So am I. I dare say it loud!!! Love Mary!
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Interesting discussion
I would have picked stranger In Paradise and Tell Me Again.
You're unfair on me. I DON'T KNOW whether it will happen. We have to make a track list, get it approved by Ace, then get it cleared by Universal. I'm just saying there IS some stuff - i.e answering the thread question - and that I'd like to get it out there.
Mr. Hughes,
I apologize for my remark. I thought that you were hinting that it was on the docket for next year. I had assumed that the Motown Guys/Girls series had sold well enough to continue. If it's meant to be, then it will happen. If Ace or Universal have reservations, it will not.
Well of course we want to do another Motown Girls, ma'am, and indeed the series sells well. I'm just saying there are some steps between wanting and getting. We [[I) don't tell you when we have an idea, and it gets turned down somewhere along the line. The reasons why that happens are many and various. We roll with it, and if a proposal fails, we try to come up with something different - which might include the same tracks we previously proposed, under a different project title!
When I write my autobiography, I'll list all the projects I've proposed that have been turned down, and why. I hope you hope, as I do, that I'll have better things than that to do for a long time to come ...
You're welcome. It also gave me the benefit of having the import CD months before the U.S. release. EMI International even made singles boxes to house the CD/cassette single of "When You Tell Me That You Love Me" cross promoting the Royal Variety Performance including a great appearance on Des O'Connor. Diana believed she had a hit, but, more importantly...so did EMI and they treated the album accordingly for an entire year. As Motown stumbled at every turn. I often felt like the Motown staff might as well been given a classical record to work, they were that clueless.
An expanded edition of an album that reportedly sold less than 7,000 copies? On new release day/week, I couldn't even find a "new" copy to buy. I ended up buying a promo copy in Kenmore Square/Boston.
I did like the instrumental of "Red Hot". But the rest of the album sounded like Hal Davis only recorded the first take with little to no eq-ing.
it would be interesting to hear what Gus Dudgeon [[Elton John) had recorded on her since I really like the first "Elton John", "Madman Across the Water", etc. He was an interesting choice as a producer to go from a generic disco album to a rock/pop direction.
Frank Wilson would have also been an interesting choice as a producer since he honed her vocals on the early Supremes 70s albums.
But I certainly wouldn't be too excited about more tracks from the "Mary Wilson" Mary Wilson debut. [[Mary Hartmann, Mary Hartmann).
Thanks to everyone who's contributed info about Diana Ross' RCA years. I've wrongly overlooked them for many years. I even forgot I had a copy of "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" and have been listening to the album for the past few days. If you put it up against "diana" 1980 it doesn't sound as strong, but on it's own I think it's a fun album, and shows Ross trying something new. I've also added the rest of her RCA albums to my too long "To Buy" list.
I also share your fears. It was a very poor album and i can think of far more worthy efforts to concentrate on , but it would be interesting to hear any unreleased tracks which could hardly be worse than some of the stuff on that ill conceived album. I would probably buy the damn thing out of respect for Mary , but i would much prefer to hear some Jean Terrell led vaulted songs.
Mary's debut album deserved better. Better material, better producer, etc. No offense to Hal David, but she needed someone like the Holland Brothers. They should have guided her in the direction of those brilliant ballads she did on the final Supremes albums. With that being said, those 4 Gus Dudgeon tracks deserve to see the light of day. Those should have been her debut album. The style was different for her, but it fit. She excels on them. "Save Me" and "Love Talk" should have been singles. I think "Save Me" could have been a hit if given the right promotion. It's a shame Motown dropped her because those 4 tracks with Gus had so much potential to become something great.
I'd love to see what more Ace has in store for other deserving Motown artists who haven't had the releases yet. Gladys Knight & the Pips especially.
Correct me if I'm wrong but didn't George Solomon do a remix of Mary's single RedHot and it was played on Midnight Johnny's show? And if I recall correctly the remix was excellent!
