"Forever Diana" - a missed opportunity?

[thaperson]

Given the plethora of rarities released in the last eleven years, WHY were there so few put on the box set? The five that were put on were nice, but nothing to write home about. And frankly, shameful considering the stuff she could have used.

I do remember Diana stating that she tried to get an audio copy of the duet with Marvin Gaye that was in the "Missing You" video, but I can't remember why it wasn't used.

It was a nice box set at the time, because it was the only place where you could get the Supremes, solo and RCA years all wrapped into one. But it could have been done a lot better.

Thoughts?

[kenneth]

I never bought it, mainly because I would rather have seen more Diana including rarities, as you suggest, and certainly didn't need the Supremes material in yet another package.

[longtimefan]

I have been VERY surprised that some sort of new "box set" by Diana has not been released in the last 2-3 year, given the great success of her tour and increased visibility. Surely, enough would be sold to make a profit ... particularly world wide! Why is this opportunity being missed?

[chestersong]

i believe Andy S. said on the Nightflight radio interview that there was a project on Diana in the works but could not elaborate.

[ladonna]

Given the plethora of rarities released in the last eleven years, WHY were there so few put on the box set? The five that were put on were nice, but nothing to write home about. And frankly, shameful considering the stuff she could have used.

I do remember Diana stating that she tried to get an audio copy of the duet with Marvin Gaye that was in the "Missing You" video, but I can't remember why it wasn't used.

It was a nice box set at the time, because it was the only place where you could get the Supremes, solo and RCA years all wrapped into one. But it could have been done a lot better.

Thoughts?




I think this package was marketed more to sale to a general fanbase, not the die-hards. A greatest hits perspective, with a few oddities thrown in, if you will.

Anyone aware of how this set did in terms of sales?

[marv2]

I think this package was marketed more to sale to a general fanbase, not the die-hards. A greatest hits perspective, with a few oddities thrown in, if you will.

Anyone aware of how this set did in terms of sales?

If it were released in the United States, after 1985, I am pretty sure it did not sale.......here!

[ladonna]

According to Taraborelli's latest Ross bio, Forever's highest chart position was on the R&B charts at 88; never making the pop charts; which indeed is a poor showing. I would still be interested in learning how many units this particular project sold.

On the other sequined glove, The Supremes boxed set was not assigned any chart position; I had always been under the assumption that it was more successful than Miss Ross's Forever package. Anyone have any idea how well The Supremes boxed set performed?

Aren't boxed sets notoriously known to be poor sellers? This has always baffled me; I would have thought the opposite would be true.

[marv2]

According to Taraborelli's latest Ross bio, Forever's highest chart position was on the R&B charts at 88; never making the pop charts; which indeed is a poor showing. I would still be interested in learning how many units this particular project sold.

On the other sequined glove, The Supremes boxed set was not assigned any chart position; I had always been under the assumption that it was more successful than Miss Ross's Forever package. Anyone have any idea how well The Supremes boxed set performed?

Aren't boxed sets notoriously known to be poor sellers? This has always baffled me; I would have thought the opposite would be true.

"According to Taraborelli........" Is that suppose to be a joke? hehehehehehe!!!!

[kenneth]

According to Taraborelli's latest Ross bio, Forever's highest chart position was on the R&B charts at 88; never making the pop charts; which indeed is a poor showing. I would still be interested in learning how many units this particular project sold.

On the other sequined glove, The Supremes boxed set was not assigned any chart position; I had always been under the assumption that it was more successful than Miss Ross's Forever package. Anyone have any idea how well The Supremes boxed set performed?

Aren't boxed sets notoriously known to be poor sellers? This has always baffled me; I would have thought the opposite would be true.

They don't sell because, while they are a bargain based on a per-unit [[CD, LP, whatever) price, they are a lot to shell out for the casual music fan who usually only wants the greatest hits.

Even back in the LP days [[be quiet, Marv2), artists would at times really want to release something as a double LP and the record companies would fight them hard because of the ultimate reduction in sales volume. I believe this was true of the Beatles "White Album," which of course was a 2-LP set, some of Marvin Gaye's output which never got to be released as a double LP set, and I know it was true of Funkadelic's "America Eats Its Young," for example.

