Lady Sings the Blues: Promotional Featurette: The Diana Ross Project

[jobeterob]

https://dianarossproject.wordpress.com/

[reese]

Just yesterday I was watching the dvd OSCAR'S BLACK ODYSSEY. It is a program that profiles all of the African-Americans nominated for Oscars from Hattie McDaniel up through Halle Berry. They showed some footage from the LSB featurette, particularly the DON'T EXPLAIN scene.

[Methuselah2]

Very interesting posting, Jobeterob. Thanks very much. I hope the featurette finds its way to YouTube. I'd love to see the deleted scenes that the article discussed--particularly the one with Diana in that great red outfit. What a shot!

For anyone who has seen the DVD of the film that included deleted material, have any of the scenes mentioned in the article been included in it? My understanding is that the DVD basically includes additional footage of scenes that were cut short for the final version of the film.

[reese]

Very interesting posting, Jobeterob. Thanks very much. I hope the featurette finds its way to YouTube. I'd love to see the deleted scenes that the article discussed--particularly the one with Diana in that great red outfit. What a shot!

For anyone who has seen the DVD of the film that included deleted material, have any of the scenes mentioned in the article been included in it? My understanding is that the DVD basically includes additional footage of scenes that were cut short for the final version of the film.

The additional scenes that I remember from the LSB dvd were not edited down versions of some already in the film, although there may be some where that it is the case. I haven't watched the deleted scenes on the dvd since I bought it. But the scenes I remember are Billie visiting her sick mother [[played by Virgina Capers). Then there was another where Louis has a talk with Harry, I believe warning him to stay away from Billie. Another was with Billie and Louis where she says something about she is worried about other women getting to him.

[Methuselah2]

Thanks very much, Reese. Sounds like the DVD is more than I had heard it was. I appreciate the info very much.

[sansradio]

You can get a glimpse of Diana in that red ensemble in the DVD's featurette, "Behind the Blues." She's in conference with BG or Furie and not singing, however. That clip is soundless and plays under narration by talking heads, as do clips of other scenes/outfits that didn't make the cut. I, too, wish this would surface on YouTube; wonder why it wasn't included with the DVD package?

[Ollie9]

Terrific post Jobs. It would indeed be fantastic to be able to view this featurette, if only to remind us of the love, hard work, hopes and dreams that went into bringing Lady to the silver screen. I think it a massive shame "He's funny That Way" never found a place in the film. Diana really owns this song and the lyrics are so touching.
The red dress she is wearing for "Don't Explain" reminds me of the sort of thing Grace Jones took to wearing.
As regards unreleased songs!!!! I have always been of the opinion that the Motown tea lady must have been put to work compiling the tracks which make up the albums "Last Time I Saw Him" and "Ross". How could such wonderful songs as "To The Baby" and "Kewpie Doll" have been passed over.

[jobeterob]

Didn't Berry say he was worried about Diana becoming a jazz singer and so he aimed her back at the pop market? Hence, he saw what they was buying [[Tie A Yellow Ribbon Round the Old Oak Tree) and made Diana do Last Time I Saw Him instead of releasing Blue!

In retrospect, Berry wasn't always so smart!

[supremester]

It will. I am going to download it soon as well as another surprise.

Very interesting posting, Jobeterob. Thanks very much. I hope the featurette finds its way to YouTube. I'd love to see the deleted scenes that the article discussed--particularly the one with Diana in that great red outfit. What a shot!

For anyone who has seen the DVD of the film that included deleted material, have any of the scenes mentioned in the article been included in it? My understanding is that the DVD basically includes additional footage of scenes that were cut short for the final version of the film.

[Methuselah2]

Supremester - That would be sensational if you were able to do that. I'm champin' at the bit already! Thank you!

[arr&bee]

Diana would've done very well as a jazz singer.

[florence]

In retrospect, Berry wasn't always so smart!

He completely missed the potential of Ain't No Mountain High Enough.

When the Diana Ross [[1970) album was completed with Ashord & Simpson as the producers he didn't believe there were any potential smash singles on it so had These Things Will Keep Me Loving You added to the track listing with the intention of it being Diana's first solo single [[it had originally been scheduled as DRAS final single).

Diana, of course, held out for Reach Out And Touch as her debut and got her way then the radio stations began picking up on Mountain and the rest, as they say, is history!

[jobeterob]

Berry was great, especially with Diana, but when you parse history, of course there are any number of small shortcomings.

But he saw the big picture incredibly well.

[Ollie9]

[QUOTE=jobeterob;296875]Didn't Berry say he was worried about Diana becoming a jazz singer and so he aimed her back at the pop market? Hence, he saw what they was buying [[Tie A Yellow Ribbon Round the Old Oak Tree) and made Diana do Last Time I Saw Him instead of releasing Blue!

This is true, but songs such as "To The Baby" were not jazz. .This is how i would have turned the album Last Time I Saw Him into something perhaps a little more cohesive Release date 11/ 74. Title LOVE ME.
1. Love Me
2. No One's Gonna Be A Fool Forever
3. Last Time I Saw Him
4. Kewpie Doll
5. To The Baby
Side 2.
1. Sleepin
2. Part Of You
3. Wonderful Guest
4. First Time Ever I Saw Your Face
5. Behind Close Doors

Now a good album...IMO of course.

[RobertZ]

Didn't Berry say he was worried about Diana becoming a jazz singer and so he aimed her back at the pop market? Hence, he saw what they was buying [[Tie A Yellow Ribbon Round the Old Oak Tree) and made Diana do Last Time I Saw Him instead of releasing Blue!

In retrospect, Berry wasn't always so smart!

That's interesting - I had not heard that before; it seems believable. But LTISH was a bit of a hit, and I don't think "Blue" would have had much resonance in the marketplace at the time. I think with Ella-Sarah-Carmen-Rosemary etc still alive, kickin', and making great jazz vocal albums I don't think the jazz establishment would have accepted a second Diana Ross jazz album.

[Jaap]

Didn't Berry say he was worried about Diana becoming a jazz singer and so he aimed her back at the pop market? Hence, he saw what they was buying [[Tie A Yellow Ribbon Round the Old Oak Tree) and made Diana do Last Time I Saw Him instead of releasing Blue!

In retrospect, Berry wasn't always so smart!

It was Touch Me In The Morning album instead of Blue.

[jobeterob]

In case anyone forgot, Last Time I Saw Him was the #1 Adult Contemporary Song of 1974 by Billboard Magazine. I remember they called it a "suprise winner".

I suppose Berry was right to release Touch Me In The Morning and send Diana back to the pop audience. It was a massive hit and remains part of every show up until the present.

It was always one of my least favorite Ross songs.

[RobertZ]

In case anyone forgot, Last Time I Saw Him was the #1 Adult Contemporary Song of 1974 by Billboard Magazine. I remember they called it a "suprise winner".

I suppose Berry was right to release Touch Me In The Morning and send Diana back to the pop audience. It was a massive hit and remains part of every show up until the present.

It was always one of my least favorite Ross songs.

I did forget, or did not know, that LTISH was so big on AC -

[jobeterob]

It was #1 on that Chart for 3 weeks I believe and stayed on their a long time ~ enough to pull off being #1 for the year.