No Matter What You Do - Diana Ross and Al B. Sure

[Koach]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kiwsjZ6JZ4I

[jobeterob]

It's not a bad song, typical for that time. But a far cry from the 60's and 70's.

It always seemed like an odd pairing for Diana........at least to me.

[reese]

It's not a bad song, typical for that time. But a far cry from the 60's and 70's.

It always seemed like an odd pairing for Diana........at least to me.

I thought so, too. I remember seeing Diana and Al together at a few events, like the Grammys, after it was released. Since the song did well on the R&B chart [[#4), I hoped it would lead to more recognition for the upcoming Diana album,
THE FORCE BEHIND THE POWER. But no such luck, at least not in the US.

[jobeterob]

Were they friends? How did the pairing come about? And why did it not end up on the US Version of The Force Behind the Power? Whatever happened to Al B. Sure?

This was the beginning of the end for Motown; they didn't seem to have a clue how to deal with anything, nor really even BoyzIIMen. They mishandled the Album, Force Behind the Power so badly; it yielded several hit songs and Top 10 songs in Europe but they couldn't make it happen in the USA. I'm not sure Force Behind the Power was the right first single, not even if it came from Stevie Wonder; it seems to me there were several other better singles for the first release ~ especially When You Tell Me That You Love Me.

[reese]

Not sure how Diana and Al hooked up. The last time I saw Al, he was one of the suitors vying for Omorosa's affections on her reality show.

NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO was first released in 1990 as an album track on Al's album PRIVATE TIMES...AND THE WHOLE 9! for the Warner Bros. label. Early in 1991, it was released as a single, again on Warner Bros. As to why it wasn't subsequently included on THE FORCE album in the US, I have no idea. To me, it doesn't really fit with the rest of that album, even though it was included on the European version.

THE FORCE BEHIND THE POWER was never a single in the US. The US singles were WHEN YOU TELL ME THAT YOU LOVE ME and a remix of WAITING IN THE WINGS. A 12-inch vinyl and maxi-cassingle of YOU'RE GONNA LOVE IT was also released.

[smark21]

I bet the duet was arranged by the record companies. I wonder if Diana was the first choice?

I really like Force Behind the Power album, it was the kind of material Ross should have been doing at this point in her career, rather than trying to compete with the Janets and Paulas and Jody Watleys, as she attempted on the Workin' Overtime album. However, in the US at least, it didn't really stand a chance to do all that well. Ross had aged out of the pop market. Not to mention, in 1991/92, the public into pop AC ballad music was into big voice singers like Whitney and Mariah, not Diana Ross. Due to age and her style falling out of favor, it was just not going to be a huge seller. Still, it's 20 years since the album came out, sales shouldn't matter. What's important is it still a pleasing album? IMO, yes, it is, and holds up much better than most of her RCA output, let alone Workin' Overtime.

[stephanie]

all of the material on Force Behind the Power was much better in her live performances I dont like the mixing on this album at all and the cover was cheezy for a Diana Ross album. Im sorry Ross never equaled the album power she had at Motown or with Ashford and Simpson. I agree it holds up better than most of her RCA albums though. She has songs like Swept Away and others that hold up well but there is not one RCA album of hers I would tell anybody to buy for her RCA material you are better off going with the singles but I do like Touch by Touch but again all of these songs sounded better live like When you Tell me that you Love me and Change of Heart. Can you imagine Did you read the Morning Paper live or My Place those are some Motown songs I would like to hear live.

[florence]

No Matter What You Do was not on the UK release of FBTP album.

[rovereab]

No Matter What You Do was not on the UK release of FBTP album.

My copy of TFBTP bought in the UK has NMWYD on it.

This might help:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Force_Behind_the_Power

Eamonn

[lakedistrictlad1]

I remember how successful 'Force behind the power' album was for Diana here in the U.K. I had been so disillusioned with her career after the mostly disasterous RCA years. And then she got back to Motown and came up with the - in my opinion - worst album of her career 'Workin Overtime'. But 'Force behind the power' album brought her back to the charts for 3 hit singles.
I loved her appearance on 'Top of the Pops' singing 'One shining moment' [[which I think got to no.10). It was like she'd found her style again [[at least, the style that the British public seem to feel comfortable with). Watching her appearance on TOTP she could have been singing 'I'm still waiting' back in '71.

[Motown_M_1056]

Were they friends? How did the pairing come about? And why did it not end up on the US Version of The Force Behind the Power? Whatever happened to Al B. Sure?

