Opening songs

[Albator]

Do you know or remember the opening song of Diana's show over the years?

It seems that in 1986, "Swept away" was still the opening number.

[daviddh]

Touch me in the morning..mid 70s
Here I am....76 ish
I'm coming out for a while ..until...
Take me higher

[reese]

Don't Rain on My Parade
Touch Me in the Morning
Here I Am / I Wouldn't Change a Thing
Ain't No Mountain High Enough
I'm Coming Out
It's My Turn
I'm Coming Out / Upside Down
Chain Reaction
Take Me Higher
The Boss

[Albator]

Don't Rain on My Parade
Touch Me in the Morning
Here I Am / I Wouldn't Change a Thing
Ain't No Mountain High Enough
I'm Coming Out
It's My Turn
I'm Coming Out / Upside Down
Chain Reaction
Take Me Higher
The Boss

Where is Swept away?
In 1994, she opened with Chain reaction, at least in Paris. I see that she did the same in 1992, for her Japanese and Australian tour. I don't remember how it was in Europe.

[reese]

Where is Swept away?
In 1994, she opened with Chain reaction, at least in Paris. I see that she did the same in 1992, for her Japanese and Australian tour. I don't remember how it was in Europe.

I only listed shows that I actually attended or saw/heard on tape. She only sang SWEPT AWAY when I saw her in 1984, when it was her latest single. It closed her second set and she encored with it as well.

But now that you mention it, I did see a clip of a show where it seemed as if SWEPT AWAY was her opening number.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHHZojJrjjg

[marybrewster]

Seems to me they started with a snip of "Dirty Diana" for a while too.

[Levi Stubbs Tears]

Here's all I can find from setlists. Some of these were just one-offs, others were debuts for a new tour. I have only listed the debut for a certain song, not the many times something like 'I'm Coming Out' would come back as the opening number.

70s
Don't Rain on My Parade
Touch Me In The Morning
Here I Am/I Wouldn't Change A Thing
Love Hangover
You Keep Me Hanging On
I Want You Back
Ain't No Mountain High Enough

80s
I'm Coming Out
Family [[from Dreamgirls)
Reach Out And Touch
Swept Away
Dirty Diana
Dirty Looks

90s
Chain Reaction
Blame it on the Sun
Take Me Higher

2000s
Reflections
The Boss
Upside Down
He Lives in You

[JohnnyB]

Here's all I can find from setlists. Some of these were just one-offs, others were debuts for a new tour. I have only listed the debut for a certain song, not the many times something like 'I'm Coming Out' would come back as the opening number.

70s
Don't Rain on My Parade
Touch Me In The Morning
Here I Am/I Wouldn't Change A Thing
Love Hangover
You Keep Me Hanging On
I Want You Back
Ain't No Mountain High Enough

80s
I'm Coming Out
Family [[from Dreamgirls)
Reach Out And Touch
Swept Away
Dirty Diana
Dirty Looks

90s
Chain Reaction
Blame it on the Sun
Take Me Higher

2000s
Reflections
The Boss
Upside Down
He Lives in You

I remember reading that Diana used Mirror, Mirror as an opening in 1994. And truly a one-off—I saw Diana open her show in 1982 with Home! A little background... Home was Diana’s opening number for her Detroit concert the day before her 1982 Superbowl performance. I saw the next show, in Dallas, and Home opened the show a second time. Surprising, and I do not know if it was used again...

[JohnnyB]

She also opened at Radio City Music Hall in 1984 with New York State Of Mind...

[vgalindo]

Here's all I can find from setlists. Some of these were just one-offs, others were debuts for a new tour. I have only listed the debut for a certain song, not the many times something like 'I'm Coming Out' would come back as the opening number.

70s
Don't Rain on My Parade
Touch Me In The Morning
Here I Am/I Wouldn't Change A Thing
Love Hangover
You Keep Me Hanging On
I Want You Back
Ain't No Mountain High Enough

80s
I'm Coming Out
Family [[from Dreamgirls)
Reach Out And Touch
Swept Away
Dirty Diana
Dirty Looks

90s
Chain Reaction
Blame it on the Sun
Take Me Higher

2000s
Reflections
The Boss
Upside Down
He Lives in You

I saw Diana Ross live in 1982 and she opened with “Its my Turn”. Saw her the next year in 1983 and she opened with “Ain’t no mountain high enough”.

