The Eaten Alive Demos

[jobeterob]

https://youtu.be/9b5efdDhSZg

[jobeterob]

Part 2

https://youtu.be/XcL_nix7VPs

[PeaceNHarmony]

Part 2

https://youtu.be/XcL_nix7VPs

... and thanks again for posting these demos. Interesting that Andy is on the songwriter credits; I wonder if he was really involved or that was a BG family thing to always list everybody as co-writers?

[PeaceNHarmony]

Cool - will listen tonight - these are the Barry Gibb vocals, I guess?

[jobucats]

These are wonderful and reinforces the great songwriting of the Gibbs brothers. Musically, their compositions contain beautiful chord changes, time signature changes [[which throw us off just a little), and of course, mesmerizing lyrics. Diana Ross' "Eaten Alive" project, as we have discussed before, may have benefitted much from a completely different way Diana's voice was mixed and layered with the instrumentation. Even then, the whole project, in my opinion, needs remastering. Right now, it sounds a little too abrasive and needs some "syrup" poured over it [[tweeking on the equalization and some adjustments on the type of reverb that was used). I love hearing Barry's demo versions and how much work is put into them.

[midnightman]

These are wonderful and reinforces the great songwriting of the Gibbs brothers. Musically, their compositions contain beautiful chord changes, time signature changes [[which throw us off just a little), and of course, mesmerizing lyrics. Diana Ross' "Eaten Alive" project, as we have discussed before, may have benefitted much from a completely different way Diana's voice was mixed and layered with the instrumentation. Even then, the whole project, in my opinion, needs remastering. Right now, it sounds a little too abrasive and needs some "syrup" poured over it [[tweeking on the equalization and some adjustments on the type of reverb that was used). I love hearing Barry's demo versions and how much work is put into them.

I think hearing the album, RCA rushed it. Also, how did she go from a gold album the previous year and this one flopped? I mean RCA even convinced Michael to come back for another composition [[the Eaten Alive one with the Gibbs). Maybe this was around the time the Gibbs' hit making potential had peaked? Also it just seemed very hodgepodge.

This was also the start of the end of Diana's relationship with RCA. And in the era of Whitney, nothing commercially would ever be the same for Diana again. I honestly think RCA didn't really know WHAT to do with Diana. She was leaving behind a label she helped to make legendary [[Motown) for a mainstream label that really didn't know how to promote her since she was in her 40s now and the industry was starting to be dominated by younger acts like MJ, Madonna, Prince and Janet.

I personally think she should've went the pop-rock route Cher took.

THAT SAID, Chain Reaction deserves to be in the pantheon of DR classics.

Also, for that opinion of what genre she falls under. You can't easily categorize her. And I rather she not be referred to as an R&B/soul artist since it takes away the fact that she can sing under any genre. Sure she's not Aretha, but then again, WHO IS? Comparisons don't do nothing for these ladies of song, man.

[marv2]

I think hearing the album, RCA rushed it. Also, how did she go from a gold album the previous year and this one flopped? I mean RCA even convinced Michael to come back for another composition [[the Eaten Alive one with the Gibbs). Maybe this was around the time the Gibbs' hit making potential had peaked? Also it just seemed very hodgepodge.
RCA did no such thing! They did not rush this garbage album. It was a full year before it was released and after that Swept Away album. This album came out in the Fall of 1985. The Gibbs Brothers hit their peak in America in 1978 and they popularity began to decline in late 1979. Diana Ross was around. She knew this or should have if she were not so self absorbed.

This was also the start of the end of Diana's relationship with RCA. And in the era of Patti, Tina and Whitney, nothing commercially would ever be the same for Diana again.

That is not true. She is into her 4th year with RCA. Meaning that we were finally in a area where people had to actually know how to sing?

I personally think she should've went the pop-rock route Cher took.

She can't do what Cher does......

THAT SAID, Chain Reaction deserves to be in the pantheon of DR classics.

Sure, go ahead. It was a stupid record and after 30 years it is still basically an unknown track here in America.

