Friday, January 30, 2009

The Three Degrees - Live in London

You will want to give this your undivided attention.
You will want full volume and full screen.
The year was 1975. They are singing live.
They are not being ironic or derivative or retro.
I am amazed at the emotion they bring to this.They are almost in tears.
The dresses look homemade.
I am amazed at the harmonies and how much they evoke the McGuire Sisters.
And how much better than the Supremes they were.
What is not to love here? You'll thank me.

9 comments:

Tate said...

My good friend Kim and I (she is a food stylist I work with) were just discussing this song a few weeks back! It was the song she was dancing to at her senior prom, when she realized that her date, had eyes for someone else. She wasn't wearing waterproof mascara at the time, and she laughed at the irony of her situation as she looked at her raccoon eyes in the women's room as the last bars of this song played.

bj said...

you're right - it's fantastic! (of course, my fave song by them - MAYBE - no video but over here -

The Milkman said...

The comparison to the McGuire sisters is spot-on... they have that nice mix of un-pressed belting in the low register and easy, floaty mixed voice up top... a rare commodity these days, but back then pop singers were allowed to sound like they actually had some technical background.

I too love the enthusiasm and commitment. It's a long song, and they were 100% committed throughout. It's hard to stay focused and real when you're talking about leaving a cake out in the rain, and they made me believe it. There really was a cake. And it really did rain. And she really won't ever find that recipe again.

The dresses were great... a Simplicity pattern farded with sequined RickRack. But they look great in them... the outfits might have been home-sewn, but they were constructed well.

I can't believe you didn't mention the hair. Honey... the hair... holy crap. Beyonce has nothing on these women.

I hope they had a great career in Vegas... thanks so much for sharing that!

Tony Adams said...

RickRack! That's the word I've been trying to come up with for the last 24 hours.

The Milkman said...

Glad to help... if you ask me, there isn't enough RickRack in the world these days.

chamblee54 said...

I clicked on the video, until I saw that it was "Mcarthur Park"

Anonymous said...

Now that is commitment.

Anonymous said...

Beautiful. But Diana did have better wigs...just sayin.

Anonymous said...

Wow. I never thought I'd like that song, but they are amazing.

-- Fr. Tim