This was the beginning of the end for Motown; they didn't seem to have a clue how to deal with anything, nor really even BoyzIIMen. They mishandled the Album, Force Behind the Power so badly; it yielded several hit songs and Top 10 songs in Europe but they couldn't make it happen in the USA. I'm not sure Force Behind the Power was the right first single, not even if it came from Stevie Wonder; it seems to me there were several other better singles for the first release ~ especially When You Tell Me That You Love Me.


It was an odd pairing. But the way I heard it happened was Diana's daughters - like most girls at the time - were mad for Al B. Sure. He was mentored by Quincy Jones and Diana already knew Quincy so she suggested the duet just to impress her daughters. And she thought pairing up with a younger artist would help.

[Glenpwood]

The Brits have never possessed the snobbery about age that we do in the US as far as radio play goes. Although at the time [[1991) R&B radio was still a little more lenient to the over 40 crowd [[Phyllis Hyman, Teddy Pendergrass, & Patti "Don't Stand Near My Luggage" LaBelle had big hits that year). As much as I love WYTMTYLM it did feel a little too soft AC for the R&B radio that summer. Radio programmers gear to hit the 18-34 listener demo so hard that it seems like once you hit 40 you fall off a cliff as far as getting playlisted and spins even if you were a superstar at the format. Programmmers claim they cannot afford to seem dated to kids by playing records by artists their parents like. This is why legends like Mary J. Blige, Whitney Houston, Madonna, and Mariah Carey have had more trouble getting songs up the charts these days. Diana's last top 10 hit [[Missing You) came right at age 40 and it took a lot of promo to get it up the chart. I know some folks like to blame certain books for killing Diana's USA career but her age to me and the inconsistent singles material she put out leading up to that era had more to do with it. There were a few songs that made no sense lyrically [[Eaten Alive, Pieces Of Ice) and some that just sounded like she was trying too hard to seem contemporary [[Workin' Overtime) that eventually I'm sure made programmers take the really great songs [[Take Me Higher, Not Over You Yet [[Metro Mix), Chain Reaction) less seriously or not even test them. I'd love nothing more that Diana to get back on the radio because she does possess one of the best voices I've ever heard but I wish she'd had a Berry Gordy post 1981 to really champion and A&R her material and only let the best stuff out there.....

[jobeterob]

Age is a killer at radio.

When did Patti Labelle record "DON'T Stand Near my Luggage"?

[marv2]

I can remember a good family friend, Toni was working for the "New" Motown in promotion at the time. She would always offer us the newest releases before they were released to basically get our opinions on the music. No one I knew was interested in a Diana Ross album in 1991 and it got postponed at least once. BoyzIIMen were hot, Latifah was with them at that time too I believe with "U.N.I.T.Y." among others. But Diana Ross? No way.

[marv2]

The Brits have never possessed the snobbery about age that we do in the US as far as radio play goes. Although at the time [[1991) R&B radio was still a little more lenient to the over 40 crowd [[Phyllis Hyman, Teddy Pendergrass, & Patti "Don't Stand Near My Luggage" LaBelle had big hits that year). As much as I love WYTMTYLM it did feel a little too soft AC for the R&B radio that summer. Radio programmers gear to hit the 18-34 listener demo so hard that it seems like once you hit 40 you fall off a cliff as far as getting playlisted and spins even if you were a superstar at the format. Programmmers claim they cannot afford to seem dated to kids by playing records by artists their parents like. This is why legends like Mary J. Blige, Whitney Houston, Madonna, and Mariah Carey have had more trouble getting songs up the charts these days. Diana's last top 10 hit [[Missing You) came right at age 40 and it took a lot of promo to get it up the chart. I know some folks like to blame certain books for killing Diana's USA career but her age to me and the inconsistent singles material she put out leading up to that era had more to do with it. There were a few songs that made no sense lyrically [[Eaten Alive, Pieces Of Ice) and some that just sounded like she was trying too hard to seem contemporary [[Workin' Overtime) that eventually I'm sure made programmers take the really great songs [[Take Me Higher, Not Over You Yet [[Metro Mix), Chain Reaction) less seriously or not even test them. I'd love nothing more that Diana to get back on the radio because she does possess one of the best voices I've ever heard but I wish she'd had a Berry Gordy post 1981 to really champion and A&R her material and only let the best stuff out there.....

Glenpwood, that song "Chain Reaction" had lyrics that made no sense either.

