New Diana/Lionel Duet?

[florence]

Apparently the TV Channel E Entertainment in the US is reporting on their Celeb News that Diana Ross & Lionel Richie are planning to go into the studio to record a brand new duet which is expected to be out sometime around autumn [[fall).

Sounds like it is just a single but any new material from Diana would be a massive bonus and if this is more than just a rumour then it is fantastic news - however I'm not going to get my hopes up too high just yet!!

[captainjames]

That would make for a good duet, hopefully it will happen and Lionel will have his hand in writing it or co-writing.

[marybrewster]

Would love to see some conformation of this; looked online and came up empty handed.

[vgalindo]

This would be fantastic if it does happen. It would be wonderful if Diana hits the charts again.

[smark21]

This would be fantastic if it does happen. It would be wonderful if Diana hits the charts again.

If it were good song. I would rather not have her chart with a piece of crap.

[midnightman]

If it makes any chart, it'll be Adult Contemporary pop and Adult R&B. :)

But who knows if it's true? It's been, what, eight years since Diana's done any recordings?

[vgalindo]

If it were good song. I would rather not have her chart with a piece of crap.

Why would it be a piece of crap???

[marybrewster]

Diana also reportedly was doing a duet with her son Evan. How many years ago was that?

I still haven't seen anything about "Endless Love II".

[smark21]

Why would it be a piece of crap???

Because Lionel Ritchie has made his share of really bad, yet popular, songs. Dancing on the Ceiling anyone?

[captainjames]

Heck he has some really good songs too.

[smark21]

Heck he has some really good songs too.

Lionel Ritchie is very hit and miss with me, lol.

[jobeterob]

As long as he doesn't do Penny Lover 2 or Hello 2 with Diana, I'm game.

Endless Love may have been ground to fine powder in our psyche, but it has also stood the test of time and when Billboard prepares its Duet Charts or Love Song Charts or Valentines Chart ~ Endless Love is always at the top.

[smark21]

But just because a song is #1 doesn't mean that it's a good song or record, necessarily, it just means that it is/was popular. Artistry and musical quality have nothing to do with Billboard chart compilations. Endless Love is catchy and very syrupy and sappy, both musically and lyrically. Well sung and produced but kitsch. Certainly fits this classic line by Noel Coward from Private Lives: "Extraordinary how potent cheap music is".

[jobeterob]

But beauty is in the eye of the beholder, or the ear. I think Endless Love is one of their best, one of Motown's best ~ I'll go with the masses and Billboard on that one. I would take it over Missing You, Baby Love, most of Lionel Ritchie's other material.

[vgalindo]

But beauty is in the eye of the beholder, or the ear. I think Endless Love is one of their best, one of Motown's best ~ I'll go with the masses and Billboard on that one. I would take it over Missing You, Baby Love, most of Lionel Ritchie's other material.
Rob I agree with you too. I have always loved Endless Love. It really is one of Diana's best vocals. Her voice is so crystal clear.

[vgalindo]

Because Lionel Ritchie has made his share of really bad, yet popular, songs. Dancing on the Ceiling anyone?

I agree with you on that song but to be fair he has many good songs including a lot with the Commodores.

[jobeterob]

http://www.siresays.com/2013/04/duets-diana-ross-and-lionel-richie-as.html

[thisoldheart]

oh please don't let this happen ... to suffer through "endless love" was pure torture. i wish eddie kendricks was around!

[smark21]

Better a duet with Lionel than with her son Evan, because if an Evan duet is about love, it could easily turn into an incest tinged song like Frank and Nancy Sinatra's Something Stupid.

[captainjames]

Did I hear someone say that just because a song goes to number # 1 and sells well does not mean its a good song ? According to who ? Majority rules I think. If one person says it stinks and 10 million buy and say its good and play it at weddings and proms ....................Oh I give up.

[marv2]

oh please don't let this happen ... to suffer through "endless love" was pure torture. i wish eddie kendricks was around!

hehehehehehehehehehe.........!!!

[RossHolloway]

Who's up for a Commodores reunion?!

[smark21]

Did I hear someone say that just because a song goes to number # 1 and sells well does not mean its a good song ? According to who ? Majority rules I think. If one person says it stinks and 10 million buy and say its good and play it at weddings and proms ....................Oh I give up.

