Quote:
Originally Posted by
Guy
"Change of Heart" really does sound like an outtake from Olivia Newton-John's "Physical" album 10 years earlier in 1980. And that's no shade on ONJ because she's fabulous. But I agree there was no potential for that track as a single in 1991 [[or 1992).
I know appreciation of FBTP is a matter of personal taste. Some listeners will enjoy the album and others will not. I understand it was a successful album in the UK. Really, it is astounding to me that the album found an audience anywhere. However, for a global superstar of her stature having a successful album in the UK is small comfort if it flops hard in the US -- a market several times larger than the UK.
There was tremendous potential for Ross in the early 90s if she worked with musical collaborators [[Narada, Jam & Lewis, Babyface, etc.) who could have helped her craft a solid urban contemporary project. At that time in the US, she was really only relevant to urban audiences. Her support would have come from R&B/Soul radio and, as noted by Reese and others, she made notable appearances on BET and Arsenio in the run up to FBTP. As well with the promise that Stevie Wonder was writing her a fantastic song.
FTBP fails to demonstrate creative, commercial or aesthetic growth. Ross was essentially a commercial artist, her acclaim and celebrity is historically linked to her ability to appeal to a mass audience. FBTP created enduring disappointment among [[younger) American Ross fans who experienced its release in real-time and wanted her to remain relevant alongside her contemporaries. Even "Workin' Overtime" was a Top 5 R&B hit.
As of FBTP, Ross completely ceased being a commercial entity in the U.S. She had no further chart hits on either R&B or Pop charts. In Los Angeles -- a huge market -- I never heard any song from FBTP, TMH or EIAND on the radio. All while Aretha, Cher, Patti Labelle, Bette Midler and Gladys were still enjoying airplay with new music, commercial success and acclaim.
Thanks for a thoughtful post. I agree and disagree with some of your thoughts. "Change of Heart" connects Diana more with Tina Turner as it was written by Terry Britten and Graham Lyle, the composers of "What's Love Got To Do With It", Tina's 1984 global pop hit. I had hoped Diana could and would also hit big in 1991. Admittedly, it was a few years later and it was the time for Whitney, Janet & Mariah. [[I wonder how it would have played if Change of Heart was on Diana's Swept Away album in 1984?)
Diana's connection with Olivia is with "It's Your Move" [[on Swept Away), which was written by Steve Kipner and Terry Shaddick, who had written "Physical", ONJ's 1981 global pop hit. Unlike "Change of Heart", I thought "It's Your Move" was just a nice-enough album track, not a potential hit single. [[I guess that's what you think of "Change".)
I agree that appreciation of FBHTP is a personal matter but I'm not at all astounded by it's reception in the UK and elsewhere. I think it deserved its success and was happy to know about it. I guess nations or "markets" can have their own "personal" tastes. :)
I think Diana did reach out to the urban contemporary market as the 90's progressed. "Take Me Higher", after all, was written and produced by Narada Michael Walden and on that album the beautiful "Gone" was written by Jon John of Babyface's production company. "Keep It Right There" even had a co-writer credit for Babyface. I loved Diana's interpretation of Brenda Russell's "Let Somebody Know".
FBTP was not a creative or aesthetic extension but neither was it just "following a trend" as Ollie9 pointed out. I welcomed a return-to-form after WO [[a matter of personal taste).
In the 90's, Mariah, Whitney, Celine & Janet reigned. All of the previous generation of female superstars had to make way. Through it all, up to the present year, as Albator stated, "Diana has maintained her iconic super Diva status", along with Barbra, Aretha, Cher and Bette.