Ladies and gentlemen, the Detroit Theater
continues our legendary talent contest with the indefatigable Stepp Sisters!
I'm lookin' for something, baby
Something that'll give me a rise
I'm lookin' for something, baby
Like a real nice surprise
I'm lookin' for something, baby
Something that you have got
I'm lookin' for something, baby
And it's gonna be real hot
Ladies, you can't go.
What about Jimmy? What about the show?
Marty, you know I can talk. Now watch me walk.
Sugar, Jimmy was just being Jimmy.
You know he's crazy about you. Just crazy.
Oh, really?
Well, give the crazy man a message from me.
Tell him I got his number. His phone number.
Now, baby...
At home, where he Iives, with his wife.
Come on, Joann. We don't have to put up with this shit.
Shit.
I'm lookin' for something, baby
I'm lookin' for something now
I'm lookin' for something, baby
I'm lookin' for something now
The unstoppable Stepp Sisters! Let's hear it!
AII right now. Won't be Iong now, y'all.
Coming your way is the wildest man in show business, Detroit's own
James "Thunder" Early will be kicking off
his national tour right here on stage tonight.
Mercy. Mercy, mercy. Ladies? Ladies? I've got the break of your Iives.
The great Jimmy Early is Iooking for some backup help tonight...
Now I want you to turn it on for Little AIbert and the Tru-Tones!
Me and my baby goin' downtown
Me and my baby gettin' down tonight
-I'm so sorry, Mr... -Taylor. Curtis Taylor, Jr.
Look, I know we're Iate, but my mama don't Iike me going out on weeknights.
So I had to wait for her to go to bed. She's a grade-school teacher.
Who are you?
Deena Jones! I'm one of The Dreamettes.
You were supposed to go on second.
I know, but my mama wouldn't go to bed, so I couldn't go out.
Hey, tough Iuck, kid. The show's over.
Let me Iay something on you right quick, brother.
Check it out, man.
Look, I know you're a great man and you're the boss with all the Iadies,
so I don't want you coming up weak in here,
but Iow-rating people, that's not why you're in this business, right?
No!
That's good, so why don't we give these girls a break tonight?
Okay, I'II put you on Iast.
-Right after Tiny Joe Dixon. -Thank you.
Excuse me, which one is Tiny?
We're going downtown
Check out the sights
Okay, we're going to get down and dirty with my man, Mr. Tiny Joe Dixon!
Baby, I'm takin' the long way home
'Cause my baby don't live there no more
I got the music to the drummer.
C.C., we're on next.
-Where is Effie? -I'm right here.
God, I need to rest. Where's our dressing room?
Effie, there's no time for that. We go on in two minutes.
-What? -Come on, Iet's warm up.
Move, move...
We're ruined unless we can find new wigs.
Why do we need wigs in the first place?
Because we need a Iook.
-I got it! Turn the wigs around. -What?
No, really. Come on, turn the wigs around.
Oh, Deena, it's so different.
It's sophisticated Iooking. Come on!
Frontways or backways, store-bought hair ain't natural.
And what about these dresses?
I mean, this dress does nothing for my body.
-You got the same wig I got? -Yeah.
-You got the same dress I got? -Yeah.
Then shut up.
Say, Miss?
I think you Iook just great.
She left with all her clothes
Her bedroom in a mess
I don't know why she went away 'cause I gave her all my best
Baby, I'm takin' the long way home
'Cause my baby don't live there no more
-What's the name of your group again? -The Dreamettes.
Nice, baby.
Yeah.
Let's hear it for Mr. Tiny Joe Dixon!
And now for our final act of the evening, the courageous, the curvaceous,
Creamettes!
It's The Dreamettes! The Dreamettes!
Move, move
Move right out of my life
Move, move
Move right out of my life
You better move
You're steppin' on my heart
I said, move
You're tearin' it apart
Please move
Oh, what am I gonna do?
My heart
Is breakin', breakin' up over you
You've got such magnetic power
That just keeps holding me down
I feel just like a flower
That you're keeping stuck
in the ground, ground, ground
Move, move Move right out of my life
Move it, move it
Out of my life
Move right out of my life
Move it, move it
Out of my life
Move, move
Move right out of my life
You are so horribly satanic
The way you lead me around
I feel just like the Titanic
I'm always going down
Move, move
You're steppin' on my style
Yes, you are
I said, move, move
I want to breathe for a while
Hey, baby
Get out of my life
There's too much pain and strife
So why don't you pack it up and move it?
Take the cat, kit and caboodle
Take your broken-down car
Your smelly cigar
And just move right out of my
Move right out of my life
Come on! Come on! You can do better!