[Albator]

When she opened with Moutain, I suppose it's like she did in Central Park or at Caesar Palace 1979.

[reese]

When she opened with Moutain, I suppose it's like she did in Central Park or at Caesar Palace 1979.

I saw her open with ANMHE is 1982 and 1983. The concerts were performed in-the-round. As the song started, you could hear her reciting the first lines before you saw her. Then she would make her way through the audience to the stage.

The arrangement was similar to the Caesar Palace 1979 opening version, just enough to get her on stage. Because she would end up repeating the song later in a medley along with THEME FROM MAHOGANY.

[Albator]

I saw her open with ANMHE is 1982 and 1983. The concerts were performed in-the-round. As the song started, you could hear her reciting the first lines before you saw her. Then she would make her way through the audience to the stage.

The arrangement was similar to the Caesar Palace 1979 opening version, just enough to get her on stage. Because she would end up repeating the song later in a medley along with THEME FROM MAHOGANY.
Like her entrance at Motown 25

[reese]

Yes but more dramatic. I can remember looking down from my cheap balcony seat and seeing what looked like yards of microphone cord extending to where Diana was.

[Albator]

She was pretty flexible with her set list. I saw that in February 85, she sang, It's my House, Reach out I'll be there, Love child, reflexion... When I saw her in October, those songs were not in her show.

[vgalindo]

Yes but more dramatic. I can remember looking down from my cheap balcony seat and seeing what looked like yards of microphone cord extending to where Diana was.
Yes it was so dramatic. You really had to be there to experience how dramatic and exciting it was. Especially because of the huge arena in the round.
It gives me goosebumps. Lol.

[JohnnyB]

Yes it was so dramatic. You really had to be there to experience how dramatic and exciting it was. Especially because of the huge arena in the round.
It gives me goosebumps. Lol.

ANMHE as an opener had the audience in a frenzy in anticipation of Diana’s entrance! Exciting times...

[vgalindo]

ANMHE as an opener had the audience in a frenzy in anticipation of Diana’s entrance! Exciting times...
Yes. I remember. So exciting.

[PeaceNHarmony]

On one of Diana's extended gigs at Long Island's Westbury Music Fair I recall her walking through the audience [[it was a theater in the round) singing 'Ridin' High', I believe the Cole Porter song -

[reese]

On one of Diana's extended gigs at Long Island's Westbury Music Fair I recall her walking through the audience [[it was a theater in the round) singing 'Ridin' High', I believe the Cole Porter song -

That makes sense. She sang it when she hosted the Tonight Show in 1979 and I was wondering where this song came from, as it wasn't in the act when I saw her earlier that year.

[PeaceNHarmony]

That makes sense. She sang it when she hosted the Tonight Show in 1979 and I was wondering where this song came from, as it wasn't in the act when I saw her earlier that year.OK, then - it does tie in. It was the tour for 'The Boss', and it was a GREAT show. First time in years that Diana 'just' sang with a great band and amazing new songs. The audience response was thunderous all the way through! Thanks for the info, Reese -

[reese]

OK, then - it does tie in. It was the tour for 'The Boss', and it was a GREAT show. First time in years that Diana 'just' sang with a great band and amazing new songs. The audience response was thunderous all the way through! Thanks for the info, Reese -

That was during the time when she was doing the show with the movie screen and such. I gather that since Westbury was a venue in-the-round, she had to restage her act.

[Albator]

What are the albums she promoted most on stage?
The Boss
Swept away
WO
FBTP
TMH

[reese]

What are the albums she promoted most on stage?
The Boss
Swept away
WO
FBTP
TMH

She did a few album tracks from BABY IT'S ME and ROSS during TOUR '79. But I think THE BOSS was really the first one where she did quite a few album tracks while it was a current release. She sang five of its eight songs during her 1979 HBO special and even when she toured in 1980, from one local review I read, she was still singing those five songs, even though "diana" was out and a smash by then.

