You were the one

[Albator]

Since I've learn, that she closed her 78/79 shows with that song, I can't get it out of my mind.
De we know who are the background singers?

[RanRan79]

The Jones Girls back her on this. One of my absolute favorite Diana tunes. Dumb move not releasing it as a single. Perhaps the dumbest move regarding potentially unreleased singles.

[Albator]

The Jones Girls back her on this. One of my absolute favorite Diana tunes. Dumb move not releasing it as a single. Perhaps the dumbest move regarding potentially unreleased singles.

The way Diana Ross' albums were promoted by Motown in the seventies is crazy. No singles, wrong singles...

About the Jones Girls :

Then one week when all three were together in Los Angeles, Diana Ross held tryouts for a background group. With the exception of their mother, Ross had been their only idol.
"When we were 7, 8 and 9 years old, we were into the "Supremes at the Copa" album," says Brenda. "My mother made us top hats and canes and we imitated the group to death."
"We were very nervous about the audition because she was there," recalls Shirley. "Brenda almost fainted."
Yet, within a week, without Ross knowing the trio was also from Detroit or had been fans who had helped push her to the top, The Jones Girls became the nameless faces behind her road act.
Tours of Europe, the United States and Japan followed. And Ross remained their idol.


"When she had time we would talk," says Shirley Jones.
"She told us how she would watch other acts on the Motown Revue, like the Contours," adds Brenda Jones. "She would take a little bit of this and that and come up with her own thing.
"She also said she wanted to help us."
One night in Philadelphia The Jones Girls were teetering high on scaffolding behind Ross, providing the smooth dowahs and oohs for the star. In the midst of her routine, Ross shouted, "Hey Kenny Gamble, look at the talent I've got up here." With that impetuous shout to the most successful rhythm and blues producer of the last 10 years, Ross removed the cloak of namelessness that buries background singers, and paved the way for their break.


A year after that impromptu audition for Gamble, The Jones Girls were signed to a four-year contract for Philadelphia International. Their first single, "You Gonna Make Me Love Somebody Else," is No. 5 on Billboard's produced by the best of Gamble's talent, rests for the second week at No. 9 on Billboard's R&B album charts.

[SatansBlues]

I agree, it really is a great tune. I would have loved to have heard DR sing this one live.

[sup_fan]

agreed this is a great track and a totally wasted opportunity from motown.

When did Greg Wright leave motown? totally guessing here but maybe that was the reason for not releasing?

[gman]

With the exception of Together, I loved the entire LP....I didn't even mind Reach Out I'll Be There being a repeat.....and I did buy the 12" of What You Gave Me.....thought Never Say, To Love Again and Sorry Doesn't Always were great ballards, and loved the 3 new dance cuts

[sup_fan]

With the exception of Together, I loved the entire LP....I didn't even mind Reach Out I'll Be There being a repeat.....and I did buy the 12" of What You Gave Me.....thought Never Say, To Love Again and Sorry Doesn't Always were great ballards, and loved the 3 new dance cuts

i think the individual songs are good ones but it's just a totally random project. completely haphazard. And while i kinda like the cover image, the back cover was useless. same with Last Time I Saw Him and DRATS GH3. as if there aren't 10,000 images just waiting to be used

by 1978 disco was EVERYWHERE and motown was still sort of oblivious to the fad. also Donna Summer had had marvelous success with strong, thematic disco albums. the idea of a thoughtful and intended set of songs to be included as an album was no longer a foreign concept, as it was in 60s.

and while i know she was busy at the time filming Wiz, they could have easily found enough material in the vaults to have compiled a better package

[Bluebrock]

i think the individual songs are good ones but it's just a totally random project. completely haphazard. And while i kinda like the cover image, the back cover was useless. same with Last Time I Saw Him and DRATS GH3. as if there aren't 10,000 images just waiting to be used

by 1978 disco was EVERYWHERE and motown was still sort of oblivious to the fad. also Donna Summer had had marvelous success with strong, thematic disco albums. the idea of a thoughtful and intended set of songs to be included as an album was no longer a foreign concept, as it was in 60s.

and while i know she was busy at the time filming Wiz, they could have easily found enough material in the vaults to have compiled a better package

I seem to recall the working title for the album was originally called Feeling Fine. It was meant to be a dance orientated album, but some behind the scenes drama which i am not wllling to discuss here led to the project being abandoned, and only a handful of tracks survived the fall out. Some of the canned tracks appeared on the deluxe Diana double cd many years later. The album was cobbled together rather quickly.
The album was destined to flop because Diana refused to promote it which led to Motown to all but disown it. Diana has never been in favour of an expanded edition being released. She refuses to even discuss it's existence.