Well to quote PT Barnum, 'Nobody ever lost a dollar by underestimating the taste of the American public". Just because something is popular doesn't automatically mean it's good, just popular. And how many copies did Endless Love sell at the time of its chart run? 2 or 3 million? Well that still leaves well over 150 million Americans who didn't buy the record so "majority rules" may not be the best way to express this.

[captainjames]

Let us agree to disagree at this point. I think it was a good song and you feel different. You quote PT Barnum, I could quote others but what does it matter.


Well to quote PT Barnum, 'Nobody ever lost a dollar by underestimating the taste of the American public". Just because something is popular doesn't automatically mean it's good, just popular. And how many copies did Endless Love sell at the time of its chart run? 2 or 3 million? Well that still leaves well over 150 million Americans who didn't buy the record so "majority rules" may not be the best way to express this.

[lakedistrictlad1]

I'm so desperate to just hear a new recording by Diana that I can even stomach Lionel Ritchie. Is he still popular in America? He's been off the radar for years in the U.K. But then, sadly, so has Diana.

[supremester]

Other than the incredible chart run, the greatness of Endless Love has eluded me for decades. I have not listened to it by choice since shortly after I bought the 45. I have heard her do it recently where I saw what others like about it but those few times were because vocally she was on fire and put so much feeling into it that it got through my armor. I LOVE that it is not part of her show and I never hear people say, "I wish she would have done Endless Love." i'm not generally a fan of his music or voice but there is no denying his appeal to others. There were songs of his that made me cringe but Dancing On The Ceiling made me go on a hunger strike [[almost.) I'm glad so many enjoy him, he does nothing for me. I'd much rather Bily Joel, Elton, Dennis Edwards, Adam Lambert, Paul Williams JR, and yes, one more with Eddie or Marvin would have been wonderful.

Does success = "good" ?? I think, in popular music, if something is popular, that it is "good." That's the intent. Is it artistically valued? That is up for discussion. Some love Lionel, I don't. Like him or not, "good" or not, "Oh, what a feeling - when you're dancing on the ceiling???" Cole Porter, he ain't!

[jobeterob]

Popular of course, is not artistically valued.

But popular must mean some version of "good" to the millions that buy it or listen to it ~ at least to them. But if there are so many of them, doesn't that mean it must be good?

[smark21]

I'm so desperate to just hear a new recording by Diana that I can even stomach Lionel Ritchie. Is he still popular in America? He's been off the radar for years in the U.K. But then, sadly, so has Diana.

Two years ago Lionel Ritchie had a number one album in America. It sold quite well. However the album featured remakes of his old hits re-done country music style. He appeared often on the Home Shopping Network to promote it. It worked. But the jury is out if there is a market for new songs from Lionel Ritchie in the Adult Contemporary/lite R and B vein of his usual work.

[smark21]

Popular of course, is not artistically valued.

But popular must mean some version of "good" to the millions that buy it or listen to it ~ at least to them. But if there are so many of them, doesn't that mean it must be good?

For those who do enjoy Endless Love, I would like to know what is about the song that makes you enjoy it. I hope it's because you like the melody or you find the lyrics touching and meaningful, as well the production, arrangement and the vocal performances. I can respect that. But I hope you're not into the song soley because it was popular.

BTW, like supremester there have been a few times in which I've been impressed with Endless Love...most notably at Diana Ross' Central Park concert. The emotion she put into her performance of that song really elevated to another level.

[Lulu]

For those who do enjoy Endless Love, I would like to know what is about the song that makes you enjoy it. I hope it's because you like the melody or you find the lyrics touching and meaningful, as well the production, arrangement and the vocal performances. I can respect that. But I hope you're not into the song soley because it was popular.

BTW, like supremester there have been a few times in which I've been impressed with Endless Love...most notably at Diana Ross' Central Park concert. The emotion she put into her performance of that song really elevated to another level.

I agree about the Central Park version. The solo version on the Why Do Fools album is superior to the duet/soundtrack version in my opinion. I think the song's popularity and longevity is that it's extremely MOR - moreso than anything to come out of Motown before and since.

[vgalindo]

Other than the incredible chart run, the greatness of Endless Love has eluded me for decades. I have not listened to it by choice since shortly after I bought the 45. I have heard her do it recently where I saw what others like about it but those few times were because vocally she was on fire and put so much feeling into it that it got through my armor. I LOVE that it is not part of her show and I never hear people say, "I wish she would have done Endless Love." i'm not generally a fan of his music or voice but there is no denying his appeal to others. There were songs of his that made me cringe but Dancing On The Ceiling made me go on a hunger strike [[almost.) I'm glad so many enjoy him, he does nothing for me. I'd much rather Bily Joel, Elton, Dennis Edwards, Adam Lambert, Paul Williams JR, and yes, one more with Eddie or Marvin would have been wonderful.

