Rerecording An Album

[Koach]

If D.R. were to do something like rerecord a whole older album and include new tracks and mixes which would you pick. Eaten Alive is my favorite from her vast collection. I would have her record each song with a perhaps modern backing or one to suit her current sound. She would also do All the Love in the World, You Win Again and Secret Love, as well as several other new songs written by Barry Gibb. The album would be called Eaten Alive Reborn with a recreation of the original cover. What would you go with?

[marybrewster]

If D.R. were to do something like rerecord a whole older album and include new tracks and mixes which would you pick. Eaten Alive is my favorite from her vast collection. I would have her record each song with a perhaps modern backing or one to suit her current sound. She would also do All the Love in the World, You Win Again and Secret Love, as well as several other new songs written by Barry Gibb. The album would be called Eaten Alive Reborn with a recreation of the original cover. What would you go with?

Seeing that what's old is new again, and especially after the tremendous success Bette Midler had with "It's the Girls", I'd love Diana's take on "A Go Go". Such a classic girl-group sound, and the first #1 LP by a girl-group.

[soulster]

If D.R. were to do something like rerecord a whole older album and include new tracks and mixes which would you pick. Eaten Alive is my favorite from her vast collection. I would have her record each song with a perhaps modern backing or one to suit her current sound. She would also do All the Love in the World, You Win Again and Secret Love, as well as several other new songs written by Barry Gibb. The album would be called Eaten Alive Reborn with a recreation of the original cover. What would you go with?

What would be the point? It wouldn't be the same album anymore because it would be a brand new recording no matter how you tried to put a nice face on it, and no one would buy it.

I'll admit that it would be an interesting idea for anyone to rerecord one of their albums, but it would not have any of the aesthetic charm of the original, and no one but the extreme hardcore fan would even be interested. not worth all the time and millions of dollars it would take.

[supremester]

Definitely Eaten Alive - great songs that need a lot of work.

[thanxal]

Diana Ross = Baby Its Me
Supremes = Supremes A Go Go

[antceleb12]

Interesting idea. I'd probably have to say her debut album. With the Supremes, I'd say "Sing R&H."

[Ollie9]

Diana's voice, though good for her age is nothing like the instrument it once was. This concept might have made for interesting listening perhaps say even 12 years ago, but certainly not now. I feel the only previously recorded material she could perhaps improve upon would be singing jazz and blues. Life experience and a now much lowered vocal range would perhaps add an extra sense of poignancy and pathos to such songs.

[Koach]

These are all great ideas. If D.R. remade a Supremes album my choice is I Hear a Symphony.I thought Eaten Alive had a great collection of songs that stood out from others in her catalogue. It was overlooked in many ways. D.R. is popular with the U.S. again and I think this album deserves another chance. I would like to hear her take on these tracks again and perhaps give the U.S. a chance to make it a hit.

[antceleb12]

Diana's voice, though good for her age is nothing like the instrument it once was. This concept might have made for interesting listening perhaps say even 12 years ago, but certainly not now. I feel the only previously recorded material she could perhaps improve upon would be singing jazz and blues. Life experience and a now much lowered vocal range would perhaps add an extra sense of poignancy and pathos to such songs.

I disagree. Diana, in my opinion, reached ver vocal zenith on "When You Tell Me That You Love Me" - recorded when she was almost fifty years old. Her voice might have changed since then, but that doesn't mean she can't still deliver a solid vocal performance.

[Ollie9]

As i pointed out, Diana's voice is in good shape for her age but nowhere near as good as it was on the FBTP sessions. She was 47 then and is now 71. Thats quite some difference. As regards Eaten Alive, there is no way she could improve upon vocals she recorded when she was 41 now that she is 71. The only genre of music where this would be possible would be Jazz, which often lends it self to the more mature voice. I agree that she can indeed still deliver a solid vocal performance, but one has to be realistic. As Diana would say "time passes real quickly".

[antceleb12]

As i pointed out, Diana's voice is in good shape for her age but nowhere near as good as it was on the FBTP sessions. She was 47 then and is now 71. Thats quite some difference. As regards Eaten Alive, there is no way she could improve upon vocals she recorded when she was 41 now that she is 71. The only genre of music where this would be possible would be Jazz, which often lends it self to the more mature voice. I agree that she can indeed still deliver a solid vocal performance, but one has to be realistic. As Diana would say "time passes real quickly".