[Albator]

I seem to recall the working title for the album was originally called Feeling Fine. It was meant to be a dance orientated album, but some behind the scenes drama which i am not wllling to discuss here led to the project being abandoned, and only a handful of tracks survived the fall out. Some of the canned tracks appeared on the deluxe Diana double cd many years later. The album was cobbled together rather quickly.
The album was destined to flop because Diana refused to promote it which led to Motown to all but disown it. Diana has never been in favour of an expanded edition being released. She refuses to even discuss it's existence.

According the Diana Project web site, it was planned like this

“She isn’t sure — and in fact doesn’t care — which Motown will release first. ‘Whichever they need,’ she says. ‘Whatever the market looks like it’s ripe for.’ She is pleased at the prospect of having enough product around to free her to pay full attention to The Wiz” [[Rolling Stone August 11, 1977).

Do you think she refused to promote it? she did as many songs from this "Ross" LP than she did for "Baby it's me" in her shows.


That she isn't thrilled with this one is understandable since it's not a real new album, but an aborted disco album.
I don't want to be disrespectful with Miss Ross, but if she doesn't like, Everything is everything, Last time I saw him, and Ross, I wonder why she produced her albums for RCA in the same vein. And they weren't as well executed.

[Bluebrock]

According the Diana Project web site, it was planned like this





Do you think she refused to promote it? she did as many songs from this "Ross" LP than she did for "Baby it's me" in her shows.


That she isn't thrilled with this one is understandable since it's not a real new album, but an aborted disco album.
I don't want to be disrespectful with Miss Ross, but if she doesn't like, Everything is everything, Last time I saw him, and Ross, I wonder why she produced her albums for RCA in the same vein. And they weren't as well executed.

She did refuse to promote it. Sadly.
As regards the rca projects the main difference is she was being very well paid for those projects. Money was her main objective by this point.

[SatansBlues]

i think the individual songs are good ones but it's just a totally random project. completely haphazard. And while i kinda like the cover image, the back cover was useless. same with Last Time I Saw Him and DRATS GH3. as if there aren't 10,000 images just waiting to be used

by 1978 disco was EVERYWHERE and motown was still sort of oblivious to the fad. also Donna Summer had had marvelous success with strong, thematic disco albums. the idea of a thoughtful and intended set of songs to be included as an album was no longer a foreign concept, as it was in 60s.

and while i know she was busy at the time filming Wiz, they could have easily found enough material in the vaults to have compiled a better package

Is it just my imagine or faulty memory by prior to Love Hangover DR didn't really record many "dance" tracks. I can't think of any singles [[1970-76) being dance records. The only song that comes to mind is the song Don't Knock My Love with MG. Seems like it was a deliberate strategy to keep her away from uptempo/dance songs during this period.

[gman]

Lovin' Livin' & Givin' is my personal DR dance masterpiece...but only the version on this LP....every edit is a butcher job.

Love the way the bass just trips over everything at points, the flute warms it up, the layered synths, and DR's vocal is strong and somewhat coy and playful at the same time....and the ad-libbed scat!

[PeaceNHarmony]

Lovin' Livin' & Givin' is my personal DR dance masterpiece...but only the version on this LP....every edit is a butcher job.

Love the way the bass just trips over everything at points, the flute warms it up, the layered synths, and DR's vocal is strong and somewhat coy and playful at the same time....and the ad-libbed scat!

Agreed - love LLG. Diana performed this at Radio City; I recall it seemed that she probably lip-synched this song as the general timbre of the sound of her voice was entirely different than all the other songs.