Let's hear it for the delectable, defiant Dreamettes!
Hey, Mister. Five dimes say The Dreamettes don't win.
You got it. They weren't going to win anyway.
Now remember, the winner of this year's contest gets
a week's paid engagement right here at the famous Detroit Theater.
AII right now.
And that very Iucky, very talented star of tomorrow is
Mr. Tiny Joe Dixon!
Does this mean we're not going to be famous now?
Well, not tonight.
Come on, Iet's go home.
Why?
Because I'm tired and I got to get up early for work.
I mean, what's the point?
Lorrell, how old were we when we first started singing together?
Twelve.
And C.C., how many dances you got dreamed up for us?
How many songs written there in your notebook?
I don't know. Maybe a hundred.
And, Effie, have you ever met anyone who could sing as crazy as you?
No.
And still we get nowhere?
So I'm asking you, what's the point?
The point is you don't need an amateur contest,
because there's nothing amateur about you.
What you need is a break, and I'm here to give it to you.
Thirty bucks each to sing behind Mr. Jimmy Early tonight.
Jimmy Early?
And a guaranteed 10-week engagement on the road
starting tomorrow morning at $400 a week.
-$400? -Yes.
-You swear? -If I'm Iying, I'm dying.
By the way, Mr. Early said he'd hire my Aunt Ethel
to watch after you gals while you're away from home.
Mama's going to Iove that!
Effie, do you hear this?
We're singing behind Jimmy Early tonight!
-I don't do backup. -Come on, girl.
AII we got to do is just sing a few "oohs" and "aahs."
I don't do "oohs" and "aahs."
Now, you Iook, Effie.
-This could be our big break. -Singing backup is a trap.
Now, I'm sorry, Mister, but we cannot accept your offer.
AII right, all right, all right.
Look, I know you're good.
And you know you're good, too. And very talented.
And not only that, you are a stone cold fox.
But that ain't enough.
A girl Iike you can get hurt out there if you ain't got somebody protecting you.
Now, I'm here to do that for you, baby. But you got to believe me.
You got to trust in me.
I ain't gonna disappoint you.
-Come on, Effie? What do you say? -Come on, Effie.
-Well, Mr... -Curtis Taylor, Jr.
Curtis Taylor, Jr., our manager,
says we're singing behind Mr. Jimmy Early tonight!
Oh, baby, I Iove you!
This business sure has got a Iot of ups and downs!
Are you ready for the Thunder Man?
Now, he's all the way down in the basement,
and he ain't coming up unless he can hear you!
Let's hit it, boys. Showtime.
Hey, Marty, I said no mayonnaise, man. How many times I got to tell you?
No mayonnaise on the chicken sandwich!
We got bigger problems, baby.
I warned you to Iay off the women that you work with.
There's plenty other Iadies out there.
Well, who got time to go out and find them, Marty?
I'm always working, baby.
Yeah, 'cause Marty always keeps you working.
Hell, yeah. That's why I keep Ietting you give me the wrong sandwich.
Let's go get this money now.
-Is everything set? -Yeah, Jimmy's down with the two girls.
This is a group. It's either three or nothing.
Hey, man, who is this guy?
My clients always work together.
I know you. Didn't you sell me my Cadillac?
Yeah, yeah. In addition to my management company,
I have a Cadillac dealership on Woodward Avenue.
Yeah, well, my kitty needs a tune-up. And Jimmy only works with two, baby.
Sorry, brother, it's two or nothing.
Those the girls right there?
I think three is gonna work out just fine.
Ladies!
Ladies. Ladies, thank you so much. You're saving Jimmy's Iife.
Thank you so much, Iadies. I'm at your feet.
You see that? I'm at your feet, baby. Thank you so much.
And I'd do anything for y'all. Anything. You hear what I'm saying? Anything.
Exactly what would you Iike Jimmy to do for you, baby?
Well, Mr. Early,
you could teach us the song.
Thirteen years
of solid gold platters
Rising costs
And cocktail chatter
Fat deejays
Stereophonic sound
Oh, baby
The game of hits
Goes round and around
But you can fake your way to the top
Round and around
T ry that part right there, baby.
Round and around
Fake your way to the top
Round and around
Yeah, you fell right in there, didn't you, sweetheart?
You can fake your way to the top
Round and around
Shit, I knew you'd have it.
But it's always real, so real
Always so real
When you're coming down
Yeah, yeah, been around
Oh, I know what's happening
I've been around
Faking my way
Through every town
I've made my living
Off of my sound
And the game of hits
It goes around and around and around and around
Around and around and around and around
A man gets lonely
Workin' hard on the road
He's away from his woman
It's a heavy load
That back there is Harlem. This is Hollywood.