I think it took James Brown and then later Donna Summer to really break down these barriers when they began to release almost all their LPs as doubles: Brown with "The Payback," "Hell," "Good Foot," several live LP sets, and Summer with "Once Upon a Time," "Bad Girls," "Live and More," and "On the Radio."

[ladonna]

Interesting. I think boxed sets have a different paradigm with regard to whether or not they are seen as being successful. It makes sense to me that the boxed sets would be targeted more to the adult buyer; the fact that fewer boxed set units are moved would bolster the idea that music, in general, is more of a young person's medium.

I am hopeful someone will have information about how much the sets we are discussing have sold.

Not to go off-thread, but I recently did some looking around to see how much LSTB, Mahogany, and The Wiz have made to date. For whatever reasons, there never seems to be any information about overall long-term sales [[or short-term for that matter) for Mahogany, but LSTB reportedly had made 33 million and The Wiz, 38 million. It is interesting that The Wiz appears to be the biggest money maker of all of her cinematic pursuits.

[kenneth]

Ladonna, are we talking movie tickets or soundtrack sales? I think Wikipedia or perhaps it's IMDB that almost always show the box office numbers for each film. K

[marv2]

They don't sell because, while they are a bargain based on a per-unit [[CD, LP, whatever) price, they are a lot to shell out for the casual music fan who usually only wants the greatest hits.

Even back in the LP days [[be quiet, Marv2), artists would at times really want to release something as a double LP and the record companies would fight them hard because of the ultimate reduction in sales volume. I believe this was true of the Beatles "White Album," which of course was a 2-LP set, some of Marvin Gaye's output which never got to be released as a double LP set, and I know it was true of Funkadelic's "America Eats Its Young," for example.

I think it took James Brown and then later Donna Summer to really break down these barriers when they began to release almost all their LPs as doubles: Brown with "The Payback," "Hell," "Good Foot," several live LP sets, and Summer with "Once Upon a Time," "Bad Girls," "Live and More," and "On the Radio."


Kenneth! You're one of my favorite new posters here, hehehehe!

[kenneth]

Kenneth! You're one of my favorite new posters here, hehehehe!

Me? New? Why, thank you!

[ladonna]

Sorry, I was referring to actual sales figures for the films. Yes, IMBD is where I pulled the figures for Lady and The Wiz; there were no figures associated with Mahogany.

[marv2]

Me? New? Why, thank you!


Well you know what I mean......not as old as some of the music we discuss here! LOL!

[kenneth]

Sorry, I was referring to actual sales figures for the films. Yes, IMBD is where I pulled the figures for Lady and The Wiz; there were no figures associated with Mahogany.

Wow, "The Wiz" must have made a lot more money on video than it did in the theatres. I'm amazed it grossed more than "Lady Sings the Blues."

[ladonna]

That's exactly what I thought, Kenneth. I should have know tho, three editions of The Wiz have been released I believe; Lady twice. Miss Ross was a bit prophetic in saying during the time the Wiz was being made and promoted, that she wanted to make a movie that families would get together to watch around the Holidays; apparently some of that is taking place.

[stephanie]

Forever Diana was a waste! The sound quality is horrible and there was nothing new. Fans [[who are not die hards) were better off buying her Greatest Hits compilations. I think Diana Ross said she had a hand in this and I am not shocked as to why it didnt do well. When she puts her hand to something instead of a PRO or a fans input it just glorifies her. Look at the cover of her book and Forever Diana she is always putting the center of attention on herself. Im glad she didnt do an interview with Mary Wilson for the book Dreamgirl she would have tried to control that as well. If she were smart she would have put a book out with her viewpoint immediately after Dreamgirl and it would have done well. If I were Diana Ross [[and Im not) I would get the input of the fans and see what they would like to have as far as outtakes or old videos. Ross could make a killing writing TRUE memoirs and putting out unreleased material especially since she is still performing. I guess the richer you are fans input may not mean anything.