[sup_fan]

she definitely recorded upbeat and/or faster tempo songs prior to LH but none that would really be considered "disco." and most of her singles weren't really that high speed either.
perhaps Surrender?

but until the mid 70s, disco was much more underground. so that's not a total surprise. plus once she got into Lady and then Touch Me, she was doing lush ballads and all

[Albator]

About LLG, where can I find the real original version, the one produced and arranger by Hal Davis without the "i feel love" inspiration

[Bluebrock]

About LLG, where can I find the real original version, the one produced and arranger by Hal Davis without the "i feel love" inspiration

Was it not featured on the soundtrack to Thank God it's Friday? That is where i first heard it.

[Jaap]

About LLG, where can I find the real original version, the one produced and arranger by Hal Davis without the "i feel love" inspiration

I'm not sure if this is the one you mean, but this "original" version was released on the Diana Ross Motown Anthology [[2001).

[sup_fan]

yes the version on TGIF was the original. the soundtrack was released in April 78 while Ross was released in Sept 78.

[Albator]

I don't like that song at all, but I prefer this version

[sup_fan]

i think Diana's lead vocal is a bit disengaged. on the remix on Ross 78, there's the coldness of the synth production so at least the cold vocal sort of makes sense there. but had she been a bit more energetic and engaged, this could have been a better song

either way, i think it's better than What You Gave Me

[RanRan79]

Thanks Albator and Jaap!! The only version I knew was that electro disco version, which IMO is an almost horrible song. I have never heard the version[[s) you two posted. Sounds like an entirely different song. I'm not wowed by it, but I definitely like it better than the other version. It might even grow on me.

[monicarivers]

How many versions of LLG are there floating around?

[sup_fan]

wikipedia sort of outlines the versions

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ross_[[1978_album)

[monicarivers]

wikipedia sort of outlines the versions

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ross_[[1978_album)

very helpful - thank you!

[PeaceNHarmony]

YWTO is such a great song; holds up well, too, and certainly could have been a hit.

[florence]

Hypothetical of course - maybe Im listening to a different song than y'all but while You Were The One is a pleasant album track I really don't get a hook or see it as setting the charts alight.

[Ollie9]

Hypothetical of course - maybe Im listening to a different song than y'all but while You Were The One is a pleasant album track I really don't get a hook or see it as setting the charts alight.

Check Florence. A pleasant album track but not a chartbuster.The lyrics being a tad to banal. "The handsome prince rides in and he sweep me off my feet". That's cheesy even for 78. To my ears the only potential hit on the album was the delicate "Never Say I Don't Love You".

[florence]

Check Florence. A pleasant album track but not a chartbuster.The lyrics being a tad to banal. "The handsome prince rides in and he sweep me off my feet". That's cheesy even for 78. To my ears the only potential hit on the album was the delicate "Never Say I Don't Love You".

Entirely agree - always felt Never Say should have been give a chance as a single in the Uk.

Certainly in 1976 it would have done well although it's hard to know just what would have hit big for Diana in 1978.

I thought Lovin' Livin' and Givin' would have been at least a moderate hit.

To Love Again just wasn't strong enough.

The tragedy is that Never Say was tucked away on the B-side of No One Gets The Prize when it was released as a single in the UK in 1979.

If only some enterprizing DJ on Radio1 had noticed it and flipped the single over!!

[Jaap]

The tragedy is that Never Say was tucked away on the B-side of No One Gets The Prize when it was released as a single in the UK in 1979.
If only some enterprizing DJ on Radio1 had noticed it and flipped the single over!!

In the Netherlands, "Never Say I Don't Love You" was twice a B-side, for both "No One Gets the Prize" and "I'm Coming Out."

[Bluebrock]

Entirely agree - always felt Never Say should have been give a chance as a single in the Uk.

Certainly in 1976 it would have done well although it's hard to know just what would have hit big for Diana in 1978.

I thought Lovin' Livin' and Givin' would have been at least a moderate hit.

To Love Again just wasn't strong enough.

The tragedy is that Never Say was tucked away on the B-side of No One Gets The Prize when it was released as a single in the UK in 1979.

If only some enterprizing DJ on Radio1 had noticed it and flipped the single over!!