And you ain't welcome in Hollywood.
Time to bring up the Iights!
Yeah, Iet's see which one of these girls is going home with Jimmy tonight?
I got a nice, warm bed waiting on you.
AII right now. Come on now. Who wants to sit on Daddy's Iap?
Yeah!
Mr. Early? I don't believe all this all can be happening to me.
Miracles happen all the time in the world of R&B, baby.
-What's R&B mean? -Rough and black.
Mr. Early, you're so crazy.
Call me Jimmy, baby. Jimmy.
Oh, Mr. Jimmy. You're so crazy.
That does feel nice. I mean, it feels funny.
You're married, aren't you?
Everybody say yeah
Yeah
Say yeah
Yeah
Everybody knows Jimmy's married, baby.
Then...
Then you get your married hands off!
So it's gonna take two weeks.
I faked my way to the top
Round and around
Oh, yeah
Round and around
I faked my way to the top
Round and around
You know I faked my way to the top
Round and around
It's always real, so real
When you're coming down
I faked my way, yes, I did
Help me, Jesus
Help, help, help me, Jesus
I faked my way to the top
Did you notice the seats are periwinkle blue
to go along with your pretty blue dress? And...
-Would you excuse me? -Certainly.
Wayne? Help me out.
Hi.
How can I help you today?
Here. This is our periwinkle blue. Matches your dress.
I'm just saying, you might do better if you were just a Iittle more, you know...
-Shy? Sugar-sweet, Iike you? -Boys seem to Iike it.
Well, I am not interested in boys, Deena.
What are you Iadies jawing about?
Well, Curtis, we were just wondering...
Do you cheat on your wife, Iike Mr. Jimmy Early?
Hey, Effie! I don't know her.
Deena's right. It's really none of our business.
We don't even know if you're married.
I was married. It didn't work out.
Well, was she one of those teeny Iittle tweety-birds Iike Iittle Miss Deena here?
Or do you prefer a real woman?
Well, actually, I was raised by my older sisters,
and they were just as real as you are.
Well, why don't you sit down and tell me about them?
You know, I would Iove to, but give me a minute.
It ain't working, Marty. That faint used to kill 'em.
-It used to slay 'em in the aisles. -SIay 'em in the aisles, baby.
But now you got everybody doing it.
You got Otis, J.B. Everybody doing my shit.
You're right, Jimmy. Everybody's doing it.
Well, who's the original?
Who was the first one to fall down and start screaming?
-That was you. -I'm the first!
And you killed 'em tonight, baby. It was beautiful, Jimmy. Beautiful.
Marty, you're full of shit, man. I need something.
Man, I need something...
That's what I need. Sweet Mother Jesus.
I need that right there!
What you need is a new sound.
What I need is a new Caddy. That one you sold me is dripping oil.
Hey, Jimmy, you remember C.C., Effie's brother?
He's a very talented composer.
Yeah, I remember you. You wrote that song, Move On.
Move. The girls be, "Move, move, move."
Yeah, that was me, man.
-AII right. -Yeah.
What did you think of that song, Marty?
Well, I think it was kind of...
You know...
-Kind of boring, I thought. -Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
It's boring, kid.
I'm no kid, mister.
I'm sorry, baby, but when Jimmy's involved,
the song got to have some soul!
Damn! Lord have mercy!
Got to have soul!
Soul, gospel, R&B, jazz, blues,
everything else the man has grabbed from us.
Listen, there's got to be a better way for us to get our music
to a broader audience,
only this time with our artists and our money.
Marty, this man is handing me a Iine of crap.
Yeah, I know, baby.
Got me a Cadillac Cadillac, Cadillac
Got me a Cadillac car
Got me a Cadillac Cadillac, Cadillac
Look at me, mister, I'm a star
I know what you cats are trying to do, and you can forget it.
James Early ain't no street-corner punk Iooking for his first date.
He's an established artist with a recording contract.
On a shitty Iocal Iabel that can't get him to the pop charts.
We can't do nothing about that.
AII I'm asking is one record, man. One song with a simple hook.
"Look at me in my pretty car, makes me feel Iike a movie star."
You know where all the hits happen these days? In cars, man.
Songs that make you feel good while you're driving your automobile.
Yeah?
Jimmy's fans Iike taking the bus.
Let's hit it, Jimmy.
Hey, what do you think about using that bridge there, baby?
Movin' out
Movin' up
Movin' on
Sounds a Iittle tick-tock, boys.
Let's stay in the pocket.
Going to work! Shut it down!
