Everyone is starting to see the new movie, Dreamgirls and it really is agreat film, very loosely based on the story of The Supremes. Ive been watching this amazing Youtube clip of them from the 1960s ad nauseum for the past couple days. I just cant stop watching it. The grace, the elegance, the drama... I just cant get enough!

Ladies and Gentlemen.... THE SUPREMES!

http://www.youtube.com/wa...b4J42v7HKg


Watch and discuss.

"very loosely based on the story of The Supremes"

Very loosely? More like direct rip-off

VoicesCarry said:

Well, sure its inspired by the story of the Supremes but there are alot of things in the film that are completely fictional.

I was thinking about starting a Supremes thread... Diana Ross and the supremes were great!!!
I was listening to the "Never before released masters" and the second "25th anniversary" disc yesterday,
even many of the outtakes are really good...

dreamfactory313 said:

Yeah, the Deena character isn't nearly enough of an uber-bitch to keep up with Diana. Deena & Diana

VoicesCarry said:

Youre just wrong!

dreamfactory313 said:

It's true! Diana is LEGENDARY. The only person she didn't fuck with was Berry Gordy.

But back on topic, they are one of my favorite girl groups of all time, and I really get annoyed by the kids who think TLC or Destiny's Child are better or more successful or some shit.
[Edited 12/29/06 16:34pm]

VoicesCarry said:

VoicesCarry said:

Yeah, he gave her the license to be THE diva. The Supremes are the greatest and most successful because they 1) came from modest means, 2) rose to fame during the civil rights movement in Jim Crow America, and 3) nearly 40 years after the original Supremes disbanded, folks are still talking about them. Will folks still be talking about TLC 40 years from now? Who knows.

I agree w/ u 100%. The Supremes are the gold standard. What they were able to accomplish is awe inspiring.
[Edited 12/29/06 17:01pm]

dreamfactory313 said:

The thing is all three had good or great voices. Yeah, Gordy went with Diana over Florence because she was more acceptable to white audiences and had a voice made for pop crossover, but for the material the Supremes were given, Diana's voice was ideal no matter how you look at it. It has a great tone, like ice cream, and is endlessly listenable. However, she was at her best with the girls. Once she went solo, she lost something, I don't know what, but it was gone.

VoicesCarry said:

Spoken like a true champion.

There's a scene in the movie that goes something like this...

"Berry"/Curtis: You know why I picked you to sing lead?
"Diana"/Deena: Why?
"Berry"/Curtis: Because your voice has no personality.

...

But the point is, for that material (very similar to the Warwick/Bacharach/David team), you don't need a super strong vocalist capable of great improvisation. You need someone who can sing the specific melodies convincingly, as written and on pitch. Period!

My favorite tunes...

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
My World Is Empty Without You
Love Is Like an Itching In My Heart
You Can't Hurry Love
You Keep Me Hangin' On
Love is Here and Now You're Gone
The Happening

...are the ones recorded when they were simply The Supremes (the female Pop group).



tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431

theAudience said:

Also, people seem to neglect the fact that Diana was quite simply the better performer, and that counts for a lot when you're doing that type of music.

Berry was smart because he knew what she was capable of vocally and kept things generally within those limits.
[Edited 12/29/06 19:14pm]

^^ Absolutely. Gordy knew exactly what he was doing. He was the master at the pop crossover concept. He knew what sold and what the kids wanted to buy. As evident in the clip that I posted, Ms. Ross knew how to sell the song. She used her eyes, inflections, and body language to act out the song. Diana always did more than merely sing a song, she embodied it and made it her own. She always had something inside her that screamed, "Im gonna make you love me!" and it came across in her performances.

dreamfactory313 said:

She also worked on her voice a LOT. She completely eradicated the harsh nasal tones that ruin early tracks like I Want A Guy.

Completely agree with all that's being spoken in this thread. It's what I've trying to say about Miss Ross all along.

There's a lot of amazing Supremes songs, but I think my favorite is still "Love Child".

squiddyren said:

I cannot pick the best from:

-Love Child
-Reflections
-My World Is Empty Without You

Also their version of This Old Heart Of Mine (Is Weak For You) is my favorite version of that track amongst those who covered it at Motown. Probably because it has the ideal arrangement.

VoicesCarry said:

And I think you might lose tA's support with that comment.

My fave two tunes by The Primettes/The Supremes/Diana Ross & The Supremes - I Hear a Symphony and Reflections. Have a tough time deciding between those two. There's a touch of psychodelia in Reflections that sets it apart from their other tunes.

I've always admired Diana voice. True, she was no Aretha but her voice had expression and an unique quality to it. It was very smooth and clear, rather than raw and raunchy.

As for her personality, well she always like things done her own way....

Makes me think of that documentary on The Funk Brothers....one of them said you could have put Deputy Dogg on the vocal track and they'd still have been hits.

I like the fact that Mary Wilson still calls her Diane to work Diana's nerves.




It all may have been very smart moves by Gordy but there was still some ruthless behavior behind it all.

When did Diana start singing lead? Is there any footage of Florence singing lead?

I don`t think i`ve ever seen any footage of Ballard singing lead
She did it on a few songs, but i think they didn`t get released before long after she died.


You can hear she had a beautiful voice:
http://www.youtube.com/wa...Av42Jp4DKg

I don't even think the movie scratched the surface of The Supreme's story,,,,just a CLUE on the girl group's struggle.

I think there were ALOT of deep sick & twisted shit that went around in Motown, which Berry STILL fights to keep as secrets.

Marvin Gaye's Divided Soul pointed out and "implied" on some stuff with the agreement of some of the fellow Motown artists,,,,but not to enough to fulfill the knoweldge.

Clearly he also didn't want to openly talk about them days. I don't know if its the fear factor or for the sake of forgetting all about that.

Berry was one POWERFUL midget, thats for sure.

Harlepolis said:

Berry bought a bunch of peacocks to display at his mansion, and had their voice boxes cut out because he didn't like their squawking. It seems to be a pretty good analogy for the way he treated most of the folks at Motown.

Anyway, Dreamgirls might actually be a good project if it was realistic. If they tried to write a scene around the confrontation between Diana/Berry and Flo at Berry's mansion leading to her firing, where Mary finally let Flo go, they might have something.
[Edited 12/30/06 8:40am]

Harlepolis said:

I agree. There are little hints here and there about what went on in the Motown family, but are Never really fully said out. I've heard lurid tales about Diana and Berry, not necessarily about their relationship or the relationship involving the Supremes but about other things, regarding other people. The tales could be complete speculation, however I always feel that there are powers out there that are closing down certain stories because of fear of legal action.

I never really got into The Supremes. They're ok I guess, but I just never liked Diana's voice all that much.

I'd rather listen to The Shirelles or The Ronettes if I had to choose a girl group I liked most. Or maybe I'm just sick of hearing "Baby Love".

Has anyone heard the songs they recorded for the unfinished album, "The Supremes sings disney classics" ?

EVERYONE should check out their "Whistle while you work"...