Diana Ross Project: The Five Hits That Got Away & In Memoriam: Michael Masser

[jobeterob]

https://dianarossproject.wordpress.com/

[captainjames]

Totally agree on"You Were The One"
I still pay that to this day.

[blkfrost]

"To Love Again" and "It's My Turn" are my all time favorite ballads by Diana Ross. These two songs are always on my playlist.

[jobeterob]

There were so many tracks on Baby It's Me and Take Me Higher that got away ~ although by the time of Take Me Higher, Diana was viewed as old by the young crowd!

[RobertZ]

I think "Shine" from RHR&B was one that got away; as well as Diana's covers of "Mr. Lee" and "Selfish One".

[Bluebrock]

Great choices. I recall when Diana came to the UK to promote "tfbtp" she performed "change of heart" on the Des O'Connor show along with "wytmtylm" so I was fully expecting it to be the 2nd single but instead they went with the Stevie Wonder penned and produced title track.
I always thought "crime of passion" from Eaten Alive could have been a great follow up to "chain reaction", and "I ain't been licked" should surely have followed "the boss" as a single. I totally agree on "all night lover" "you were the one" and going back earlier Diana's version of "I won't last a day without you" could have trumped the Carpenters lovely version". And going back even earlier what about "and if you see him". I could discuss this forever but I won't.

[Ollie9]

I really don't believe any of the 5 listed songs had the potential to become sizeable hits had they been released as singles. They are all great songs but....."Be A Lion" a pop hit ...Really!!. I think it's easy to fall into the trap of picking songs one likes over ones that would have mass appeal for the general public. Five songs i feel would have achieved that goal are....
1. These Things Will Keep Me Loving You.
2. And If You See Him
3.My Nights Grow Long
4.Stay With Me [[UK Only)
5.Dreaming Of You [[with Lionel).
Had Diana continued to promote"Everyday Is A New Day in Europe [[America was pointless) i think she would have had at least two more hit singles from that superb album.

[jobeterob]

And If You See Him deserves to be on the list; should have come before Surrender.

[Ollie9]

Lost hit number 4 was meant to read "Now That You're Gone" which i think could have charted higher than "It's My Turn" had it been released before that tune.
"And If You See Him" was a song screaming out to be released as a single. Diana pumps real meaning into the song, giving an inspired vocal performance that still sounds contemporary and fresh today. The arrangement is superlative.

[jobucats]

What is "tfbtp"? [[from Bluebrock's post)

[rovereab]

Motown [[UK) missed a massive opportunity with failing to follow up Not Over You Yet with Carry On. NOYY was a massive hit in the UK and CO would have been another hit given its potential in clubs.

Another missed opportunity was the overlooking of Let Somebody Know from the Take Me Higher sessions as both a single and album track [[in the UK). LSK is such a wonderful vocal performance by Diana and the song's words are very powerful.

[sansradio]

What is "tfbtp"? [[from Bluebrock's post)

The Force Behind the Power.

[Bokiluis]

[QUOTE=rovereab;293212]Motown [[UK) missed a massive opportunity with failing to follow up Not Over You Yet with Carry On. NOYY was a massive hit in the UK and CO would have been another hit given its potential in clubs.}}]

Timing and her personal challenges probably impeded its prospects. "An Audience with....", was very successful featuring performances of "He Lives in You", "Not Over You Yet", etc., but, if I am not mistaken, aired several weeks before the album was released internationally. Television promotion usually works great for her in the U.K.. But by the time, "Not Over You Yet" became a Top 10 hit, the horrible Heaththrow incident, personal issues, etc. did not bode well for another round of television promotion....which could have made a big difference.
All in all, though, I could never complain with the manner that EMI International promoted all of her releases. EMI International always treated her like a top priority. When record stores around, [[heavens that sounds archaic..), EMI made sure she had great visibility in international markets. [[Motown/Universal on the other hand...) ...EMI International will be greatly missed for the marketing of Diana's releases.

[Guy]

"You Were The One" is melodically and lyrically a quintessentially "Ross" song -- I love that lyric "you were bringing me the sun AND the moon..." I didnt have the Ross '78 LP so I'd never heard it until I got the "diana" 2CD remaster. Was this song ever a single? I would think that in 1978 it could have been a moderate hit for her.

[florence]

Never could understand why after Not Over You Yet went top 10 in the UK a follow up single was never isssued - it could have created interest in the Every Day album.

They had the choice of Carry On which went down a storm in the clubs or the Hex Hector remix of Until We Meet Again which was a massive US Dance hit.

Puzzling.

[Ollie9]

EMI in the UK planned to release the Hex Hector remix of "Until We Meet Again" as the follow up single to "Not Over You Yet", but Diana refused to have it released. Her relationship with the comapny was never the same after this and the fate of EDIAND was sealed.
It really is hard to fathom the thinking behind Diana's decision as EMI had proven they knew the market as regards releasing singles by her.
The same thing happened with WO when both Motown and EMI wanted "Bottom Line as the initial single release. Again it was vetoed by Diana.

[florence]

EMI in the UK planned to release the Hex Hector remix of "Until We Meet Again" as the follow up single to "Not Over You Yet", but Diana refused to have it released. Her relationship with the comapny was never the same after this and the fate of EDIAND was sealed.
It really is hard to fathom the thinking behind Diana's decision as EMI had proven they knew the market as regards releasing singles by her.
The same thing happened with WO when both Motown and EMI wanted "Bottom Line as the initial single release. Again it was vetoed by Diana.

Interesting - I'd never heard this before about Until We Meet again in the UK nor about Bottom Line although it was released as a single in the US and did nothing there.

No question EMI knew Diana's market in the UK as they proved time and time again.

I think RCA/Capitol didn't really appreciate her dynamic in the UK in the 80s.

I'm bet EMI would have released Still In Love from Silk Electric as a single here. It sounded like a surefire hit for the UK market and it was so strange it was held over to be put on the B-side of Pieces Of Ice the lead single for Ross.

Despite several attempts they never managed to break Missing You and if they'd really gotten behind Touch By Touch it could have been a sizable hit instead of fizzling out.

It was no thanks to RCA that Chain Reaction was such a smash. It broke through the clubs and discos with heavy rotation on MCA.

What a disaster that nearly was.

[alanbill1074]

I have the EMI UK promo cassette for Until We Meet Again. I believe there was also a Metro Mix for it, sadly not on the cassette, and another unreleased mix by Love To Infinity. Would have made a great single package. No doubt Free [[I'm Gone) would have been the b side.

My number one Ross want is the U.S. Promo CD of Bottom Line.

[alanbill1074]

9725

This is the cassette of Until We Meet Again.

[alanbill1074]

9726

And this is top of my wants list - Bottom Line.