Instead of Why Do Fools Fall in Love

[Koach]

I have to be honest here: I dislike the song and think D.R. should have chosen a different song to cover for her first album. I have a lot of choices, but how about Love is All Around "Theme from the Mary Tyler Moore Show"? I think the lyrics fit Miss Ross a lot, especially about her leaving Motown and doing it on her own.https://youtu.be/U7HpN3jKenw

What are your choices?

[jobeterob]

What a great idea about the Mary Tyler Moore theme!

[soulster]

Well, I like it, and I thought it was a perfect song, and was a nice change from the usual pap she had with Motown. Damn i'm glad she didn't do something like the Mary Tyler Moore song.

[florence]

Seemed a strange choice when I first heard this would be her lead single for RCA but in retrospect it got her off to a good start with them.

It was something completely different for Diana - a fun pop song and a fun video on the steets of Las Vegas. Very radio friendly.

It was massive in Europe - #1 in Belgium and The Netherlands, top 5 and one of her biggest selling singles of all time in the UK.

Certainy not groundbreaking but I liked it a lot.

[soulster]

No doubt! It got her back into the top 10!

[Jaap]

I don't care much for WDFFIL now, but back in 1981 I loved it. It sounded really "fresh" even though it was a cover of an old song and the music video was just perfect. In retrospect, it is weird that this was the only #1 song she had in the Netherlands [[although A Brand New Day with The Wiz Stars was also #1), as WDFFIL is not the most iconic Ross song.

[jobeterob]

One of the most popular concert songs

[Ngroove]

How about....[[thinking of another classic fifties song that could be disco-covered) "Candy"?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NybUKYUWUts

[captainjames]

WDFFIL was a not a bad choice, Diana was still covered with Star dust from her last hits at Motown and just about any song would work.

[Ollie9]

I agree. Diana was as hot as she would ever be at this time. Almost anything bearing her name would have sold well. As a soul/motown music fan i was left out in the cold. Take "Mirror Mirror" and "Work That Body" off the first album and your left with pop schlock. Diana had already very successfully updated her image with "The Boss" and"diana". She was hip. Her RCA years for me represent a handful of good songs and one excellent tv special. Nothing much for soul fans during this period........Alas.

[Bluebrock]

I agree. Diana was as hot as she would ever be at this time. Almost anything bearing her name would have sold well. As a soul/motown music fan i was left out in the cold. Take "Mirror Mirror" and "Work That Body" off the first album and your left with pop schlock. Diana had already very successfully updated her image with "The Boss" and"diana". She was hip. Her RCA years for me represent a handful of good songs and one excellent tv special. Nothing much for soul fans during this period........Alas.
Very well put Ollie9. I found little to love on her first 3 RCA albums. It was only when she was growing cold that she started making decent albums. She made more money than ever before but with the right producers such as Quincy Jones, Michael Jackson, Lionel Richie, Luther [[each of those producing a full album) alongside reunions with Ashford and Simpson, and maybe later working with the likes of Jam and Lewis, George Michael and the like and she could have made albums we would treasure to this day.

[antceleb12]

How about....[[thinking of another classic fifties song that could be disco-covered) "Candy"?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NybUKYUWUts

Excellent song. First time hearing this was Phylicia Rashad lipping to this on "The Cosby Show." I've been in love with this song ever since. Although it wasn;t until years later I knew this was a woman!

[Koach]

A 50s song I think she could do beautifully is The Night Has 1000 Eyes. Also how about Along Comes Mary.

[Ollie9]

My god, you will be suggesting she should have done a duet with Perry Como next!!!!
Quincy Jones should have produced the debut album. Fifties retreads were not the way to move forward with her music and earned her little musical kudos in the long term.

[soulster]

But, I was really proud of her when she came out with "Mirror, Mirror" as the second single from that album. It was like she finally gained some rock credibility, only to squander it again on the track "Fool For Your Love" on the "Silk Electric" album.