Had Tony Blackburn still been at radio 1 that may well have happened! It's one of my very favorite Ross ballads, but i never thought of it as a hit single at the time, but 40+ years later i think you may well have been right, but i still maintain that You were the one was the obvious first single.
I know that Diana disowned the album and has probably never given it a thought for over 40 years. She really is the last person you could count on to give an opinion on such a low key album which Motown cobbled together at very short notice and then refused to promote it when Diana had no interest in it.

[SatansBlues]

Had Tony Blackburn still been at radio 1 that may well have happened! It's one of my very favorite Ross ballads, but i never thought of it as a hit single at the time, but 40+ years later i think you may well have been right, but i still maintain that You were the one was the obvious first single.
I know that Diana disowned the album and has probably never given it a thought for over 40 years. She really is the last person you could count on to give an opinion on such a low key album which Motown cobbled together at very short notice and then refused to promote it when Diana had no interest in it.

Can you provide any insight into why Diana R did not care for this album and what the disagreement was with Motown at the time?

[sup_fan]

Check Florence. A pleasant album track but not a chartbuster.The lyrics being a tad to banal. "The handsome prince rides in and he sweep me off my feet". That's cheesy even for 78. To my ears the only potential hit on the album was the delicate "Never Say I Don't Love You".

Is it an all time dance classic like Love Hangover, I Will Survive, You Should Be Dancing, Share Your Groove Thing, I Feel Love - absolutely not.

is it a better dance song than Fire Won't Burn, Sweet Summertime Living, You Build me up [[although that one isn't too bad), or the other canned dance tracks she recorded? i think most definitely

Is it better than What You Gave Me which got the single release from Ross 78? yes

is it better than Lovin Livin Giving? maybe, maybe not

was it at least a bit more contemporary than much of the Baby It's Me tracks? i think so


i realize that last comment will probably spark some heated debate! lolol

I do love the BIM album and recognize it's high quality. But i also feel that for an album release in fall of 77 it was rather out of step with what popular music was doing at the time. it's just too innocuous and MOR to handle the explosion of disco that was happening. 2 months later Saturday Night Fever soundtrack was released and could BIM look any more out of place? that soundtrack was SO hot and the sound so contemporary. this album should either occurred a year or two earlier or later

[SatansBlues]

Is it an all time dance classic like Love Hangover, I Will Survive, You Should Be Dancing, Share Your Groove Thing, I Feel Love - absolutely not.

is it a better dance song than Fire Won't Burn, Sweet Summertime Living, You Build me up [[although that one isn't too bad), or the other canned dance tracks she recorded? i think most definitely

Is it better than What You Gave Me which got the single release from Ross 78? yes

is it better than Lovin Livin Giving? maybe, maybe not

was it at least a bit more contemporary than much of the Baby It's Me tracks? i think so


i realize that last comment will probably spark some heated debate! lolol

I do love the BIM album and recognize it's high quality. But i also feel that for an album release in fall of 77 it was rather out of step with what popular music was doing at the time. it's just too innocuous and MOR to handle the explosion of disco that was happening. 2 months later Saturday Night Fever soundtrack was released and could BIM look any more out of place? that soundtrack was SO hot and the sound so contemporary. this album should either occurred a year or two earlier or later

I agree with you 1000% on BIM. The album is "fine" but you're right, it was so out of step for the time. To me it just highlights the fact that Motown was just so resistant to "disco", yet when you look back at most of the "hits songs" the company had from the mid to late 70s they were upbeat dance records. It just seems that DR and Motown did not want to release disco records at this period of time.

[sup_fan]

I agree with you 1000% on BIM. The album is "fine" but you're right, it was so out of step for the time. To me it just highlights the fact that Motown was just so resistant to "disco", yet when you look back at most of the "hits songs" the company had from the mid to late 70s they were upbeat dance records. It just seems that DR and Motown did not want to release disco records at this period of time.

In a few of the various books published over the years, i've heard some people say that motown just was oblivious to the whole disco trend. Being located in LA removed them even more so from the hot spots out east - Philly, NYC, Miami, Chicago. The latin, black and gay clubs in those cities were the ones heavily responsible for the rise in disco.

