What If: Masser had produced those 80s hits on Diana and not Whitney

[sup_fan]

Michael Masser created some of Diana's most loved and iconic songs. But after her departure from Motown, they didn't work together again.

Word is that he wanted to but she refused. So he then worked with other artists, including Whitney Houston. His Houston songs include:

From the Whitney Houston album in early 85:
Saving all my love [[which hit #1)
Hold Me [[duet with Teddy Pendergrass)
All at once
Greatest Love of all [[also hit #1)

From Whitney [[mid 87)
Didn't we almost have it all [[another #1)
You're still my man

From I'm Your Baby Tonight [[late 90)
After we make love

most of these tunes all have a similar highly dramatic, soap-opera-soul appeal like Theme From Mahogany, Touch Me In The Morning and It's My Turn. I could hear Diana singing many of them, if not all of them. Of course Whitney's gorgeous vocals are unparalleled but given Diana's performance on It's My Turn and the others, i think she could have given passionate and gorgeous vocals too

do you think these would have hit for Diana? if after Swept Away in 84, if Diana had turned to Masser and recorded those earlier tunes, i think after the positive momentum of All Of You and especially Missing You, these would have done very well.

[reese]

Diana certainly could have done them well. And she did end up producing IN YOUR ARMS aka HOLD ME for herself.

I would have liked to hear what she would have done with Natalie's SOMEONE THAT I USED TO LOVE or MISS YOU LIKE CRAZY. But would they have extended her hit reign, we'll never know.

[sup_fan]

yeah i'm not familiar with Masser's other work with other artists

i've wondered if Diana had simply run her course by this time. she had already done these mega ballads and so would doing more have simply become boring to the public?

at a certain point, do you simply need a new voice?

[Circa 1824]

I always wondered if Diana had dismissed Masser, and he then turned his attention to Whitney.

[RanRan79]

I think Diana could've easily handled most of those tunes. There might have been need for some tweaking to accommodate the difference in voices. Definitely think Diana doing those Natalie tunes would've been an easy win.

The problem with trying to "finalize" whether or not Diana had run her course is that it all goes left with the wrong music. This issue is much more clear if Diana had been releasing grade A tunes and albums and they went nowhere. That didn't happen. Aside from "Chain Reaction", those last few singles prior to the rejoining of Motown were never going to command the attention of the public. [["Chain Reaction" will always be one of the "why didn't this hit" of Diana's career in the States.) Diana refused to bring on board the hottest producers of the day. Her return to Motown was with Nile, but even he gave her crap. It was at that point that I feel her hit making status was pretty much over and couldn't be reclaimed.

I believe had she gone the same route as Natalie Cole in the 90s, Diana would've remained a relevant album artist. She really didn't need hit singles anymore. But classic, good selling albums would've kept the lights on a bit longer.

[reese]

I always wondered if Diana had dismissed Masser, and he then turned his attention to Whitney.

I don't think there's a connection. Diana had stopped working with Masser in 1980, and Whitney wasn't signed to Arista until maybe 1983 or so. By then, he had already done work with Natalie Cole, Dionne Warwick and Roberta Flack.

[Bluebrock]

Michael Masser created some of Diana's most loved and iconic songs. But after her departure from Motown, they didn't work together again.

Word is that he wanted to but she refused. So he then worked with other artists, including Whitney Houston. His Houston songs include:

From the Whitney Houston album in early 85:
Saving all my love [[which hit #1)
Hold Me [[duet with Teddy Pendergrass)
All at once
Greatest Love of all [[also hit #1)

From Whitney [[mid 87)
Didn't we almost have it all [[another #1)
You're still my man

From I'm Your Baby Tonight [[late 90)
After we make love

most of these tunes all have a similar highly dramatic, soap-opera-soul appeal like Theme From Mahogany, Touch Me In The Morning and It's My Turn. I could hear Diana singing many of them, if not all of them. Of course Whitney's gorgeous vocals are unparalleled but given Diana's performance on It's My Turn and the others, i think she could have given passionate and gorgeous vocals too

do you think these would have hit for Diana? if after Swept Away in 84, if Diana had turned to Masser and recorded those earlier tunes, i think after the positive momentum of All Of You and especially Missing You, these would have done very well.

Masser wanted to work with her on what turned out to be the Silk Electric album, but the success of the Fools album made her believe she was a competant producer, so she rebuffed his advances and decided to save a lot of money by self producing. Even Jacko's offer to produce a ballad alongside Muscles fell on deaf ears.
However Masser got his revenge a few years later by ignoring her pleas to work together again and concentrate on Whitney.
What goes around comes around.

[nomis]

I much prefer massers work with Diana than whitney..I like houston's grittier and more edgier tracks from "step by step " onwards..those early whitney ballads are too overblown for me

[Levi Stubbs Tears]

Even Jacko's offer to produce a ballad alongside Muscles fell on deaf ears.

Wow. I could understand her making dumb decisions about anyone and anything else, but would have thought she would have bent over backwards to have more MJ songs.

[Bluebrock]

Wow. I could understand her making dumb decisions about anyone and anything else, but would have thought she would have bent over backwards to have more MJ songs.

A crazy decision for sure. Jackson was just developing from a mere superstar to a fully blown megastar. He could pick and choose who to work with yet she turned down the offer all to save money.

[Ollie9]

I much prefer massers work with Diana than whitney..I like houston's grittier and more edgier tracks from "step by step " onwards..those early whitney ballads are too overblown for me

I’m very much of the same opinion nomis. Those early Whitney ballads are just to overwrought for my musical taste. Much prefer his work with Diana.
Masser songs that suited Diana’s singing style though never recorded were “Someone That I Use To Love” and “Miss You Like Crazy”. Both songs would most likely have been huge hits for her.

[RanRan79]

I'm the opposite. I prefer Masser's Whitney work more than Diana's. I think I preferred Whitney in the big ballad style, as opposed to anything else. [[Huge Whitney fan, btw.) I preferred my Diana in a more funky, r&b style or a soulful ballad than anything else. She did however create some great stuff with Masser as well.