[jobeterob]

She should do And I Love You So, the Perry Como song

[antceleb12]

My god, you will be suggesting she should have done a duet with Perry Como next!!!!
Quincy Jones should have produced the debut album. Fifties retreads were not the way to move forward with her music and earned her little musical kudos in the long term.

I mean, chart-wise it proved to be very successful. It may not have done anything for you, but there are a lot of people who liked it.

[captainjames]

Diana was finally doing a lot of things that Berry would not allow to be released or record from Motown. I embraced the new songs and sound.

[soulster]

I did too. The only problem is that, when Ross is left to her own devices for too long, she overindulges. A couple of tracks on "Silk Electric", and a few on the rest of the RCA albums were stinkers.

[Ollie9]

Pop fans may indeed have embraced the soft focus sound of songs like "Two Can Make It", "It's Never To Late" or "Any Where You Run To". Loyal soul music fans, such as myself who did not represent the casual record buyer were left confused and alienated. It was like what the **** is going on. What has happened to our girl.
WDFFIL is a world away from the quality of such classic albums as diana, The Boss or even The Black album. All of which she will be remembered for
I think it speaks volumes that not one RCA album is hardly ever mentioned when Diana fans are voting for their all time favourite album.
That is not to say they were all bad........but.

[Bluebrock]

My god, you will be suggesting she should have done a duet with Perry Como next!!!!
Quincy Jones should have produced the debut album. Fifties retreads were not the way to move forward with her music and earned her little musical kudos in the long term.
Quincy agreed to produce her debut album for RCA but he was busy producing Patti Austin's "every home should have one" and it would have meant waiting an additional 6 months or so. RCA did not want to wait so long whilst Diana was so hot at the time so an agreement could not be reached. A pity.

[soulster]

Pop fans may indeed have embraced the soft focus sound of songs like "Two Can Make It", "It's Never To Late" or "Any Where You Run To". Loyal soul music fans, such as myself who did not represent the casual record buyer were left confused and alienated. It was like what the **** is going on. What has happened to our girl.
WDFFIL is a world away from the quality of such classic albums as diana, The Boss or even The Black album. All of which she will be remembered for
I think it speaks volumes that not one RCA album is hardly ever mentioned when Diana fans are voting for their all time favourite album.
That is not to say they were all bad........but.

Soooo...what do you consider Diana Ross soul music? Because, what i've heard all my life, she ain't a soul singer, nor does she do soul music! Soul music is like 60s Aretha Franklin, and Bobby Womack.

[Bluebrock]

Soooo...what do you consider Diana Ross soul music? Because, what i've heard all my life, she ain't a soul singer, nor does she do soul music! Soul music is like 60s Aretha Franklin, and Bobby Womack.
Agreed. I love Diana and always have but I have never considered her a soul singer and I recall seeing her interviewed many years ago when she herself admitted to not considering herself a soul singer.

[jobeterob]

Perhaps R &B; for sure pop.

[midnightman]

That's strange that some folks here consider her RCA material to be beneath her. I personally loved the direction she took on RCA [[besides from probably 1983's "Ross", that album is forgettable for a reason) even if it didn't give her the same success and accolades she got with Motown for 15-plus years.

I felt Why Do Fools was a perfect post-Motown statement for her. Not only that but it helped to reintroduce Frankie Lymon to a new audience that wouldn't have been exposed to him [[much in the same way that Billie Holiday had a new fan base after Motown released the Lady Sings biopic and subsequent best-selling soundtrack).

Also, Mirror Mirror was as much a funky R&B track as the tracks on "diana". A song I think needed more promotion but you also have to understand, R&B was reeling from the disco backlash so artists like Diana was trying hard to maintain their pop fan base. Not only that but the album came off on the heels of Diana's biggest pop hit, "Endless Love". Obviously RCA wanted the same crossover appeal to work on their Diana records.