[skooldem1]

Forever Diana was a waste! The sound quality is horrible and there was nothing new. Fans [[who are not die hards) were better off buying her Greatest Hits compilations. I think Diana Ross said she had a hand in this and I am not shocked as to why it didnt do well. When she puts her hand to something instead of a PRO or a fans input it just glorifies her. Look at the cover of her book and Forever Diana she is always putting the center of attention on herself. Im glad she didnt do an interview with Mary Wilson for the book Dreamgirl she would have tried to control that as well. If she were smart she would have put a book out with her viewpoint immediately after Dreamgirl and it would have done well. If I were Diana Ross [[and Im not) I would get the input of the fans and see what they would like to have as far as outtakes or old videos. Ross could make a killing writing TRUE memoirs and putting out unreleased material especially since she is still performing. I guess the richer you are fans input may not mean anything.


I don't even know where to start with all that you said. Where are you even coming from with that? In 1993 CD's were fairly new, so to me it sounded fine. Now if you found the sound inferior, that is a legitimate grip. Now in hindsight I understand that point. It could sound better. But back then I was just happy to have the collection. A "fan" as you say, would have already had multiple greatest hit compilations. This was a box set. It had everything on it. I would like to refrain from calling you a confused hater, but how the heck does a picture of Diana Ross on HER book and HER CD glorify her more than any other artist putting their own picture on their own CD's or book? Should she not be the center of attention on her own products? You reveal more about yourself, than your "words" about Diana Ross and her personality.

[marv2]

Forever Diana was a waste! The sound quality is horrible and there was nothing new. Fans [[who are not die hards) were better off buying her Greatest Hits compilations. I think Diana Ross said she had a hand in this and I am not shocked as to why it didnt do well. When she puts her hand to something instead of a PRO or a fans input it just glorifies her. Look at the cover of her book and Forever Diana she is always putting the center of attention on herself. Im glad she didnt do an interview with Mary Wilson for the book Dreamgirl she would have tried to control that as well. If she were smart she would have put a book out with her viewpoint immediately after Dreamgirl and it would have done well. If I were Diana Ross [[and Im not) I would get the input of the fans and see what they would like to have as far as outtakes or old videos. Ross could make a killing writing TRUE memoirs and putting out unreleased material especially since she is still performing. I guess the richer you are fans input may not mean anything.

It's been said many times, so many that even her fans are beginning to believe that Ms. Ross is not into fans.......

They say she is not accessible. I don't want to believe that is true.

[smark21]

But didn't the Forever Diana box set have 5 or 6 new songs she recorded for the project? So there was something new, if I recall correctly. I seem to recall there was some controversery about the sound quality and the set had to be recalled or reissued with better sound. Also, the set was marketed at the same time as Secrets of a Sparrow--both had the same cover shot of Diana in a tank top in an ecstatic pose that suggested that she was sexually aroused.

Box sets are not geared to the general music fan, but to die hard fans and music buffs. I think Ross' die hard fans bought the set, but given that Ross does not have a good critical reputation, I doubt the set appealled to serious music buffs.

[reese]

But didn't the Forever Diana box set have 5 or 6 new songs she recorded for the project? So there was something new, if I recall correctly.

There were five new songs, one of which, YOUR LOVE, became a Top 20 hit in England. Another, THE BEST YEARS OF MY LIFE, stayed in Diana's act for years.

Myself, I would have liked more rare and/or unreleased material on it. But Diana went with a greatest hits approach. So I think she did the best that she could, especially considering that she had to compile 30 years of recordings within the limits of four cds. That didn't leave much room for rarities or key album tracks.

I have no idea of the official sales figures, but I do recall reading that it became one of the top 20 best-selling boxed sets of all time. This was around the time of its initial release, so this might have changed by now.

[Glenpwood]

I did some digging around on the Web and through the Taraborelli sales thread on here but couldn't find any sales data on the box. Somewhere in my hazy memory I seem to recall the box scanned around 40,000 copies according to some old issue of Billboard but don't know when that was or how to find it again. The box was disappointing to most from a sonic standpoint and the flub of putting I Can't Give Back The Love I Feel For You on it instead of Surrender in the first pressing made it seem more haphazard than it really was. It would've ultimately been better to have skipped putting a Supremes hits on it to free up room for lesser hits and key album cuts that got passed over. I seem to recall Diana telling David Nathan in that Billboard interview when the box dropped that she wanted to include more unreleased material but couldn't get clearances.... I will look that up tonight and post more later...

[skooldem1]

Does anyone know how box set numbers are calculated?

