I still have the "special les stars de la pop et du rock par les stars the las photo" [stars of pop and rock by the star photographers" issue of the French magazine Photo [[June 1987), which features a 6-page photo spread of pictures that Uwe Ommer took of Diana Ross, from the Ross 1983 and Central Park "jungle" photos, including the "nude" one. I'm still surprised that Ross agreed to have that one published.
Aww man, "Rescue Me" was not the song for her. Anybody that had anything to do with that production should have told her "No. NO. NOOOOOO!" The track is actually nice, but Diana didn't have the voice to pull that one off. The track would've needed to be a complete redo in order for it to work.
I also dislike "Nobody Makes Me Crazy". Sounds like a demo. But everything else is cool in my book. Aside from "Rescue" and "Nobody", the tracks go from okay to excellent.
While I can tolerate "Forever Young", it's a surprise [[or maybe not) that Diana didn't go for a gospel sound like how she probably would've recorded it at Motown. She sounds fine enough, but it seems like a perfect song for her to show off on.
Thank you so much for posting this Jaap. I’m amazed that i never knew of this nude pic. I’m also surprised she allowed it published. Diana’s body was most certainly in great shape during that period. Perhaps they should have used the shot for the cover of the album. Can you imagine the amount of publicity it would have generated.
I bought the Swept Away album in 1984. I played it often I am sure. But, I have zero memory of the album and Children of the World. I just played Children on YouTube. I do not remember the song at all. It was not good. I am always reluctant to go back into the RCA catalog. IMHO, it belongs to yesterday.
Last edited by Circa 1824; 04-02-2021 at 07:31 AM.
I have little interest in the current music scene. I am talking specifically about the RCA years being a void in my musical enjoyment.
I don't remember an official video. But I remember the program EVENING MAGAZINE [[or PM MAGAZINE depending on your location) did a piece that featured Diana and a group of kids singing the song, juxtaposed with comments from the kids and adults about the joys of childhood. I remember it ending with Diana and the kids playing duck duck goose.
What was she thinking!!.
It’s strange how “Missing You” never took off in the UK. It most certainly received a lot of radio airplay and was re-promoted twice. Perhaps Diana’s UK popularity being at a low had something to do with it. I remember a radio DJ mentioning that he was perplexed as to it’s slow movement on the pop charts.
I think had she performed the song on a popular UK television show it’s fate on British soil might have proved very different.
In the Netherlands, "Missing You" didn't even chart at all, probably because it was released so late after the album had been released [[sometime early 1985). The "Swept Away" album had done quite well in the Netherlands -- both "Touch by Touch" and "All of You" had been top 10 hits, and the "Swept Away" single had been a minor hit. Releasing "Missing You" so late seems like an afterthought. Interestingly, "Missing You" was included on several 1985 compilation albums, in spite of not charting.
Each to their own, of course - give me Forever Young over Missing You any day - in fact I think a single Forever Young Diana Ross featuring Eric Clapton would have been big in the UK.
If the UK sales were known they would be probably be higher than you might expect given that it was just outside the top 75 for 8 weeks and was probably knocking about the top 200 nfor 3/4 months.
I really find it weird though - had many of Diana's singles been given the same promotion as Missing You they would have been big but it beggars belief that if they really wanted to a major UK record company couldn't break a record into the top 75 - all I'll say is it's strange.
You may well be right about “Forever Young” florence. I still believe that owing to Diana’s low profile in the UK at the time, the single would have needed tv as well as radio exposure.
I remember hearing “Missing You” played regularly on the radio at the time of its release.It brings to mind the words of the old adage ‘You can lead a horse to water’.
It seems, Diana wasn't promoted at all in Europe while at RCA. I don't think she made any TV appearances at all. She was on french TV for two TV shows, but she lived in Paris at that time and she was there to talk about Josephine Baker.
She toured in 1982, 1985 and 89.
She didn't tour Japan at all during the time of her RCA contract.
In those days, tv and video were of major importances. Sade, Cindy Lauper, Withney Houston, Tina Turner, Donna Summer, even Cher and Madonna did appearances to promote their new albums, mostly lip synching.
But Diana and Barbra Streisand, nothing
Just for the record
I did like Silk Electric.
Who
Love lies
Anywhere you run to
Not a huge fav but better than WDFFIL.
Muscles was good size hit for her and alot of my friends who were not Ross fans liked it.
Diana Ross came to promote Why Do Fools Fall In Love, at least in the Netherlands. She didn't perform but showed the music video to show those Europeans what "America was like"! I'm sure it helped to make the single "Why Do Fools Fall In Love" Diana's only solo number one in the Netherlands. I vividly remember watching this on tv 40 years ago!
No question music videos had a massive influence.