It has nothing to do with being realistic. It has to do with a difference of opinion. Many people prefer Diana's aged voice to her young voice. I wouldn't be quite certain she can't improve upon previous works until you hear it first. Being 71 doesn't necessarily mean anything. Look at Patti LaBelle.

[Ollie9]

I think it would be a very small percentage indeed who prefer Diana's voice on the I Love You project as compared to all her other recorded works. There is a definite shift in the quality of singing from that point on that can't be ignored. I think she sounds great for her age and would dearly love a new cd from her. Having said that, to re-record at the age of 71 songs such as "Eaten Alive or "Chain Reaction" or even perhaps Supremes valentines to me would be a foolhardy thing to attempt and just might elicit many unkind comparisons to the original recordings. Just my opinion.

[Koach]

My intention for her to rerecord Eaten Alive is not to compare it past vocals. It is to celebrate an underappreciated album and to give U.S. listeners a second chance to experience it. I think the songs hold up well to today's pop standards IMO. A singer named Louise Dear man recorded a fast version of Chain Reaction for an auto insurance company commercial in 2011 and also a slower version available on YouTube. It is surprisingly good. Perhaps D.R. could do the songs slower and more mellow.

[Ollie9]

The fact is you may not compare it to her previous recordings but the world would. I have always thought that "Eaten Alive" spoilt what was surely meant to be an adult contemporary album, and do not consider the song worthy of her to record once, let alone twice. The other songs on it are all with the exception of "Chain Reaction" rather nice if unspectacular. The bottom line for me is with the exception of "More And More," of which i think she could better the original i really don't think Diana's voice is capable of doing justice to these recordings in 2015, even if slowed down. I'm not saying her voice is bad, just much older with far less range. I'm sorry if i sound a party pooper. I really don't mean to be.

[vgalindo]

I also thought her voice wasn't as good as before until I saw her live again last year at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Her voice was so strong and beautiful. The whole audience couldn't believe their ears. Many were saying she still sounds the same. My sister who saw her back in the 80s was absolutely amazed how good her voice still is.

[Philles/Motown Gary]

If I could choose an album for Diana to do over, it would be "Workin' Overtime". In my ever-so-humble opinion, the hip-hop musical arrangements and instrumentation on that thing were dreadful. I have yet to play any of the tracks all the way through. If the tracks were re-arranged in a Motown-disco style, it might make a difference for the better. It's worth a try. Since you asked, that would be my choice.

[mysterysinger]

Roy Orbison re-recorded all his earlier hits and issued them as an album - they've been re-issued time and again and often get treated [[mistaken even) as though they were the originals. The re-recording under more modern recording conditions at the time did nothing to improve on the true originals though many wouldn't even notice a difference.

There are numerous other example, e.g. Bobby Vee "Take Good Care Of My Baby" and Neil Sedaka "Breakin' Up Is Hard To Do" - the lesson here is give them a very different feel and treatment.

Others have tried the re-recording trick - even Motown with Gladys Kinght & The Pips "Every Beat Of My Heart", "Giving Up" and "Letter Full Of Tears" which are quite different to the originals though passed off as "Greatest Hits" nonetheless.

In terms of Diana Ross - she could have recorded "more modern" versions if she'd been part of Ian Levine's project lol. But there again, it is an interesting prospect for her to re-record a complete album. Let's say "Where Did Our Love Go" with Mary and Cindy [[or Scherrie) on backing. That could be something?

[Ollie9]

Re-recording a complete album of previous work would i am convinced never work at this stage in her career. It is possible that if Diana selected various album tracks that she has recorded over the years and chose the songs which suit her voice as to where it is now it just might work. I'm thinking songs such as "I'll Settle For You", "Confide In Me","Love Will Make It Right", "That's How You Start Over", "More And More", "Hard For Me To Say", perhaps recorded as a duet. Mabe throw in "Can't shake It loose" as a nod to her Supreme years.