Recording, Cadillac Car. Take nine.
I got me a Cadillac
Cadillac, Cadillac
I got me a Cadillac car
Got me a Cadillac
Cadillac, Cadillac
Look at me, mister, I'm a star
I'm on the move
I'm gettin' on
I'm breakin' out
And it won't take long
Behind the wheel
Got a song
Pedal's down
And I'm gone
We've got that coming up in the next hour,
but for now, Iet me get a hold of your ear.
It's a different sound for the Thunder Man.
And I think you're gonna enjoy it.
Got me a Cadillac
Cadillac, Cadillac
Oh, my God, Lorrell! Do you hear that? That's us!
We're on the radio, Curtis!
-What's happening? -BIack station, the signal's too weak.
Turn this boat around! Hurry up!
C.C., fix it! What are you waiting for?
Antenna's up
Top is down
Peelin' out
Don't care where I'm bound
Got these four wheels
Spinnin' round
Me and my two-tone Caddy
Gonna blow this town
Movin' out
Cadillac Car is No. 8 on the R&B charts, and No. 98 on the pop charts.
Movin' out
Movin' up
Movin' on
Right to the top
Got me a Cadillac
Cadillac, Cadillac
Got me a Cadillac car
Oh, I've got me a Cadillac
Cadillac, Cadillac
Look at me, mister, I'm a star
Look at me, mister
I'm a star
That's Dave & the Sweethearts with their marvelous
new recording, Cadillac Car.
You hear this shit?
They act Iike we don't even exist!
Is that how it works, Curtis?
The man decides he wants something, he just takes it?
I mean, how can they do that? That's my song.
Our song.
Marty says this happens all the time. Once something...
That's bullshit, man! He should have protected us!
Wake up, brother. The only one that can protect you is me.
Who was the first artist to sing Hound Dog?
EIvis Presley.
Big Mama Thornton. She had the No. 1 single on the R&B charts,
but white stations wouldn't play it
because to them it was just another race record.
We are gonna make friends with the most important deejays in this country.
It's strictly pay-for-play with those boys.
That takes money. Real money.
What is that? Chicken scratch?
Let's get to work.
Steppin' to the bad side
Gonna take a mean ride
The smile I had is gone away
Those that steal are gonna pay
Steppin' to the bad side today
I'm telling you now, it's got to end
No more trusting them, my friend
Change our style
Change our tone
Make the songs we sing our own
Steppin' to the bad side
Gonna take a mean ride
I'll get you all the breaks you need
In just two years, we'll be in the lead
Can't sit back, it's plain to see
Open your eyes and trust in me
Steppin' to the bad side
Gonna take a mean ride
I was a man who tried to be good
I was always misunderstood
You can't play fair or be too meek
You gotta get way down
and show your danger streak
Steppin' to the bad side
Here's a great new song from Jimmy Early and The Dreamettes.
Gonna take a mean ride
...a new hit from Jimmy Early and The Dreamettes.
It's called Steppin' to the Bad Side.
Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome to the Apollo Theater's legendary stage
Jimmy Early and The Dreamettes,
singing their No. 1 hit, Steppin' to the Bad Side.
Steppin' to the bad side
I had to step into the bad side
I had to take myself a mean ride
You know that smile I had is gone away
Those that steal are gonna pay
Steppin' to the bad side today
A man just stole my woman from me
He took her down to Tennessee
She was the best girl I ever knew
If it wasn't for him, she'd still be true
Always been a good man, it's been said
When I catch the man He'll wish he was dead
Men like him make good men mad
Starting today I'm gonna be bad
I'm steppin' to the bad side
I have to take myself a mean ride
You know that smile I had is gone away
Those that steal are gonna pay
Steppin' to the bad side
Steppin' to the bad side today
-Step on -Step on to the bad side
Step on to the bad side
-Step on -Step on to the bad side
Steppin' to the bad side
-Step on -Step on to the bad side
Steppin' to the bad side
Got to step to the bad side
The motor is now cranked up
and we are moving up the highway of freedom
toward the city of equality.
And we can't afford to stop now,
because our nation has a date with destiny.
We must keep moving.
I have a dream this afternoon
that one day right here in Detroit,
Negroes will be able to buy a house
anywhere that their money will carry them,
and they will be able to get a job.
Made my peach cobbler!
Curtis!
-Hey, baby, you know my sisters. -T ell me something.
Do you think it's right to promote an amateur performer
over a professional?
I don't know what this is about.
It's about fairness, Curtis. It's about people paying their dues.
Ain't that what you keep telling me? "Get in Iine, Effie. Wait your turn."
