Search - Supremes :: I Hear a Symphony

SUPREMES LADIES WITH SUPREME VOICES

S.Robinson | 02/19/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"It is easy to understand why many consumers of The Supremes' material would feel duped or even insulted after purchasing material by this "re-incarnation of The Supremes" (they are actually called the "Former Ladies Of The Supremes"). However, I just would like people to realize that these ladies are contributing to The Supremes Legacy, and have been over the past twenty, or so, years now. I feel that if Diana won't do it, People don't appreciate Mary enough, Florence can't do it, Cindy won't do it, Jean stopped doing it, and Susaye won't do it, who do you have left? Scherrie Payne, and Lynda Laurence. I feel that this is a really good group of singers that just don't get the proper amount of attention and respect that they deserve. After all, Scherrie, I feel, was the best lead singer of The Supremes with her big dynamic voice. However, the material released by the Supremes while she was part of the group during the early and late seventies was severely underappreciated, except in the clubs. And as for Lynda, who ever really heard her sing anyway? I read Mary Wilson's second book, "Supreme Faith Someday We'll Be Together", and she said that they had originally brought in Stevie Wonder back-up, Sandra Tucker (a.k.a. "Sundray Tucker", & "Cindy Scott")(first on the left of the cd cover)to audition when Cindy Birdsong temporarily left the group in 1972. Sandra reportedly brought her sister Lynda Laurence (last on the right) with her to audition. Mary elaborated on how though Sandra was good, it was Lynda that they ended up accepting because of in the power in her voice. This I find all well and good, though one would think that they would then put her up for lead vocals at some point, given the fact that she was so good. However, in the end, the only way you can really hear Lynda is if you purchase the "Supremes Live! In Japan" album. However, now you can really hear Lynda even more, as she is now singing leads 33 years later. She really has a powerful voice that ought to be appreciated by true Supremes fans. And I personally like a lot of soul and feeling in my music, and she provides that. And as for Sandra, though she was not an official Supreme, as I mentioned before, she almost became one during the early seventies and she is Lynda's sister. (Another interesting point, is the fact that former Supreme, Cindy Birdsong replaced her in Patti Labelle and the Bluebelles in the early sixties, which ties her in with the Supremes even more). And on top of that, she is also a very good singer. I noticed in one of the tracks on this CD that she sounded fairly similar to former 70's supreme, Susaye Greene. So, to wrap this all up, I implore you not to quickly and rashly judge these women who have dedicated their lives to the Supremes legacy over the past 20 years now. True these may be re-recordings of the original classics, but they still hold the same energy and compassion that they did back in the sixties and seventies."