[ladonna]

I did some digging around on the Web and through the Taraborelli sales thread on here but couldn't find any sales data on the box. Somewhere in my hazy memory I seem to recall the box scanned around 40,000 copies according to some old issue of Billboard but don't know when that was or how to find it again. The box was disappointing to most from a sonic standpoint and the flub of putting I Can't Give Back The Love I Feel For You on it instead of Surrender in the first pressing made it seem more haphazard than it really was. It would've ultimately been better to have skipped putting a Supremes hits on it to free up room for lesser hits and key album cuts that got passed over. I seem to recall Diana telling David Nathan in that Billboard interview when the box dropped that she wanted to include more unreleased material but couldn't get clearances.... I will look that up tonight and post more later...


Very interesting. Thank you reese and Glenpwood!!

[stephanie]

GlenPWood stated it better than I could have. Skooldem you have seen me post here for years you KNOW I am not a hater!
I guess I have better ears than some but the music was muffled [[sonically) as Glen stated and the general public doesnt usually buy box sets [[unless they are Metal Fans or Rock fans). I guess I thought that this would be a box set more care would have been taken with it. In all fairness CD's were new yes but there is no excuse for the way it sounds and if I am wrong how come those sets had to be recalled? It was a waste! I am not saying that the sound quality was Diana's fault and actually I am not blaming her at all it was just a waste! If there had been no other Diana Ross hit collections I wouldnt be saying all of this but her first Greatest Hits on vinyl sounded better than this and that was a great cover! I wish she had used a cover similar to that one or a Mahogany type of thing. Something about the way she stood there in that picture disturbed me. This is my opinion take it for what its worth. As far as my words revealing who I am if you met me you would be shocked at how NICE I am! Ask anyone.

[thaperson]

The set was recalled for sound problems. There was tape hissing in some of the tracks.

FAMILY doesn't sound good at all. They should have used the first days take before the rain hit.

[Glenpwood]

Okay I pulled my Ross Billboard Tribute issue about the box and it states the box was assembled starting with a preliminary track listing that included unreleased material and three or four songs from each album she ever recorded. There were hundreds of titles and Diana had them all put on tape by Debbie Sandridge, coordinating producer of Ross Records. although there was plenty of unreleased material to choose from [[estimated at over 150 sides according to Candace Bond, Motown's Director of Special Markets & Catalog Development, in addition to the over 400 Motown recordings with and without The Supremes, the team decided to "give people what they loved about The Supremes, Diana Ross & The Supremes, and Diana as a solo artist"

Diana states that "the hardest part of doing the project was having to leave out certain things, songs from live shows I recorded at different times, duets that were never released. Even though some of it wasn't that good, I wanted it on there.... There was a tape of a time when I was performing in Belgium and Marvin Gaye was living in Brussels, just before his death. He came up on stage and sang with me... That's something I would have wanted to include"

The inclusion of certain album cuts was Diana's call. She wanted the box set to be very personal so she went through thousands of photos she owned before selecting the ones included and wrote all the captions to give it an intimate feel, saying "it's hard to do all the writing... But when you hear it back, it's exactly what you want to say, in your own words"

So to summarize, the whole project was guided and envisioned by Diana the whole way. It may not please everyone because of the mastering issues, wrong titles included, and lack of unreleased gems but it was a case of an artist attempting to give her audience what she hoped it wanted. Sure I would've put some different things on it if I were assembling it and think enough time has passed to assemble a new one that also catches the Take Me Higher era on stuff too. I hope Andy, George,and Harry get to be hands on with Diana for it too. As for a new memoir, I don't think Diana ever should go there because it's a thankless task. It will never please everyone and it seems the ones who want it the most expect it to be nothing less than a tome that vacilitates between trashing those who misconstrue her drive and quest for performance excellence as Ross just being a b?!ch and begging for forgiveness from those same people for allegedly stepping on their toes on her way up. Diana has helped raise up more people and Motown's legacy as a whole in the last 50 years than she ever unintentionally hurt. She made mistakes but so has everyone in their lives and seems to have made peace with all her demons and got to a beautiful place of enjoying her family and grandchild. Some of her fans would be well advised to take a similar course and let go of petty cat fights that happened 40 years that the original participants havent though of since and enjoy the present time they live in......