So why am I sitting here without so much as a B-side on the 45
when an amateur Iike Martin Luther King, Jr.
gets his own freakin' album?
I mean, can he even sing?
AII right, that was a good one.
You're a great man, Curtis.
Isn't your brother a great man?
We already know you are.
Never met a man
Quite like you
Doin' all he can
Makin' my dreams come true
You're strong and you're smart
You've taken my heart
And I'll give you the rest of me, too
You're the perfect man for me
I love you, I do
I love you
Never felt
quite like this
Hold it, hold it. I promise I'II get to all of you in a minute,
but right now I need someone that can type.
Anybody got some secretarial experience?
-I can do it. -You? Come on.
What's all this?
AII right, come in.
You're the perfect man for me
I love you, I do
You've got the charm
You simply disarm me every time
As long as you drive
I'm along for the ride your way
You said it before
There won't be a door
That's closed to us
I'm puttin' all my trust in you
'Cause you, you'll always be true
I never could have known
This would be
You and you alone
All for me
I know you're the best
You've passed every test
It's almost too good to be true
You're the perfect man for me
I love you, I do
You're the perfect man for me
I love you, I do
C.C. wrote it for me.
What do you think, Curtis?
It's too Iight. We want it Iight, but not that Iight.
Not that Iight?
Okay, but when we fix it, you're gonna put it in the show, right?
First things first.
I got to get Jimmy booked down in Miami,
even if I got to buy my own hotel.
But you promised I wouldn't spend my Iife singing backup, Curtis.
And I still promise that.
I'm not gonna Iet this beautiful voice go to waste.
You just got to trust me.
-Can we talk about it more tonight? -AII night.
-AII right. -Bye, man.
AII right.
Boy, you're a real snake.
A cheap, second-rate hustler. Street-corner con artist.
Look, you want to buy a car, Marty? Why don't we talk about it in my office?
I'm away a week, and you cancel dates behind my back.
I spent six months setting up this tour for Jimmy.
Jimmy's too big for that Chitlin Circuit shit.
I'm trying to get him booked at the Paradise in Miami.
-Miami? -Miami.
You're really drifting out there, chump.
You couldn't get Sammy Davis, Jr. in there.
That place is so white, they don't even Iet our boys park the cars.
I got him an audition.
-Luck, man. Hustler's Iuck. -That's just the beginning.
Then we're gonna do the Copa, the Americana.
He could even do American Bandstand.
I've been in this business too many years
-to Iisten to some hotshot talk bullshit. -Not bullshit, Marty. Change.
I'm talking change. Can't you see? The time is now.
Jimmy needs a new act, something classier, with a catchier sound.
That'II go down better with white folks.
That'II put him where he should be,
making the type of money he should be making.
He's at the top of the pop charts. He's hot.
-We can do this for him. -We?
-Yeah, we. -We do nothing.
Jimmy's mine, so back off, Curtis. Jimmy's mine.
Jimmy don't belong to no one.
Are you defending this car salesman, Jimmy?
Can't you see he's using you?
Ain't nobody using Jimmy, all right? Nobody.
Who do you think you're talking to, baby? It's Marty.
The man who found you singing for pennies when you were 10 years old.
It's a whole new day, Marty, and a brand new Jimmy.
You want him, brother? You got him.
I'm through.
-Hey, what you doing? -You can't have it all, baby.
Hey, come on, Marty, don't go. I want you to stay.
I Iove you, Jimmy.
But you can't have it all.
Lady, you got to be Jewish. Of course, yeah, of course.
It's 1 05 degrees in here, and you're the only one wearing a mink stole.
Hey, my friend, what's your nationality?
"Nationality." I know it's a big word. What are you, Cuban?
Of course. You're Cuban. You're Cuban, I'm a Jew.
You know, I say this from the bottom of my heart.
A Negro, if he had enough money, could move into my neighborhood.
You, not a chance.
Tonight, though, we're here to make history.
The first Negro headliners to ever play Miami Beach.
What do you think of that?
Come on. It's a very convenient arrangement.
These are good people. I mean, they can sing, they can dance,
they can even mop up afterwards. You can't find help Iike that.
Anyway, please give a warm round of applause to the very talented
Jimmy Early and The Dreamettes! Come on!
I want you, baby
I want you
And I need you, baby
I need you
Oh, baby
Baby
You got me on my knees
Got me on my knees
You got me begging
Baby, baby
Baby, please
I know you don't trust
the way I feel
You know, we can always create a younger Iook for American Bandstand.
Yeah.
You got me on my knees
You got me beggin'
Baby, baby
Oh, yeah
Oh, I want you, baby
And I need you, baby
Yes, I do
I want you
Baby, you got me, baby
Now I'm yours, baby
Yes!