"Why Do Fools" was like Donna Summer's "The Wanderer" though in retrospect: an attempt of a black crossover artist to maintain that crossover appeal by going further into that crossover while facing the risk of being accused of alienating their black fan base [[the same thing they accused Michael Jackson, Prince, Tina Turner, Lionel Richie and Whitney Houston of once they became established crossover pop artists). But the thing is of all the classic R&B artists, Diana was always considered the most pop-oriented singer of that genre so she wouldn't have fit in a classic soul format like that despite having hits like "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" and "Love Hangover".

While "Why Do Fools" manage to go platinum, the rest of the Ross output suffered commercially because RCA didn't know what to do with Diana. "Silk Electric" kinda work on the basis of "Muscles" while "Ross" bombed because it was trying too hard to be a crossover album [[with IMHO horrible material). "Swept Away" worked because they manage to bring some of that soul back into her sound [["Telephone" and "Missing You") while managing to get a successful dance rock song [["Swept Away") and adult contemporary song [["All of You") to chart real well too because Diana always had that commercial pop sound but it was always the songs I felt that were a problem, not because she went "totally pop" when she went to RCA.

[jobeterob]

Swept Away - 625,000 sold
Why Do Fools Fall In Love - 1,125,000 sold [[her biggest seller behind Lady Sings the Blue and diana)

[reese]

I like much of the material from the RCA years. I can probably do without SILK ELECTRIC and EATEN ALIVE, but there are some great tracks on the other albums, particularly SWEPT AWAY and RED HOT RHYTHM AND BLUES.

[RossHolloway]

I've always thought that Diana's Why Do Fools album was her BEST album during her time at RCA. The albums after that all had some respectable tracks, my least played album was the Eaten Alive album, I still think it had the wrong producers and went in the wrong direction for her. I would love to know how many tracks remain unreleased during this period. I seem to recall an Ebony magazine cover story on DR at the time of her first album release and it stated that she had recorded ~ 60 songs leading up to the albums release.

[thommg]

From her RCA output, the two albums I still play are Ross & Eaten Alive. I listen to the others on occasion but those two I play every couple of months. Side 1 of Ross was exceptional. It brought her a little bit into a jazzy beat that I truly enjoyed. Eaten Alive, I feel, still has some of her best performances on it. To me, the forgettable albums [[with a few great tracks) are Red Hot Rhythm & Blues and Silk Electric.

[Roberta75]

From her RCA output, the two albums I still play are Ross & Eaten Alive. I listen to the others on occasion but those two I play every couple of months. Side 1 of Ross was exceptional. It brought her a little bit into a jazzy beat that I truly enjoyed. Eaten Alive, I feel, still has some of her best performances on it. To me, the forgettable albums [[with a few great tracks) are Red Hot Rhythm & Blues and Silk Electric.

I liked the eaten alive album a lot and imo the best track from her RCA years was Forever Young. Diane sang thje heck out of that song it was real real pretty.

Roberta

[Koach]

For an upbeat, rock/roll song... how about Let's Hang On?

[midnightman]

I've always thought that Diana's Why Do Fools album was her BEST album during her time at RCA. The albums after that all had some respectable tracks, my least played album was the Eaten Alive album, I still think it had the wrong producers and went in the wrong direction for her. I would love to know how many tracks remain unreleased during this period. I seem to recall an Ebony magazine cover story on DR at the time of her first album release and it stated that she had recorded ~ 60 songs leading up to the albums release.

I think the reason Eaten Alive [[released at the tail end of 1985 if I'm correct) failed WAS because of the lack of direction behind the album... whereas Swept Away and Why Do Fools seem to have a point to prove. I did say Diana's RCA period was underrated but some albums perceived as mistakes definitely were on the mark. Chain Reaction was a classic but I think the MJ-produced title track was unfocused and RCA was trying to build on the Thriller hype [[the video was classic though lol).

[jobeterob]

My two favorite albums from the RCA period are Red Hot Rhythm and Blues and Eaten Alive. The strongest material, the best songs.

