Touch Me In The Morning Expanded

[Ollie9]

Although TMITM is an excellent album, i do prefer disc 2 of the expanded release, complete with alternate takes and songs that were recorded for the intended "To The Baby" album.
I love the alternate version of "My Baby [[My Own)", finding it looser and a little more soulful. Diana's ad libs are great. "Imagine" leading into "Save The Children works really well and i think should have been left as was originally intended. "To The Baby" is a brilliant vocal from Diana and one of those songs that just gets inside your head. It should definitely have found it's way on to the original lp. "Kewpie Doll" and "First Time Ever" fit the soulful dreamy quality of the other songs.
The only song i am not enthralled with is"Got To Be There" which sounds unfinished and lacks the passionate intensity of the Michael Jackson version.
I believeTMITM should have been a double album release. Diana's own "Songs In The Key Of Life"

[mysterysinger]

"Songs In The Key Of Ross" lol.

I love those expanded issues.

[sup_fan]

keep in mind she was just coming off a double lp set - Lady Sings the Blues soundtrack.

I definitely like the To The Baby collection and think it would have been a strong set. it also would have held up well artistically. it's a thoughtful and meaningful concept and the performances were strong.

The TMITM set was also a strong collection, even if it was handled by a variety of producers. I think there are plenty of "canned" tracks to actually have done BOTH with quality material.

[Jaap]

Although I’m very happy that “To The Baby” finally was released, I think it was a missed opportunity that it was a bonus disc to the expanded “Touch Me In The Morning” album rather than a single disc “lost album” release as “Blue” had been previously. Yes, the two albums are very similar and share some of the same songs, but “To The Baby” is much more “soulful” than the MOR vibe of “Touch Me In The Morning,” and also a far more personal album. I created a single disc of “To The Baby” [[as the expanded edition of “Touch Me In The Morning” was no longer available) for a friend of mine who had just given birth to her first baby boy. She is a very proud black woman [[sounds weird to say it in this way, but I think it is relevant in this case) who had always been a bit skeptical about Diana Ross; to her, Ross seemed too pop, too glamorous. But she loved “To The Baby,” telling me that she really connected to all the songs [[particularly “Brown Baby” and “To The Baby”) and that she for the first time really FELT the “soul” of Diana Ross – which of course is a great compliment. To me, there are many more songs of Ross that actually are “soulful” and “personal,” but I get what she means. I also understand why Motown decided to release “Touch Me In The Morning” instead of “To The Baby,” but releasing “To The Baby” as a stand-alone album in 2010 possibly would have given it much more exposure and could have connected Ross to listeners that overall find her work not “soulful” enough.

[Ollie9]

Although I’m very happy that “To The Baby” finally was released, I think it was a missed opportunity that it was a bonus disc to the expanded “Touch Me In The Morning” album rather than a single disc “lost album” release as “Blue” had been previously. Yes, the two albums are very similar and share some of the same songs, but “To The Baby” is much more “soulful” than the MOR vibe of “Touch Me In The Morning,” and also a far more personal album. I created a single disc of “To The Baby” [[as the expanded edition of “Touch Me In The Morning” was no longer available) for a friend of mine who had just given birth to her first baby boy. She is a very proud black woman [[sounds weird to say it in this way, but I think it is relevant in this case) who had always been a bit skeptical about Diana Ross; to her, Ross seemed too pop, too glamorous. But she loved “To The Baby,” telling me that she really connected to all the songs [[particularly “Brown Baby” and “To The Baby”) and that she for the first time really FELT the “soul” of Diana Ross – which of course is a great compliment. To me, there are many more songs of Ross that actually are “soulful” and “personal,” but I get what she means. I also understand why Motown decided to release “Touch Me In The Morning” instead of “To The Baby,” but releasing “To The Baby” as a stand-alone album in 2010 possibly would have given it much more exposure and could have connected Ross to listeners that overall find her work not “soulful” enough.

I also can understand why motown released Touch Me In The Morning " as at the time they wanted to return Diana to the top of the charts with a pop smash. I just think they used some of the wrong versions of songs for the album.
Do you think "To The Baby" would have been well received had it been released instead of the "Last Time I Saw Him" album?. "Part Of You" sounds like it had some hit potential.

[daviddh]

Last Time I Saw Him was a bad album in my opinion. i read even Diana didn' t like it. I do like the outa takes better than what was actually used. Anything would have been better, and Blue sat in the vaults for 30 years

[daviddh]

been listening to TMITM deluxe ,for some reason, the outtakes ,up to this point, I have not paid much attention to. Kewpie Doll jumps out at me first as a gem. why wasn't this released. I can only assume they forgot about it. ?? To The Baby is a beautiful track, and I would have included it in the lp. I also like the alt mixs better especially All Of My LIfe without the backing vocals ,which to me ,makes it to sugary.

[Ollie9]

been listening to TMITM deluxe ,for some reason, the outtakes ,up to this point, I have not paid much attention to. Kewpie Doll jumps out at me first as a gem. why wasn't this released. I can only assume they forgot about it. ?? To The Baby is a beautiful track, and I would have included it in the lp. I also like the alt mixs better especially All Of My LIfe without the backing vocals ,which to me ,makes it to sugary.

Great minds think alike David lol. "To The Baby" and "Kewpie Doll" really are two standout tracks that sould have been included.
For me the unreleased versions of songs cut for TMITM are just that little more soulful and perhaps a little less precise than the released versions.
Allowing for the fact that LSTB was a double album, i really think TMITM would have sold just as well as a two disc package.. Motown could have taken there time in fully promoting the album and releasing various singles from it with "Diana & Marvin" being released later the following year to cover the rather sparse 74/75 period.
"Last Time I Saw Him" would have been shelved, perhaps with the exception of the delicate "Love Me".....................Sorted!!!

[sup_fan]

i'm guessing that items just got stuck away in the vault and then sort of became "passe." They picked a handful of the best tracks from the Baby, Blue and Michael Masser selections to make up Touch Me in the Morning lp. they pulled a few more for Last Time and then also used that as a "testing ground" for a few new producers.

But then came Mahogany and then disco exploded. So these tracks just sort of lost their opening.

[Bluebrock]

Last Time I Saw Him was a bad album in my opinion. i read even Diana didn' t like it. I do like the outa takes better than what was actually used. Anything would have been better, and Blue sat in the vaults for 30 years
Diana didn;t like LTISH or Everything is everything .

[daviddh]

I would have released Blue instead of the LTISH album. Diana was off the charts for most of the end of 74-75