Also, for that opinion of what genre she falls under. You can't easily categorize her. And I rather she not be referred to as an R&B/soul artist since it takes away the fact that she can sing under any genre. Sure she's not Aretha, but then again, WHO IS? Comparisons don't do nothing for these ladies of song, man.

I think hearing the album, RCA rushed it. Also, how did she go from a gold album the previous year and this one flopped? I mean RCA even convinced Michael to come back for another composition [[the Eaten Alive one with the Gibbs). Maybe this was around the time the Gibbs' hit making potential had peaked? Also it just seemed very hodgepodge.

RCA did no such thing! They did not rush this garbage album. It was a full year before it was released and after that Swept Away album. This album came out in the Fall of 1985. The Gibbs Brothers hit their peak in America in 1978 and they popularity began to decline in late 1979. Diana Ross was around. She knew this or should have if she were not so self absorbed.

This was also the start of the end of Diana's relationship with RCA. And in the era of Patti, Tina and Whitney, nothing commercially would ever be the same for Diana again.

That is not true. She is into her 4th year with RCA. Meaning that we were finally in a area where people had to actually know how to sing?

I personally think she should've went the pop-rock route Cher took.

She can't do what Cher does......

THAT SAID, Chain Reaction deserves to be in the pantheon of DR classics.

Sure, go ahead. It was a stupid record and after 30 years it is still basically an unknown track here in America.

Also, for that opinion of what genre she falls under. You can't easily categorize her. And I rather she not be referred to as an R&B/soul artist since it takes away the fact that she can sing under any genre. Sure she's not Aretha, but then again, WHO IS? Comparisons don't do nothing for these ladies of song, man.

That's real funny because that is exactly how RCA promoted her records. They only service R&B stations with her records along with Evelyn Champagne King's records!

[PeaceNHarmony]

I think hearing the album, RCA rushed it. Also, how did she go from a gold album the previous year and this one flopped? I mean RCA even convinced Michael to come back for another composition [[the Eaten Alive one with the Gibbs). Maybe this was around the time the Gibbs' hit making potential had peaked? Also it just seemed very hodgepodge.

This was also the start of the end of Diana's relationship with RCA. And in the era of Whitney, nothing commercially would ever be the same for Diana again. I honestly think RCA didn't really know WHAT to do with Diana. She was leaving behind a label she helped to make legendary [[Motown) for a mainstream label that really didn't know how to promote her since she was in her 40s now and the industry was starting to be dominated by younger acts like MJ, Madonna, Prince and Janet.

I personally think she should've went the pop-rock route Cher took.

THAT SAID, Chain Reaction deserves to be in the pantheon of DR classics.

Also, for that opinion of what genre she falls under. You can't easily categorize her. And I rather she not be referred to as an R&B/soul artist since it takes away the fact that she can sing under any genre. Sure she's not Aretha, but then again, WHO IS? Comparisons don't do nothing for these ladies of song, man.

Agree with all around, where opinion is stated. There are SOOOO many reasons why an lp does not sell. For someone like Diana [[or Aretha, etc) a hit single is a major generator of sales, particularly if it's the lead single. And I think the choice of EA was not-so-much good. A few years earlier the MJ connection could have put it over the top but that time had passed. I've said before that CR was a GREAT song and GREAT vid, and the lead single and lp title should have been CR. I also thought the cover art was not great, and probably a tad tacky. Not so many [[any?) of Diana's peers were burning up the charts at the time, and as you say there was a new generation on the radio. I give the lady props for trying something different!

[marv2]

Agree with all around, where opinion is stated. There are SOOOO many reasons why an lp does not sell. For someone like Diana [[or Aretha, etc) a hit single is a major generator of sales, particularly if it's the lead single. And I think the choice of EA was not-so-much good. A few years earlier the MJ connection could have put it over the top but that time had passed. I've said before that CR was a GREAT song and GREAT vid, and the lead single and lp title should have been CR. I also thought the cover art was not great, and probably a tad tacky. Not so many [[any?) of Diana's peers were burning up the charts at the time, and as you say there was a new generation on the radio. I give the lady props for trying something different!

