Diana Ross - If You're Not Gonna Love Me Right [[1995)

**midnightman** · 01-09-2016, 06:30 PM

**captainjames** · 01-10-2016, 01:33 AM

What a hidden gem.

**Jimi LaLumia** · 01-10-2016, 11:20 AM

those final Motown albums were practically kept secret by that version of Motown..

**Bluebrock** · 01-10-2016, 02:17 PM

She did a great live version on the Tonight Show. I always wanted this to be released as a single in the Uk but was overuled. Instead they went with "gone" a beautiful song for sure but never a major hit single.

**Ollie9** · 01-11-2016, 07:19 AM

"Gone" is a lovely song, but agree it was never going to score big as a single . Had the exciting promo vid for the first single "Take Me Higher" been aired on Top Of The Pops UK, instead of Diana singing from the Motown Museum, that also would have made more of a splash.
TMH is a superb album that still sounds fresh today. Unforunately by this time, even in the UK Diana had to promote her music by way of tv appearances, as any new music by her was rarely heard on radio. As regards "If your Not Gonna Love Me", i do wonder if she was perhaps perceived by the public at large as being a little to mature to be singing those kind of lyrics.....Just a thought.

**Bluebrock** · 01-11-2016, 02:15 PM

Originally Posted by Ollie9

"Gone" is a lovely song, but agree it was never going to score big as a single . Had the exciting promo vid for the first single "Take Me Higher" been aired on Top Of The Pops UK, instead of Diana singing from the Motown Museum, that also would have made more of a splash.
TMH is a superb album that still sounds fresh today. Unforunately by this time, even in the UK Diana had to promote her music by way of tv appearances, as any new music by her was rarely heard on radio. As regards "If your Not Gonna Love Me", i do wonder if she was perhaps perceived by the public at large as being a little to mature to be singing those kind of lyrics.....Just a thought.

Maybe Ollie. I hadn't given that any thought, Radio 2 continued to support her music and also Smooth but otherwise she struggled. She was too old for radio 1 and the mainstream commercial regional stations. Sad but true.

**rovereab** · 01-11-2016, 03:51 PM

This is a great song but for me the most overlooked song from the Take Me Higher sessions is Let Somebody Know. This was not included on the UK version of the album for some strange reason. It is one of Diana's best vocal performances IMO and the lyrics are so true of life. A missed opportunity.

**Bluebrock** · 01-11-2016, 04:06 PM

Originally Posted by rovereab

This is a great song but for me the most overlooked song from the Take Me Higher sessions is Let Somebody Know. This was not included on the UK version of the album for some strange reason. It is one of Diana's best vocal performances IMO and the lyrics are so true of life. A missed opportunity.

Correct. It was one of the B sides to the take me higher single. I also thought it worthy of inclusion on the album but EMI insisted only 11 tracks could be included. Once again they made a mistake in my opinion.

**thommg** · 01-11-2016, 04:43 PM

Originally Posted by rovereab

This is a great song but for me the most overlooked song from the Take Me Higher sessions is Let Somebody Know. This was not included on the UK version of the album for some strange reason. It is one of Diana's best vocal performances IMO and the lyrics are so true of life. A missed opportunity.

We, in the US, got Let Somebody Know, and you, in the UK, got Swing it. Japan also got If We Hold On Together on their version.

**midnightman** · 01-11-2016, 05:17 PM

I don't know about her being too old to sing "If You're Not Gonna Love Me Right" but you can't deny its groove and Diana sings so seductively on it and very sassy... I do think had someone like Monifah sang it, she would've had a hit with it since she was popular around that time with "I Miss You". This song fits her sound...

Which is why I loved it coming from Miss Ross.

**Bluebrock** · 01-11-2016, 05:33 PM

Originally Posted by midnightman

I don't know about her being too old to sing "If You're Not Gonna Love Me Right" but you can't deny its groove and Diana sings so seductively on it and very sassy... I do think had someone like Monifah sang it, she would've had a hit with it since she was popular around that time with "I Miss You". This song fits her sound...

Which is why I loved it coming from Miss Ross.

i thought she sounded seductive too. There were some great remixes of the song too. They didn't radically alter the tempo of the tune but they are all worth a listen.

**daviddh** · 01-12-2016, 02:56 PM

great track and album

**skooldem1** · 01-13-2016, 09:21 PM

**midnightman** · 01-14-2016, 01:00 AM

Thanks for posting, skool... hard to believe she was 51 in that clip.

