Diana Ross
- Thread starter Funky_Chicken
- Start date
Lemmy_kilmister
Well-known member
I'm sure it was Martha Reeves who said when asked if Diana Ross was the best female singer at Motown "she wasn't even the best receptionist"
My preference in female soul singers points firmly towards Sheila Ferguson of the Three Degrees
Funky_Chicken
Well-known member
Not saying she’s the best vocally, but she’s so distinctive and has the charisma and presence that maybe some of the others hadn’t - that’s why she became so successful
Ingleby_Flash
Well-known member
She was dreadful, when the backing music and singers didn’t drown her out it was awful. It was giving me a migraine so I switched it off, put up with it as long as I could because Mrs F likes it, but even she gave up.q
goalscrounger
Well-known member
Well I was going to see her at an outdoor amphitheater this summer........think I'll save my money after reading these reports!
WindyNook
Well-known member
Saw Martha Reeves at the Cluny in Newcastle in 2016 best gig of the yearThis music is timeless.
Martha Reeves.
Then again at the Arc in Stockton 2019 what a voice and terrific energy for someone born in 1941.
Martha & the Vandellas - Heatwave
Actuació el 1965 d'aquest trio americà, un dels màxims exponents del so pop-soul de la Tamla Motown, a la televisió anglesa.Aquest tema, que el trio de produ...
youtu.be
HolgateCorner
Well-known member
Thanks for linking that, I found it a bit sad to watch her yesterday but fair play to her for keeping going and enjoying it.
I was watching with my daughter and like a proper old fella found myself saying how good she was in her prime, and she was, one of the greatest.
Amazing that they were barred from non white venues at that time, I’m reading a book about that era in the USA just now and the racism was shocking.
theredrooster
Well-known member
When I first read this I'm thinking 'Paul Ross isn't a singer'
. Took a few seconds for the penny to drop.
NorthumberlandBoro
Well-known member
She's an iconic singer performing in 7 decades!
She looks great.
Good luck to the fine old lady.
(I'll be lucky if I can still walk even if I get to her age).
She looks great.
Good luck to the fine old lady.
(I'll be lucky if I can still walk even if I get to her age).
MolteniArcore
Well-known member
I watched a bit of it today - she was dreadful.
Andy_W
Well-known member
I don't know why they do this with performers who are long passed it.
Yeah, have a legend's slot and nothing against the older performers, but have someone who's still touring, relevant and at the very least still performing to somewhere near the level they were at their peak.
People will pretend they were great at Glasto, like they always do when the legends are poor (which isn't all the time), but I expect most would secretly be thinking they wish Glasto had just spent that money on someone good, from a more recent time.
All I can think is, the yonger folk would be thinking "WTF is this?", and the older folk thinking "she's nowhere near as good as she was".
Glasto is meant to be diverse, but shouldn't be compromising on quality, to get that diversification.
Yeah, have a legend's slot and nothing against the older performers, but have someone who's still touring, relevant and at the very least still performing to somewhere near the level they were at their peak.
People will pretend they were great at Glasto, like they always do when the legends are poor (which isn't all the time), but I expect most would secretly be thinking they wish Glasto had just spent that money on someone good, from a more recent time.
All I can think is, the yonger folk would be thinking "WTF is this?", and the older folk thinking "she's nowhere near as good as she was".
Glasto is meant to be diverse, but shouldn't be compromising on quality, to get that diversification.
changingman
Well-known member
I'd love to see Dylan have another crack, he played in 1998 (and it was quite the setlist!)
Bob Dylan Setlist at Glastonbury Festival 1998
Get the Bob Dylan Setlist of the concert at Worthy Farm, Pilton, England on June 28, 1998 from the Never Ending Tour and other Bob Dylan Setlists for free on setlist.fm!
www.setlist.fm
If Tom Waits plays live again he'd be incredible too.
Muttley
Well-known member
This is exactly it. It really doesn't matter if Miss Ross can no longer hit the notes, it's about the songs and the show. 45 minutes of crowd karaoke at Worthy Farm. I can pretty much guarantee that everyone in that field had an unforgettable time.
Those songs will live on long after we no longer have Diana, Paul or whoever to sing them. We will have tribute acts and people covering them for ever more. We had a show. I went to see Brian Wilson (formerly of The Beach Boys for those at the back) and his voice and general health are in a far worse place than Diana Ross or Macca. BUT the show and the songs were spellbinding and I stayed with it till the very end even though I had intended to wander off after ticking the "Brian Wilson" box. They did all the same things, backing singers singing the lead over the top of Brian, etc. But what songs and a great memorable show.
The sniffies are missing the point. Was it not ever thus?
the_gin_soaked_boy
Active member
I was there and he was utterly dreadfulI'd love to see Dylan have another crack, he played in 1998 (and it was quite the setlist!)
Bob Dylan Setlist at Glastonbury Festival 1998
Get the Bob Dylan Setlist of the concert at Worthy Farm, Pilton, England on June 28, 1998 from the Never Ending Tour and other Bob Dylan Setlists for free on setlist.fm!
If Tom Waits plays live again he'd be incredible too.
Funky_Chicken
Well-known member
It looked like the majority of the crowd were enjoying her performance anyway. Not sure what some on here were expecting from a 78 year old really 
thought she did pretty well myself - of course her voice isn’t as good as it was, as you’d expect from someone that age, but she was certainly no worse than Paul McCartney who’s a similar age
thought she did pretty well myself - of course her voice isn’t as good as it was, as you’d expect from someone that age, but she was certainly no worse than Paul McCartney who’s a similar age
Andy_W
Well-known member
Yeah, it is one of the main things, or course it is, but it depends how good they are and how many people know them, otherwise it's like 18-30 year olds being practically forced to listen to a bad sing along on an OAP's cruise cabaret.
I think there needs to be a bit of a realistic cut off on a legends slot, not so much due to performer age, but more so attendee age. I wasn't even born when most of her hits came out, and I already consider myself way too old for going to music festivals (most were when I was 16-30)
For someone to remember Diana Ross at the time of most of her hits they would need to be about 60. Can't be too many 60 year olds at Glasto? How many there were even born in the same decade as her? <1,000?I suppose it does tick a box for the elders, to some degree, but seems a waste of a Pyramid stage slot.
I've found myself (and our various groups) getting "stuck" at festivals, watching acts like this, as you kind of have to watch them if you want to watch the bands before/ after, otherwise you end up losing your spot, your mates or both. Wouldn't have been the case for me at this one mind, as the Pyramid stage line-up wasn't great on Sunday, so I wouldn't have been there anyway.
I don't expect the replies on here to get what I mean mind, with the average age on here
Glover_elbow
Well-known member
I disagree voices and vocal ranges change with age look at how brilliant Leonard Cohen changed arrangements and sounded superb but if your cant sing in tune be it at pub karaoke or Glastonbury then it's a painful experience for anyone listening. She hurt my ears she was awful
Muttley
Well-known member
Aw bless, have you found the TV remote yet? Thoughts and prayers.
From what I saw of the crowd there were plenty of 18-30 year olds singing their hearts out. It's Glastonbury an alternative is but a few strides away. I avoided Dolly Parton in whatever year she was on the Legends Slot (which itself is a recent "thing") I saw the wonderful North Mississippi Allstars at a sparsely filled Avalon Stage. No one is "practically forced" to watch anyone.