Diana Ross 'Reach Out' 50th Anniversary Vidio

[PeaceNHarmony]

[IMissFlo93]

Why on earth did this single flop in the first place? It's a classic Diana Ross song and is very empowering! I have the 45 single [[along with Stop) of this with the iconic Motown labeling. It got me through a rough time once and it made me feel better when I played it on a turntable!


It also reminds me of Motown the Musical, back when most of the Original Broadway Cast was still performing, where Ariana DeBose as Diana invited an audience member in true Diana fashion and people were clapping.



Ahh.....so many memories!

[khansperac]

Flop?

"Reach Out and Touch" peaked at number 20 on the Billboard Hot 100, number 10 on the Cash Box Top 100, and number 7 on the R&B charts with 500,000 copies sold.

Not a bad debut for a new artist.

[jobucats]

[QUOTE=IMissFlo93;570898]Why on earth did this single flop in the first place? It's a classic Diana Ross song and is very empowering! I have the 45 single [[along with Stop) of this with the iconic Motown labeling. It got me through a rough time once and it made me feel better when I played it on a turntable!

I guess 'flop' is the operative word. Based on her other successes, I agree; however in the whole scheme I don't consider a Billboard #20 as a flop. But that's just my perspective. Here's why I don't believe it did well [[considering this was Diana Ross) : It has basically a waltz feel to it [[either 3/4 time or 6/8 time) which most popular songs do not have. There are some exceptions to songs with a waltz feel doing well on the charts; however, most of these have a strong r&b feel to them such as "You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman" by Aretha Franklin.

I loved the song from the beginning and I am glad she includes it in her concerts.

[TNSUN]

Diana Ross knew the timeless socialogical value of
this song, which was well beyond the commercial wisdom of Berry Gordy!

[midnightman]

Back in 1970, it was considered a flop, but a song that topped at number 20 on the pop charts and sold half a million copies is phenomenal. And a song that's since become an anthem and one of her showstoppers. Berry Gordy originally didn't want Diana to release it because it was a socially conscious song and he thought it wouldn't sell. It did though.

[PeaceNHarmony]

Right, Khansperac, not a flop at all. Not a #1 hit but in the long run something better - an instantaneous career song and one that, 50 years later, enables engagement with the audience in an iconic way. Not too many can claim that with their first single release!

[PeaceNHarmony]

Diana Ross knew the timeless socialogical value of
this song, which was well beyond the commercial wisdom of Berry Gordy!

Well stated.

[jobeterob]

Is it a flop compared to Red Hot? Lol

[monicarivers]

Is it a flop compared to Red Hot? Lol

“Red Hot” is a hiccup although around here, it may as well be an undiscovered gem on par with “Respect”.

[jobeterob]

Come on, Mary Wilson is a major artist having sold 4000 albums - well some say 10000

[monicarivers]

Come on, Mary Wilson is a major artist having sold 4000 albums - well some say 10000

Yes dear. The park ranger in Coney Island said she attracted more of a crowd than Diane in Central Park.

[Circa 1824]

Red Hot was anything but ....

or

Red Hot was red hot .... NOT

[TNSUN]

I wonder whether "Reach Out and Touch Somebody's Hand" is sung in churches. Should have been nominated for a Gospel Grammy Award.

[reese]

I wonder whether "Reach Out and Touch Somebody's Hand" is sung in churches...

I'm sure it is. I remember going to a gospel concert many years ago and ROAT was the finale.

[sup_fan]

for a woman that had reached the top of the charts 12 times as a lead singer, plus an additional 6 top ten hits, plus chart topping albums, plus years of standing-room only concerts, plus tv specials, yes. this was a flop. the launch of her solo career was being hyped as one of the biggest entertainment events of the decade.

motown desperately was pushing this to make it a hit. but it reached 20 and was only on the charts a total of 9 weeks

48-37-30-28-22-22-20-30-33

it entered the charts at a pretty high level but then just crept from there.

[vgalindo]

It’s interesting. A Diana Ross record that hits the top 20 and it’s considered a flop. Yet several other artists like Smokey Robinson can make a top 20 record like “Tracks of my tears” or “Ooh Baby Baby” and they are never considered a flop.

[Circa 1824]

Reach Out is a very good song, but Ross' vocals at the end were very strained and unpleasant. Thus, one has less desire to hear it again and I think it very much hurt sales. This same problem plagued Surrender.

[reese]

I don't think flop is the right word. ROAT was a Top 10 hit on the soul chart as well and that seems to be ignored. But it wasn't the gigantic success that Berry and Diana were looking for as the debut single of a historic solo career. Even Diana wrote in SECRETS... that ROAT didn't do all that well in the beginning but became a hit later on.

[sup_fan]

It’s interesting. A Diana Ross record that hits the top 20 and it’s considered a flop. Yet several other artists like Smokey Robinson can make a top 20 record like “Tracks of my tears” or “Ooh Baby Baby” and they are never considered a flop.

well it's like the memo from Berry stating we'll release nothing but top 10 records however on the supremes they'll be #1s only.

its just a matter of perspective. the miracles really didn't have super strong chart performances. although several fans have pointed out that while their records didn't go #1, they were on the charts a very long time, selling tons. So based on their chart history, a top 20 record would be something special for them. however the supremes had a popularity at a whole other level. and DR had been the figurehead of that group. so it's not like Flo or Mary breaking out with less familiar voices and trying to chart.

maybe part of the problem was it just wasn't different enough from Someday. the songs are certainly not twins like WDOLG and BL. or LC and Shame. but there's a quality they both share. and since she'd already "done" that with Someday and it was a huge seller. so maybe the LC and Shame comparison is spot on. similar songs, the first is massive and the follow up is ok.

[daviddh]

I think because BG kept Diana off tv for a year.crazy to me. But if this premiered on ES .it most likely would have hit