[detmotownguy]

If I could choose an album for Diana to do over, it would be "Workin' Overtime". In my ever-so-humble opinion, the hip-hop musical arrangements and instrumentation on that thing were dreadful. I have yet to play any of the tracks all the way through. If the tracks were re-arranged in a Motown-disco style, it might make a difference for the better. It's worth a try. Since you asked, that would be my choice.

interesting selection Phillies/Motown/Gary! I remember taking clients to see DR at the Fox Theatre in Detroit when she was promoting Overtime. She sang a few songs from WOT and asked the audience if they liked it. Result was lukewarm, barely. I was watching the show from the bar and the bartender said, "she is gonna have to do better than this". It was an older crowd and didn't care for it. This crowd came to see the hits, but DR blazed through them with a blink of the eye. I think that album only sold abt 100,000 copies. I give her credit though for attempting a new sound.

[Ollie9]

An interesting report. The songs from WOT went down a storm in the UK, Wembley Arena in 89. Everyone was on their feet, dancing along and really enjoying the new sound. Myself included. Diana's legs looked great in those short dresses and she displayed some great moves. I never understood why Paradise never took off in the UK. I think there were some real quality songs from this project. "This House" and" We Stand Together" remain to of my favourite Diana ballads. Classy stuff.

[supremester]

I wasn't even thinking about vocal differences as far as age goes - just what I think came nowhere near it's potential. The album makes me crazy because of the wretched production. I think Eaten Alive had half a dozen possible top 10's on it, but was a mess. Some killer songs on there [[Crime Of Passion, Don't Give Up On Each Other, I Love Being In Love With You, Eaten Alive, Chain Reaction, Experience, More And More....) but all needed a lot of work - except More And More didn't need much.


Miss Ross sounds better live today than on I Love You.

[detmotownguy]

Did it seem like she was just going through the motions on I Love You? I listened to it a couple of times and didn't feel any excitement on her part. Maybe is was the collection of the songs/type of music. Whereas the Lady Sings the Blues was a good effort.

[captainjames]

I have to admit Diana does sound amazing live. I am surprise there has not been a "Diana Live" yet. Maybe Live CD's are not doing well, I am not sure. However, I would love to hear here do for the first time a real "Its My Turn" with "Dreaming of You" and then new material in-between.

[Ollie9]

I wasn't even thinking about vocal differences as far as age goes - just what I think came nowhere near it's potential. The album makes me crazy because of the wretched production. I think Eaten Alive had half a dozen possible top 10's on it, but was a mess. Some killer songs on there [[Crime Of Passion, Don't Give Up On Each Other, I Love Being In Love With You, Eaten Alive, Chain Reaction, Experience, More And More....) but all needed a lot of work - except More And More didn't need much.


Miss Ross sounds better live today than on I Love You.

I never thought the production terrible on EA, just very clinical. It has that typical eighties sound which i hate. I think it is a pleasant album but the problen imo is it really has no killer song to follow up the superb "Chain Reaction". "Experience" was no Heartbreaker or "All The Love In The World". Just a nice album track. Same goes for most of the other songs with perhaps "I Love Being In Love" the nearest thing to a big chart hit. Eaten Alive i always thought was a crap song with the public seeming to agree.
Diana's voice sounds dull and uninspired on the "I Love You" CD. Now that is one album that could only be improved upon.

[Bluebrock]

eaten alive was Diana's best rca album in my opinion, but it was no guilty or heartbreaker, both of which are in my opinion classic Gibb productions. It is certainly superior to the dreadful working overtime or mediocre i love you. I love Diana but i cannot listen to either of those albums all the way through but if some people appreciate them then i say good for them. Different strokes etc.

[Jaap]

Diana Ross's vocals sound pretty good to me on the I Love You album -- it's the production that really kills the album though. It's the same dull, MOR, karaoke production that is used for those concept cover albums, trying to reach a broad, mainstream, Target-buying audience. As I've stated many time before [[sorry to repeat myself!), I would love to see Ross work together with some old-school neo-soul producers [[Raphael Saadiq comes to mind). Or to do a Stolen Moments live album, but rather than singing the Lady Sings The Blues songbook, make a selection of those many songs she has recorded -- not the obvious one, but those hidden gems... That would be a nice album that could find a niche audience!

[Methuselah2]

A re-recorded album, although interesting to die-hard fans, would probably be a very hard-sell for the general public. What I've always hoped Diana would someday do is a collection of female artists' Motown tunes that she's never recorded--say, Brenda's WHEN I'M GONE, M&tV's MY BABY LOVES ME, Carolyn's MY SMILE IS JUST A FROWN [[TURNED UPSIDE), Hattie's LOVE, TROUBLE, HEARTACHE, AND MISERY, etc.