You're wrong! Tina Turner, Patti Labelle, Dionne Warwick, Gladys Knight and Aretha Franklin all had huge hits around that time. Diana didn't because her records were awful.

[TheMotownManiac]

You're wrong! Tina Turner, Patti Labelle, Dionne Warwick, Gladys Knight and Aretha Franklin all had huge hits around that time. Diana didn't because her records were awful.

You really need to fact check yourself - Patti, Dionne and Gladys were sucking hind tit behind Diana - Ree as well until Freeway........ I love it when you start getting carried away with your Ross rants that you don’t join into......lololol.

This is us exactly the type of talk you complain about when the same types if comments are made about Mary - only then, it’s bashing. Are you listening Luke?

[soulster]

I personally think she should've went the pop-rock route Cher took.

Well, maybe if she had a better producer than herself. "Fool For Your Love" was a nightmare. "Up Front", produced by Ray parker Jr. was a little better, but if she could have kept doing what she did with "Mirror Mirror", I think she would have done a lot better in the 80s.

THAT said, I thought her 1983 "Ross" album was fine. The five tracks she did with gary Katz were terrific. Too bad she was too difficult to work with. Story has it that she didn't do a damn thing to help herself. Most artists have a hand in picking their own songs, but not Ross. All she wanted to do is come in the studio and sing what was put in front of her, then leave. She didn't even rehearse the songs.

[marv2]

Well, maybe if she had a better producer than herself. "Fool For Your Love" was a nightmare. "Up Front", produced by Ray parker Jr. was a little better, but if she could have kept doing what she did with "Mirror Mirror", I think she would have done a lot better in the 80s.

THAT said, I thought her 1983 "Ross" album was fine. The five tracks she did with gary Katz were terrific. Too bad she was too difficult to work with. Story has it that she didn't do a damn thing to help herself. Most artists have a hand in picking their own songs, but not Ross. All she wanted to do is come in the studio and sing what was put in front of her, then leave. She didn't even rehearse the songs.

That's all she did at Motown. That is the reason why hardly anyone in the industry takes her seriously as an artist.

[soulster]

That's all she did at Motown.

That is because she was indoctrinated into the old system where pre and post-production was done for the singer. By the late 60s, that all changed, but Motown didn't until the late 70s, and neither did she.

She didn't rehearse for the sessions with the Gibb brothers which is why they badmouthed her and said they never wanted to work with her again.

She was used to doing everything in the studio. Again, the old way, and she never changed. Studio time costs money. It's not like in the days when the record label owned the studio. Ultimately, it's her own fault.

[marv2]

Well, maybe if she had a better producer than herself. "Fool For Your Love" was a nightmare. "Up Front", produced by Ray parker Jr. was a little better, but if she could have kept doing what she did with "Mirror Mirror", I think she would have done a lot better in the 80s.

THAT said, I thought her 1983 "Ross" album was fine. The five tracks she did with gary Katz were terrific. Too bad she was too difficult to work with. Story has it that she didn't do a damn thing to help herself. Most artists have a hand in picking their own songs, but not Ross. All she wanted to do is come in the studio and sing what was put in front of her, then leave. She didn't even rehearse the songs.

She didn't rehearse for the sessions with the Gibb brothers which is why they badmouthed her and said they never wanted to work with her again.

[Jaap]

It's interesting to hear these demos, as they explain--at least to me--why Diana Ross doesn't sound like Diana Ross on the Eaten Alive album. She apparently stayed really close [[too close) to Gibb's demo vocals. It's funny that people have said of the diana album that it really came close to being a Chic album on which Ross happened to sing, but to me both the Motown mix as well as the "original" Chic mix of the album still sound like Diana Ross [[those songs would have sound different if they had been sung by Alfa Anderson or Kathy Sledge). That is not the case with Eaten Alive; Diana is lost in the sighs and breathy voice [[in a way that Barbra Streisand and Dionne Warwick weren't on their Gibb albums). This is of course very subjective [[and I realize that a lot of Ross fans actually love Eaten Alive), but to me--with the exception of Chain Reaction, which I don't particularly like, but at least it DOES sound like Diana Ross--Ross seems to be missing from this album.