Also motown was clearly out of touch with the advances in black music. kinda ironic considering their groundbreaking ways in the mid 60s. but as r&b music evolved, motown struggled to 1) maintain it's lead and 2) remain unique

lots of other labels came out with quality product and diluted the r&b and dance music scene. and much of that music was far more innovative, exciting and popular than what motown was doing

[Ollie9]

Is it an all time dance classic like Love Hangover, I Will Survive, You Should Be Dancing, Share Your Groove Thing, I Feel Love - absolutely not.

is it a better dance song than Fire Won't Burn, Sweet Summertime Living, You Build me up [[although that one isn't too bad), or the other canned dance tracks she recorded? i think most definitely

Is it better than What You Gave Me which got the single release from Ross 78? yes

is it better than Lovin Livin Giving? maybe, maybe not

was it at least a bit more contemporary than much of the Baby It's Me tracks? i think so


i realize that last comment will probably spark some heated debate! lolol

I do love the BIM album and recognize it's high quality. But i also feel that for an album release in fall of 77 it was rather out of step with what popular music was doing at the time. it's just too innocuous and MOR to handle the explosion of disco that was happening. 2 months later Saturday Night Fever soundtrack was released and could BIM look any more out of place? that soundtrack was SO hot and the sound so contemporary. this album should either occurred a year or two earlier or later

I the case of BIM, i'm actually glad that motown/diana did go out of their way to try and follow any musical trends. They were content in producing a slick, timeless and classy album that sounds as good today as it did then. Disco be damned lol.

[Bluebrock]

I the case of BIM, i'm actually glad that motown/diana did go out of their way to try and follow any musical trends. They were content in producing a slick, timeless and classy album that sounds as good today as it did then. Disco be damned lol.

I agree.I recall Barbra Streisand telling me last year how she had to fight like hell to get her Broadway album released back in the 80's. She was advised not to record the album because that type of music was not in vogue. She said the situation became so heated that she threatened to quit Columbia and move over to Arista where Clive Davis was waiting to pounce and give her a lifetime deal. He was fully behind the proposed project unlike the executives at Columbia who wanted a reunion with Barry Gibb. They eventually relented and of course it became one of her biggest sellers and started a whole new trend for revisiting classics from yesteryear. My point here is that following current trends is not always the right thing to do. Baby it's me was a work of art that could have bucked current trends had it been promoted properly and had Diana made a few high profile tv appearances to promote it. Sadly it soured the relationship between Diana and Gordy which took an even bigger turn for the worse over the illfated Ross78 fiasco.

[RanRan79]

I the case of BIM, i'm actually glad that motown/diana did go out of their way to try and follow any musical trends. They were content in producing a slick, timeless and classy album that sounds as good today as it did then. Disco be damned lol.

Disco was huge, but it wasn't the only thing happening in music. Baby It's Me sounds great and could have been a big hit album.

[daviddh]

It seems every artist has their mania period and then things settle down.
From most artists interviews I've seen ...many seem to be happier after the mania goes away. It can be difficult for many for obvious reasons.
I remember this album coming out...no fan fair...nothing..just got released.
Living giving loving was going to be a single and then it wasn't.once again Motown was confused like with baby it's me.
I am assuming BG and Motown were not seeing eye to eye with Diana but that is simply my opinion.
Overall not a bad album but to me Together sticks out like a sore thumb.out of place.a new better mix of Reach Out should have been saved for the hits album. Why not use the dance tracks that were recorded.
I am assuming Diana had no say so and perhaps she was angry about the changes of direction for this album.
Seems odd but non the less some gems are here on this collection.
Hopefully there are more Greg wright tracks

[daviddh]

This was around the time her working relationship with Gordy was reaching boiling point. The details are sketchy and i don't know too much about it because i wasn't there but i was reliably informed the original idea was to have Holland/Holland produce some of side 1 which was to be the disco side; and side 2 which was to be the ballad side, but when Gordy allegedly had a bust up with the brothers and they walked out it he then decided to use previously recorded and in some cases previously released tracks. The album was already overdue and was rushed out. Diana vowed to leave Motown, and Gordy had little or no involvement in her final Motown albums. There is much more to it than that of course, but that should give you a basic idea of what a toxic atmosphere these big ego's where working in. Something had to give, and of course it did.

