The Return to Motown Years

[lucky2012]

I think more than a few of us here feel that Diana Ross gave us some very fine music in the 90's, which corresponds to her much touted return to Motown. Unfortunately, the royal return of the Queen of Motown did not translate into any hits. We have the 80's hits documented in The RCA Years but I'm afraid there won't be a Return To Motown Years.

The only single that came anywhere near the Billboard Hot 100 was 1995's Take Me Higher [[#114). 1989's Workin' Overtime made it to #3 on the R&B Singles Chart but apparently didn't even approach the Hot 100.

So I ain't holdin' my breath. Instead, I'll just go ahead and collect and enjoy the great music the way I want. Thank God for playlists!

1. If We Hold On Together
2. Change of Heart
3. When You Tell Me That You Love Me
4. Waiting in the Wings
5. One Shining Moment
6. Take Me Higher
7. If You're Not Gonna Love Me Right
8. Gone
9. I Thought That We Were Still In Love
10. I Never Loved a Man Before
11. Voice of the Heart
12. I Will Survive
13. He Lives In You
14. Someone That You Loved Before
15. Not Over You Yet
16. Every Day Is a New Day
17. Sugar Free
18. Love Is All That Matters
19. Hope Is An Open Window
20. The Best Years of My Life

Note: I don't loathe the album Workin' Overtime. I usually just pretend it's not there. I added The Best Years of My Life at the end because I think Diana Ross has dedicated it to her fans. Which brings me to my final thought: I wonder what are the songs Diana Ross feels closest to and proudest of?

[midnightman]

Take Me Higher was her finest hour in the late Motown years. I know some folks think Every Day Is a New Day was too depressing but I loved it too. Workin' Overtime had some gems but she got it right with Force Behind the Power, which I honestly need to hear more of.

[daviddh]

I think there were some good tracks on WO, I liked Paradise, and Keep On Dancin.

[reese]

I don't loathe WO either, but I hardly ever play it. The title track, THIS HOUSE, and PARADISE.

But I absolutely love TFBTP and TMH. Those albums are amongst her best, IMO. I can listen to both without hardly skipping a track.

It took longer for me to appreciate EDIAND. On first listen, I couldn't get into it at all. I loved the opening tracks and the closing tracks for that matter. But in the middle, it took a turn towards R&B that I didn't like. It wasn't until fairly recently that I started to listen to the album again. I think part of my problem with it is how it is sequenced. But I would have loved to hear some of these songs in concert. Too bad she never promoted it.

[Ollie9]

After 89, Diana Ross finally stopped experimenting and put more effort and care into the albums she was releasing. During the 80's she appeared more concerned about the cover art then the music itself.
Even fans who hate WO would have to agree her vocals are passionate on it.
In europe she continued to have hits a plenty, so would welcome a return to motown best of collection........Me thinks.

[daviddh]

i wish Diana would dd more of these songs in her show

[reese]

i wish Diana would dd more of these songs in her show

Now she just sticks to the hits and goes on her way. I saw her last night and even though it was the same basic show I've seen for the past few years, I still left satisfied. She's still got it.

[daviddh]

the above track list would be a great concert with a few hits added......Upside Down, aint No Mountain , Touch Me In.....Love Hangover

[Ollie9]

I don't loathe WO either, but I hardly ever play it. The title track, THIS HOUSE, and PARADISE.

But I absolutely love TFBTP and TMH. Those albums are amongst her best, IMO. I can listen to both without hardly skipping a track.

It took longer for me to appreciate EDIAND. On first listen, I couldn't get into it at all. I loved the opening tracks and the closing tracks for that matter. But in the middle, it took a turn towards R&B that I didn't like. It wasn't until fairly recently that I started to listen to the album again. I think part of my problem with it is how it is sequenced. But I would have loved to hear some of these songs in concert. Too bad she never promoted it.

I agree with you reece. Although i love the album, but the way the songs are sequenced is all wrong for me. I remember Diana saying at the time that Evan had helped her in choosing the order the songs were to be in. He would have been around 11 at the time bless him. I think "Drop The Mask" would have been a welcome edition to the the album. To many slow to mid-tempo songs together.

[sansradio]

I thought it was Ross who helped with the song-stacking.

[copley]

In the UK things were very much different as she was still getting airplay on Radio 1.

32 Workin’ Overtime

61 Paradise

2 When You Tell Me That You Love Me

27 The Force Behind The Power

10 One Shining Moment

11 If We Hold On Together

31 Heart [[Don’t Change My Mind)

14 Your Love

28 Best Years Of My Life

32 Take Me Higher

36 I’m Gone

14 I Will Survive

34 In The Ones You Love

9 Not Over You Yet

2 When You Tell Me That You Love Me – Westlife ft Diana Ross. Their popularity was at its height so even a duet with Mrs Miller would have gone top 10!

[Ollie9]

No it was Evan.

[Ollie9]

In the UK things were very much different as she was still getting airplay on Radio 1.

32 Workin’ Overtime

61 Paradise

2 When You Tell Me That You Love Me

27 The Force Behind The Power

10 One Shining Moment

11 If We Hold On Together

31 Heart [[Don’t Change My Mind)

14 Your Love

28 Best Years Of My Life

32 Take Me Higher

36 I’m Gone

14 I Will Survive

34 In The Ones You Love

9 Not Over You Yet

2 When You Tell Me That You Love Me – Westlife ft Diana Ross. Their popularity was at its height so even a duet with Mrs Miller would have gone top 10!

The 90's was a great time for UK Diana Ross fans. She was regularly seen on tv shows and continued to have hit singles and albums. I remember seeing Diana and Arne quite a few times walking through Battersea Park when i was playing tennis.

