popularity.
From Mary Wilson's book: "Susaye, (on the other hand,) had clearly come into the group with her own agenda. She was an ambitious girl, and it showed. She was increasingly difficult to work with, because she refused to sing the background parts we had rehearsed and often stepped out of the choreography, keeping Scherrie and me guessing where she’d be, in the song and on the stage. Scherrie and I always pulled back vocally so that it wouldn’t sound like all of us were trying to sing lead at once. I respected Scherrie for being so professional and gracious; many lead singers would have thrown a fit." Yes, she has a voice, but like Diane, she was in for other than being in a band.
Mary Wilson parted with the Supremes and made a farewell show (last shows were on June 12 at the Drury Lane Theatre in London) with standing ovations. Susaye and Scherrie were promised to have their own contracts with Motown. Then Mary wrote in here diary (back in LA): "July 1977 You won’t believe this, but I am rehearsing Cindy Birdsong and Debbie Sharpe to replace Susaye and Scherrie as the Supremes! Actually, the show is called “the Mary Wilson of the Supremes Show.” We are to leave for South America in one day. The tour is three weeks long. How is that, you ask? Well, it’s a long story."
