In the 80's, These Guys LOVED Their Divas! But Where's Diana?

In the mid-80's, 1986 and 1987 specifically, the air waves were filled with duets between male acts [[oddly enough, all white) and "divas" [[oddly enough, all non-white).

1985:

Bryan Adams and Tina Turner

1986:

Michael McDonald and Patti LaBelle
Steve Winwood and Chaka
Eddie Money and Ronnie Spector

1987:

George Michael and Aretha
Pet Shop Boys and Dusty Springfield [[okay, Dusty was white, but has there been another like her with as much soul?)

Honorable Mention:

1985:

Elton John [[and Stevie) with Gladys and Dionne.

I wonder why Diana never jumped on the bandwagon?

Who would a good counterpart have been? And please, Larry Hagman does not count.

I don't understand, since she did something big with Julio Iglesias in 1984 called All Of You.

Maybe the fact that she already recorded the most successful duet of all time with Endless Love, then recorded a duet with the biggest international artist in the world - Julio Iglesias, she felt like that was enough.

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Originally Posted by Albator

I don't understand, since she did something big with Julio Iglesias in 1984 caller All Of You.

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Good call. I had forgotten about that one. But I was thinking more like Bruce Springsteen and Diana Ross? The Boss and THE Boss? LOL.

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Originally Posted by khansperac

Maybe the fact that she already recorded the most successful duet of all time with Endless Love, then recorded a duet with the biggest international artist in the world - Julio Iglesias, she felt like that was enough.

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Very well could be. Just seemed like the above mentioned pairings were a bit out there; you've got a 20-something Bryan Adams with a 40-something Tina; same with George and Aretha. Thought it might be fun to speculate who Diana could have done a duet with.

I guess not.

She did record a duet with Al B. Sure. Who was the hot new thing on the scene. But he is black, and that may have been in 1990. So not sure this applies to your question.

I think Diana Ross and AL B Sure would have been a good duet.

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Originally Posted by captainjames

I think Diana Ross and AL B Sure would have been a good duet.

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??? They did record a duet and it was very good and a big hit.

Although not billed as, or technically a duet. Chain Reaction sounds like a duet with Diana and Barry Gibb.

Not quite. It did top at #4 on the r&b charts but failed to chart in the top 100 charts.

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Originally Posted by khansperac

??? They did record a duet and it was very good and a big hit.

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Originally Posted by blackguy69

Not quite. It did top at #4 on the r&b charts but failed to chart in the top 100 charts.

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It was a very big hit on the R&B charts.

Millie Jackson and Elton John 1983[[?) "ACT OF WAR"....I know it was released in the UK I don't know about here in the USA....both my copies of the 12" are promo imports.

But it didn’t chart on the top 100

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Originally Posted by vgalindo

It was a very big hit on the R&B charts.

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This was so nice and probably my favorite duet of the 80s:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t90AIc5dZv0

Then Dionne came back in 1987 with this great one with Jeffrey Osborne:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZzNOhPK2Cw

Dionne and Glenn Jones, "Finders of Lost Loves" from 1985. It was used as the theme of a television show, but I can't remember the name at the moment:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjRFdSltcmA

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Originally Posted by blackguy69

But it didn’t chart on the top 100

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Why can’t We just be happy for her instead of being negative?

This was a very popular song by Patti LaBelle and Bobby Womack from 1984:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEezzj-pEj0

Aretha Franklin and the Four Tops duet of "I Wanna Make It Up to You" knocked me completely out when I first heard it. From her "Jump to It" album:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRkReuJjX28

Tina Turner Duet with Robert Cray) 634 5789 from 1986:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1N8oXuARHw

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Originally Posted by Roberta75

Why can’t We just be happy for her instead of being negative?

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Good point Roberta. He appears to think it only applies to Mary. One rule for one. One rule for another.

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Originally Posted by Roberta75

Why can’t We just be happy for her instead of being negative?

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Thank you Roberta! Half these songs they are listing also didn’t hit the the top 100. But I guess Diana Ross is held you a higher standard. He would be over the moon if Mary had a top 5 R&B hit.

I really don't see why blackguy is being perceived as being negative. He was just correctly pointing out that "No Matter What You Do" could hardly be considered a huge hit. I have always loved the song, but would imagine outside this forum few people even remember it.

Don't forget Diana had first choice at Islands In The Stream with Barry Gibb but luckily for Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton turned it down.

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Originally Posted by Ollie9

I really don't see why blackguy is being perceived as being negative. He was just correctly pointing out that "No Matter What You Do" could hardly be considered a huge hit. I have always loved the song, but would imagine outside this forum few people even remember it.

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You would be wrong. The audience for that song remembers it well. Not just Ross fans as you’d like to believe. It disgust me that when it comes to a black/urban song, it is not deemed successful unless it crosses over. To point out that a top 5 hit on the R&B chart wasn’t successful, on a “Soulful” website is crazy.

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Originally Posted by Ollie9

I really don't see why blackguy is being perceived as being negative. He was just correctly pointing out that "No Matter What You Do" could hardly be considered a huge hit. I have always loved the song, but would imagine outside this forum few people even remember it.

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this bother me for some time. If a top 5 hit isn’t remembered, what does it mean to have a hit in the R&B charts
https://soulfuldetroit.com/blob:http...5-12c19fb782e5
Swept away, Eaten alive, Workin overtime, No matter what you do, were hits but they it seems they were not hit at all.