[sup_fan]

love trading playlist ideas. here's my Diana Part II list:

Bottom Line
Goin' through the motions
We Stand Together
When you tell me that you love me
Battlefield
Force Behind the power
you're gonna love it
Your love
best years of my life
i never loved a man before
I will survive
take me higher
gone
swing it
if your not gonna love me right
what a little moonlight can do
the man i love
carry on
Until we meet again [[hex hector mix)
Got to be free
You are not alone

[PeaceNHarmony]

Loved/love 'em all, and until we get official expanded editions I'm happy with my un-official ones.

[daviddh]

i forgot about In The Ones You Love , Promise Me You'll Try

[daviddh]

after Take Me Higher, why didn't she record with these producers again

[marybrewster]

Although I don't think it was ever released as a single, I've always been partial to "Say We Can". There's a great clip on YT of Diana singing this Wembley.

[daviddh]

Although I don't think it was ever released as a single, I've always been partial to "Say We Can". There's a great clip on YT of Diana singing this Wembley.

Say We Can was good. the tour was good and I think the songs were better in a live setting. some seem stale to me incl WO. I think the lp needed a better mix. good songs but not really I think stands out to me. Paradise was also good

[marv2]

I think more than a few of us here feel that Diana Ross gave us some very fine music in the 90's, which corresponds to her much touted return to Motown. Unfortunately, the royal return of the Queen of Motown did not translate into any hits. We have the 80's hits documented in The RCA Years but I'm afraid there won't be a Return To Motown Years.

The only single that came anywhere near the Billboard Hot 100 was 1995's Take Me Higher [[#114). 1989's Workin' Overtime made it to #3 on the R&B Singles Chart but apparently didn't even approach the Hot 100.

So I ain't holdin' my breath. Instead, I'll just go ahead and collect and enjoy the great music the way I want. Thank God for playlists!

1. If We Hold On Together
2. Change of Heart
3. When You Tell Me That You Love Me
4. Waiting in the Wings
5. One Shining Moment
6. Take Me Higher
7. If You're Not Gonna Love Me Right
8. Gone
9. I Thought That We Were Still In Love
10. I Never Loved a Man Before
11. Voice of the Heart
12. I Will Survive
13. He Lives In You
14. Someone That You Loved Before
15. Not Over You Yet
16. Every Day Is a New Day
17. Sugar Free
18. Love Is All That Matters
19. Hope Is An Open Window
20. The Best Years of My Life

Note: I don't loathe the album Workin' Overtime. I usually just pretend it's not there. I added The Best Years of My Life at the end because I think Diana Ross has dedicated it to her fans. Which brings me to my final thought: I wonder what are the songs Diana Ross feels closest to and proudest of?

I would bet you that there is not even 500 people that you could select randomly in American that has heard or knows any of these songs. I heard numbers 3 and 6 on the radio once. She basically no longer existed on American radio in the 90s.

[daviddh]

they played several songs from The Force incl songs 1,3, 4 n 5 a lot here

[Bluebrock]

I would bet you that there is not even 500 people that you could select randomly in American that has heard or knows any of these songs. I heard numbers 3 and 6 on the radio once. She basically no longer existed on American radio in the 90s.
I think you could also say that the likes of Aretha, Gladys, Dionne and Patti also had trouble getting their music heard. Thank goodness there are countries who still judge music on its merits rather than the age of the artist. When I lived in NYC I could not believe how the same handful of songs were played on rotation over and over again. It was so unimaginative , so predictable and oh so dull.

[marv2]

I think you could also say that the likes of Aretha, Gladys, Dionne and Patti also had trouble getting their music heard. Thank goodness there are countries who still judge music on its merits rather than the age of the artist. When I lived in NYC I could not believe how the same handful of songs were played on rotation over and over again. It was so unimaginative , so predictable and oh so dull.

I was talking about Diana Ross because this thread was titled "The Return to Motown Years" in reference to Diana Ross' recordings.

[daviddh]

perhaps some of these songs are not as popular as we like but, they are still some of her best albums, THE FORCE, TAKE ME HIGHER, EVERYDAY .
I think just about any artist has trouble getting airplay after a while, even now radio here is not playing the new Paul McCartney songs. not to say it is not good but radio here in USA only will play to the younger crowd.
I think Diana needed a new way to get her music heard, like her own you tube channel or being more visible.
although she was very visible for TMH.

[motownlover1964]

Bluebrock... you are so right about the state of radio in the U.S. The corporate pinheads have taken over and no matter the format it seems the same 30-40 songs are in rotation all the time. A couple of years ago I had the good fortune to have a radio show on our community radio station dedicated to Motown. However, while I played some of the well-known hits the majority of my show was comprised of B-sides, album tracks and songs from the vaults. Many folks commented on how refreshing it was to hear something different than "Baby Love," "I Can't Help Myself," "My Girl," etc.

[lucky2012]

I would bet you that there is not even 500 people that you could select randomly in American that has heard or knows any of these songs. I heard numbers 3 and 6 on the radio once. She basically no longer existed on American radio in the 90s.

Lol, Marv. I thought it was clear why I wasn't expecting a Return to Motown compilation. My main point was how much of the music was and is still pretty wonderful. In my mind, her 90's music is a great part of her legacy and a reason why I still listen to her.


I think just about any artist has trouble getting airplay after a while, even now radio here is not playing the new Paul McCartney songs. not to say it is not good but radio here in USA only will play to the younger crowd.
The above is so true. Actually, I noticed much shorter radio playlists starting in the 70's.