When did Diana first perform Upside Down live?

**Levi Stubbs Tears** · 03-30-2021, 05:59 AM

I was just reading a story which said that Diana first performed 'I'm Coming Out' live at the concert which was televised [[the one with Larry Hagman, Michael Jackson etc) in 1981.

setlist.fm shows that Diana performed many concerts in the US during 1980 and it seems weird to me that her #1 hit wasn't included in the ones in the latter half of the year.

The 'HBO' concert set she had been doing since 1979 was a fantastic show, but it strikes me as strange that Upside Down wasn't added to the setlist, at least as an encore, especially once it hit the top ten.

So was Upside Down's first performance also at the 1981 televised special [[and it wasn't a great performance with MJ being summoned for an awkward half-duet)?

Anyone have any info or thoughts?

**reese** · 03-30-2021, 08:53 AM

I would assume that she did it during her 1980 tour dates as it was a #1 smash by then. I do have a Boston Globe review of her September 1980 engagement at the Ocean State Performing Arts Center in Providence, RI. This engagement started as a two-night gig that because of popular demand was extended to four, sometimes two shows a night.

Reading the review, she was still doing the set list from her HBO special, which included many songs from THE BOSS. The reviewer noted that UPSIDE DOWN was a nice sensuous song that she didn't exploit. I don't know if he meant he didn't like how she sang it or if she didn't sing it at all. The review ended with him saying that after the ALL FOR ONE finale, and with much of the audience already departed, Diana re-emerged to sing COMING OUT, which I assume was I'M COMING OUT.

Considering how hot Diana was in 1980, and that she had concert dates that year as well, I find it hard to believe that she didn't sing UPSIDE DOWN in concert until 1981.

**Ollie9** · 03-30-2021, 09:15 AM

Originally Posted by reese

I would assume that she did it during her 1980 tour dates as it was a #1 smash by then. I do have a Boston Globe review of her September 1980 engagement at the Ocean State Performing Arts Center in Providence, RI. This engagement started as a two-night gig that because of popular demand was extended to four, sometimes two shows a night.

Reading the review, she was still doing the set list from her HBO special, which included many songs from THE BOSS. The reviewer noted that UPSIDE DOWN was a nice sensuous song that she didn't exploit. I don't know if he meant he didn't like how she sang it or if she didn't sing it at all. The review ended with him saying that after the ALL FOR ONE finale, and with much of the audience already departed, Diana re-emerged to sing COMING OUT, which I assume was I'M COMING OUT.

Considering how hot Diana was in 1980, and that she had concert dates that year as well, I find it hard to believe that she didn't sing UPSIDE DOWN in concert until 1981.

Diana is known for not promoting new singles.
I thought her Forum 81 performance of “Upside Down” with MJ was electric.