I can't wait for the expanded edition ...if we ever get it......George and Andy....

Wasn't there a hdh single around 1980.....we can never light the flame.....???

[reese]

I can't wait for the expanded edition ...if we ever get it......George and Andy....

Wasn't there a hdh single around 1980.....we can never light the flame.....???

1982. It came out between WORK THAT BODY and MUSCLES.

[daviddh]

Never say and you were the one were the best two tracks

[captainjames]

You were the One was a diamond among some other jewels. I would be curious of other songs with the Jones Girls in the background.

[sup_fan]

i don't know that you can exactly compare the Broadway album release with BIM.

Broadway was Barbra's early home. this was a genre she had long excelled in and the public also closely associated her with. So to have her release something like that as a tribute concept is very much in her wheelhouse. obviously the execs were dumb and should have also realized this.

BIM wasn't a concept or tribute album. it was intended as a pop album and therefore should have been more inline with trends vs a concept album or a tribute package. all in all i think BIM is a stunning collection but just released too late. by the time it was on the market, the genre it was attempting to play in had already advanced considerably and so the music, while very well crafted, wasn't in touch with what the public was then wanting. IMO it was a year too late.

in hindsight we can see the album for the classic it is. similar to The Boss. i'm sure many fans and pop music stuffed The Boss away during the early and mid 80s as it was "DISCO" which was taboo of sorts. but now we can listen to it and appreciate it for what it was and still is.

[RanRan79]

i don't know that you can exactly compare the Broadway album release with BIM.

Broadway was Barbra's early home. this was a genre she had long excelled in and the public also closely associated her with. So to have her release something like that as a tribute concept is very much in her wheelhouse. obviously the execs were dumb and should have also realized this.

BIM wasn't a concept or tribute album. it was intended as a pop album and therefore should have been more inline with trends vs a concept album or a tribute package. all in all i think BIM is a stunning collection but just released too late. by the time it was on the market, the genre it was attempting to play in had already advanced considerably and so the music, while very well crafted, wasn't in touch with what the public was then wanting. IMO it was a year too late.

in hindsight we can see the album for the classic it is. similar to The Boss. i'm sure many fans and pop music stuffed The Boss away during the early and mid 80s as it was "DISCO" which was taboo of sorts. but now we can listen to it and appreciate it for what it was and still is.

I think you might be judging Baby It's Me from a rear view mirror. It's easy to think the album was passable and not what the public wanted because it ultimately didn't perform to the standard set by the quality of the album. Had Motown issued a single from the album, put Diana on TV to perform it, put all promo efforts behind it, she may have gotten a hit. From there the album comes out, she's on tour, she's doing tv, the second single drops. Now the album is really taking off. Disco is doing it's thing, but so is Baby It's Me.

The critics loved the album at the time. And certain markets were playing certain tracks like crazy, which means in the areas the songs were being heard, the public liked what they were hearing. The problem was that, because there was no official single yet, the markets were playing different tracks at the same time. And then Motown was screwing up the singles release schedule.

If you check out what was happening on the Hot 100 [[singles) during 1977 you'll see that the number one songs from that year were a hodge podge of sounds. You certainly had disco and disco adjacent cuts like "You Don't Have To Be A Star" and "Don't Leave Me This Way". But also uptempo funky cuts like "Got To Give It Up" and "Sir Duke". And then there's stuff like "Rich Girl", "Da Doo Ron Ron", "You Light Up My Life", "How Deep Is Your Love". The same would be true for the following year.

So I don't think Baby It's Me was what was wrong and something more disco-y was necessary in it's place. Had Motown done what the hell it was supposed to do, the discussion regarding Baby It's Me could've ended up very different. But I think it's important to look at the album and it's place in music at the time, rather than with hindsight. Disco was king, but it was in danger of being knocked off the thrown every week by a non disco cut. Not chasing that particular trend could have paid off nicely.

[Ollie9]

I think you might be judging Baby It's Me from a rear view mirror. It's easy to think the album was passable and not what the public wanted because it ultimately didn't perform to the standard set by the quality of the album. Had Motown issued a single from the album, put Diana on TV to perform it, put all promo efforts behind it, she may have gotten a hit. From there the album comes out, she's on tour, she's doing tv, the second single drops. Now the album is really taking off. Disco is doing it's thing, but so is Baby It's Me.