When I saw her during the FBTP and TMH tours, again the shows heavily promoted the new albums, even though they weren't even released yet. At the shows I saw, she sang six songs from FBTP and seven from TMH.

[Albator]

To my knowledge, during the time of the promotion, she did live from :

The Boss:It’s My House, No One Gets The Prize, I Ain’t Been Licked, The Boss, All For One
diana : Upside down, I'm coming out
WDFFIL : WDFFIL, Mirror mirror, Endless love, Work that body
Silk: Muscles, So Close, Fool for you love [[how long????)
Ross : Lets go up
Swept Away : Swept Away, Missing You, Touch By Touch, Rescue Me, Telephone, forever young
Eaten Alive : Eaten Alive, More & More [[at least one mention)
Red Hot : Dirty Looks [[? some says she did nothing from Red Hot)
W O : Workin’ Overtime, Say We Can, This House, Paradise, What Can One Person Do
FBTP : Change Of Heart, When You Tell Me That You Love Me, Blame It On The Sun, The Force Behind The Power, Waiting In The Wings, One Shining Moment, You’re Gonna Love It
TMH : Take Me Higher, If You’re Not Gonna Love Me, Voice Of The Heart, Don’t Stop, Only Love Can Conquer All, I Will Survive. I Thought That We Were Still In Love [[how long?)

So, it seems like, first is FBTP, than TMH and Swept away, The Boss, WO.

Isn't it crazy she only performed 2 songs from diana :[[
What about Ross, or Red Hot. In 1985, in Europe, while her album was in the stores, she only did the single Eaten Alive. Never heard about Chain Reaction in 85 or 86.

[reese]

Isn't it crazy she only performed 2 songs from diana [/COLOR]:[[
What about Ross, or Red Hot. In 1985, in Europe, while her album was in the stores, she only did the single Eaten Alive. Never heard about Chain Reaction in 85 or 86.

[/FONT]

When she hit my area in 1980, she was red hot with the "diana" album. She was booked for three shows and ended up doing three more due to the demand. I figured she would do many of its songs considering how successful it was. So I was really surprised when I read a local review and she was doing the same act as the 1979 HBO special, just adding UPSIDE DOWN and I'M COMING OUT. Not sure why she didn't perform more of "diana" material unless she didn't have time or $ to have charts done. Supposedly her 1979 presentation had been really expensive.

In 1983, I saw the second show of the FOR ONE AND FOR ALL tour. I was expecting to hear PIECES OF ICE as it was the new single. But she only sang LET'S GO UP. Considering it was early in the tour, maybe she added other ROSS songs as the tour went on.

For RED HOT R&B, I don't believe she toured all that much as she was expecting.

After SWEPT AWAY in 1984, I didn't see her again until WORKIN' OVERTIME in 1989, so I missed all of the tours in-between.

[George Solomon]

Isn't there another whole thread somewhere about which songs she did from her albums? From Eaten Alive, along with the title track she also did Chain Reaction and for a short time Experience. She kept More And More in for quite a while.
From Red Hot along with Dirty Looks which she kept for a while she briefly did There Goes My Baby and Tell Me Again.
From the debut album she did Reach Out, Ain't No Mountain, Something On My Mind and I Wouldn't Change The Man He Is.
From Diana Ross 76, Mahogany, Love Hangover, One Love and Smile. Pretty decent promotion for one album.
As for opening numbers I may have mentioned before that at the Waldorf in the early 70s prior to Lady Sings The Blues she opened some shows with I Loves Ya Porgy. But it was a slower tempo similar to how it is on "Blue."