[sansradio]

Great find; thanks for sharing!

[jobeterob]

I think Eaten Alive is one of her best albums but I agree that while Diana 1980 the Chic album sounds like a Diana Ross Motown album, Eaten Alive sounds a little too Bee Gee produced

By this time Diana was over 40 and old and she was coming off masses of hits and no producer was going to keep her on top endlessly

[Circa 1824]

I have not played the song Eaten Alive in more than 20 years. I will never play it again because I hated it so much. I do not know if putting syrup on her voice or mixing it differently would have helped. It certainly would not have hurt the final product.

I do know her career decisions during this period were almost impossible to understand. She completely forgot and abandoned all the things and people that made her a superstar.

Also, Maurice Gibb stated Diana came to the studio unprepared. She did not learn this new material in advance.

[Bluebrock]

I think Eaten Alive is one of her best albums but I agree that while Diana 1980 the Chic album sounds like a Diana Ross Motown album, Eaten Alive sounds a little too Bee Gee produced

By this time Diana was over 40 and old and she was coming off masses of hits and no producer was going to keep her on top endlessly

I have always loved "eaten alive" for the most part, but i do agree with what you say. It is true that Diana and Maurice clashed in the studio, but Barry regards this production as being stronger than "guilty" or "heartbreaker" and even sent some new demos to Diana a couple of years ago. She did not respond to him. I would love them to record a new album together.

[khansperac]

I tried listening to part two and had to turn it off after 10 seconds.

[vgalindo]

I love the "Eaten Alive" album. It is in my top 5 of Diana Ross albums. I wore this album out when it was first released. It has a personal meaning for me.

[Ollie9]

I believe "Chain Reaction was the last song recorded for the project. It's interesting Diana's voice sounds far stronger and clear on "CR" compared to her slightly strained sounding vocals on the rest of the album.
For me side two is a little weak and would have benefited from a couple more fun and uplifting songs as a follow up to the huge success of ""CR".
Hate the cover although Diana does look beautiful.
Gibbs demos are ok, but give me a slightly underpar Diana anyday.

[Bluebrock]

I believe "Chain Reaction was the last song recorded for the project. It's interesting Diana's voice sounds far stronger and clear on "CR" compared to her slightly strained sounding vocals on the rest of the album.
For me side two is a little weak and would have benefited from a couple more fun and uplifting songs as a follow up to the huge success of ""CR".
Hate the cover although Diana does look beautiful.
Gibbs demos are ok, but give me a slightly underpar Diana anyday.

You are quite correct Ollie. " Chain reaction" was recorded almost as an afterthought. Diana always thought this album had the potential to be one of her finest, and i agree.

[Albator]

The videos were great, by the way.

[jobucats]

The videos were great, by the way.

Oh yes. The video for "Chain Reaction" has always been a favorite of mine, and it's one of the most fun ones to watch. You've got great retro staging along with an interesting concept of a "reaction" with each costume change/camera shot being a little more glamorous than the previous.

[RanRan79]

Oh yes. The video for "Chain Reaction" has always been a favorite of mine, and it's one of the most fun ones to watch. You've got great retro staging along with an interesting concept of a "reaction" with each costume change/camera shot being a little more glamorous than the previous.

Yes, that video was great. I think it's the best music video she had. I do like the video to "Swept Away" also.

[daviddh]

always thought CRIMES OF PASSION should be a single....cant believe it was overlooked. I would have gone with CR as first single then, COP......I would have left EA as a video. great video.
I do Diana was trying to prove herself during this period after being controlled for so many years, or it may have seemed that way

[RanRan79]

I do Diana was trying to prove herself during this period after being controlled for so many years, or it may have seemed that way

I think this was a component to everything also. The problem is she only ended up proving that she needed someone guiding her career. Twenty plus years in the biz and she seemed to have learned nothing about what it actually was that made the public fall in love with her. Had she kept being herself, while evolving with the times, I think the RCA years would prove more memorable.