[Ollie9]

I agree that Diana is not a classic soul singer in the vein of an Aretha or Gladys.
That said, to my ears the majority of her solo, pre RCA material is commercial soul at it's best. Songs such as "Dark Side Of The World", "A Simple Thing Like Cry", "Brown Baby", "Ain't Nothin' But A Maybe " etc etc. The list is endless. I really don't see why a singer has to gospel out or be a big belter to be classed as a soul singer.. I guess ones perception of what Soul music is or represents may differ somewhat from person to person. What i do know fur sure is that fluff like "Two Can Make It" deff ain't it.

[soulster]

I personally loved the direction she took on RCA [[besides from probably 1983's "Ross",


I always thought it was a very good album. I think the problem was when it was released. Had it been done a year sooner, it would have done better. I know the rock world loves this album. However, there were many problems with the making of this album. First, there were technical problems, as it was a digital recording. Producer and engineer Gary Katz [[of Steely Dan fame) had to remix "Love Will Make It Right" because the superior mix he slaved over was lost. The bigger problem was Ross' utter lack of professionalism and interest. She refused to collaborate on the project, which is what he was used to. She aloof, and just came in and could have phoned it in. She expected him to do absolutely everything. So, he pulled out of the project, and that's why the second side had two tracks written and produced by Ray Parker Jr.[[probably his rejects, as they were obviously played and recorded by him in his own studio)


Also, Mirror Mirror was as much a funky R&B track as the tracks on "diana". A song I think needed more promotion but you also have to understand, R&B was reeling from the disco backlash so artists like Diana was trying hard to maintain their pop fan base. Not only that but the album came off on the heels of Diana's biggest pop hit, "Endless Love". Obviously RCA wanted the same crossover appeal to work on their Diana records.

Word!


"Why Do Fools" was like Donna Summer's "The Wanderer" though in retrospect: an attempt of a black crossover artist to maintain that crossover appeal by going further into that crossover while facing the risk of being accused of alienating their black fan base [[the same thing they accused Michael Jackson, Prince, Tina Turner, Lionel Richie and Whitney Houston of once they became established crossover pop artists). But the thing is of all the classic R&B artists, Diana was always considered the most pop-oriented singer of that genre so she wouldn't have fit in a classic soul format like that despite having hits like "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" and "Love Hangover".

Wait a minute, man! Ross always had crossover appeal. She was always a pop artist. "Why Do Fools Fall In Love", "Silk Electric", and Swept Away", all contained at least one single that hit the Billboard pop top 10. That's a fact! Check it out. The above artists you mentioned gained their acceptance with Black audiences first before the [[let's call it like it is) White audiences accepted them.


While "Why Do Fools" manage to go platinum, the rest of the Ross output suffered commercially because RCA didn't know what to do with Diana. "Silk Electric" kinda work on the basis of "Muscles" while "Ross" bombed because it was trying too hard to be a crossover album [[with IMHO horrible material).

I'll eternally disagree with you on that. It had a couple of poo bombs, but the material wasn't all bad. I'm still shocked that "Muscles" made the top 10! I guess word really got around that Michael Jackson wrote and "produced" it.


"Swept Away" worked because they manage to bring some of that soul back into her sound [["Telephone" and "Missing You") while managing to get a successful dance rock song [["Swept Away") and adult contemporary song [["All of You") to chart real well too because Diana always had that commercial pop sound but it was always the songs I felt that were a problem, not because she went "totally pop" when she went to RCA.

That was a very strong album! Daryl Hall was the perfect guy to producer her and give her "Swept Away". If anyone could weld rock and soul, it was him. He had been doing it all of his career. Ollie9 mentioned that he is loyal to soul, but I said Ross ain't got it, and "Telephone" is a perfect example of that. The music was a hit with Black audiences, but her vocal was pop all the way. And, you had the synth pop, and the adult contemporary ballads. There was something there to keep everyone happy. And, of course, Lionel Richie came up with the tribute to Marvin Gaye, who had just a month or so before it's release, was killed.