That wasn’t a negative comment . I just stated it’s chart position and got a negative response back. some of you are acting like a child that just discovered there’s no Santa Claus

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Originally Posted by blackguy69

That wasn’t a negative comment . I just stated it’s chart position and got a negative response back. some of you are acting like a child that just discovered there’s no Santa Claus

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merry Christmas dear.❤️

And have a happy new year my dear

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Originally Posted by Roberta75

merry Christmas dear.❤️

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He isn’t wrong few people know that song outside her fan base. Now , Its my House is a different story. It peaked at #27 on the r&b charts and never chatted on the top 100 charts. It was a #1 dance hit and it was wildly popular. It just depends on the song.

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Originally Posted by khansperac

You would be wrong. The audience for that song remembers it well. Not just Ross fans as you’d like to believe. It disgust me that when it comes to a black/urban song, it is not deemed successful unless it crosses over. To point out that a top 5 hit on the R&B chart wasn’t successful, on a “Soulful” website is crazy.

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What you are missing is that this isn’t a solo Diana Ross song, that only her fan base would remember. This is a duet. So not only is there the Ross fan base, but there is also the Al B. Sure fan base. In addition to them, there are the fans of the “Quiet Storm” radio format, which was extremely popular in the 80’s and 90’s when this song was charting. So I stand by the fact that this song is known by more than Diana Ross fans.

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Originally Posted by khansperac

What you are missing is that this isn’t a solo Diana Ross song, that only her fan base would remember. This is a duet. So not only is there the Ross fan base, but there is also the Al B. Sure fan base. In addition to them, there are the fans of the “Quiet Storm” radio format, which was extremely popular in the 80’s and 90’s when this song was charting. So I stand by the fact that this song is known by more than Diana Ross fans.

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I agree. When this song was out it was very popular with everyone I knew. Everyone who loves R&B music knows this song.

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Originally Posted by blackguy69

Not quite. It did top at #4 on the r&b charts but failed to chart in the top 100 charts.

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It was a weak, weak record. The people that bought it did so on the basis of Al B. Sure's popularity at the time.

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Originally Posted by Albator

this bother me for some time. If a top 5 hit isn’t remembered, what does it mean to have a hit in the R&B charts
:[[
Swept away, Eaten alive, Workin overtime, No matter what you do, were hits but they it seems they were not hit at all.

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No answers but I have at least two songs that did poorly on the main pop chart but managed to get Gold certification [[1 million, at that time)

- "Close the door", Teddy Pendergrass, #25 pop, #1 R&B
- "You Gonna Make Me Love Somebody Else", The Jones Girls, #38 pop, #5 R&B

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Originally Posted by Albator

this bother me for some time. If a top 5 hit isn’t remembered, what does it mean to have a hit in the R&B charts
https://soulfuldetroit.com/blob:http...5-12c19fb782e5
Swept away, Eaten alive, Workin overtime, No matter what you do, were hits but they it seems they were not hit at all.

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Swept Away was definitely a hit. Top 20 on the pop chart, #3 on R&B chart, and #1 on the dance chart.

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Originally Posted by marv2

It was a weak, weak record. The people that bought it did so on the basis of Al B. Sure's popularity at the time.

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You would say that. Lol 😂

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Originally Posted by Albator

this bother me for some time. If a top 5 hit isn’t remembered, what does it mean to have a hit in the R&B charts
https://soulfuldetroit.com/blob:http...5-12c19fb782e5
Swept away, Eaten alive, Workin overtime, No matter what you do, were hits but they it seems they were not hit at all.

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if you look at some of the Supremes' songs, they fit this too. Love Is Here is probably not one of the most immediately recognizable hits. If you went out to the general public, most might say they've never heard it. And yet My World Is Empty has been much more enduring. Reflections too.

But i bet if you asked people to name one of the first [[if not the first) super duets between two mega groups that sold zillions, the avg person would never say I'm Gonna Make You Love Me.

hard to say why 1 song sticks with the general public's memory and others don't. it isn't solely on chart ranking or even sales.

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Originally Posted by khansperac

She did record a duet with Al B. Sure. Who was the hot new thing on the scene. But he is black, and that may have been in 1990. So not sure this applies to your question.

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I would love to hear the story behind the Al B. Sure duet. I am sure she declined many duet opportunities in the 80s and 90s, and I do not understand how or why she picked this one.

I love the song. I think she sounds wonderful in that sonic setting. Her performance was listless but her voice was lustrous. I recall the age difference being an issue given the very romantic lyrical content. I hoped that she would record in that vein on her own full-length project.

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Originally Posted by khansperac

You would be wrong. The audience for that song remembers it well. Not just Ross fans as you’d like to believe. It disgust me that when it comes to a black/urban song, it is not deemed successful unless it crosses over. To point out that a top 5 hit on the R&B chart wasn’t successful, on a “Soulful” website is crazy.

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In my post i was referring to mainstream pop success so i stand by what i say. The song could never be considered a huge Diana Ross hit. Comparatively few [[not all) would remember a song that did quite well on the R&B chart thirty years ago yet was a complete and utter flop on the pop charts. Most of joe public have simply never heard it, and those that did have simply forgotten about it. I don't believe the song was even featured on any r&b compilation albums. So be disgusted all you like dear, that's my opinion.

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Originally Posted by Ollie9

In my post i was referring to mainstream pop success so i stand by what i say. The song could never be considered a huge Diana Ross hit. Comparatively few [[not all) would remember a song that did quite well on the R&B chart thirty years ago yet was a complete and utter flop on the pop charts. Most of joe public have simply never heard it, and those that did have simply forgotten about it. I don't believe the song was even featured on any r&b compilation albums. So be disgusted all you like dear, that's my opinion.

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The truth is that many people no longer even remember Al. B. Sure. You have to really help them to remember him. I even think he may have been a subject for "Unsung".