1981 - would a different label have made a difference?

[Bluebrock]

well i think it's questionable from an ARTISTIC standpoint. but this was a monetary decision [[most likely). even if they had released a second single from the TMITM set, the album had been out since June and peaked on the charts in Sept. sure they could have scraped up a few more sales of the album during the holidays. it would still have been in release either way so it still had sales.

But to market a BRAND NEW DIANA ROSS ALBUM for the holidays would generate much, much, much more sales than trying to squeeze a bit more juice out of TMITM.

Motown was a business, first and foremost.

But LTISH hardly set the album charts alive. They could have squeezed another single or two from TMITM, and then concentrated on the duets album, and then leave the LTISH album until the following fall. There were no other studio albums from Diana until the Black album. I'm sure the fans would have responded better to LTISH having been deprived of new material for a while.
However we will never know for sure will we?

[sup_fan]

But LTISH hardly set the album charts alive. They could have squeezed another single or two from TMITM, and then concentrated on the duets album, and then leave the LTISH album until the following fall. There were no other studio albums from Diana until the Black album. I'm sure the fans would have responded better to LTISH having been deprived of new material for a while.
However we will never know for sure will we?

while i completely agree with your timeline, i think the idea was 'hey - diana is super hot. at the beginning of 73 we had the Academy Awards, then in spring she released TMITM and both album and single did great. here in the fall she's back on the charts with the duets" so strike while the iron is hot. so they quickly tossed out the LTISH album and single. Agree that it didn't set the charts afire but it was something in the stores.

the album was released prior to the single by almost a month. that probably didn't help things - to not have a lead single helping push the album.

[PeaceNHarmony]

while i completely agree with your timeline, i think the idea was 'hey - diana is super hot. at the beginning of 73 we had the Academy Awards, then in spring she released TMITM and both album and single did great. here in the fall she's back on the charts with the duets" so strike while the iron is hot. so they quickly tossed out the LTISH album and single. Agree that it didn't set the charts afire but it was something in the stores.

the album was released prior to the single by almost a month. that probably didn't help things - to not have a lead single helping push the album.

Reasonable deduction. I didn't remember the single following the lp release; I do remember the single being 'enough' of a hit on NYC top 40 radio and a popular sing-along song, at lease in my social circles!