Diana Ross' Bizarre Guest Appearance On An LP Released in 1972

**Boogiedown** · 05-06-2024, 03:23 PM

When Marlo Thomas went to buy a children's book for her niece she was shocked by the stereotypical messages for boys vs. girls commonly found in them.

In reaction , she with others put together a project that became an album of thoughts, poems, and songs by an eclectic variety of people including Alan Alda, Tom Smothers, and Rosey Grier meant to encourage youngsters to think more freely about themselves.

On it is a bizarre variety of singers doing the songs heard here, The New Seekers, Carol Channing, Harry Belafonte, and .... Diana Ross!!,

Am curious how that came to be, how Diana Ross landed herself in this project. The collection is billed as Marlo Thomas and Friends, didn't know she and Miss Ross were friends.
There must be more to be known about this story ???

[and if this in of itself doesn't seem to come under the label of 'bizarre' ... it can be kicked it up a notch

]

**reese** · 05-06-2024, 03:58 PM

I have no idea how Diana became involved.

As I kid, I just remember being excited that Diana was on a record that was being played during kindergarten. I remember my teacher teaching us the words to WHEN WE GROW UP. I also remember being surprised that it was on the Bell label and not Motown. Unfortunately, when the album was turned into a tv special, Diana had been replaced by Roberta Flack and Michael Jackson.

**Boogiedown** · 05-10-2024, 01:32 AM

Originally Posted by reese

I have no idea how Diana became involved.

As I kid, I just remember being excited that Diana was on a record that was being played during kindergarten. I remember my teacher teaching us the words to WHEN WE GROW UP. I also remember being surprised that it was on the Bell label and not Motown.

reese, you were the weirdest kindergartner IN THE WORLD !......

**lucky2012** · 05-10-2024, 01:06 PM

Originally Posted by Boogiedown

reese, you were the weirdest kindergartner IN THE WORLD !......

LOL, Boogie! OMG, I was not in kindergarten but in college when Free To Be You And Me was released. I was very much surprised, but was proud Diana Ross was part of a unique, worthy project. I never expected it to be so successful and enduring. She was just one of many arguably bigger names at the time in 1972: Harry Belafonte, Alan Alda, Shirley Jones, Tom Smothers. This was a year before Diana became a pop superstar diva and just as LSTB was making her a movie star.

**Spreadinglove21** · 05-06-2024, 04:01 PM

Well it's a children's album so that may be why it's billed as being by "Marlo Thomas and Friends" rather than "Marlo Thomas and associates from the worlds of show business and sports".

And being a children's album that may be why Diana's management let the billing be as it is because it ought to be
"Miss Diana Ross stars in Free to Be You and Me, with Marlo Thomas and others"

Seriously though, I wonder if the connection came about through Diana's guest star spot on Make Room for Granddaddy, which starred Marlo's father Danny Thomas?

**Boogiedown** · 05-06-2024, 04:15 PM

Originally Posted by Spreadinglove21

Well it's a children's album so that may be why it's billed as being by "Marlo Thomas and Friends" rather than "Marlo Thomas and associates from the worlds of show business and sports".

And being a children's album that may be why Diana's management let the billing be as it is because it ought to be
"Miss Diana Ross stars in Free to Be You and Me, with Marlo Thomas and others"

Seriously though, I wonder if the connection came about through Diana's guest star spot on Make Room for Granddaddy, which starred Marlo's father Danny Thomas?

Hee haw!, this is very funny!

I think you're on to something .... but maybe it went more like this " Miss Ross , if you'll do me this little favor and sing a quick song on my record, I can get you a guest spot on Daddy's TV show."

**reese** · 05-06-2024, 05:20 PM

Originally Posted by Boogiedown

Hee haw!, this is very funny!

I think you're on to something .... but maybe it went more like this " Miss Ross , if you'll do me this little favor and sing a quick song on my record, I can get you a guest spot on Daddy's TV show."

In 1971, Diana did a guest spot on Danny's show MAKE ROOM FOR GRANDADDY. A few months later, Danny appeared on Diana's first solo tv special. Maybe he recommended Diana to his daughter.

**jobeterob** · 05-06-2024, 04:12 PM

Smokey Robinson recently said on Soultown that the show business community is small and they all know each other. Perhaps Diana’s interest in children made her a likely person to approach for participation

**sup_fan** · 05-06-2024, 04:47 PM

i have no idea if Diana knew Marlo personally or what. Diana would later appear on Sesame Street and Muppet Show. and during the early 70s she included a Sesame Street segment in her shows and highlighted her children. it's very possible that she knew Marlo and/or some of the others working on this and just jumped at the chance to do something for children

she had also wanted to record the Disney tunes as a children's record and more recently to the Free To Be stuff, she had recorded that album To The Baby.

**Boogiedown** · 05-06-2024, 05:02 PM

I wonder why she skipped ROMPER ROOM?

**Boogiedown** · 05-07-2024, 11:40 PM

Originally Posted by reese

In 1971, Diana did a guest spot on Danny's show MAKE ROOM FOR GRANDADDY. A few months later, Danny appeared on Diana's first solo tv special. Maybe he recommended Diana to his daughter.