I think there were only two songs on her first solo that I liked Pick Up The Pieces and Warm Summer Nights.....I think were the titles
Then you must have known her product mgr. I believe his name was Jonathan Green. He ended up going to Polydor. He wasn't a natural Diana fan...more of a rocker. We traded promos for years and he gave me my cherished copy of the customized Guinness book. He always did a great job. I remember stopping by the offices when "One Shining Moment" came on BBC 1. It seemed that everyone had turned their radios on. [[Kinda like we all did when the infamous Whitney/Wendy interview surprisingly aired on 'BLS).
EMI did a commendable job for Diana throughout the 90s. The crowning achievement was "One Woman" led by a brilliant television campaign. As a fan, thanks so much for your contribution to that success. The 90s were great internationally as I witnessed first hand great marketing from Singapore and across the European continent and the Anglosphere.
started going through this string and the Where Ross Lead Single string to get a listing of canned/alt tracks for the various lps of Ross since 1981. for the RCA albums i not listing everything from the 2015 re-releases with single vs lp versions and 12" versions.
Why Do Fools & Silk Electric - other than Muscles, seems like these to lps were recorded through 81 and then made into 2 lps. Anyone know how much sits in the vaults in terms of other versions? there were unreleased versions of Fool For Your Love including an extended mix for single use.
Ross 83 - Bluebrock mentions 4 unreleased tracks. Another person listed Full Moon as a canned track.
Swept Away - what's still in vault?
Eaten Alive - Bluebrock mentions 2 canned tracks, one of which was a ballad
Red Hot R&B - unfinished track Try A Little Tenderness. Europe lp also had Mr Lee, Tell mama and Sweet soul music
then there are 2 projects/albums from the RCA era that were either not completed or canned. A "rock" lp from the time of Silk Electric that was recorded with some of the Kiss/Gene Simmons people and then a Harold Allen lp of standards
Working Overtime -
Force behind The Power
Take Me Higher - lots here
Change of Heart
When You Tell Me That you Love Me
Battlefield
Blame it on the Sun
Heavy Weather
Force Behind the Power
Heart Don't Change my Mind
Waiting in the wings - cassette single version in US
One Shining Moment
You're Gonna Love It - multiple remixes and edits on singles
If We Hold On Together
No Matter What you Do [[duet - on Europe version)
you and I [[on Europe version)
Take Me Higher
Take me Higher - multiple single remixes, cassette single version
If you're not gonna love me right - Crenshaw remix
voice of the heart - US and europe album mixes
let somebody know - US album
keep it right there - US and europe album mixes
don't stop
gone
only love can conquer all
i never loved a man before - Europe and US album mixes, unreleased mix, cassette single version
i thought that we were still in love
i will survive - "disco" version in motown vaults, In and Out movie version, various dance remixes
swing it - europe album
Soul Kiss - canadian single
Too Many Nights - international B-side single
I'm So Happy - international b-side single
Everyday is a New Day
He Lives in You
Love is all that Matters - brandy duet version and album version
Until we meet again - album and Hex Hector mix, various other remixes
got to be free
not over you yet
So they say
every day is a new day
sugarfree
someone that you loved before
hope is an open window
carry on
drop the mask - international single only
free i'm gone - international single only
I did think that perhaps Fight For It was an out take from Ross 83 but I showed up as a B side.
Full Moon, Maybe , Sleep With Me Tonight were the other 3 tracks that I am aware of.
not sure who or why the other songs were changed out , but probably bot a good idea ,imo.
I wasn't a fan of most of side 2
The first single from EDIAND was "Not Over You Yet", which debuted in the top ten in the UK. Although personal problems prevailed by the time of the second release, preventing live appearances to promote it - could she have just done a promo clip and your team take it from there ? I think Until We Meet Again could have been a hit just from airplay, if you could get the DJs to play it.