[soulster]

I agree that Diana is not a classic soul singer in the vein of an Aretha or Gladys.
That said, to my ears the majority of her solo, pre RCA material is commercial soul at it's best. Songs such as "Dark Side Of The World", "A Simple Thing Like Cry", "Brown Baby", "Ain't Nothin' But A Maybe " etc etc. The list is endless. I really don't see why a singer has to gospel out or be a big belter to be classed as a soul singer.. I guess ones perception of what Soul music is or represents may differ somewhat from person to person. What i do know fur sure is that fluff like "Two Can Make It" deff ain't it.

But, she did that same fluff for Motown in the 70s!

My definition of soul comes right out of the south with Muscle Shoals and Memphis with the Stax sound. Sweaty and gritty, and not over-produced! "Mustang Sally now baby! Aw Lawd! Guess you'd better slow your Mustang down!" What I said now! Get it!"

[Ollie9]

[QUOTE=soulster;305854]But, she did that same fluff for Motown in the 70s!

My definition of soul comes right out of the south with Muscle Shoals and Memphis with the Stax sound. Sweaty and gritty, and not over-produced! "Mustang Sally now baby! Aw Lawd! Guess you'd better slow your Mustang down!" What I said now! Get

It may be yours, but it sure ain't mine.. Agree that Diana did record a little fluff while at Motown, but also heaps of what i consider to be commercial soul.
Telephone for me contains a wicked, soulful vocal from Diana. One of her very few for RCA.

[soulster]

It may be yours, but it sure ain't mine.. Agree that Diana did record a little fluff while at Motown, but also heaps of what i consider to be commercial soul.
Telephone for me contains a wicked, soulful vocal from Diana. One of her very few for RCA.
OK, I see, you're in the U.K.. Maybe that explains it. I think most Americans will tell you the real soul came from the south!

[Ollie9]

I will have to take your word on that one Soulster.
As far as i'm concerned Diana's vocal performances on songs such as "A Simple Thing Like Cry" or "Sparkle" are as uniquely soulful as anything those other great ladies, who's names are perhaps more associated with that genre of music recorded.
My original point was that Soul/R & B fans such as myself were, with the exception of a handful of songs left out in the cold with the kind of music that featured on those first two albums for RCA. I don't know about America, but Silk Electric was panned by UK music critics of the time. Not because it wasn't a very soulful album, but because for the most part the songs were lightweight, pop fluff.

[soulster]

I will have to take your word on that one Soulster.
As far as i'm concerned Diana's vocal performances on songs such as "A Simple Thing Like Cry" or "Sparkle" are as uniquely soulful as anything those other great ladies, who's names are perhaps more associated with that genre of music recorded.


I'll put anything Ross recorded up against anything Aretha Franklin has done as far as soulfulness is concerned and Aretha would win hands down. Listen to "I Never Noved A Man The Way That I Loved You". That's real soul! Get Rhino's "Beg, Scream & SHOUT!" boxed set. That's soul right there! That's why a lot of Americans have no use for Motown, it's too slick and smooth, and cleaned up for White audiences. That's why mixed audiences love The O'Jays. OK, if you like smoother soul, There's Spinners and Jackie Wilson.

[thommg]

I'll put anything Ross recorded up against anything Aretha Franklin has done as far as soulfulness is concerned and Aretha would win hands down. Listen to "I Never Noved A Man The Way That I Loved You". That's real soul! Get Rhino's "Beg, Scream & SHOUT!" boxed set. That's soul right there! That's why a lot of Americans have no use for Motown, it's too slick and smooth, and cleaned up for White audiences. That's why mixed audiences love The O'Jays. OK, if you like smoother soul, There's Spinners and Jackie Wilson.