The critics loved the album at the time. And certain markets were playing certain tracks like crazy, which means in the areas the songs were being heard, the public liked what they were hearing. The problem was that, because there was no official single yet, the markets were playing different tracks at the same time. And then Motown was screwing up the singles release schedule.

If you check out what was happening on the Hot 100 [[singles) during 1977 you'll see that the number one songs from that year were a hodge podge of sounds. You certainly had disco and disco adjacent cuts like "You Don't Have To Be A Star" and "Don't Leave Me This Way". But also uptempo funky cuts like "Got To Give It Up" and "Sir Duke". And then there's stuff like "Rich Girl", "Da Doo Ron Ron", "You Light Up My Life", "How Deep Is Your Love". The same would be true for the following year.

So I don't think Baby It's Me was what was wrong and something more disco-y was necessary in it's place. Had Motown done what the hell it was supposed to do, the discussion regarding Baby It's Me could've ended up very different. But I think it's important to look at the album and it's place in music at the time, rather than with hindsight. Disco was king, but it was in danger of being knocked off the thrown every week by a non disco cut. Not chasing that particular trend could have paid off nicely.

Insightful post and one i agree with 1000%. As you point out, critics were unanimous in their praise for the album. It really was coordinated promotion that was sorely lacking. I think it's less about the time frame and more a case of could have, would have and definitely should have.

[sup_fan]

I think you might be judging Baby It's Me from a rear view mirror. It's easy to think the album was passable and not what the public wanted because it ultimately didn't perform to the standard set by the quality of the album. Had Motown issued a single from the album, put Diana on TV to perform it, put all promo efforts behind it, she may have gotten a hit. From there the album comes out, she's on tour, she's doing tv, the second single drops. Now the album is really taking off. Disco is doing it's thing, but so is Baby It's Me.

The critics loved the album at the time. And certain markets were playing certain tracks like crazy, which means in the areas the songs were being heard, the public liked what they were hearing. The problem was that, because there was no official single yet, the markets were playing different tracks at the same time. And then Motown was screwing up the singles release schedule.

If you check out what was happening on the Hot 100 [[singles) during 1977 you'll see that the number one songs from that year were a hodge podge of sounds. You certainly had disco and disco adjacent cuts like "You Don't Have To Be A Star" and "Don't Leave Me This Way". But also uptempo funky cuts like "Got To Give It Up" and "Sir Duke". And then there's stuff like "Rich Girl", "Da Doo Ron Ron", "You Light Up My Life", "How Deep Is Your Love". The same would be true for the following year.

So I don't think Baby It's Me was what was wrong and something more disco-y was necessary in it's place. Had Motown done what the hell it was supposed to do, the discussion regarding Baby It's Me could've ended up very different. But I think it's important to look at the album and it's place in music at the time, rather than with hindsight. Disco was king, but it was in danger of being knocked off the thrown every week by a non disco cut. Not chasing that particular trend could have paid off nicely.

oh i completely agree that if BIM had been properly promoted it would have had much more success.

Maybe the problem with BIM is that it was sort of caught in the aftermath of Love Hangover. That song was so huge, so special, so unique. It was disco but it was absolutely DIANA'S version of disco. it's not even my fav song but i can still recognize it's importance and impact.

So basically motown did NOTHING to follow up on that. IMO it's like as if the Sups had hit big with WDOLG and then motown goes into the vault and releases something like That's A Funny Way or Let Me Hear You Say [[I Love You). I feel that motown had an opportunity to advance her in the area of disco and dance and didn't. Motown also really missed the whole disco scene and market and had long since lost it's role of leading really groundbreaking music. seems more like they'd just stumble on something.

BIM didn't do much to advance or update or redefine the DR sound or image. Mountain and her debut album did. Lady did. Touch Me in the Morning did. LH did. The Boss and diana 80 did.

then other sets like Surrender, LTISH and some others, built on the preceding album and style.

[RanRan79]

oh i completely agree that if BIM had been properly promoted it would have had much more success.