I Iove me some Jimmy, but he's gonna have to stop calling me "baby."
I'm a woman now.
Did you see the man Curtis was sitting with?
Did you hear what I said, Deena? I am a woman now.
-Lorrell, I know. -What do you mean, you know?
-Has Jimmy talked? -He didn't have to.
How could you? Come on, you're just a baby, Lorrell.
I am not, Deena. I'm a woman now. I'm 18, so I'm a woman.
Yeah, she's a mature woman, Iike me,
and she Ioves Jimmy just as much as I Iove Curtis.
-It's not wrong when you Iove someone. -Is that all you two can think about?
-Yeah. -Yeah.
Well, there's no doubt my mama brought me up fit.
-Deena, you're just jealous. -Let yourself go just once.
It's so wonderful to have somebody to Iove.
-You Iadies decent? -Well, I am.
-I can't speak for these two. -Hey, babe.
Curtis, how did it go with American Bandstand?
Timing's not right.
Well, maybe they'II be more interested after we play the Copa.
-Y'all ain't playing the Copa. -What?
I'm breaking you and Jimmy up.
I know what you're doing, Curtis!
You're breaking us up 'cause you don't want me with Jimmy.
None of you do! Because you're all jealous!
Well, nothing's breaking me and Jimmy up! Nothing!
I'm breaking you up because Jimmy is going back out on the road,
while you stay here and open your own act.
Did you say our own act?
Finally, Curtis! This is what I've been waiting for. I Iove you.
Oh, well, honey, I'm fine with that. I mean, I Iove me some Jimmy,
but I don't want to be singing behind him the rest of my Iife.
Ladies and gentlemen, presenting The Dreams.
The Dreamettes were Iittle girls. You're women now.
-You see, Deena, I told you! -We open in a week,
so we got a Iot of work to do. We're gonna have a Iot of changes.
I'm bringing on Jolly Jenkins to stage a whole new show.
He's done movies, Broadway, clubs acts, you name it.
New wigs, the expensive kind.
Brand-new costumes to appeal to a younger crowd.
And...
Effie?
-Deena's going to sing Iead. -Deena's doing what?
-Lead. -What do you mean?
-I always sing Iead. Tell him, C.C. -We're trying something new, Effie.
-You knew about this? -Curtis and I talked it over.
He said it's only temporary.
We finally get the chance to have our own act
and Deena's doing Iead?
She can't sing Iike I can.
She's right, Curtis. I can't.
I don't want to.
Now, y'all gonna do what I tell you to do. This is a new sound with a new Iook.
New Iook? Nobody can see her on a record!
The only way we'II be able to change things is by appealing to kids,
and kids today watch television.
So Deena's going to sing the Iead 'cause you Iike the way she Iooks?
Am I ugly to you, Curtis?
Baby, come on. You know how I feel about you. Come on.
-Don't make it personal. -Well, what am I supposed to do?
Deena's beautiful and she's always been beautiful!
But I've got the voice, Curtis! I've got the voice!
You can't put me in back! You just can't!
Well, you'II be singing backup with me. What's so wrong with that?
Let Deena do all the work for a change.
Your voice alone is too special.
We need a Iighter sound to cross over to the pop charts.
It's what we need.
What about what I need?
Curtis says it's the best thing for the group.
What about what's best for me?
He feels The Dreams can cross over.
What about how I feel?
But when we're famous, I'II write great things for you.
Effie, do it for me.
What about me?
It's more than you
It is more than me
No matter what we are
We are a family
This dream is for all of us
This one can be real
And you can't stop us now
Because of how you feel
It's more than you
It is more than me
Whatever dreams we have
They're for the family
We're not alone anymore
Now there are others there
And that dream is big enough
For all of us to share
So don't think you're going
You're not going anywhere
You're staying and taking your share
And if you get afraid again
I'll be there
We are a family
Like a giant tree
Branching out toward the sky
We are a family
We are so much more
Than just you and I
We are a family
Like a giant tree
Growing stronger, growing wiser
We are growing
free
We need you
We are a family
Ladies and gentlemen,
the Crystal Room is proud to present
the club debut of America's newest recording stars, The Dreams!
Every man has his own special dream
And your dream's just about to come true
Life's not as bad as it may seem
If you open your eyes
To what's in front of you
We're your dream girls
Boys, we'll make you happy
Yeah
We're your dream girls
Boys, we'll always care
We're your dream girls
Dream girls will never leave you
No, no
And all you've got to do is dream, baby
We'll be there
Dream
Dream girls will help you through the night
Dream
Dream girls will make you feel all right
Dream girls keep you dreamin' your whole life through
Your dream girls can make your dreams come true
We're your dream girls
Boys, we'll make you happy
Yeah, yeah, yeah
We're your dream girls
Boys, we'll always...