Ummmmm, most Americans have a lot of use for Motown. You always hear Motown on the radio and on oldies stations and through the muzak as you shop. Aside from one or two songs, you don't usually hear Aretha. And none of that has any bearing on whether the music is any good anyway. I would say most of what Aretha has recorded falls under soul with very little being pop. I would say what Diana has recorded is mostly pop with a little bit falling under soul. That being said, Diana had a soulful way of recording pop, meaning that you can tell she put her heart into the music as she sang - which, for me, would be included in the definition of soul.

[soulster]

Ummmmm, most Americans have a lot of use for Motown. You always hear Motown on the radio and on oldies stations and through the muzak as you shop. Aside from one or two songs, you don't usually hear Aretha. And none of that has any bearing on whether the music is any good anyway. I would say most of what Aretha has recorded falls under soul with very little being pop. I would say what Diana has recorded is mostly pop with a little bit falling under soul. That being said, Diana had a soulful way of recording pop, meaning that you can tell she put her heart into the music as she sang - which, for me, would be included in the definition of soul.

Obviously, you don't talk to the same people I do.

[Ollie9]

So would you classify an album such as "Everyday Is A New Day" as a pop album?. If not how does it differ from WDFFIL?.

[arr&bee]

I think diana wanted to sing[why do fools]because she was a big frankie lyman fan and she loved the song.

[soulster]

I think diana wanted to sing[why do fools]because she was a big frankie lyman fan and she loved the song.

Exactly, and she did a damn good job on it.

[Bluebrock]

My two favorite albums from the RCA period are Red Hot Rhythm and Blues and Eaten Alive. The strongest material, the best songs.

Totally agree. She was just getting into her stride by this time. Her earlier RCA albums were so inconsistent. She needed producers who knew how to make the best use of her voice. Just my opinion of course.

[midnightman]

But, she did that same fluff for Motown in the 70s!

My definition of soul comes right out of the south with Muscle Shoals and Memphis with the Stax sound. Sweaty and gritty, and not over-produced! "Mustang Sally now baby! Aw Lawd! Guess you'd better slow your Mustang down!" What I said now! Get it!"

Say that again. LOL

Diana was never really soul in the traditional sense of that word when referred to her music. Did she have a gospel background? Sure, but her voice, starting from the early Supremes days, were more on the shores of Lesley Gore and Ronnie Bennett than it was on the guttbucket sides of Tina Turner and Aretha Franklin.

Diana's "soul music" was more of that polished pop sound with R&B influences, which also describes pretty much, the Supremes' entire ouvre. The Three Degrees were probably the poppish vocal group produced under the Philly soul genre and the only group that could be compared to what the Supremes and what Diana was doing in the '70s.

Diana's early Motown records had the same pop-soul flourish of her contemporaries like the Fifth Dimension, the Friends of Distinction and the Cornelius Brothers and Sister than it would if compared to Aretha, Chaka and Gladys [[who herself was finding ways to crossover without losing her early soul sound).

Not saying being pop is bad - I enjoy some of Diana's fluff lol - but Diana in the traditional sense was NEVER a soul artist. Never ever never lol

[midnightman]

@soulster, and yeah I see your points about the crossover thing. Diana had that down pat. I guess the real reason she didn't get the main support was she was on RCA. Then again, some of her Motown records were bad sellers too [[Baby It's Me, Ross '78, Last Time I Saw Him, Everything is Everything, etc.)

And also, really? I thought it was common knowledge that MJ produced "Muscles" in '82, unless he didn't want his name to be revealed [[that can happen), plus many labels were just starting to lose their restrictions as far out of label artists working on their artist's albums? But yeah I haven't listened to Silk Electric enough to give it a full review. I might later. I think besides Muscles, only thing that is memorable about SE was the Andy Warhol cover.

10428

[soulster]

@soulster, and yeah I see your points about the crossover thing. Diana had that down pat. I guess the real reason she didn't get the main support was she was on RCA. Then again, some of her Motown records were bad sellers too [[Baby It's Me, Ross '78, Last Time I Saw Him, Everything is Everything, etc.)