[kenneth]

Too much artistic control is not necessarily a good thing. She may not be the best judge of her own music. There certainly would seem to have been more than enough time elapsed for a more thorough box set of just her solo years, maybe 2 CDs of hits and album cuts, 1 CD of jazz, blues and soundtrack recordings, 1 CD of live tracks, and 1 CD of real rarities. Now that would be a set worth buying!

[uptight]

Aside from a typographical error or whatever, I enjoyed the boxed set at the time. It included an entire disc of rarities and new material. If folks complain about the sound quality, they should consider that some of the rare tracks were from videotapes originally meant for television broadcasts. Those are often not the best sound, but I thought it was clever the way they were utilized. The other discs with the studio recordings sounded okay, especially the 70s and 80s tracks. Only 20 years later can we complain about audio issues after comparing it to current products made with today's technology.

[jobeterob]

Doing a regular trek I do hiking in the mountains..........and I can't read all this.

My only comment would be that I heard that the sales of Forever were good and it was considered a huge success. I believe it's initial sales were in the vicinity of 100,000 which was very good for a multi CD set.

[Ramone Verona]

I have this set and really enjoyed it at the time.
Yes, the sound had some issues at times but it never kept me from enjoying the songs.
I grew up with vinyl and many 45's played on a "Winnie-the-Pooh" phonograph.
Big Deal! :)

[jack020]

Was there ever a new version of the box released without the sound issues?

[lakedistrictlad1]

I remember racing to my local record shop to buy it on the day it got released. My enthusiasm wained quickly having taken a look at the track listing. `and the design of the box was very poor. All that plastic!! Jewel cases are just NOT needed in a box set. How could the creative not know that you don't place pictures across a binding where half of it will get lost? Compared the the Streisand box set issued a few years previously - it was a dud really. I ended up selling it. But I still have the Streisand box.

[uptight]

This was early 90s, a time of transition from big LP-sized boxed sets to the slimline style. The slimline box set was not as much in style yet. Many boxed sets contained jewel cases. To some it was considered proper. Sometimes bigger was better, and you wouldn't want it cheapened by slimming it all down. At least Ross' was not LP-jacket-sized, and was probably considered slim-lined at the time.

[soulster]

That box should be burned. It sounds horrible! Thank God Motown put out better comps later on. Like I said on the "Love Child" thread, it sounds like someone played back the mono tapes on a badly aligned stereo deck. And, test tones weren't used back then, so it was up to the engineer to figure it all out. How could he if the tapes weren't played back properly? Phase issues everywhere!


Was there ever a new version of the box released without the sound issues?

No.

[soulster]

If it were released in the United States, after 1985, I am pretty sure it did not sale.......here!

The box was originally issued in the U.S. in the early 90s. It was issued by Ross records and distributed by Motown. Motown had nothing to do with it. It was Ross's project. She should have let reissue pros like Bill Inglot handle it.

[soulster]

The set was recalled for sound problems. There was tape hissing in some of the tracks.



It wasn't recalled. Places like Circuit City was still selling it years after it was released.

Hiss was not the issue. The tapes had dropouts, and the box had phase and EQ problems. Obviously, whoever mastered the box didn't know what the hell they were doing!

[soulster]

I am not saying that the sound quality was Diana's fault and actually I am not blaming her at all it was just a waste!

Well, I am! If Ross was the producer, it was her fault. The producer is always at fault. The engineer did a lousy job, but as producer, it was Ross's responsibility to see to it that it sounded correct.

[carlo]

Doing a regular trek I do hiking in the mountains..........and I can't read all this.

I just finished my boot camp workout, which included several sets of chin-ups, push-ups, crunches, bicep curls, etc. I have rock hard abs. And I still had time to read this entire discussion. :cool::rolleyes::p

[carlo]

I love the photo Diana used for Secrets of a Sparrow and Forever Diana! :) :o ;)

[JimBagley]

I reviewed that box set for Goldmine back when it was released. I was amazed at the time how bad the sound was on many of the tracks.

[smark21]

Well, I am! If Ross was the producer, it was her fault. The producer is always at fault. The engineer did a lousy job, but as producer, it was Ross's responsibility to see to it that it sounded correct.

I guess she was too busy investing literary quality into Secrets of a Sparrow.