I'm amazed, Mr. T aylor. Much as I Iove my daughter,
I never thought she had much of a voice.
Deena has something better. She has a quality.
-You make her sound Iike a product. -Product. I Iike that.
We'll be there
Dream
Dream girls will help you to survive
Dream
Dream girls will keep your fantasies alive
Dream girls always love you and they'll be true
Your dream girl can only make love to you
I'm not the dream that you had before
I'm the dream that will give you more and more
We're your dream girls
Boys, we'll make you happy
Yeah, yeah, yeah
We're your dream girls
Boys, we'll always care
We're your dream girls
Dream girls
Dream girls will never leave you
And all you've got to do is dream
All you've got to do is dream
Baby, we'll be there
We're your dream girls
Oh, yeah
Dream girls
All you've got to do is dream
Just dream, baby
We'll be there
We will be there
We'll be there
Who was the first one to wear shiny clothes?
-Little Richard. -That was me, baby! I started that.
You remember that burgundy jacket I had with the bolt Iightning on the back?
Lightning was in glitter. GIitter's shiny, baby.
-Hey, Jimmy. -...Deena Jones and The Dreams.
Rumors at Abbey Road say
George Martin is keen to work with the talented trio.
Could they be ready to record with the Fab Four?
Well, the boys will just have to wait.
These girls are busy blazing a trail across the globe.
People ask me how I came up with the sound.
I tell them it's Iike making a great sundae.
You start out with two scoops of ice cream, some sauce,
-and then you put a cherry on top. -And is Deena the cherry?
Why, Miss Jones is the cherry, the nuts, the sauce, the cream
-and the banana, too. -Miss Jones, right here.
We look on with shock and dismay at the images we're bringing you tonight.
Detroit under siege and in flames as rioters and looters storm the city.
President Johnson has declared a state of emergency.
You used to be so light and free
You used to smile just looking at me
Now all you give is jealous hate
Come on, baby
Better lose some weight
Heavy, heavy
You got so heavy, baby
Stop!
Effie, what's going on? You are still too Ioud.
-I'm trying, Curtis. -If you don't ease up, I'II do it for you.
Maybe we should just come back in the morning.
You know we can't. The album's already a month Iate.
Look, I know you're tired. You're tired, right?
-Can I just get one more? -Okay.
AII right? Okay.
Let's get it right.
Record Heavy, Heavy. Take 30.
Heavy, heavy
You got so heavy, baby
Heavy, heavy
You got so heavy on me
-Where do you think you're going? -You're a Iiar, Curtis.
You'd better watch your mouth.
You're sleeping with her and everyone knows!
Hey, hey, hey, don't go out there!
Burn it up!
-We're black-owned! -Yeah!
-You all right? -I don't feel well, Curtis.
CBS's Star Cavalcade presents the incredible Dreams
singing their latest hit, Heavy, Heavy.
You got so heavy, baby
Heavy, heavy
You got so heavy on me
You used to want nothing from me
You used to say, "Let's both be free"
You used to dance instead of walk
-Tighten up on camera two. Tighten up. -Move in, camera two.
Heavy, heavy
You got so heavy, baby
Talk, talk, talk
Heavy, heavy
Talk, talk, talk
Heavy, heavy, heavy, heavy
Effie, you're going crazy! T ell me, what have I done?
You stole my dream, Deena, and you stole my man!
I don't want to hear that kind of talk out of you...
Don't act Iike you don't know what this is about!
Effie, stop screaming. Everybody can hear you.
I don't care! Let them all hear!
I'm warning you, Effie, you stop bringing us down! And get back there!
Why, Curtis? You don't need me. AII you care about is her bony ass!
You better back off.
Or what?
I didn't think so.
Love, love me, baby
Love, love me, child
'Cause, baby, baby, baby You're driving me wild
Listen, Iisten, Iisten. The mirrors got to turn together, guys.
They got to dance.
Mr. T aylor? We have a bigger problem on our hands.
Do I have to remind you that it's New Year's Eve?
Burt, don't worry about it. I've got it taken care of.
These people are paying 50 bucks. They expect to see three girls.
Trust me.
-Curtis, I just don't feel right about this. -It's done.
Wardrobe needs you first.
We are a family
Like a giant tree
Branching out toward the sky
We are a family
-I'm sorry I'm Iate. -Effie.
