Diana ross: The rca singles ranked [[1981 – 1987)

[PeaceNHarmony]

I'm largely woe betied to introduce yet another RCA years thread, but ... this one is quite recent and I really like what Phillips has to say. Love the era or not, our girl was sure ready & willing to try new things -

https://ianphillipssite.wordpress.com/2021/08/01/diana-ross-the-rca-singles-ranked/

[Ollie9]

The list if anything reinforces just how many bad decisions were actually made which is a huge shame. I’m not totally certain if those decisions were down to Diana herself or the record company.
I totally disagree with Mr Phillips in that songs such as “”So Close”, “Up Front” “Dirty Looks”, “Shockwaves and “Mr Lee” seemed surefire winners, failing only due to lack of promotion. The public of course had the final say.
I’m sure her rca years would be viewed far more kindly, by so many more had better decisions regarding the singles been made.

[florence]

On the whole that's not a bad listing at all - I personally love Shockwaves and don't rate Pieces Of Ice.

However with such a comprehensive list you'd think the research would be done more carefully.

There's a simple reason why Who didn't chart in the UK - it wasn't the third single from Silk Electric, it was never released at all as a single.

[RanRan79]

The list if anything reinforces just how many bad decisions were actually made which is a huge shame. I’m not totally certain if those decisions were down to Diana herself or the record company.
I totally disagree with Mr Phillips in that songs such as “”So Close”, “Up Front” “Dirty Looks”, “Shockwaves and “Mr Lee” seemed surefire winners, failing only due to lack of promotion. The public of course had the final say.
I’m sure her rca years would be viewed far more kindly, by so many more had better decisions regarding the singles been made.

This is all I need to know to avoid whatever has been posted. Surefire winners? "Mr. Lee"? This had to be written by one of the Diana cult members. I realize everyone has their favs and hates, but IMO "Mr. Lee" was so bad that every single Bobbette should've tracked Diana down and knocked the hell out of her. She was too damned old to be singing that anyway. Might as well have re-recorded "Baby Love". Probably would've sounded better.

[Jaap]

There's a simple reason why Who didn't chart in the UK - it wasn't the third single from Silk Electric, it was never released at all as a single.

That is indeed a mistake. It was released as a single in The Netherlands only, as the third single of Silk Electric. Interestingly, Who was also released on CD as bootleg single in Brazil in 2020!

[after you]

The RCA years I loved them but I wished she would of stayed at Motown more music like the to Love again album would of been heaven

[Spreadinglove21]

I'm shocked it wasn't a 22 way tie for first place.

[Circa 1824]

They could have a college class based on her RCA years called “How to completely destroy a career.” Her recordings, her hair and clothes, her behavior, her book, and her disastrous tv performances all played key destructive roles.

[Boogiedown]

Ouch !

But I get it. The elegance of the seventies got -swept away - in the eighties didn’t it.
This is not only true for Diana but for music and entertainment overall .
Maybe partially by the buying into that whole music taking a backseat to a stupid video routine helped to lose the focus on music as a sound experience

[Ollie9]

They could have a college class based on her RCA years called “How to completely destroy a career.” Her recordings, her hair and clothes, her behavior, her book, and her disastrous tv performances all played key destructive roles.

I admire the fact you are always so brutally honest in your opinion Circa lol.
I remember in 81 being less then impressed by her appearance on the Carson show, bemused at the transformation of the star i had worshipped since a small kid. Very heavy makeup, forgetting the words and coming across as rather egotistical. I know some fans love it, but i certainly didn’t. For the record I was 18.
She seemed to calm around 87 with the RHR&B album at least sounding like the Diana i had always worshipped.

[Ollie9]

Ouch !

But I get it. The elegance of the seventies got -swept away - in the eighties didn’t it.
This is not only true for Diana but for music and entertainment overall .
Maybe partially by the buying into that whole music taking a backseat to a stupid video routine helped to lose the focus on music as a sound experience

I have only two words to utter Mr Boogiedown.....Anita Baker.
I do agree that generally the 80’s music scene appeared less focussed on the music itself and more invested in the visual.

[Nitro2015]

They could have a college class based on her RCA years called “How to completely destroy a career.” Her recordings, her hair and clothes, her behavior, her book, and her disastrous tv performances all played key destructive roles.

LOL. LOL. Hahahaha.

I can understand what you say. But realisticaly it wasn't only about mistakes.

She still did pretty well for a veteran artist who was already past her commercial prime. After she signed with RCA, she still had 8 Top 40 hits - 4 Top 10, 6 Top 20 - and an international #1 smash with Chain Reaction. ... very respectable if you take into consideration that she had her massive success in the 1960s with The Supremes.

Many of her Motown singles/albums didn't do that well in the 1970s too, she was always an irregular chart artist... with occasional big hits.

One of the big blows for her in the 1980s was the great reviews WDFFIL got. The Rolling Stone magazine review of the album is stellar. It made her think she was totally in the right track when the music wasn't all that at all. I love the title track, Mirror Mirror and Sweet Surrender. The rest of the album doesn't compare to her past work.

[Boogiedown]

I have only two words to utter Mr Boogiedown.....Anita Baker.
I do agree that generally the 80’s music scene appeared less focussed on the music itself and more invested in the visual.

Much of the 80s pop music scene was sort of cartoonish....

Glad you got the point of my garbled post Ollie.
I take it you view Anita Baker as the class act of the bunch.

[Ollie9]

Much of the 80s pop music scene was sort of cartoonish....

Glad you got the point of my garbled post Ollie.
I take it you view Anita Baker as the class act of the bunch.

So many 80’s recordings have that synth laden clinical feel to them. Not my fave musical decade by any means, although I do like much of the “ross 83 album.
Anita was true to herself. She was more about recording quality music then scratching around in search of an allusive hit. I wish the same could be said of Diana’s 80’s rca ventures.
Anita proved you didn’t have to try and be trendy to find success.