In the 70's and 80's that would have worked just fine, but by the 90's the singles market had changed dramatically. By this time singles were airplayed weeks before they were available to buy, whereas in the past new singles would rarely be played before they were commercially available. Appearing on a TV show was initially more important than hearing the song on the radio. With NOYY Diana performed it on TOTP, THE LOTTERY SHOW and did interviews for radios 1 and 2 and Smooth radio as well as press interviews. UWMA was earmarked to be the 2nd single but Diana's problems put paid to another promotional visit. It was a lost opportunity i agree, but by this time she had left Motown USA and we didn't know if she would sign a new contract with another Company so the Record Company were reluctant to release it without Diana here to promote it.
I'd love a reissue of Mary's debut or at least some of the tracks like lead single Red Hot
Yes the material could have been stronger but hey ho.
anyway we've had Scherrie & Susayes [[dire IMHO) Partners reissued on cd, Florence has seen her album released on cd, Jean's has been issued on cd , as has Diana's solo debut.. all the 70s Supremes have been out on cd on the Let Yourself Go set so for completions sake Mary deserves her album reissuing on cd
That's funny how people, fans, are compartmented in their opinion. As for "eaten alive", I'm with you. From the moment I heard the flip side "I'm watching you" , I thought something was wrong. This was so unreal ... I also thought that she could never sing so high live. In fact, I saw her in Paris, the month the record came, and she only performed material from Swept away.
By the way, she also had trouble singing live Telephone and Swept away.
As you say it is each to their own. I personally liked much of EATEN ALIVE but i am a big Bee Gees fan from way back. Diana was also a fan and after turning down ISLANDS IN THE STREAM she realised her mistake and was determined to work with them, A proposed 2nd album never materialised even though both parties expressed an interest in working with each other. Barry Gibb told me that CHAIN REACTION is his all time favourite production on another artist.
I think Eaten Alive a so so album. Not terrific, but not bad. I do think "Crime Of Passion" should have been the first song on side two of the album. The lyrics to "I'm Watching You" are just so wet and not a way to kick off.
I heard Diana sing "Telphone" in concert 85. She did a fantastic job, hitting all those high notes. It was one of the highlights of the evening and was mentioned in some of the reviews of the concert.
I like the Bee Gees to, but I'm not a fan. They wrote fantastic enduring hits during the seventies and the songs penned for Samantha Sang, Yvonne, Frankie Valli are equally great.
From the eighties, I know most of their work for Streisand, Dionne Warwick, Kenny Roger and Barry.
The Streisand LP was a total success, maybe it has more to do with Barbra than with the songs. The Dionne LP was the same vein, so if you prefer Dionne, you prefer Heartbreaker and if you prefer Barbra, you go with Guilty.
But after those two, they lost the hit formula for Now Voyager and After Dark .
Swept Away sounded horrible live, but I liked the way she worked the stage with the song.
Eaten Alive is not a bad album. However, the engineering on the Eaten Alive album was atrocious. It features her worse vocalizing, and her voice is buried in the mix. The Bee Gees usually sing distinct background harmony on their productions [[ Dionne, Streisand, Kenny Rogers ) . These vocals were present but not consistent on the Eaten Alive, and Diana certainly needed them to flesh out her featherweight, breathy and trembly vocals. With Whitney Houston breaking big at the time, and the inevitable comparisons raging - I didn't think it was wise for Diana to do a lot of whispering and 'aaahhs' all over an album. Red Hot Rhythm and Blues had Ross in fine voice and production.
Discutions on this board are really great 😉
I think with the last release of Baby Its Me , tracks were found that Diana had recorded with Bonnie Pointers former husband and producer , I think his name is Jeff Bowen.
With Ross 78 expanded, A Go Go, and the final 4 Motown albums expanded coming in the next one to two years there will be much for Ross fans to look forward to. Most of the legends are not releasing new product and I do not expect Ross to make a final comeback.
I would like to see Ross, out of nowhere, appear on the Tonight show and sing a medley of songs from shows currently playing on Broadway.