Why Do Fools Fall In Love was running out of steam in the UK when it eased up from 22-19 but it was enough for the video to be shown on Top Of The Pops. [[Thursday night)
The record's sales exploded on the Friday taking it up from 19-7 in the next chart.
It peaked at #4 selling 78k that week which was a very high sale for that position and was one of Diana's top 5 selling UK singles.
It is 80% completed and has been for around 4 years. It will need fine tuning if it does go to publication.
My main reason i am hesitating is because if i am to tell the truth it will upset some people. I wanted it to be a warts and all memoir where nothing would be off limits, but there are certain people who are just too dear to me to upset. There are certain ones whom it would be an honour and privilege to expose their appalling behaviour to the world, and it is a case of finding a happy medium.
Also the advance i would receive is less than my first offer from 5 years ago which indicates demand is not quite what it once was. The financial side of it is not important. I need never work another day in my life and not compromise my standard of living one iota.
I really do not know how to proceed. I am happy and healthy again and content with my life. We shall see.
To answer your other question i was not at Brixton due to a prior engagement.
Thank you for your interest.
i like those tracks on SE too. overall i'd rate WDFFIL a bit higher than SE solely because of the excessive echo she used on Silk. it's as if they moved the recording studio to the bottom of a well. but it isn't as bad on some tracks. Wonder if she had just found the "echo" button on the engineering controls and was like a kid with a new toy lol
Yes, this one plus 3 tv appearances over two days in France in 84 [[she didn't perform but clips of CP and Pieces of ice were presented). News reports for her 85 tour in France, Netherland, Norway, Danemark and 3 more from Italy.
Maybe I miss something but I don't think so.
i think if you focus on professional situations [[as opposed to personal) and if you're even handed with the content, i think you both should be ok. even if there are things that are not flattering to individuals. be sure to account for whatever good things a person offered up along with the bad [[assuming there are both lol).
Dreamgirl and CHMR took on the more sensational tone of the 80s. but then when Randy did his later book on Diana, it was much more even. of course there were situations still that weren't flattering to Diana. she's human and has made mistakes. but it also showed a much more kind image of her too.
Sup Fan- im so glad Randy wrote the third biography..some close to Ross had straightened him out on a few situations and he was able to gather a new perspective on some things..I also think he had matured personally.. CHMR as brilliant as it is - in some sections has a pettiness in parts which does a disservice to him, and the key players he writes about..the best part for me of his last tome is the final 24 hrs of Flo as a Supreme and the events of her birthday..all new information that he didnt have for his two previous works..
i agree about the newest book. some really wonderful additional stories of events and details of things happening.
my favorite part though is the appendix with the details on every album!! i've read that again and again!
I found that fascinating as well Sup you have a great flair for details as your posts show..in 1993 UK Magazine "Record Collector" had a two part article celebrating Forever/One Woman and discussing what was in the vaults.. I read it again and again years later its pretty much all been released but at the time in the pre internet pre hip o select and before this forum details of the Ross & Supremes unreleased catalog was very very hard to find anything about it..I still have those two articles in my scrapbook
I agree with Ollie9:I see you combined Ross'83 with Swept Away.That is an extremely good wish list album david.
Since Silk Electric is my least favorite RCA album [to say the very least!], I combined Ross '83 with the few SE tracks I could even listen to:
Let's Go Up
That's How You Start Over
Love or Loneliness
Love Will Make It Right
You Do It
Muscles
Pieces of Ice
Love Lies
Still In Love
In Your Arms
I left Swept Away pretty much intact, but I added Up Front and left off Rescue Me and We Are The Children of the World.
Missing You
Touch By Touch
Swept Away
All Of You
Telephone
Nobody Makes Me Crazy [[Like You Do)
It's Your Move
Up Front
Forever Young
It's very 80s pop, which I love. Sounds like it should've been the theme to some 80s movie about a group of kids, like The Goonies, or a John Hughes film. Now this is not what I would've wanted from Diana, even as an album cut. But on it's own, I do enjoy the song. It's that 80s pop track that really gets me.
Speaking of 'Dreamgirl', I did a re-read after Mary's passing as a bit of a memorial to her; I was disappointed at just how much of the book is spent in denigrating others as opposed to discussing her own experiences. I know there are those who love the book; this is just my recent reaction.
I must re read "dream girl " haven't picked it up in a long time it's annoying I have my stuff in storage and I cant just dip into books which I like to do...I much prefer " supreme faith " thou..I don't know why I find her battle with Motown to keep the supremes afloat and her relationship with pedro gripping.... I have it on audiobook cassette as well and it's nice to have Mary reading it..I'm surprised she didn't do an audiobook for "dream girl " thou.. given it's massive popularity
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