Diana's "Cross My Heart"

[marybrewster]

If we're going to post random Diana songs to fawn over, I thought I'd offer one of my favorites from the Lady.

The album "Red Hot Rhythm and Blues" never did much for me [[although I wish the US version would have included "Mr. Lee"), but this song is a GEM.

Just a very pretty song, with a fantastic vocal by Diana.

[Ollie9]

[video=youtube;3Zrv1yPblxc]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Zrv1yPblxc

Just a very pretty song, with a fantastic vocal by Diana.

In a nutshell....

[Bluebrock]

If we're going to post random Diana songs to fawn over, I thought I'd offer one of my favorites from the Lady.

The album "Red Hot Rhythm and Blues" never did much for me [[although I wish the US version would have included "Mr. Lee"), but this song is a GEM.

Just a very pretty song, with a fantastic vocal by Diana.

Beautiful song. This little gem along with the sublime "It's hard for me to say" proved she could put out quality music in the 80's. I always loved this song. Simply gorgeous.

[sup_fan]

i was just listening to it too, the other day. it's a very strong song on RHRAB.

it made me sit and think what on that album might have appealed to the overall pop market. and i don't think this would have done that. I wondered at first, maybe it might. but i think it's a little too sweet and cute. beautifully produced and sung. but i think something a bit more harder is necessary for the 80s pop audience

[marybrewster]

i was just listening to it too, the other day. it's a very strong song on RHRAB.

it made me sit and think what on that album might have appealed to the overall pop market. and i don't think this would have done that. I wondered at first, maybe it might. but i think it's a little too sweet and cute. beautifully produced and sung. but i think something a bit more harder is necessary for the 80s pop audience

To your point, I don't think it made a good fit on an album called "Red Hot Rhythm and Blues". It is much more "pop" sounding than R & B.

Fun fact: the writer of this song also wrote "New Attitude" for Patti LaBelle.

[Ollie9]

To your point, I don't think it made a good fit on an album called "Red Hot Rhythm and Blues". It is much more "pop" sounding than R & B.

I wish the whole album had consisted of modern, contemporary material.. Red Hot R & B it certainly wasn't, but there really are some lovely songs and performances on the album.
This little gem is just one casualty of being marooned on an album that couldn’t quite make up its mind what it wanted to be.
The title was fake advertising, to long winded and probably hurt prospective sales.

[sup_fan]

I wish the whole album had consisted of modern, contemporary material.. Red Hot R & B it certainly wasn't, but there really are some lovely songs and performances on the album.
This little gem is just one casualty of being marooned on an album that couldn’t quite make up its mind what it wanted to be.
The title was fake advertising, to long winded and probably hurt prospective sales.

i agree. and at this point in her career, doing a specialty album or a retrospective, wasn't a good idea. she needed something very calculated and strategic to re-establish herself on the charts. she hadn't had a pop #1 since Endless Love. she came close a few times with RCA content but that last real hit was Missing You several years prior.

[Ollie9]

i agree. and at this point in her career, doing a specialty album or a retrospective, wasn't a good idea. she needed something very calculated and strategic to re-establish herself on the charts. she hadn't had a pop #1 since Endless Love. she came close a few times with RCA content but that last real hit was Missing You several years prior.

Absolutely. Diana’s profile, at least in the UK was pretty low at the time of the albums release. I can kind of understand why certain songs were left off the USA version of the album.
At that point in time Diana desperately needed commercial, contemporary material that would restore her to the charts. “Tell Mama” And “Mr Lee” were not likely to do that and should have been left alone for the tv special.
“Cross My Heart” and “Shine” were the two songs most likely to achieve pop chart success. “Hard For Me To Say” would most probably have done well on the r & b charts.
Releasing the hauntingly beautiful “Summertime” might have been a risk worth taking.

