20 x Dross blew me away vocally

[daviddh]

hard to trim it down but i thought i mention the times when diana just blew me away.
1 Love Child, my first recollection of diana. i grew up mostly with diana as a solo but i do remember this song from my early youth.
2 Aint no Mountain High . still a a favorite.classic
3 Remember Me. why wasn't his bigger here in usa.great song.
4 good morning heartache. just lovely performance
5 today I thought I feel in love.from Ross 76.my first ross album.this song is amazing
6.love hangover the song that introduced me to diana.
7. do you know where your going to . no one can sing this song like diana.
8 the boss. got to give my props to the entire album,vibrant.
9. never say I don't love you.no riffs just a beautiful vocal
10. diana lp. so many great songs.love Give Up.
11.gettin ready for love.underated song and album.very lush sounding,elegant soul.
12.the force behind the power.lp filled with gems
13.in the ones you love.
14.Blue ,how did this stay in the vaults for 30 years
15.what are you doing the rest of your life.from EIE,blew me away.
16. my baby my own.fav track from TMITM
17.take me higher album.
18.everyday is a new day. not over you yet,sugarfree.carry one.great album
19.home from the wiz.great vocal.
20.crimes of passion. despite the lead single there r some gems on the EA lp.this is my fav

now your turn your top favs

[RanRan79]

Blew me away? You have some of my favs on your list David. But here goes:

"Aint No Mountain High Enough"...not just the vocal, but the entire orchestration of the song. It's hard to believe that this song is, more or less, a cover of another iconic song.

"A Simple Thing Like Cry"...I started to just write "the entire Surrender album", but decided to focus on the song that most "blew me away" from that set. She really tore into those lyrics. And then when the background singers jump in...oh boy.

"Call Me"...Diana covering Queen Ree would have never made sense to me, but Diana did an excellent job with her rendition without trying to be Aretha Franklin or turning the song into some MOR fluff piece.

"Good Morning Heartache"...Just a brilliant reading of this song.

"Brown Baby/Save the Children"...This is just such a well done medley. The vocal is so understated and jazzy on the former. There is nothing "pop" about that vocal. I'm usually very protective of the original when someone covers Marvin, but Diana did me proud. I like to believe that Marvin felt the same way when he heard it.

"I Thought It Took A Little Time"...Top notch cut from the opening note until the end.

"You Were the One"...Besides having a great vocal and arrangement, I'm blown away that this song was not released as a single. Definitely a missed opportunity for a hit.

"Be A Lion"...This is one of my go to cuts if someone dares question Diana's power.

"The Feeling We Once Had" and "Wonder, Wonder Why"...Such a pity these didn't see the light of day for 35 years.

"The Boss" and "No One Gets the Prize"...Diana cut up on these two.

"Carry On"...Diana ripped into this one, proving she was still in the mix vocally with the greats.

I'll add some live vocals too.

"Somewhere" from the Albert Hall show.

"The Boss" from the 1979 special and the 1981 special.

"Reach Out And Touch" from the Muppet Show.

"Let's Go Up" from Carson.

"My Man" from the Motown special last year.

And don't get me started on her Supremes moments.

[daviddh]

I agree with Call Me ....my other choice.
Beautiful vocal.
And Carry On. I mentioned it as well but felt the album found her in good voice.
I would have released it as a single.
And my live performance...Ribbon In The Sky in central Park

[RanRan79]

I forgot to add "Ninety Nine And A Half Won't Do" from the RHRAB special. I wish she had done more gospel.

[Circa 1824]

Forever Young from Jerry Lewis telethon. Awesome vocal.

[jim aka jtigre99]

I always felt Remember Me was very strong vocally. I also thought she had a number of tracks on the Surrender LP that were strong. Of course, Lady Sings the Blues offered a jazz influence that could be heard on her next LP Touch Me in the Morning. For me, though, she has a distinctive voice although not always a powerful and strong one-which were not needed for her songs but that she managed to convey the proper emotions to get the song across and sell them. I cannot say she blew me away with her vocals but I can say that she impressed with her interpretations and flexibility to sing multiple genres.

[Albator]

It depends on what impressed means. If it's about a powerful loud voice, I'll go for "Home" or any energetic performance from Central Park, like Let's go up, mirror, or God Bless the child.