[stephanie]

Soulster I am glad you made your thoughts known because when people talk about Forever Diana they think you are slamming Ross and I wasnt. When Ross was going through 100s of photos I laughed because there are tons of rare photos she could have used for that set. All I ever see is the same old stuff from her.

[soulster]

Soulster I am glad you made your thoughts known because when people talk about Forever Diana they think you are slamming Ross and I wasnt. When Ross was going through 100s of photos I laughed because there are tons of rare photos she could have used for that set. All I ever see is the same old stuff from her.

I have no interest in the photos. As a music-loving audiophile, my primary concern is always the track selection, hit single versions, and sound quality. For me, there are no other reasons to spend my hard-earned money on a boxed set.

[ladonna]

You people are TOO MUCH! All these years I have happily just been enjoying my Diana Ross Boxed Set. Now, I'm presented with the knowledge that there are typographical errors and inferior sound quality. What are "dropouts", "phase", and "EQ problems", and where can the be found. Also, what are the typographical errors. LOL! Now, I am obsessed with pinpointing where these errors are to be found, and at which point, I anticipate becoming overly depressed and unable to ever enjoy the set with the same fervor. Thanks! ;o) Seriously, apparently, I truly am deaf, dumb, and blind to all of these oversights and would appreciate having them pointed out.

[jillfoster]

GlenPWood stated it better than I could have. Skooldem you have seen me post here for years you KNOW I am not a hater!
I guess I have better ears than some but the music was muffled [[sonically) as Glen stated and the general public doesnt usually buy box sets [[unless they are Metal Fans or Rock fans). I guess I thought that this would be a box set more care would have been taken with it. In all fairness CD's were new yes but there is no excuse for the way it sounds and if I am wrong how come those sets had to be recalled? It was a waste! I am not saying that the sound quality was Diana's fault and actually I am not blaming her at all it was just a waste! If there had been no other Diana Ross hit collections I wouldnt be saying all of this but her first Greatest Hits on vinyl sounded better than this and that was a great cover! I wish she had used a cover similar to that one or a Mahogany type of thing. Something about the way she stood there in that picture disturbed me. This is my opinion take it for what its worth. As far as my words revealing who I am if you met me you would be shocked at how NICE I am! Ask anyone.

Darn right, Steph.. you ARE very nice, I can attest to that fact, Skooldem is just myopic or whatever. I can tell you exactly what's wrong with that cover. It looks like the cover of a soft core porn video. She looks like she's getting ready to masturbate herself, becaue she loves herself so much. that's how it comes off to me, at least. And a woman over 40 at that time, she was trying to look like some sexy girl in her early 20's. Not elegant, classy, or age appropriate. Now the cover for "Force Behind the Power"? EXCELLENT. That's the type of thing that shows her in a flattering light.

[soulster]

What are "dropouts", "phase", and "EQ problems", and where can the be found.

First, typographical errors are mistakes in printing, such as spelling, punctuation, or improper sentences.

Tape dropouts are where the sound literally drops out for a second, usually in one channel.

When two stereo channels are not aligned in time, it creates a phase imbalance, and it sounds especially bad if it's a mono track. The sound is not solid and clear. It messes with the frequency response, too.

EQ means equalization, like treble, midrange, and bass.

[soulster]

It looks like the cover of a soft core porn video. She looks like she's getting ready to masturbate herself...

I never saw it that way, but sounds nice...

[carlo]

Stephanie, I would not worry about what people think of you. You are not a hater. Some fans just have a hard time seeing Diana receive ANY sort of criticism. To some fans, they can't fathom the fact that Diana makes mistakes like the rest of us. If you're a famous person, you're gonna be criticized. That's the way it is. I don't see anything wrong with it, as long as it's done respectfully.

While I love the photo Diana used for Secrets of a Sparrow and Forever Diana Musical Memoirs, I think she might have purposely opted for a sexy cover shot. At the time, they were trying to create a grand celebration to commemorate her 30 years in show business and I think that photo was used to make a statement, like "Look at this sexy diva! She's celebrating her 30th anniversary in the business and still has this hot body!" lol. That's cool with me. I hope after a 30 year career, I can still look and feel as youthful as her. But I can understand how some people will look at a photo like that and maybe take it the wrong way.