Not exactly what the thread is asking for but what I think would really work for Diana at this point. I think her voice now is perfectly suited for the titles I mentioned. And she's so closely associated with 'The Motown Sound' that her new versions of other artists' recordings could end up bringing something new and fresh to the music.

And doing such music in her live performances would be a wonderful change and something risky and interesting. When I last saw her perform live, which was in 2011, she was terrific and her voice was beautiful and exciting. But, for me, the one weak point of the show was the Supremes' medley, with the exception of MY WORLD IS EMPTY WITHOUT YOU which is still so well-suited to her, especially with the arrangement it's now been given. But the other Supremes' tunes--even though I know the audience expects them and wants them--no longer worked very well as far as I was concerned. And they were missing the incredible punch they once had--they didn't have that remarkable visual rush that Diana, Mary, and Florence so uniquely brought to them by their presence, and also, of course, their sound. Now, it was no more than just going through the motions--but the motions were no longer there, nor were the emotions. The Supremes as a group brought so much to what they did. But doing their music of the 60s without the group intact just doesn't quite make it for me any longer. Including new versions of other female Motown artists that she's never covered before just might be the answer. And it's been a long time for her since AIN'T NO MOUNTAIN HIGH ENOUGH and REACH OUT I'LL BE THERE--both interesting ideas that, however, worked with varying degrees of the public's acceptance. But both were 'new spins on old takes' that I truly enjoyed for that sake. [[As opposed to what I found to be hugely disappointing and ill-chosen material of the I LOVE YOU album.)

[jack020]

IMO a new Ross album would be a success if Streisand produced her or David Foster [[a la Wallflower by Diana Krall)

[Bluebrock]

I think we can safely say there will be no more new music from Diana. If Nile Rodgers couldn't persuade her to guest on the new Chic album there is unlikely to be anything new. She could have been introduced to a whole new audience had she accepted the offer. Now I think we shall have to be content with any previously unreleased material of which there cannot be that much. We have the Wiz and that mid 80's unreleased album of standards but is there anything else?

[reese]

I think we can safely say there will be no more new music from Diana. If Nile Rodgers couldn't persuade her to guest on the new Chic album there is unlikely to be anything new. She could have been introduced to a whole new audience had she accepted the offer. Now I think we shall have to be content with any previously unreleased material of which there cannot be that much. We have the Wiz and that mid 80's unreleased album of standards but is there anything else?

I think one of the reissues mentioned some tracks done with Stevie Wonder that are in his personal vault.

[Bluebrock]

reese - I had forgotten about those. We are unlikely to hear them during Stevie's lifetime but thanks for the reminder.

[Ollie9]

I was incredulous of Diana's decision not to record just one song for long time friend Nile Rogers new cd. As has already been stated, it could have introduced her music to a whole new generation. This was a massive wasted opportunity.
If the wearisome and dull "I Love You" is to be her last album project ever, what a sad note for her sparkling recording career to end on.

[Koach]

I have been listening to Eaten Alive and am astonished at how well she blends with the Bee Gees. Barbra Streisand did a second album with Barry Gibb. Perhaps she could do the same. I know it is her life and career but I feel it would be a great way to end her recording career. I would like her and Barry to redo all the Eaten Alive songs and do new songs. Guilty was such a good song. Perhaps something like that. I Love Being in Love with You was my late mother's favorite song of all time. If she is unable to do the album I would like her to include that in her concerts.

[Bluebrock]

I have been listening to Eaten Alive and am astonished at how well she blends with the Bee Gees. Barbra Streisand did a second album with Barry Gibb. Perhaps she could do the same. I know it is her life and career but I feel it would be a great way to end her recording career. I would like her and Barry to redo all the Eaten Alive songs and do new songs. Guilty was such a good song. Perhaps something like that. I Love Being in Love with You was my late mother's favorite song of all time. If she is unable to do the album I would like her to include that in her concerts.

I read a biography about the Bee Gees a few years back and in it Barry claimed that Diana called him "every other day" to do another album! Not sure how true that is but there is probably some truth in it somewhere. I would love for them to make another album together. Not sure if Barry is still actively writing and producing. He did do a solo tour a couple of years ago but no new product was released to coincide.