C.C., sorry I missed rehearsals.
But I went to the doctor, and I am feeling much better now.
Look, don't try to make it tonight.
What are you talking about, baby? It's New Year's Eve.
Yeah. Curtis just stepped out to make a call.
Why don't you go up to your room and Iater he'II come up and talk to you?
I said, I'm fine.
Excuse me. I have to get dressed now.
Oh, God, I'm so nervous.
I got all the steps down, but those harmonies...
C.C., what's going on?
Lorrell, what's going on?
-Effie, Curtis was supposed to... -Love me.
Curtis was supposed to Iove me.
There you are, Effie. I've been Iooking all over.
I turn my back and find myself out on the line
You could have warned me
But that would have been too kind
I've been warning you for months to clean up your act.
You've been Iate, you've been mean,
giving all kinds of bullshit flack.
That's a lie, that's a lie
It's just I haven't been feeling that well
Effie, please!
Stop excusing yourself.
You've been Iate, you've been mean,
and getting fatter all the time.
Now, you're lyin', lyin'
I've never been so thin!
You're lyin', you're lyin'
'Cause you're knocking off that piece
Who thinks she's better than everybody
She ain't better than anybody!
She ain't nothing but common!
Now, who you calling common
You self-indulgent, self-absorbed, non-professional?
You! I'm calling you
I'm calling you the common piece he's knocking off
Now, you listen to me Miss Blame It On The World
See, I've put up with you for much too long
I have put up with your bitching
I've put up with your nagging
And all your screaming, too
Now, when are you two gonna stop all this fighting?
Stay out of this, Lorrell.
This is between Deena and me.
Yeah? Well, it's between me, too!
I'm as much a part of this group as anybody else
And I'm tired, Effie, I'm tired
of all the problems you're making us
I always knew you two were together
What?
I always knew you two were ganging up on me!
She had nothing to do with this change
It was you, it was you
Always thinking of you!
I knew you were trouble from the start
T rouble?
You were real bad trouble from the start
Curtis, I'm your woman.
But you're getting out now
I'm not building this group to have you tear it apart
Go ahead and rant and scream and shout!
Don't worry, baby, I'll buy you out
There's no money dirty enough to buy me out.
You remember that, Curtis.
Lay off, Effie
Just take the money and run
You're in this with him, C.C.?
Cool it, Effie
This time you know what you done
So they bought your black ass, too, huh?
I said, cool it, Effie
This time you've gone too far
Oh, I can go further! I can go further!
I don't want to stay around this
I'm just breakin' into this business
This is between all of you
-This is none of my affair -Yeah?
Well, it's between you, too Now, little sister
This snow job is as much your sin
Look at me! Look at me!
How much did you put out to get in?
Now, you watch your mouth Watch your mouth, Miss Effie White
'Cause I don't take that talk from no second-rate diva
who can't sustain
I'm not feeling well, I've got pain
Effie, we all got pain!
For seven years, I've sung with you I was your sister
You were our trouble
And now you're telling me it's all over
And now we're telling you it's all over
And now I'm telling you I ain't going
It's all over
I ain't going
It's all over
And I am telling you
I'm not going
You're the best man I'll ever know
There's no way I can ever go
No, no, there's no way
No, no, no way I'm living without you
I'm not living without you
I don't want to be free
I'm staying, I'm staying
And you, and you
You're gonna love me
And I am telling you
I'm not going
Even though the rough times are showing
There's just no way, there's no way
We're part of the same place
We're part of the same time
We both share the same blood
We both have the same mind
And time and time We've had so much to share
No, no, no, no, no, no way
I'm not waking up tomorrow morning
And finding that there's nobody there
Darling, there's no way
No, no, no, no way I'm living without you
I'm not living without you
You see, there's just no way
There's no way
Please don't go away from me
Stay with me, stay with me
Stay, stay and hold me
Please stay and hold me, Mister Man
Try it, mister, try it, mister
I know you can
Tear down the mountain
Yell, scream and shout You can say what you want
I'm not walking out
Stop all the rivers Push, strike and kill
I'm not gonna leave you
There's no way I will
And I am telling you
I'm not going
You're the best man I'll ever know
There's no way I could ever, ever go
No, no, no, no way
I'm living without you
I'm not living without you
Not living without you
I don't want to be free
I'm staying, I'm staying
And you, and you, and you
You're gonna love me
Yes, you are Yes, you are
Love me!
Love
You're gonna love
me
Ladies and gentlemen, the showroom at Caesar's Palace is proud to present
Deena Jones and The Dreams.
Love, love me, baby
Love, love me, child
'Cause baby, baby, baby You're driving me wild