I still remember when I purchased the coffee table book, "Going Back". I was probably in Grade 8 at the time, because I remember buying it with my paper route money! I brought it home and my Mom was looking through it, saying, "Carlo, I don't know if you should keep this book. Some of these photos are very provocative!" lol.

[skooldem1]

I'm not one of those fans. I call it as I see it. Stephanie if you are not a hater, then I will just chalk up that WACK post to insecurity, confusion, and a passive agressive personality. You made no sense at all and you came across as jealous of Diana Ross. Oh, btw... I like you too... LMAO.

[rovereab]

I never saw it that way, but sounds nice...

I'll never be able to listen to Touch Me In The Morning in the same way again :)

[uptight]

Soulster, I remember noticeable dropouts on disc 1 only. And I remember wishing a one or two tracks from TV segments were EQ'd better. But specifically where were the phase issues in this box set?

Not to open another can of worms, but I remember it was The Supremes box set instead that was EQ'd poorly and had phase issues.

[ladonna]

And what are the typos?

[jillfoster]

Soulster, I remember noticeable dropouts on disc 1 only. And I remember wishing a one or two tracks from TV segments were EQ'd better. But specifically where were the phase issues in this box set?

Not to open another can of worms, but I remember it was The Supremes box set instead that was EQ'd poorly and had phase issues.

Well... the Eq on that wasn't very hot... but what can one expect from another Suha Gur special. He must work really cheap, or something.

[soulster]

Well... the Eq on that wasn't very hot... but what can one expect from another Suha Gur special. He must work really cheap, or something.

Again, the engineer takes orders from the producer. If something sounds bad, it's the producer's fault.

[JohnnyB]

And what are the typos?

There are a few typo's that I remember: God Bless The Child is listed as Good Bless The Child and Surrender is missing. Other typos are in the LP discography: Swept Away and Stolen Moments are both not listed, On Broadway is listed as GIT - Getting It Together With The Temptations, GH Volume III is listed as Volume II, and an extra LP is listed, simply titled Diana Ross & The Supremes. There may be others, but these errors are most noticeable to me.

[soulster]

It's like Ross tried to cut costs. By doing so, she also cut quality. And, the worst part is the box was priced the same as any other boxed set of it's type.

Bottom line: she should have hired some pros to do the package. But, what does it all matter now? That box was released twenty-some years ago, it's been long OOP, and better-sounding comps have been issued since.

[uptight]

Soulster, I'm still wondering what the phase issues were with Forever Diana you mentioned?

[ladonna]

There are a few typo's that I remember: God Bless The Child is listed as Good Bless The Child and Surrender is missing. Other typos are in the LP discography: Swept Away and Stolen Moments are both not listed, On Broadway is listed as GIT - Getting It Together With The Temptations, GH Volume III is listed as Volume II, and an extra LP is listed, simply titled Diana Ross & The Supremes. There may be others, but these errors are most noticeable to me.


Thanks JohnnyB. I'm gonna pull my set out this weekend and give it a good going over and listening to. I had never noticed any of this before.

[soulster]

Soulster, I'm still wondering what the phase issues were with Forever Diana you mentioned?

You know, it's been a couple of decades since I owned that piece of crap, and I don't recall exactly which songs had the problem, but they were on the first or second discs. But, any decent engineer would check the mono phase cancellation. This one didn't.

[redlabs]

my only issue with the set was that it covered to wide of a range from her career.
the Supremes section[which was finally released years later] should have been dropped and the entire box set should have been designed around her solo career.

[dba]

I was excited to see this project when it came out but could not have been more disappointed by the results. The inclusion of Supremes material. The inferior quality of the "remastering" [[and we know from the projects that Hip O has done what good remastering sounds like). What this was really about was creating a vanity project for Diana. A totally missed opportunity. The anthology that was done a few years later [[red-ish cover) had a much better sound quality to it. IMHO.

[soulster]

my only issue with the set was that it covered to wide of a range from her career.
the Supremes section[which was finally released years later] should have been dropped and the entire box set should have been designed around her solo career.

I agree! But, for some reason, Motown insists on adding the material from when the Motown artist was with a band or group. This is also true of Lionel Richie and Michael Jackson, and it's quite annoying!