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  1. #1
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    The Eaten Alive Demos


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

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    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.

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    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.

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    Great find; thanks for sharing!

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    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

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    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.
    Last edited by Circa 1824; 05-29-2018 at 07:27 PM.

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

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    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.
    Last edited by vgalindo; 05-31-2018 at 09:35 AM.

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    Quote Originally Posted by jobeterob View Post
    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.

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    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.
    Last edited by Ollie9; 05-30-2018 at 05:11 AM.

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    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.)

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    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.

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    Quote Originally Posted by RanRan79 View Post
    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.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Ollie9 View Post
    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.

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    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.

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    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.

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    The videos were great, by the way.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Albator View Post
    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.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Ollie9 View Post
    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.

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    Quote Originally Posted by PeaceNHarmony View Post
    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

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    Quote Originally Posted by Bluebrock View Post
    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.

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    Quote Originally Posted by jobucats View Post
    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.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Ollie9 View Post
    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.

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    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!!
    Last edited by TomatoTom123; 06-01-2018 at 03:17 AM.

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    Quote Originally Posted by TomatoTom123 View Post
    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.

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    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!)

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    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.

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    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

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    Quote Originally Posted by jobeterob View Post
    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!

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

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    Quote Originally Posted by jobeterob View Post
    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.

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

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    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

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    Quote Originally Posted by soulster View Post
    Why do I keep reading the thread title as the demos having been eaten alive?
    They should have been.........hehehehehehehehehe!

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    Quote Originally Posted by jobeterob View Post
    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
    All of that stuff [[a Christmas Special with a variety of B & C list artists on an off brand cable channel) and playing to smaller audiences everywhere some 25-30 years later is not exactly bouncing back.

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    Quote Originally Posted by RanRan79 View Post
    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.
    Interesting suggestions Ran... Ashford & Simpson were [[and would have continued being) perfect for Diana, Lionel too, but Luther, now that would have been great!

    I think I have a different perspective on "Chain Reaction" because it was a massive hit where I am, a #1 even. I mean, I had definitely heard of "Chain Reaction" when I got into Diana Ross; I'd never heard of "Love Hangover"

    I will check out the Red Hot Rhythm & Blues album shortly.

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    Quote Originally Posted by TomatoTom123 View Post
    Interesting suggestions Ran... Ashford & Simpson were [[and would have continued being) perfect for Diana, Lionel too, but Luther, now that would have been great!

    I think I have a different perspective on "Chain Reaction" because it was a massive hit where I am, a #1 even. I mean, I had definitely heard of "Chain Reaction" when I got into Diana Ross; I'd never heard of "Love Hangover"

    I will check out the Red Hot Rhythm & Blues album shortly.
    I think Ashford and Simpson were some of the best writer / producers that Diana ever worked with. But I wonder what they would done with her post THE BOSS. For me, they really peaked around that time with their own albums, as well as the albums they did for Gladys Knight and the Pips in that period. After they left Warner Bros., I found their albums to be less than pleasing.

    If the one track they did together on RHRAB is any indication, an album with Luther might have been interesting.

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    Quote Originally Posted by TomatoTom123 View Post
    I will check out the Red Hot Rhythm & Blues album shortly.
    I don't like "Eaten Alive", but "Red Hot Rhythm & Blues" is an excellent album. Her last good album, IMO.

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    Did you know that most people in the U.S. never even heard "Chain Reaction". I caught it on the radio once one morning when I lived in Philly. It actually was on some station outside of Philly. I was driving down to D.C. for meeting and it came on. They didn't even play the whole song.

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    Quote Originally Posted by jobeterob View Post
    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
    She's gotten a ton of recognition for being the legend and history maker that she is. Unfortunately she hasn't capitalized on it with new music or acting roles. I wish she would. The interest is out there. Oh and she had her fragrance launch. I would like to see her do more of that, a fashion line too, because she is as synonymous with fashion as she is with singing. I'd bet she'd be a hit in the fashion world.

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    Quote Originally Posted by TomatoTom123 View Post
    Interesting suggestions Ran... Ashford & Simpson were [[and would have continued being) perfect for Diana, Lionel too, but Luther, now that would have been great!

    I think I have a different perspective on "Chain Reaction" because it was a massive hit where I am, a #1 even. I mean, I had definitely heard of "Chain Reaction" when I got into Diana Ross; I'd never heard of "Love Hangover"

    I will check out the Red Hot Rhythm & Blues album shortly.
    Tom, do let us know what you think. I will say the album has a real nice moment or two, but overall is disappointing.