If it's about something more intimate, from delicate to sad or things like that.
Currently, I'm revisiting her whole catalogue and what impresses me for real, is her intensity and the meaningfulness she puts on her every phrases. Even the glossy "All of you" is imbued with life and passion.


Save the children/brown baby
I love you, call me
Reach out, i'll be there
Touch me in the morning [[alternate)
Gone, Only love can conquer all, too many nights, If you'r not gonna love me, Amazing grace from Vienna, and above all, Until we meet again.

[Ollie9]

Forever Young from Jerry Lewis telethon. Awesome vocal.

Agree. Regarding live performances, this and "Amazing Grace" from Vienna are real standouts. Who would have thought.
Thinking more along the lines of took me by surprise as opposed to beautiful vocals [[to many to mention) one recording that really amazed me at the time was "His Eye Is On The Sparrow".Surely one of her most powerful and emotional vocals ever.

[daviddh]

Have to agree in regards to 99 and half and amazing Grace.

[jobucats]

"Home" from the Wiz. Also, her vocals on "Brand New Day".

[grangertim]

So many to list. But one that springs immediately to mind is Big Bad Love. Vocally, she really throws it up to Ray Charles on that: her sweet, kittenish cooing really is the perfect match for his more robust style, but she cleverly doesn't over play it. You can almost picture a booming Ray holding a tiny Diana in his arms. [[Yes, I know they recorded it separately!)

[florence]

Amazing grace from Vienna, and above all, Until we meet again.

Amazing Grace was simply sensational and an edited version should have been a Christmas single in the UK.

Until We Meet Again was a sure fire hit - I wonder if Diana will ever reveal why she woudn't allow this to be released in the UK after the promotion had already started?

RCA also missed a trick by not releasing her brilliant version of Forever Young in the UK credited to Diana Ross featuring Eric Clapton.

[lucky2012]

Diana Ross is not like Barbra or Aretha [[or any number of other singers) who can “blow me away”. Not that she can’t or hasn’t astonished me vocally. Her singing has a deeper, more lasting effect on me than that. I love to listen to this voice more than any other.
Actually, I was enchanted from the first time I heard The Supremes [[Where Did Our Love Go, Baby Love, Come See About Me, Stop!). I really loved them as a Group but there was no denying the appeal of that Voice. I was truly“blown away” for the first time by the More Hits album. From then on that voice became my favorite and has remained so for 55 years now!
I’ve been “blown away” by:
The Supremes: My World Is Empty Without You, Love Is Like AnItching in My Heart, You Can’t Hurry Love, Reflections, Love Child.
Solo: Ain’t No Mountain High Enough, Reach Out I’ll BeThere, Brown Baby/Save the Children, The Boss, No one Gets the Prize, MissingYou.
Some of the above are probably predictable but I’ve been just as captivated by:
The Supremes: Everything’s Good About You, Going Down For the Third Time, Remove This Doubt, Keep an Eye, How Long Has That Evening Train Been Gone
Solo: Dark Side of the World, I’m Still Waiting, Remember Me, Good Morning Heartache [[all of LSTB!), Little Girl Blue, My Baby My Own, Smile, I Thought It Took a Little Time, After You, Love Hangover, Getting’ Ready for Love, The Same Love That Made Me Laugh, Come In From the Rain, Lovin’ Livin’ & Givin’, Upside Down, Friend to Friend, One More Chance, Summertime, Change of Heart, One Shining Moment, I Thought That We Were Still In Love, Not Over You Yet, EveryDay Is a New Day and But Beautiful and Solitude from Blue.

[daviddh]

Nice to read everyone thoughts and favorites. Got me making a new playlist. Wow like 77 songs....I thought I may trim it down but than I add ....
Here's a few more from her 1970 expanded. ryhmes and angles.
Beautiful vocal. Have to go back n look up the other.but I fairly sure it was a 5th D song.

[gman]

Aint No Mountain....for sure.....the Ross LP vers of Lovin' Livin' and Givin'...that's one of my all time fav cuts...in my top 10 all time 12" singles

I'm Giving You Your Freedom
I'm In Love Again
Reflections
Cornet Man
The Beginning of The End
Someday We'll Be Together
Somethng on My Mind
I Cant Give Back The Love
To Love Again
Sorry Doesn't Always Make it Right
The Same Love
Come In From The Rain
I Loves You Porgy
Don't Explain
No One Gets The Prize
I Ain't Been Licked
Swept Away
Touch by Touch