[RanRan79]

Hate it, hate it, hate it. This just wasn't the direction she should have been going in and I wish someone had jumped up in her face and told her that. Women she had grown up in the business with were still remaining relevant: Patti Labelle, Aretha Franklin, Tina Turner, Gladys Knight. And then here comes Ross with this crap? Yikes. Now I'm not knocking anyone's like of the EA album. You like what you like, success probably not being a factor. I know it isn't in regards to my likes and dislikes. But does anyone here really think this was the direction Diana should've gone in?

I do love "Chain Reaction", but mostly because it kind of reminds me of old Motown for some reason. [[I know I mentioned in the forum before that I think had the Motown 25 reunion gone good, a song like "Chain Reaction" might've worked for a one off reunion project.) And only in recent years have I started liking "Eaten Alive" after Diana's live performance on an award show. She was great. Made me appreciate the song more.

I just wish I knew what Ross was thinking during this period. How did she watch her fellow diva legends do what they do and not seriously consider her steps?

As for these demos, I did a few seconds like a poster above and then cut it off. I'm not a fan of the Bee Gees voices at all. [[Although I am a huge Andy Gibb fan. Go figure that.)

[Bluebrock]

Hate it, hate it, hate it. This just wasn't the direction she should have been going in and I wish someone had jumped up in her face and told her that. Women she had grown up in the business with were still remaining relevant: Patti Labelle, Aretha Franklin, Tina Turner, Gladys Knight. And then here comes Ross with this crap? Yikes. Now I'm not knocking anyone's like of the EA album. You like what you like, success probably not being a factor. I know it isn't in regards to my likes and dislikes. But does anyone here really think this was the direction Diana should've gone in?

I do love "Chain Reaction", but mostly because it kind of reminds me of old Motown for some reason. [[I know I mentioned in the forum before that I think had the Motown 25 reunion gone good, a song like "Chain Reaction" might've worked for a one off reunion project.) And only in recent years have I started liking "Eaten Alive" after Diana's live performance on an award show. She was great. Made me appreciate the song more.

I just wish I knew what Ross was thinking during this period. How did she watch her fellow diva legends do what they do and not seriously consider her steps?

As for these demos, I did a few seconds like a poster above and then cut it off. I'm not a fan of the Bee Gees voices at all. [[Although I am a huge Andy Gibb fan. Go figure that.)

She had been scheduled to work with the Gibbs a few years earlier, but she turned down "islands in the stream" which Barry Gibb had planned to be a duet between himself and Diana. It was inevitable they would eventually work together.

[RanRan79]

She had been scheduled to work with the Gibbs a few years earlier, but she turned down "islands in the stream" which Barry Gibb had planned to be a duet between himself and Diana. It was inevitable they would eventually work together.

While there's a good chance "Islands" was a missed hit opportunity, she still should've steered clear of the Gibbs.

[thommg]

I think these demos are mixed better than the final Eaten Alive album! And I say that with EA being one of my favorite Diana albums. I truly wish someone would go back and remix this, and also Silk Electric. The sound on both was not very good and certainly could use some remixing.

[Ollie9]

Hi Bluebrock, hope all is well. I wonder perhaps if Diana's voice was a little overworked at the time of recording this album and that by the time she recorded "Chain Reaction" it had recovered somewhat. It's been reported that Diana was a little reluctant to record "CR" at first but was persuaded by Gibb to do it.
I have always pondered how well the album might have been received had this been Diana's debut album for rca when her popularity was sky high. Could any other song on it have followed "CR" and scored Diana another huge hit???.

p.s have sent a p/m.

[PeaceNHarmony]

Hi Bluebrock, hope all is well. I wonder perhaps if Diana's voice was a little overworked at the time of recording this album and that by the time she recorded "Chain Reaction" it had recovered somewhat. It's been reported that Diana was a little reluctant to record "CR" at first but was persuaded by Gibb to do it.
I have always pondered how well the album might have been received had this been Diana's debut album for rca when her popularity was sky high. Could any other song on it have followed "CR" and scored Diana another huge hit???.

p.s have sent a p/m.

I think the lp would have done better titled 'Chain Reaction' and with that as the first single and 'Experience' as the second. And a different cover may have helped, also.