Does success = "good" ?? I think, in popular music, if something is popular, that it is "good." That's the intent. Is it artistically valued? That is up for discussion. Some love Lionel, I don't. Like him or not, "good" or not, "Oh, what a feeling - when you're dancing on the ceiling???" Cole Porter, he ain't!
Hi Greg. I do miss Endless Love as part of her shows. She does this song live better than the recording. I have taken many family and friends to her concerts and many have said Endless Love was the best song of the night. I remember when she used to have "Its my turn" in her concerts. I would be mesmerized. That's one thing about Diana. She is truly better live than on record.

[jobeterob]

I don't know how anyone could like a song because it's popular ~ other than if it gets drummed into your head so many times that it becomes an ear bug that isn't annoying.

I have always preferred the Lionel Diana version to Diana solo. I like the interplay of the voices. I like the passion and phrasing by Diana. And I like the plaintiveness of Lionel set against Diana. That interplay and the call and response is not dissimilar to Diana vs. Florence in a few songs ~ and those were some of the best Supremes songs [[i.e. You Keep Me Hangin On, Manhattan, It's All Your Fault). Although Diana vs. Flo was much more R & B than Lionel & Diana.

Two of my favorite Ross songs are Where Did Our Love Go and Endless Love ~ simple ones. Where Did Our Love Go done live is not good because they cannot duplicate the handclaps or the music. Endless Love by Diana alone takes away the interplay and with only one voice, it takes away some of the dynamic of the song.

[reese]

In concert, I thought that Diana sang ENDLESS LOVE best when accompanied by Bobby Glenn. Their voices worked together well. She's had some good male backup vocalists since, but I don't think any of them sang it as well as Bobby.

[Jimi LaLumia]

non Motown fan, straight 'getting married' or 'anniversary time' type people LUV "Endless Love"; for many, it's the ONLY record on the Motown label that they like.. not everyone exists in "Motown World"..and it became Motown's biggest selling single EVER!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endless_Love_%28song%29

[marv2]

No it wasn't! Here's the list:



1 - I'LL MAKE LOVE TO YOU - BOYZ II MEN

2 - END OF THE ROAD - BOYZ II MEN

3 - ON BENDED KNEE - BOYZ II MEN

4 - ENDLESS LOVE - DIANA ROSS & LIONEL RICHIE

5 - BACK AT ONE - BRIAN McKNIGHT

6 - I HEARD IT THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE - MARVIN GAYE

7 - I'LL BE THERE - JACKSON 5

8 - ALL NIGHT LONG - LIONEL RICHIE

9 - UPSIDE DOWN - DIANA ROSS

10 - THREE TIMES A LADY - COMMODORES

11 - LET'S GET IT ON - MARVIN GAYE

12 - SAY YOU SAY ME - LIONEL RICHIE

13 - LOVE CHILD - DIANA ROSS & THE SUPREMES

14 - HELLO - LIONEL RICHIE

15 - I JUST CALLED TO SAY I LOVE YOU - STEVIE WONDER

16 - IT'S SO HARD TO SAY GOODBYE - BOYZ II MEN

17 - ABC - JACKSON 5

18 - WHERE MY GIRLS AT - 702

19 - 4 SEASONS OF LONLINESS - BOYZ II MEN

20 - WAR - EDWIN STARR

21 - WHERE DID OUR LOVE GO - THE SUPREMES

22 - BEING WITH YOU - SMOKEY ROBINSON

23 - I LOVE YOUR SMILE - SHANICE

24 - AIN'T NO MOUNTAIN HIGH ENOUGH - DIANA ROSS

25 - I CAN'T HELP MYSELF - FOUR TOPS
Now these ranking by Billboard are based on their weekly charts, which is based on sales AND radio play. So no way is it telling us which was the best seller or best song.

Here is another list:
http://oldies.about.com/od/motownmusic/tp/The-Top-10-Motown-Hits-Of-All-Time.htm

[Jimi LaLumia]

thanks, Marv..yes, Boys II Men WERE a force to be reckoned with in the 90's version of Motown..