[PeaceNHarmony]

Isn't there another whole thread somewhere about which songs she did from her albums? From Eaten Alive, along with the title track she also did Chain Reaction and for a short time Experience. She kept More And More in for quite a while.
From Red Hot along with Dirty Looks which she kept for a while she briefly did There Goes My Baby and Tell Me Again.
From the debut album she did Reach Out, Ain't No Mountain, Something On My Mind and I Wouldn't Change The Man He Is.
From Diana Ross 76, Mahogany, Love Hangover, One Love and Smile. Pretty decent promotion for one album.
As for opening numbers I may have mentioned before that at the Waldorf in the early 70s prior to Lady Sings The Blues she opened some shows with I Loves Ya Porgy. But it was a slower tempo similar to how it is on "Blue."That's really interesting, George. I would have thought the Waldorf show was a completely set-piece. The performance I experienced opened with 'Don't Rain'. Were there any other changes at this gig?

[khansperac]

I don’t think I’ve seen anyone online discuss the Eaten Alive tour. I have also never seen any pictures. I didn’t even know there was a tour. Would love to see some footage one day. Did she complete the Red Hot R&B tour? I know she was pregnant at the time.

[reese]

I don’t think I’ve seen anyone online discuss the Eaten Alive tour. I have also never seen any pictures. I didn’t even know there was a tour. Would love to see some footage one day. Did she complete the Red Hot R&B tour? I know she was pregnant at the time.

I have a program from the EATEN ALIVE tour that I bought off eBay, I believe, but the tour never came near my area.

[khansperac]

I have a program from the EATEN ALIVE tour that I bought off eBay, I believe, but the tour never came near my area.

Wow. I wonder if I’ve seen any of these pictures.

[reese]

Wow. I wonder if I’ve seen any of these pictures.

Honestly I haven't looked at it in some time so I don't remember many of them. I do remember a nice photo of her in a gold pantsuit against a setting sun.

Also, the program was titled ROSS, VOLUME TWO, which I thought was odd as there was never a Vol. 1 to my knowledge.

[George Solomon]

That's really interesting, George. I would have thought the Waldorf show was a completely set-piece. The performance I experienced opened with 'Don't Rain'. Were there any other changes at this gig?

I didn't see it but my older brother did. I didn't know I Loves Ya Porgy but he knew it. He called me right after the show and told me the set list he had written down. Most of the usuals for that time were there. Lady Is A Tramp, Big Mable Murphy, Jesus Christ Medley, Reach Out, Mountain. She did a Lady Sings The Blues Medley and told the audience about the movie that would be coming out. He jotted down Supremes Medley but couldn't remember specifics. He said he was pretty sure it included Baby Love and Love Is Here And Now You're Gone. The latter seems unlikely to me. He said she made one costume change. Does any of this gel with what you saw?

[JohnnyB]

Honestly I haven't looked at it in some time so I don't remember many of them. I do remember a nice photo of her in a gold pantsuit against a setting sun.

Also, the program was titled ROSS, VOLUME TWO, which I thought was odd as there was never a Vol. 1 to my knowledge.

I have that program as well. I assumed the “Ross” title was in reference to her previous tour program, “Diana.” Both were similar in style—black glossy covers, no cover photos and gold lettering, thus making “Ross” a second volume...

[vgalindo]

I have that program as well. I assumed the “Ross” title was in reference to her previous tour program, “Diana.” Both were similar in style—black glossy covers, no cover photos and gold lettering, thus making “Ross” a second volume...
That’s correct. I have both. They both were designed to look alike.

[Albator]

Was there a "eaten alive tour"?
I don't think so, since it was just an extension of the Swept away promotional tour. The album was released while she was on tour in Europe and this is the time she married Arne. UK, France, Germany, Italy, Netherland, Belgium.
All she did was drop occasionaly Muscles or Telephone and replace it by Eaten Alive. I don't know if the tour continued in the US, through 1986. Did she perform Chain Reaction in the US at that time?
Was she on tour at the same time she hosted the AMA?

[Jaap]

When Ross performed in Rotterdam in 1985 [[5 shows!), they sold several different Eaten Alive T-shirts. She sang Eaten Alive and Experience, the latter reading from a lyrics sheet. She said that Experience probably would be the new single, "as people seem to like it" [[her words). But the show didn't have a specific title [[as did the Work That Body World Tour of 1982) and the opening number was Swept Away [[which was also recorded for promotion on television). I don't think/remember that she sang Chain Reaction.