[Bluebrock]

I wish the whole album had consisted of modern, contemporary material.. Red Hot R & B it certainly wasn't, but there really are some lovely songs and performances on the album.
This little gem is just one casualty of being marooned on an album that couldn’t quite make up its mind what it wanted to be.
The title was fake advertising, to long winded and probably hurt prospective sales.

Not sure if i have said this before but RH was a mish mash of two proposed albums. One album was meant to be the original soundtrack to the tv special containing principally cover versions, whilst the other album was meant to be made up of modern, contemporary material. When it became evident she was leaving rca they settled upon an uneasy mixture of both styles.

[Spreadinglove21]

Given the songs that made Red Hot Rhythm and Blues, what would have been a more suitable album title?

[marybrewster]

Given the songs that made Red Hot Rhythm and Blues, what would have been a more suitable album title?

I would have left "Cross Your Heart" off and included it on a more pop oriented release.

[TheMotownManiac]

Given the songs that made Red Hot Rhythm and Blues, what would have been a more suitable album title?

“Flop Mess”

[Albator]

This how all songs on WSFFIL and Silk should have been sung and produced.

[sup_fan]

but there weren't a ton of highly viable tracks left off the US version. yeah Mr Lee and another one or two. but frankly those weren't really great either

[TomatoTom123]

Lovely song!

[Albator]

Did she sing Summertime live ? I have alway heard that when she did her shortened Red Hot tour, she didn't even did one song from the album

[Ollie9]

If we're going to post random Diana songs to fawn over, I thought I'd offer one of my favorites from the Lady.

The album "Red Hot Rhythm and Blues" never did much for me [[although I wish the US version would have included "Mr. Lee"), but this song is a GEM.

Just a very pretty song, with a fantastic vocal by Diana.

“Cross My Heart” has been my song of the week. The fact it still sounds so fresh and relevant here in 2021 proves what a missed opportunity it was not releasing it as a single.

[JLoveLamar]

P.S, it grinds the heck out of my gears when videos are put out, but the song is on some other world edition of the album, and not the U.S version!!!!!!

[JLoveLamar]

LMAO @ this thread! I put the RHR&B album in my car about 5 days ago and I've been listening to Dirty Looks, Shockwave [[my fave on the album) Summertime, Stranger in Paradise, There Goes my Baby and this song!!!!!

[Bluebrock]

LMAO @ this thread! I put the RHR&B album in my car about 5 days ago and I've been listening to Dirty Looks, Shockwave [[my fave on the album) Summertime, Stranger in Paradise, There Goes my Baby and this song!!!!!

What about the beautiful "It's hard for me to say"?

[JLoveLamar]

What about the beautiful "It's hard for me to say"?

Love that song, also! Mr. Blue, on my way to work , I blasted the song in your honor. Thank you so much for taking care of Miss Ross for us and for answering our questions! I love this woman so damn much!

[Bluebrock]

Love that song, also! Mr. Blue, on my way to work , I blasted the song in your honor. Thank you so much for taking care of Miss Ross for us and for answering our questions! I love this woman so damn much!

Delighted to hear that Lamar. Thank you for your kind words. It means a lot. She is a very special lady for sure.

[daviddh]

Good album.if it had been released in 83 ,probably would have hit .
Some good tracks on Red Hot

[Bluebrock]

Good album.if it had been released in 83 ,probably would have hit .
Some good tracks on Red Hot

Some great songs alongside 2 or 3 not so good tunes.

[detmotownguy]

Some great songs alongside 2 or 3 not so good tunes.

Oddly, I think this project only sold 88000 units although I could be wrong. Summertime was simply perfect and was possibly worth risking as a release. However, I did feel dupped by the title. The content overshadowed the title.

[Bluebrock]

Oddly, I think this project only sold 88000 units although I could be wrong. Summertime was simply perfect and was possibly worth risking as a release. However, I did feel dupped by the title. The content overshadowed the title.

It was anything but a major seller so you may well be right. There are 5 or 6 lovely songs on there, but there are also a handful of songs that rank alongside her very worst recordings. A very mixed bag to say the very least.