OK, now we’re getting somewhere.
Marlo’s trying to hustle this project of hers and she isn’t getting many takers.

”Waaa Daddy Thomas, I’ve got a whole album to fill and I cant get much interest. The only one constantly calling back is Carol Channing. And Dick Cavett is pushing for a singing part instead of the spoken one I want him to do.
And I haven't gotten any acts signed on that have had any hits in the last ten years except The New Seekers. At this rate we’ll be stuck with releasing a single by Rosey Grier."
We need some A-list people on this or it'll bomb.

"Tell you what pumpkin, I'll call Diana Ross and call in my chips with her, she owes me times two!"

"OK ! But good luck with that Dad. She's known for pulling that, 'If you need me , call me', bit."

**Spreadinglove21** · 05-08-2024, 07:38 AM

Even if her participation in this came through working with Danny Thomas [[and it's a good theory) Motown would still have had to grant permission for her to be on this project as she was under contract. Obviously they did so, because it was a children's music project not a pop project so not competing with Diana Ross Motown releases, and appearing on such an album would be a plus for image building.

**Boogiedown** · 05-08-2024, 11:45 PM

Originally Posted by Spreadinglove21

Even if her participation in this came through working with Danny Thomas [[and it's a good theory) Motown would still have had to grant permission for her to be on this project as she was under contract. Obviously they did so, because it was a children's music project not a pop project so not competing with Diana Ross Motown releases, and appearing on such an album would be a plus for image building.

What and risk all the investment put into presenting her convincingly on the big screen as a druggie boozer?

**captainjames** · 05-09-2024, 08:24 PM

Its magic....Nat King Cole and many more have recorded albums with "Friends".

**Spreadinglove21** · 05-10-2024, 07:30 AM

Diana does a nice job singing When We Grow Up. I'm surprised she didn't explore doing her own Children's album in the 80s, especially something tied in or as a follow up to Central Park concert as that show was for charity to build/fund the Diana Ross playground in Central Park.

**Boogiedown** · 05-10-2024, 09:45 AM

Originally Posted by Spreadinglove21

Diana does a nice job singing When We Grow Up. I'm surprised she didn't explore doing her own Children's album in the 80s, especially something tied in or as a follow up to Central Park concert as that show was for charity to build/fund the Diana Ross playground in Central Park.

Or that this project didn't capture Berry Gordys attention and imagination, especially when it did well.
FREE TO BE was a low budget concept album aimed at kids, a niche that traditionally had modest expectations.
wiki:

According to Thomas, "Larry Uttal at Bell Records told me, this kind of record might sell 15,000 copies tops

Nonetheless Marlo felt it worthy. But as such, it attracted a scattered variety of personalities interested in donating [?] their names and talents to it with the Diana Ross name soaring several notches above the rest, such that when noticed, it sticks out like a bizarre sore thumb.

So good for Marlo and good for Diana [from wherever the motive] .....even if at most a few thousand kiddies would ever even notice. Diana's in the studio for a couple of hours and she's done her good deed for the year ....

But something bizarre and unexpected happens.....the darn record takes off!!

wiki:

......... Well it went Gold right away, went Platinum within two years and went Diamond in under ten years. EVERYBODY was amazed it had touched such a nerve. It's still in the top 100 albums of all time over 40 years later."^[4].....the title has never been out of print.

So ya you'd think Diana Ross or music mogul Berry Gordy would've taken notice of how a record like this could sell ....can you imagine if he had tapped into his staple of artists for a concept LP like this ...

As it is, Diana Ross is a minion amongst the rest of the unassuming cast on a successful LP beloved multi-generationally by millions of kindergartners like reese!
Pretty darn bizarre!

**Spreadinglove21** · 05-10-2024, 12:53 PM

In other words Free to be you and me was the most successful album, sales wise, that Diana Ross ever worked on.

**Boogiedown** · 05-11-2024, 11:39 AM

Originally Posted by Spreadinglove21

In other words Free to be you and me was the most successful album, sales wise, that Diana Ross ever worked on.

Yes ! Diana gets some substantial unplanned exposure here and to a whole new generation.
And this is where the bizarre gets even more so !

recap:
Diana Ross apparently agrees to appear because of her connections to Marlo's father who has supported Ross' solo career by guesting her on his TV show and then appearing on her special. This seems to be the link. Marlo and Diana never get any press as to their being anything close to Hollywood "friends" or associates. No girlfriends nights out in Burbank, no shopping on Rodeo drive, no beach days in Malibu.

The participation on the album is no big deal with no fanfare. Diana obliges unassumingly and her credit on the LP's cover is printed the same as all the others with her name appearing in alphabetical order amongst them.

Done deal. Now its back to being boozy Billie.

But then once FREE TO BE is in the record stores, there's interest in the little project and instead of being just that ....it takes off.
And a kid's album that could've come and gone with the blink of an eye perseveres. The project has legs! It keeps selling and the stores keep restocking it. Months of that turns into years.
As a result, a bonus happens and a big unexpected opportunity comes Diana's way.
But

she turns it down !

How bizarre!! ...........