Lyrics Supremes Interview - The Supremes

Supremes Interview

Well tell me, Diana, how did it all begin?
Diana Ross: Oh!
Mmmm.
Boy.
Long time now?
We started singing when we were about 13. We got together in the neighborhood,
because we all lived in the same neighborhood, and we went to the same church,
and Mary and Florence went to the same school.
But a group put us together,
really, the group now the Temptations, but after we came to Motown we changed
our name to a better name, you know, something that meant something
Bradshaw: And that was the Supremes?
Diana: That was the Supremes
Bradshaw: Well, how did you pick that name?
DIANA: Well, I didn’t really pick the name, because, uh, Florence did most of
the picking of the names.
But, uh, I didn’t like the name Supremes at first,
and she’ll tell you how she got that name
Bradshaw: Florence did?
Well, how about it?
Florence Ballard: I was given, um, a little teeny piece of paper,
with ten names on it, and I picked Supremes because it was different, and, um,
I liked it, and at that time we needed it because we had a record coming out
the next day
Bradshaw: I see!
Well I think everyone’s familiar with the Supremes now.
You girls must have traveled, I guess, hundreds of thousands of miles all over
the world entertaining fans.
Um, Florence, what’s your most unusual experience
when on tour?
FLO: Um
Mary Wilson: You remember the one in Germany?!
Diana: She doesn’t have to think long on that, because we know two that were
really great
Mary: You remember the one in Germany?!
Flo: Yes, I remember the one in Germany, Mary.
We was singing with a
pre-recorded tape, and, uh, we was just dancing and singing, and the tape broke!
Mary: Oh!
Flo: Yes.
So you can imagine what we went through.
But we kept going, and, um,
the show went on
Bradshaw: Right.
Where, what part of Germany was that?
Flo: Hamburg
Bradshaw: Oh, I see!
Well I think we saw some newspaper headings in which they
praised you all on the front page for your showmanship as a result
Flo: Yeah, the next day
Mary: The next day!
Diana: The very next day
Flo: Early the next morning
Bradshaw: Well, what happens in a situation like that, um, how do you get your
note, I mean, what do you sing about?
Diana: Well, we, whenever we’re singing, we just continue to sing and pop our
fingers and get a feeling, but at that time, or any time when we’re sitting
around to rehearse, we… whatever we’re thinking about, we sing it, y’know?
Just like right now…
Bradshaw: Anything that’s on your mind?
Diana: Anything that’s on your mind.
Because it’s rehearsing, and…
Bradshaw: What’s on your mind right now?
Diana: We just try to all harmonize, y’know, and make it, Like, right now?
Flo: Boys
Mary: Boys
Diana: Boys
Flo: Men
Bradshaw: Well, that sounded lovely
Diana: More!
More!
More!
Bradshaw: When you girls get a rare moment to relax, what are your hobbies?
Mary: Well, uh, we all have different hobbies.
Mine is cooking.
You wouldn’t
really say that’s a hobby, but it’s mine.
I love to cook.
For boys, and uh, And,
uh, like, Florence, now, she likes to bowl.
I guess she’s energetic,
I don’t know, I guess she is.
And Diane, she used to like to design dresses
Diana: Yeah, I did that in school.
Mostly now I think I like to collect a lot
of jewelry, and different odd, y’know, little odd shoes and…
Bradshaw: Little old diamonds and things like that!
DIANA: No!
No, jus
Flo: Diamond rings!
Diana: No!
Mary: Diamonds
Bradshaw: Speaking of fashion and jewelry, you girls have a lovely flair for
dress both on stage and off.
How do you decide what you’re going to wear?
Mary: Well, we go to different towns, and whatever we see, we like one person
might not like it, but the other two like it, we get it!
We
Diana: One thing, we constantly shop because we have to, we need a lot of
things for a lot of different shows, so we constantly shop
Bradshaw: Well I can understand that.
Now, here’s a tough question — I know
it’s unfair to you, but who are your favorite artists, just a few of them?
Mary?
Mary: Well, let’s see now.
I love the Four Tops, and I love the Temptations,
and Well, there are so many!
Like Nancy Wilson, I really, I, y’know,
she’s my idol, so, and some more, but I can’t call their name
Bradshaw: Well, I see, I think you’ve done well.
How about it, Florence?
Flo: Well I tend to like the male vocalists best.
Mary: Yeah, I bet!
Bradshaw: Well, I can understand that!
Flo: Like Johnny Mathis, and Elvis Presley
Mary: Oh boy!
Flo: Matter o’fact, all of 'em
Flo: And, um, I can’t leave out the British groups.
I think, um… Well,
I don’t have to think, I know!
I like the Beatles
Bradshaw: Well I think you’ve got a lot of company there.
What about you, Diana?
Diana: Well, not just the Beatles, I love them really, but there’s so many
British groups that we met when we were over there that, uh, were really very
good groups and also good friends, but as we were in London, we saw the Lena
Horne show, and they were very fabulous performers, they had an act laid out
that was beautiful, you know?
Also, nobody but: Marvin Gaye
Flo: We love him!
We love him!
We love him!
Bradshaw: Okay!
Well now that you girls have become, I’d say, America’s and the
world’s number one singing group, what are your plans for the future?
Diana?
Diana: Well we’ve got, um, we’ve got great plans.
Right now, we’re going into
bigger and better club work all over the country, and, uh, we have bookings in
London, and here in New York and everything.
But, uh, we all want to go into,
uh, acting.
We’re big hams, you know what I mean?
We act on and off stage!
But other than that, we’re going to always continue to make records for our
fans, because this we love, and we want to do something that will make them
happy and that also makes us happy too
Bradshaw: Well I think as long as you continue to sing as well as you do,
you’ll make your fans more than happy.
We all wish you the best of luck,
Supremes
Mary: Thank you
Flo: Thank you very much
Diana: Thank you
Mary: Thank you and good night