The Supremes

[Kringas]

Posted: 2/28/06 at 2:14am

As Dreamgirls is my favorite musical, it's no surprise that I'm also a huge fan of The Supremes. With the movie in production, the inevitable comparisons will arise again, but I didn't start this tread to talk real life versus reel life. I simply wanted to pay tribute to arguably the greatest girl group to come out of Motown.

From their early stuff (Florence Ballard's vocals on "Buttered Popcorn" are raw and soulful) to their more odd later years ("No Matter What Sign You Are" is a hoot, with a harmonization on the word "Aquarius" that will remind you the tribe from Hair and delicious lines like "Your water sign just lit my fire") this girls were tremendously prolific.

Poor Diana, always sounding so unlucky at love. "Where Did Our Love Go?", "Stop! In the Name of Love," even "Baby Love" is a tragedy with Diana pleading to her man, "Don't throw our love away." Would she ever be happy?

"I'm Living in Shame" is a three minute melodrama in the vein of "Love Child," in which Diana chastises herself for turning her back on her poor momma, who "always wore her stockings low, low to her feet. She just didn't know." "Things are Changing" has the girls rallying for women everywhere to listen to Diana, who will tell them how to make the most of life's opportunities.

If you've never given them a listen, I urge you to do so. If you're already a fan, I invite you to revisit them.

Diana, Mary, Florence and Cindy, I'll never throw our love away.

[Glebb]

Posted: 2/28/06 at 8:40am

Thanks Kringas!
In between 'Romeo and Juliet' rehearsals and performances we've been working on MOTOWN SUITE - choreography by Donald Byrd (The Color Purple) which will premiere April 26. It's been wonderful gleaning knowledge of Motown Music, especially Miss Diana Ross and The Supremes.

[Kringas]

Posted: 2/28/06 at 2:28pm

Seriously, did they ever sing a happy song? They're either looking for love, or being screwed over by love or watching some girl steal the man they love.

[Glebb]

Posted: 2/28/06 at 3:10pm

or having a LOVE CHILD.

Nothing But Heartaches

[Kringas]

Posted: 2/28/06 at 3:11pm

I love "Love Child" and it's unofficial companion "I'm Livin' in Shame." They were truly amazing.

[Jane2]

Posted: 2/28/06 at 3:16pm

How about "I'm comin up" for a happy song?

[Zyla]

Posted: 2/28/06 at 3:18pm

They were one of the first musical groups I really started liking. My mom's a big Motown fan, so she started pushing the music onto me when I was maybe nine, ten. I guess I'm a lucky kid!

[eslgr8]

Posted: 2/28/06 at 4:39pm

Of course they sang happy songs.
Whenever you're near
I hear a symphony...
That's got to be one of the most gloriously happy pop songs ever recorded.

[Kringas]

Posted: 2/28/06 at 11:52pm

I just got my hands on Call Her Miss Ross, which I'm going to start reading this week.