[jobeterob]

I think the lp would have done better titled 'Chain Reaction' and with that as the first single and 'Experience' as the second. And a different cover may have helped, also.

I agree with you

Eaten Alive is a song I like a lot but not a good choice for a first single; it was chosen because of Michael’s involvement

[marv2]

I agree with you

Eaten Alive is a song I like a lot but not a good choice for a first single; it was chosen because of Michael’s involvement

Yeah, that was a smart move. That song made about as much sense as "Pieces of Ice"! LOL!!!!

[soulster]

Yeah, that was a smart move. That song made about as much sense as "Pieces of Ice"! LOL!!!!

I like "Pieces Of Ice". While not a huge hit, it did quite respectably, reaching #15 on the Billboard R&B chart. The pop chart, not so well. Whatev. Sometimes the lead single from an album doesn't need to be hugely successful. It was a good lead for "Missing You", which was a huge hit across the board. "Swept Away" was a solid album. Its success speaks for itself.

[Bluebrock]

Hi Bluebrock, hope all is well. I wonder perhaps if Diana's voice was a little overworked at the time of recording this album and that by the time she recorded "Chain Reaction" it had recovered somewhat. It's been reported that Diana was a little reluctant to record "CR" at first but was persuaded by Gibb to do it.
I have always pondered how well the album might have been received had this been Diana's debut album for rca when her popularity was sky high. Could any other song on it have followed "CR" and scored Diana another huge hit???.

p.s have sent a p/m.

Welcome back Ollie. Hope all is well with you and yours.
Not sure if the story about Diana being reluctant to record CR is true or not. I certainly have not heard anything in that regard, but i do know that she later came to regret turning down "islands in the stream". She was always a fan of the Bee Gees. She had looked on and watched Barbra, Dionne and Kenny Rogers hit big with Gibb productions whilst she struggled with less than spectacular material.It was a learning curve.
As regards further hits on "eaten alive", i would have gone with "crimes of passion" which i always thought should have been the UK follow up to CR.
I will respond to your p/m.

[Albator]

Her voice is so high up on that album that it's hard for the ears.
Diana may have liked this type of music and maybe she only wanted to do what she likes, but that doesn't mean she knows what her fans like about her voice.


I have nothing against 'sweet nothing' songs but as long as I do, I prefer "Tell me again".

I was extremely disappointed by "eaten alive" as a single, but it has aged well.

[TomatoTom123]

I have always LOVED "Chain Reaction" but never listened to the whole Eaten Alive album... having just done so, I thought that it was decent, but I really liked "Crime Of Passion" and also "Experience".

I like The Bee Gees and think they recorded and produced some great stuff. RanRan, why do you think hooking up with them was a bad idea? Maybe they were past their hitmaking days? Anyway, I think "Chain Reaction" was perfect for Diana and had “hit” written all over it!!

[RanRan79]

RanRan, why do you think hooking up with them was a bad idea? Maybe they were past their hitmaking days? Anyway, I think "Chain Reaction" was perfect for Diana and had “hit” written all over it!!

None of the material- "Chain Reaction" and the title cut the exceptions- was going to put Diana in the conversation with her peers as relevant hit makers. And while we apparently love "Chain Reaction", the public gave it the finger not once but twice, and "Eaten Alive" was probably a hit more on the strength of MJ's involvement than anything else, and today I think the song is largely forgotten by the general public.

To clarify my opinion about the album, the EA album isn't a bad album. It has some pleasant songs on it, "Experience" definitely being one. But like most of her RCA output, none of it knocks my socks off and none of it was returning Ross to the top. Also the album is IMO very pop and while I understand that a lot of Diana's fans think highly of her as some kind of pop singer, personally what I love about her is that she was so adept at blurring the lines between the two genres [[though I often prefer when she goes straight R&B more than anything else). She should've been working with producers who would've played to that strength: Lionel, Luther, Naralda, Ashford and Simpson, Kashif, even Masser.