And also, really? I thought it was common knowledge that MJ produced "Muscles" in '82, unless he didn't want his name to be revealed [[that can happen), plus many labels were just starting to lose their restrictions as far out of label artists working on their artist's albums? But yeah I haven't listened to Silk Electric enough to give it a full review. I might later. I think besides Muscles, only thing that is memorable about SE was the Andy Warhol cover.

http://soulfuldetroit.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=10428&stc=1

You guys would laugh, but that is my second favorite RCA album of hers! Sure, it has some bad patches, but I find the songs are of pretty good quality, even if they are a bit schmaltzy.

[Koach]

I love Silk Electric as well. I don't understand the dislike many feel for it. It's too bad there wasn't a song called Silk Electric, too. My favorite track was Anywhere You Run to. I wish the production was a little stronger. The version by David Roberts had better backing IMO.

[midnightman]

Wasn't "Hold Me" on the album? But titled as "In Your Arms". I see why some would like it. It has that big dramatic production that usually was featured in DR's ballad productions and of course Michael Masser co-wrote and produced it for her. Which made Whitney's and Teddy's version two years later even more prominent as a ballad.

As far as the songs on that album, the ones I've really dug are "I Am Me" and "A Fool for Your Love". "Muscles" is smooth but the video makes the song so corny [[LOL). You think Janet Jackson was jotting notes down while listening to "Muscles"? Sure think Diana kinda influenced her quiet storm songs...in SOME way lol

[midnightman]

Listening to the songs of SE on YouTube, I dig this one:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYRdzZ3EzYA

Definitely a doo-wop flashback but still on the '80s production tip lol

Also the background vocals are kickin' it thanks to LUFFA and Cissy Houston lol it fits... Luther should've produced a full album on Diana! I love "It's Hard For Me to Say", the track he gave Diana on "Red Hot Rhythm & Blues".

[Ollie9]

All i can say about this song is YUK!!!. A cloying and sickly song, which quite rightly died a death when released as a single. Even talented producer Richard Perry could do little with it. Muscles would of course prove to be Diana's last big chart hit in the UK until 86.
To compare Diana to Aretha is pointless. Aretha is the queen of soul and would beat if not all, than most black female singers for that title.
Anyone who can take the Billie Holiday songbook, and make it her own, has in my opinion her own unique brand of soul..

[soulster]

I love Silk Electric as well. I don't understand the dislike many feel for it. It's too bad there wasn't a song called Silk Electric, too. My favorite track was Anywhere You Run to. I wish the production was a little stronger. The version by David Roberts had better backing IMO.

I like "Still In Love", "Who", "Love Lies", and "In Your Arms", and i'm not really too big on Ross ballads. In fact, Whitney Houston did a cover of "In Your Arms" on her debut album. In fact, I like that album so much that I know every sonic detail on it.

I think the "Ross" album is stellar...except for that last track "I Am Me".

Yup, that's me always going against the grain of the rest of the forum.

[sansradio]

I think the "Ross" album is stellar...except for that last track "I Am Me".

"I Am Me" is the last track on Silk Electric, not Ross. The last track on Ross is "Girls," which she co-wrote.

[soulster]

"I Am Me" is the last track on Silk Electric, not Ross. The last track on Ross is "Girls," which she co-wrote.
Oops! I know that! I goofed. I'm not too crazy about "Girls", either, but it's way better than "I Am me".

[sansradio]

Oops! I know that! I goofed. I'm not too crazy about "Girls", either, but it's way better than "I Am me".

Well, I see what you mean. For me, time's been kinder to "I Am Me"; I was grooving to it on my iPod about a week ago. "Girls" is...okay. If you can get past its rather listless lyric quality and monotonous verses, the track is pretty smoking.

[soulster]

Well, I see what you mean. For me, time's been kinder to "I Am Me"; I was grooving to it on my iPod about a week ago. "Girls" is...okay. If you can get past its rather listless lyric quality and monotonous verses , the track is pretty smoking. I'm just not crazy about reggae, and I really don't want to hear Diana Ross singing about herself.