Maybe the problem with BIM is that it was sort of caught in the aftermath of Love Hangover. That song was so huge, so special, so unique. It was disco but it was absolutely DIANA'S version of disco. it's not even my fav song but i can still recognize it's importance and impact.

So basically motown did NOTHING to follow up on that. IMO it's like as if the Sups had hit big with WDOLG and then motown goes into the vault and releases something like That's A Funny Way or Let Me Hear You Say [[I Love You). I feel that motown had an opportunity to advance her in the area of disco and dance and didn't. Motown also really missed the whole disco scene and market and had long since lost it's role of leading really groundbreaking music. seems more like they'd just stumble on something.

BIM didn't do much to advance or update or redefine the DR sound or image. Mountain and her debut album did. Lady did. Touch Me in the Morning did. LH did. The Boss and diana 80 did.

then other sets like Surrender, LTISH and some others, built on the preceding album and style.

I would definitely agree that in the wake of "Love Hangover"s massive success, it made more sense for Diana's followup album to be, as you say, Diana's version of disco. Perhaps had Thelma Houston not gotten hold to "Don't Leave Me This Way" before Diana could lay her vocals down on it, it might have been the next single after "One Love In My Lifetime" and then had a whole album built around it. That definitely makes the most sense. It would've been Motown following up on what Diana had already done, rather than having her chase the trend of the day.

Regarding Baby It's Me advancing her sound and image, I think had the album been allowed to take off, it would've done just that. IMO the album was the most sophisticated and grown up album Diana had recorded up to that point, Lady Sings not withstanding. Her first three solo albums were very "I'm a young 20 something falling in and out of love". Lady Sings was entirely someone else's stuff from another time that Ross was simply recreating, albeit putting her own stamp on it. Then TMITM rolls around, very sophisticated, but also very moody, very smooth, and somewhat of an extension from Lady Sings. It was not a typical pop/r&b album, and it definitely elevated Diana's sound. Then LTISH mostly returns her back to the spirit of her first three albums, so she's backtracking. Diana76 is sort of a healthy mix of everything Diana had done previously.

But Baby It's Me was an all woman album. Even the way she sings about being in love and happy, like "You Got It" or "Top Of the World" has a more adult spirit about it, even with her exuberant vocal approach. The passion of "Come In From the Rain", "Too Shy", "Confide In Me"...the seriousness of "The Same Love"...the sexiness of "All Night Lover"...Diana had never sounded so womanly, IMO. Ross78 is a misstep not worth mentioning, but The Boss, with her "I am woman hear me roar" themes, seems like an extension to Baby It's Me.

After Diana76, Ross77 should've been next, followed by Baby It's Me, and then The Boss.

[sup_fan]

i think Diana's work with American jazz legends is as equally as wonderful as Bab's broadway work. but it's too bad she's been so narrow in her focus only on Billie Holiday. yes in many of her shows she's added other classics. but it would have been great to hear her in the studio working on additional singers. Or like when she did Stolen Moments

[Albator]

This is a tough industry, and it seems to me that Diana knows the rules and she is not a rebel. I'm not sure that in the eighties she was in Streisand position, since she was very much on the pop market and no longer an actress.

By the way, Barbra tried to record a broadway record as far back as 1975. Colombia was lukewarm at best, and to me it's even more a surprise since in 75, she wasn't a pop recording artist. After she became an international record seller, not just an American standards singer. Maybe it's because of that, they rejected her demand. They knew that an album of Broadway material would limit her sales to the US.
They refused her a double LP and even a double gatefold cover. Yet Linda Rondstadt had a lot of success with her own standards album with Nelson Riddle.

[Ollie9]

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Yet Linda Rondstadt had a lot of success with her own standards album with Nelson Riddle.

'Tis true Linda enjoyed massive success with those albums. It's impossible to evaluate the reasoning behind Diana's Arlen project being shelved when no one as yet has heard it. Would it have been as readily accepted as those of Ronstadt and Streisand during that time frame?...I'm not so sure.
It's interesting to note that B.S broadrway albums were generally stronger than her mid 80's pop efforts.. ie Emotion and Till I Loved You.