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  1. #1
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    Ray Parker, Jr. on Ross [[1983)

    There is a long and very nice interview with Ray Parker, Jr. on the Pop Matters website, in which he also talks about the two songs he did on Ross [[1983). Whole interview here: https://www.popmatters.com/ray-parker-jr-2019-interview-2641539339.html?rebelltitem=12#/

    During your time at Arista, you produced "Up Front" and "Love or Loneliness" for Diana Ross on her Ross
    [[1983) album at RCA. How were you enlisted for that project?
    She called me up to produce her record. I'm thinking, Wow, I'm at the height of my career. I'm going to get to produce Diana Ross! The lady who was doing Diana Ross' album cover was also doing my album cover. She looked at me and said, "Diana Ross saw your album cover, A Woman Needs Love, and she was looking at you a little differently." I said, "What are you talking about? I've played on her records. I've known Diana Ross since I was 18 or 19 years old." She said again [coyly] "Well, I just thought I'd let you know that she's looking at you a little differently ..."
    I meet Diana Ross in LA. We hang out. She comes over to my house. I had a Rolls Royce in the driveway. I had a Porsche. I had a little Honda. She said, "Which car are we taking?" "Let's take the Honda." I'm just testing her! We take the Honda and drive around the city. I take her to Ameraycan Studios from my house in Beverly Hills. Then she invited me over to her house for a birthday party she's having. That's where I met Berry Gordy for the first time. That was a big deal.
    I write some songs for her. I cut the tracks, and she wants to finish them in New York. She invites me to New York. She sings like ten minutes and then she's tired. She said, "Let's wait till next week." Next week? It's Thursday. What am I supposed to do? She said I could stay at her house in Connecticut. I'm scared to go there [laughs], but she was very polite and never did anything out of range.

    RCA released "Up Front" as a single. She kind of veered towards rock on that song, which wasn't really her forte as far as radio was concerned.

    No, it wasn't her thing. The one I thought was better was "Love or Loneliness". There was just something about the song and the way she sang it. Even when I listen to it now, that's her story right there. I think that's a hit. I had a little Gamble & Huff in there. There were several records they did that had that little guitar octave playing three-note parts. I thought RCA would promote that, but they just let the whole album go. Steely Dan did the rest of the album. They didn't promote those tracks either. It was one of those records that just fell through the cracks, but I always liked "Love or Loneliness".

    Yes, I love how the opening bass figure sounds like a little moan. In songs like "Love or Loneliness", you have such a real take on relationships ...

    ... because I listen. If you told me about your relationship, it would find its way into a Ray story. You'd be at home thinking, I'm sorry I told him that! Nobody would know it's you except us.

  2. #2
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    I sold Ray a 12" Promo mx of Up Front on ebay years ago. I am amazed at how many producers/artists/musicians don't have copies of their own work. In my 20 years selling, its occurred a few times. Just last week I sold Gene Kelly's widow a LP of MGM Musical Out Takes that she needed for her collection

  3. #3
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    In the UK Up Front was released as the follow-up to Pieces Of Ice which was a minor hit here with Love Or Loneliness as the B-side.

    The single scraped into the top 100 but I would definitely have gone with LOL as the A-side - it was more in the tradition of Diana's pop ballads and she gives a fine delivery on it.

    However Ross [[1983) is one of my least favourite of Diana's albums - the title track is such an odd song and the whole project did poorly.

    I'm not sure there was anything which would have been a big hit.

  4. #4
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    I just listened to Love or Loneliness for the first time in 25 years. Didn’t like it then or now.

  5. #5
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    That's so funny how taste differs. Ross [[1983) is one of my favorite Ross albums, particularly the songs done by Gary Katz. I also loved "Up Front" back in the 1980s, but it has not dated very well. The only problem of the album, to me, is that it seems unfinished. Perhaps two more songs could have provided a bit more balance. Interestingly, it was the first album of Ross to be released on CD.

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    Ross is, by far, my favorite RCA Album of her and once of my all time favorite at the same time.
    She sings differently in a more restrained way. Some hate this but i like it. It’s classy and cold.

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    I was so-so on the lp at the time, then fell in love with it when the Funkytown EE was released. Lots of great material and productions, and as always Diana's singing.

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    Nice interview.

    ROSS isn't one of my favorite of her albums but I like it much more than its predecessor, SILK ELECTRIC. I always thought they should have gone with LOVE OR LONELINESS as the second single. It probably would have done much better than UP FRONT. Plus a nice video wouldn't have hurt.

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    This album has grown on me alot and I think it's better than I thought. Love or loneliness us a good Ross track .love to hear the out takes from this album

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    Quote Originally Posted by daviddh View Post
    This album has grown on me alot and I think it's better than I thought. Love or loneliness us a good Ross track .love to hear the out takes from this album
    ... for me, especially any Ray Parker outtakes. In retrospect it MAY have turned out better as an entire Parker production.

  11. #11
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    Love or Loneliness is a great song. The perfect combination on Ray’s and Diana’s talents.

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    I loved Upfront at the time but haven’t played it for years and imagine it didn’t age well

    Of all her albums, this was the most unusual but wasn’t a bad album although I haven’t played it in years

  13. #13
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    LOL, "Love or Loneliness" and "Up Front"are great Diana Ross songs. I always thought that RCA did not highly promote Diana Ross.
    Every RCA album of hers has gems.
    Was "Summertime" ever released as a single?

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    Given his own gift for songcraft and creating radio hits, I am surprised that Ray Parker Jr. thinks that "Love or Loneliness" had hit potential. It is too boring and languid for a vocal personality like Ross, who needs exuberance and excitement -- or intense melancholy.

    It is more his style but I don't think that song would've been a hit even if he recorded it himself.

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    I think it was an homage to her Supremes sound, but in a more mature an modern way.
    A good or even great song, I would have love to hear it live.

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    Nice interview! And "Love Or Loneliness" must have passed me by, because I dont remember listening to it before, but it’s very nice!

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    "That's How You Start Over" and "Love or Loneliness" in my opinion are the only two singles that should have been pulled from that album. I would have threw "Piece of Ice" away and reached out to Q and see if he could produce 2 songs for the album. Q would have probably been free by now.

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    Lyrically, Pieces of Ice is unintelligible. Musically it was okay. But, this nothing-burger from the Queen. ????
    Last edited by Circa 1824; 12-25-2019 at 09:03 AM.

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