[chestersong]

"No Matter What You Do" is a great song! "Chain Reaction" was a good, fun hit. the Bee Gees were hitting with everybody back then; even on the country charts. Ross, Streisand, Parton, Rogers; all the heavy hitters back then.

[florence]

My copy of TFBTP bought in the UK has NMWYD on it.

This might help:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Force_Behind_the_Power

Eamonn

Thanks for info - I was beginning to think I was going mad but I've now discovered that NMWYD was only on the CD in the UK and not the vinyl album so I'm assuming it was the CD you bought? It is the vinyl I have but after searching for it the past couple of days can't find it!

I'm still not 100% sure that If we Hold On...... was initially on the vinyl either.

[rovereab]

Thanks for info - I was beginning to think I was going mad but I've now discovered that NMWYD was only on the CD in the UK and not the vinyl album so I'm assuming it was the CD you bought? It is the vinyl I have but after searching for it the past couple of days can't find it!

I'm still not 100% sure that If we Hold On...... was initially on the vinyl either.

Yes, I bought the CD album.

One of Diana's strongest releases IMO.

Eamonn

[theboyfromxtown]

You sure that wasn't today's present Eamonn!

LOL

[Ramone Verona]

Has NMWYD appeared on a U.S. compilation yet?

[reese]

Has NMWYD appeared on a U.S. compilation yet?

I don't believe so.

[rovereab]

You sure that wasn't today's present Eamonn!

LOL

LOL - not it wasn't John - nice thought though :)

[captainjames]

This was a good Jam and they were in top form on this cut. The spoken verses towards the end was a killer.

[jobeterob]

Reading all these postings make me realize what a mismash The Force Behind the Power was with the various songs appearing on vinyl or CD or not at all depending on where you lived.

I have No Matter What You Do on a cassette!

Reese reminded me above that The Force Behind the Power was not a single in the USA..........I believe it was a later single in the UK. But Motown in the USA diddled and fiddled and didn't quite know what to do, very much like they would do 4 years later with another great album - Take Me Higher.

But as people have said on another thread - Diana was probably beyond her "best before" date and was over 40 and wasn't going to appeal to American Teen Radio anyway; but she still had massive appeal in Europe and Japan.

This was about the time of Christmas in Vienna as well which I believe topped the Classical Chart. Did it? I wonder how many women have topped the R & B chart, the Pop Chart and the Classical chart?

[RossHolloway]

Sounds to me like we need an update release of Diana's Duets: throwing in Al B. Sure; Westlife; Rod Stewart; and Mr. Iglacious. Some one quick do a mock cover album.

[Ramone Verona]

An updated "DD" is an excellent idea!!

[supremesouluk2]

I remember mentioning an updated version of Diana's Duets a couple of years ago on the previous fourm.

Off the top of my head, I had a track listing along the lines of:

1. All Of You
2. No Matter What You
3. Big Bad Love
4. I've Got A Crush On You
5. When You Tell Me That You Love Me
6. Dreaming Of You

I am sure there are more, but the top of my head I cannot place them. Perhaps a track from Christmas in Vienna!

[skooldem1]

"Ease on down the Road"/ with Michael Jackson

[captainjames]

There is also an unreleased version of "Love Is All That Matters" with Brandy, or at least the song from the movie. I believe they did it on a talk show as well.

[RossHolloway]

Did she do a duet with Ray Charles too?

[Koach]

Here it is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9p638ub2l4

[rovereab]

Wow, didn't know about the Ray Charles duet - it is rather good!

[reese]

Wow, didn't know about the Ray Charles duet - it is rather good!

It was heard over the closing credits for the Brad Pitt film THE FAVOR, but went unreleased until after Ray's death.

[jobeterob]

Big Bad Love was one of Diana's best songs and maybe her best duet along with the Rod Stewart song and a couple with Dennis Edwards.

I recall reading that Ray loved Diana but had a strong distaste for Patti; maybe he got too close to her luggage one time.

[rovereab]

I just hope Diana duets with Smokey "before it is too late".

Eamonn

[reese]

I just hope Diana duets with Smokey "before it is too late".

Eamonn

The track KEWPIE DOLL on the recent TOUCH ME IN THE MORNING expanded edition is close to being a duet, and a good one at that.

[rovereab]

I'd really like a "Diana and Smokey" project where Smokey writes some new songs for the album and perhaps uses some of his classic era songs but as duets.

Eamonn

[jobeterob]

I wish Diana would duet with Al Greene; she and Al are friends and I bet they'd be good together.

[uptight]

One "Al" is enough. LOL