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Has anyone ever been able to confirm that this duet was recorded by Dionne and Mary? Over the years there has been talk of it, but I have never heard anything concrete.
Of course, this was eventually released with Dionne and June Pointer. Maybe Mary sang the demo version?
Although not concrete, i seem to recall that someone once posted that they had heard it. You would think it the perfect song for Mary’s style of voice. It would be nice if it turned up on any future MW package.Quote:
Originally Posted by marybrewster
Probably my favourite Dionne album.
Someone [[cannot recall who) once told me Mary Wilson did indeed record the initial version to be included on the Reservations album, but it was Clive Davis who ultimately decided to have June Pointer replace Mary. I haven't heard the Dionne/Mary version and therefore cannot verify the story.Quote:
Originally Posted by marybrewster
I have a friend who is on reasonably friendly terms with Dionne. I could ask him to do some gentle digging and hopefully come up with the truth.
It's funny how we can have such different opinions on albums and/or songs. Elsewhere on here for example, that is a debate raging about whether Diana Ross' version of "Home" is equal to or better than Stephanie Mills.
So in that spirit, I have to respectfully disagree with the comment above about Reservations for Two being someone's favorite Dionne Warwick album. I on the other hand find that to be one of the weakest albums of an otherwise magnificent career.
For one thing, I think the cover photo is most unattractive. But I guess it is the concept that I disliked the most. When I want to hear Dionne I want to hear Dionne, not a bunch of other people. An occasional duet here and there is OK but as we have now learned, she has completely overdone that theme over the years and I guess this album was the one that started her down that path.
Finally, with the "possible" exception of the title track, none of those duets worked very well in my opinion. So I just found it an awkward project, and it was quite disappointing, especially considering that it followed the awesome "Friends" and "Finders of Lost Love" albums. But at least it was better than that dreadful Brazilian album. I am quite happy that she didn't continue in that vein.
Sorry I cannot help on the Mary Wilson question.
It’s good that we all have varying musical tastes. It would certainly be a dull world if we all liked exactly the same thing. Its only those that resort to name calling when confronted with a differing opinion that proves tiresome.Quote:
Originally Posted by daviddesper
It’s funny, but I have always found “Finders Of Lost Love” quite bland
It is great that we all have differing opinions. Myself, I love both FINDERS OF LOST LOVES and RESERVATIONS FOR TWO. They are amongst my favorite Dionne albums.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ollie9
Back to the original subject of the thread, I would love to hear the Dionne / Mary duet, if it indeed exists. It probably does but I wouldn't be surprised if Clive decided to replace Mary with June Pointer, simply because the Pointer Sisters had a pretty high profile at the time.
I was actually me that threw the fuel on that "Home" fire. :)Quote:
Originally Posted by daviddesper
I actually know of people that have never heard Stephanie's version, or GASP, think Stephanie's is a remake of Diana's, LOL.
I just think when you have a song that's so synonymous with someone, no cover version will ever compare. "I Will Survive" by Gloria will ALWAYS eclipse Diana's version. Yet, Mariah's and J-Lo's "Mahogany" will never hold a candle to Diana's.
So, tit for tat.
Clive Davis seemed to love Duets. He may have had some great commercial instincts in his day, but he's no Berry Gordy when it comes to the music quality side of being of a label executive.
Yes, different opinions do abound here. "Bland" is certainly the last word I would use to describe that album. She blew the roof off with "Love Doesn't Live Here Anymore," both on the recorded version and on her Tonight Show appearance. And I could listen to "You Made Me Want to Love Again" all day every day. And that was where we first heard her wonderful version of "No One in the World." Oh well, the world goes 'round.....
Personally i love all Dionne's Arista album with the exception of the Luther produced one and the Brazilian one, but i find 'Finders of lost love' to be a particular favourite. Different strokes i guess.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ollie9
It’s a little to pop for my own musical taste. Never really was a fan of Barry M. “Hot Live And Otherwise” is probably the one I listen to the most.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bluebrock
Re Dionne's Arista era, it took a while for the Luther album to grow on me. But the only albums that I really didn't get into were HEARTBREAKER and the Brazilian album. Not that they are bad. They just never made me want to listen to them over and over.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bluebrock
In fact, my opinion on HEARTBREAKER is almost identical to mine on EATEN ALIVE. I like Side One but can barely remember Side Two.
HOT! LIVE AND OTHERWISE was the first Dionne album I ever bought when it was a current release. Had to use some of my lunch money to do it. :DQuote:
Originally Posted by Ollie9
I have to agree with Bluebrock from a few posts ago. The Luther album and the [[shiver!) Brazilian album would be wayyyyyyyy down the list for me on the scale of Dionne deliveries. As for Heartbreaker, which I see someone has now commented on, it took me a while to warm up to both the title track and the overall album, but I ended up liking both of them. I read somewhere recently that she was working on both Heartbreaker and its predecessor Friends in Love at the same time, which I found fascinating.
I guess that explains why they came out something like 8 months apart. You would think that an artist would finish one project and get it out and then start working on the next one.
You are correct when you say the Friends in love sessions took place around the same time as the Heartbreaker sessions. It was Barry Gibb who told me this. By all accounts Dionne was on her best Diva behaviour and regularly told Barry she was not impressed with his production techniques. She said even less complimentry things during the promotional tours for the Heartbreaker album. To say that Barry was pissed is a severe understatement. He vowed never to work with her again, and took great pleasure in telling her to take a long walk over a very short cliff when she begged him to write another album for her following the success of Heartbreaker.Quote:
Originally Posted by daviddesper
This happened twice during her Arista years. She released two albums in 1985 as well: FINDERS OF LOST LOVES and FRIENDS.Quote:
Originally Posted by daviddesper
Hope you didn’t go hungry lol. I think it represents Dionne at her best. I love her opening version of “What You Won’t Do For Love” and the medley is incredible. Great for long car journeys.Quote:
Originally Posted by reese