![]() I met Bill Upchurch when I replaced him in a band called Louis Thomas' "Pieces of Eight". The worst of many atrocities they were guilty of was their version of Nathan Jones. We used to have a thing in the UK (not the TV series) called Top Of The Pops, budget LPs which were terrible imitations of chart records done by rather arrogant session musicians with cloth ears. You should warn me before posting pictures like this of Mary, I'm only flesh and blood, after all. Thats cool, its all good I did have one album I confess by them with Jean, Cindy, & Mary, with Nathan Jones, etc. A lot of the music I loved was down and dirty, Diana and the girls were up and clean, but that's no bad thing, is it? A lot of people thought they were lightweight, but they took me to a plane I couldn't share with those people. I had soulful tastes too, Soul Sis, but I never knew anyone conveyed real joy like the Supremes. Yes, I too remember the band, Bill & the rest wearing their black tux's & bow ties back then! Though I love Mary Wilson, she was sweet & gracious when I met her. Not sure if it was Bill on the album because I never bought any Supremmes albums or records, just thought they were too popish for my 'soulful taste'. It may be that a tape of that exists somewhere other than in my head. I don't remember what song it was - memory suggests Love Child, which could be true - but there came a point where the bassplayer could keep a lid on it no longer and he dropped to his knees to wrestle with his axe. There was a piano player and the guitarist(s) and bass player were all seated in a row behind the Sups, in tuxes and bowties, on their best behaviour. We didn't know any of the names and faces back then. The Palladium Orchestra was augmented with a rhythm section the girls brought with them. Years ago (in the Diana days), the Supremes appeared on a Royal Variety Show in the presence of the Her Maj. Of course, as Kev pointed out on an earlier thread, it probably wasn't as fast on the night and was speeded up to fit on the vinyl. The bass was mixed right up on that album and was very much the lead instrument. ![]() Would it have been Bill on the Copa album. ![]() It's great to put some faces and names to these people. Thanks for sharing those brilliant pics, Soul Sis. Well Bankhouse, since I have a minute to kill, here's another of Bill Upchurch: ![]() Here is a photo I took of Bill backstage at the Apollo Theater's Xmas Show 1970: NOT Phil (whom Bill joked was his brother) Bill Upchurch lived in L.A. I forgot to change Nate East to Nate Watts when I cut and pasted my original post. Don't know where I got that name from.Īs for the great Tony Newton, I've tracked him down and we're talking. I know Phil Upchurch played on one of the live albums - was it with the Temps? There was also someone called Jimmy Garrett who played with the Supremes at one time, if my memory serves. Was that Bill or Phil, Soul Sis? Either way I didn't know that. Who else was the bottom of the class in the class where the bottom was tops? And who has recollections to share with SD?īill Upchurch played bass for The Supremes (Jean, Cindy, Mary) when Gil Askey was their musical director. Tony Newton came to the UK on the first Motortown Revue to pass this way. I dragged this over from the old forum as it just started before the move.We all know something of Jamerson and Babbitt, but there were lots of other Motown bassists - Tweed Beard of legend, Nate East who was on the SITSOM picture and also played with certain well known west coast types. ![]()
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