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    Quote Originally Posted by reese View Post
    I think Ashford and Simpson were some of the best writer / producers that Diana ever worked with. But I wonder what they would done with her post THE BOSS. For me, they really peaked around that time with their own albums, as well as the albums they did for Gladys Knight and the Pips in that period. After they left Warner Bros., I found their albums to be less than pleasing.

    If the one track they did together on RHRAB is any indication, an album with Luther might have been interesting.
    Reese you might be right about A&S. I think a Luther produced album might have been very good and well received, but the one song they did on Red Hot does nothing for me.

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    Quote Originally Posted by soulster View Post
    I don't like "Eaten Alive", but "Red Hot Rhythm & Blues" is an excellent album. Her last good album, IMO.
    Interesting opinion! What was it that you liked so much about the album? For me most of the songs come across too pop/rock than R&B, and certainly nothing "red hot". Most of the songs aren't bad songs though. This probably would've been a great album in the hands of Cyndi Lauper or Tina Turner, but I would've expected Ross to put a little more "stank" on something with such a specific album title. She does do a great job with "Selfish One". She seemed to really get into that one. I wonder if it was her jam back in the day by Jackie Ross? I also like "There Goes My Baby", which is one of my absolute favorite songs period. Don't believe I've ever heard a version I didn't like.

    One of the outtakes, "Sweet Soul Music" is actually pretty good. The arrangement is rather "pop-y" but Diana's vocal is pretty darn good. Don't know what the f**k she was thinking trying to pull off "Tell Mama" or that karaoke ass version of "Mr. Lee".

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    Quote Originally Posted by RanRan79 View Post
    Interesting opinion! What was it that you liked so much about the album? For me most of the songs come across too pop/rock than R&B, and certainly nothing "red hot". Most of the songs aren't bad songs though. This probably would've been a great album in the hands of Cyndi Lauper or Tina Turner, but I would've expected Ross to put a little more "stank" on something with such a specific album title. She does do a great job with "Selfish One". She seemed to really get into that one. I wonder if it was her jam back in the day by Jackie Ross? I also like "There Goes My Baby", which is one of my absolute favorite songs period. Don't believe I've ever heard a version I didn't like.

    One of the outtakes, "Sweet Soul Music" is actually pretty good. The arrangement is rather "pop-y" but Diana's vocal is pretty darn good. Don't know what the f**k she was thinking trying to pull off "Tell Mama" or that karaoke ass version of "Mr. Lee".
    In a 60s ROCK AND ROLL SONGS interview, Diana listed Jackie Ross amongst her favorite artists.

    Though it doesn't quite live up to its title, I think RED HOT RHYTHM AND BLUES is one of Diana's finer albums. She's in very good voice on it. Faves of mine are DIRTY LOOKS, SUMMERTIME, SELFISH ONE, CROSS MY HEART, SHOCKWAVES, and ITS HARD FOR ME TO SAY. It's just a shame that it came at a point where her records weren't really hitting, at least not in the USA.

    I thought the tv special was good as well, although it might have been too risky basing it on an album that many weren't familiar with.

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    That's interesting Reese, about Diana and Jackie Ross. I do like "Shockwaves".

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    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

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    There is a wonderful interview with Diana Ross in Q magazine [[October 1987) by Charles Shaar Murray, entitled "The Gospel according to Miss Ross," in which she explains why she selected the songs for Red Hot Rhythm and Blues. Mr. Lee because of her children listening to the Stand by Me soundtrack, Tell Mama because she always was a big fan of Etta James, There Goes My Baby because she used to sing that with the Primettes, including the talent contest in Canada, Shine because Mick Hucknall wrote that for her after she got in touch with him based on an interview she read in which he talks about the R&B artists he admired. Ross also goes into the history of black music [[although explicitly saying "I'm not an authority on this"). She also discusses quite openly why her film career did not go as well as she had hoped, her regret that she doesn't know fellow artists such as Aretha Franklin and Tina Turner very well on a personal level, and also talks about the ABC television special, including saying that LL Cool J was "sweet" adding: "But he has this thing he does, and I had to tell him, You just can't do that on television! 'Cause he kept grabbing his... [[she mimes the action on her own body and lowers her voice as she does so) balls. I had to keep saying, I don't think ABC will allow that."
    It is one of the most interesting interviews with Ross I have ever read, as she talks about the music much more than in any other interview.
    Last edited by Jaap; 06-03-2018 at 12:49 PM.

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    I wonder if this album would’ve done better if instead of Barry Gibb doing Background vocals, she had used regular background singers.

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