Looking 41 lol

**rovereab** · 01-19-2016, 08:30 AM

What a fantastic video - such a lovely smiley performance with spot on vocal accuracy!

**Bluebrock** · 01-19-2016, 09:55 AM

Originally Posted by rovereab

What a fantastic video - such a lovely smiley performance with spot on vocal accuracy!

She briefly included it in her live shows but sadly dropped it shortly after.

**rovereab** · 01-19-2016, 02:47 PM

I wish Diana would include Let Somebody Know in her live performances. This song has such a spiritual feel to it and would be very suitable for her lower key voice these days.

**Jaap** · 01-19-2016, 05:50 PM

Originally Posted by Bluebrock

She briefly included it in her live shows but sadly dropped it shortly after.

Back in 1985, she did almost half of the album live. I remember seeing her at Wolftrap before TMH came out and I was amazed by all the new songs as well by her cover of I Will Survive -- brought the house down... of course, by now she has been singing I Will Survive for twenty years...

**Bluebrock** · 01-20-2016, 08:28 AM

Originally Posted by Jaap

Back in 1985, she did almost half of the album live. I remember seeing her at Wolftrap before TMH came out and I was amazed by all the new songs as well by her cover of I Will Survive -- brought the house down... of course, by now she has been singing I Will Survive for twenty years...

It's ironic that most people thought "I will survive" to be the weak link on the album, yet she continues to perform it to this day. Diana herself obviously loves to perform it and I guess we have to accept that.

**reese** · 01-20-2016, 10:03 AM

Originally Posted by Jaap

Back in 1985, she did almost half of the album live. I remember seeing her at Wolftrap before TMH came out and I was amazed by all the new songs as well by her cover of I Will Survive -- brought the house down... of course, by now she has been singing I Will Survive for twenty years...

When I saw her in 1996, she was still doing IF YOU'RE NOT GONNA LOVE ME RIGHT, and had it choreographed for her dancers. By then, I think it had also been released as a single in the US, along with VOICE OF THE HEART.

**Bluebrock** · 01-20-2016, 11:13 AM

Originally Posted by reese

When I saw her in 1996, she was still doing IF YOU'RE NOT GONNA LOVE ME RIGHT, and had it choreographed for her dancers. By then, I think it had also been released as a single in the US, along with VOICE OF THE HEART.

Yes it was released as a single in the USA. The cd single contained some great mellow remixes of the song and "voice of the heart" as you previously said.

**marv2** · 01-21-2016, 03:58 PM

This sounded weak. She needed to come out with something strong after not hitting for such a long time.

**Ollie9** · 01-22-2016, 05:27 AM

This sounded weak. She needed to come out with something strong after not hitting for such a long time.

I really don't think one could call the song weak, perhaps a little to sophisticated for mass appeal. Regarding pop hits, "I Will Survive" without doubt should have been the lead single, followed by "Swing It"...... All in all a fine album.

**Bluebrock** · 01-22-2016, 05:49 AM

Originally Posted by marv2

This sounded weak. She needed to come out with something strong after not hitting for such a long time.

I thought [[and still do) think it was a great song. Even the specialist Radio Soul Shows which rarely played her music in the UK picked up on the remixes and everything looked good for a decent size hit over here, but EMI UK ignored them and went with the totally uncommercial "gone", which meant the chances of a major hit were "gone".

**reese** · 01-22-2016, 09:50 AM

Originally Posted by Bluebrock

I thought [[and still do) think it was a great song. Even the specialist Radio Soul Shows which rarely played her music in the UK picked up on the remixes and everything looked good for a decent size hit over here, but EMI UK ignored them and went with the totally uncommercial "gone", which meant the chances of a major hit were "gone".

I thought they should have gone with IF YOU'RE NOT GONNA..., as the second single, then VOICE OF THE HEART.

GONE is a nice song as well, but I think it would have been better as a fourth or fifth single.

**marv2** · 01-22-2016, 10:54 AM

Originally Posted by Ollie9

This sounded weak. She needed to come out with something strong after not hitting for such a long time.

I really don't think one could call the song weak, perhaps a little to sophisticated for mass appeal. Regarding pop hits, "I Will Survive" without doubt should have been the lead single, followed by "Swing It"...... All in all a fine album.

Maybe it is the way she delivered it. It sounds like she is mumbling during parts of the song.