Even the Red Hot R&B album ended up a mess because there was little R&B about it. I think Jody Watley's debut album is one of the best ever. Ross could've easily done that entire thing [[with a tweak here and there to suit her strengths and styles of course) if she was hellbent on keeping up with the young crop of female singers and been just as successful. The same with Whitney's debut, although probably not with that degree of success, but Diana could've done all of those songs and done them well. Instead she opted for Eaten Alive and the rest is forgettable history.

[jobeterob]

But other than in the USA, Chain Reaction was a monster world wide hit - likely one of her biggest ever.

[[But then, the USA 'f....s" things up every once in a while, sometimes with things way greater than a hit record!)

[reese]

EATEN ALIVE is not one of my favorite Diana albums. From the time I bought it, I couldn't get into it and to this day, I can barely recall what most of Side 2 sounds like. When it was re-released on cd a while back, I gave it another listen and I still feel the same. It is not a bad album, it just doesn't grab me.

That said, I think it might have done better in the US if CHAIN REACTION had been the first single. The track EATEN ALIVE was a total mess and everything from the song to the picture sleeve turned me off. The video isn't bad but I could probably do without it as well.

Even so, since Diana had recently bounced back somewhat with the SWEPT AWAY project, I didn't expect the singles from EATEN ALIVE to fail on the pop charts so badly. The title track tops out at #77? And then the follow-up CHAIN REACTION initially peaks at #95? It was like overnight she lost pop radio and never got it back.

[jobeterob]

I think a lot of this was age

There were a group of artists that kind of aged out; they would have sporadic hits here and there but not be the Top Singles Artist of the year

It was time for a new crop

[marv2]

I think a lot of this was age

There were a group of artists that kind of aged out; they would have sporadic hits here and there but not be the Top Singles Artist of the year

It was time for a new crop

That's not true. That same year Patti LaBelle had a huge hit with "On My Own" and she is the same age as Diana Ross!

[marv2]

Aretha Franklin had 6 Top 40 hits in 1985-86 and she is older than Ross.

[RanRan79]

I think a lot of this was age

There were a group of artists that kind of aged out; they would have sporadic hits here and there but not be the Top Singles Artist of the year

It was time for a new crop

That's usually the case, but I think when it comes to the biggest artists, that fall off is usually preceded by inferior music or some public scandal. To be fair to Diana, in 1985 "Missing You" was a number one song for a number of weeks, so clearly the public hadn't pushed her to the side. I imagine her rep took a slight hit from the rumors surrounding her behavior at Motown 25, but that was 1983 and in 1984-85 she'd release a gold selling album in Swept Away, a number one r&b hit and top 10 hit in "Missing You", a top 5 r&b hit in "Swept Away", a top 10 r&b hit in "Eaten Alive", a top 20 r&b cut in "Telephone", and two top 20 pop singles in "All of You" and "Swept Away". So apparently the record buying public wasn't too upset with her.

Then the second single from EA drops and goes nowhere, as does Diana Ross...for awhile. Mary drops Dreamgirl and then Ross follows that up with an album of R&B tunes that sound less r&b and more Karaoke and the public continued to move on with artists that were making quality tunes. IMO what "killed" Diana's record selling career was EA and RHR&B. Her audience wasn't interested in either one. I know her detractors like to claim some type of victory from the fallout from Mary's book, but I'm guessing that's wishful thinking. Wasn't she still doing sold out arenas, even in the States? People wanted good Diana Ross music and they weren't getting it. That usually spells disaster for a storied career. By the time she started doing music that spoke to her talent, it was too little, too late.

Again, though, to be fair to Diana, during the mid to late 80s she was dealing with the death of her mother, a new marriage, and two back to back babies. Diana appears to be one of the few HUGE stars who often put family above career, so that may explain some of the missteps also.

[soulster]

Why do I keep reading the thread title as the demos having been eaten alive?

[marv2]

Why do I keep reading the thread title as the demos having been eaten alive?

They should have been.........hehehehehehehehehe!

[jobeterob]

The baby time off was significant

Interesting how she’s come back so strong in the last 7 years or so

Her connection with the Obamas for Christmas and the presidential medal of freedom didn’t hurt