What percent of LOVE HANGOVER's success do you credit to Ross herself??

[Boogiedown]

As a #1 record, there's no denying LOVE HANGOVER is one of Diana's recording career pinnacles.

It's also one of disco's pinnacles.
At the time it came out, I got to witness the dance floor fill instantaneously to that teaser intro, and if you weren't on the floor by the time the beat kicked in ...you weren't going to be able to find a spot . Its popularity was so apparent, Motown had to rush release it as a single to ride the wave.

But how much of that success is due to Diana herself? We know she had to be cajoled into even participating in the recording session and as a mother with young kids, the last thing on her mind was competing with Donna Summer in the disco diva arena.

As songwriting goes and as a composition, I think LOVE HANGOVER transcends the whole disco tag applied to it ...such that even some of those that claim they hate all disco, might give a nod to this song's appeal-ability. Were it not a huge club hit, I think LOVE HANGOVER still would have had mass appeal and been a #1 record. It did happen at times .....DANCING QUEEN by ABBA for example.

So once in the studio and when her engine got properly lubed, did Diana start to feel it?? Did she apply her A game??

Or does the credit really go to the wizardry of dedicated studio editing and a vision for the record by its producer Hal Davis....including its seven minute plus length.

Did the name 'Diana Ross' on its label give the record a leg up??


Percentage?? a fifty-fifty prospect
where it was the exact right combination of talents brought together at the right time??
[= 50% credit]
Or, more likely without Diana's participation , it would have meant a lesser [or a non] hit??
[= 75% credit to Diana]

Or, could Hal have pulled off his vision regardless of who he had in the studio??
[= 75% credit to studio production magic, and 25% credit to Miss Ross]


or, some other ratio??

[RanRan79]

The album version with the full slow vocal part is my favorite part of the record. But obviously the single version is what became the hit, and most of it is comprised of the danceable part. IMO, the song was a hit because all of the right elements came together, and that is to the credit of Hal. Diana brings her magic, but honestly I think the song could have been a hit for any number of Motown ladies at the time since the vocal really isn't the focal point of the song.

[Circa 1824]

Only Diana could have done what she did with that song. Should have won a Grammy! It was a breathtakingly thrilling vocal and production.

[Boogiedown]

Only Diana could have done what she did with that song. Should have won a Grammy! It was a breathtakingly thrilling vocal and production.

I think we're on the same track. And only by thinking of it in this way [her percentage for its success] have I come around to thinking of her importance this way.

[sup_fan]

i think this is a producer's hit record. there's nothing challenging about the lyric, the notes, the interpretation, etc. that's not to say Diana doesn't contribute because she absolutely has to bring to life what the producer is looking for.

there's an alt version on the DR76 EE where all of Diana's vocals are left intact. in the released version, the producers took the lead vocals in and out of the mix. in the studio though, diana pretty much sings stuff all the way through.

[Boogiedown]

i think this is a producer's hit record. there's nothing challenging about the lyric, the notes, the interpretation, etc. that's not to say Diana doesn't contribute because she absolutely has to bring to life what the producer is looking for.

there's an alt version on the DR76 EE where all of Diana's vocals are left intact. in the released version, the producers took the lead vocals in and out of the mix. in the studio though, diana pretty much sings stuff all the way through.

Aha ! I might've said most of this too, fifty years ago , ten years ago , yesterday.


But now let's think about the title LOVE HANGOVER and what Diana Ross brings to the subject that no other performer would have on that night .

[Ollie9]

I think ‘Love Hangover” would have been just as big a hit with say Donna Summer on lead, so the production must take a huge chunk of the credit.
I certainly think Diana lends the song a fun element, but have always been disappointed in live versions where her delivery is never breathy enough, with a tendency to camp it up.

[midnightman]

I think much of the credit belongs to the producer. I was never impressed when she sang the song live. I do love the alternate version. If she hadn't gotten drunk on Courvoiser, who'd known how the song would turn out?

[mindful1]

I agree that this performance illustrates beautifully the talent that is Diana Ross

[copley]

'Love Hangover' is a brilliant song. I love Diana's version. However if Motown had not rush released it when they did I think that 5th Dimension's version would have been just as massive.

[sup_fan]

Aha ! I might've said most of this too, fifty years ago , ten years ago , yesterday.


But now let's think about the title LOVE HANGOVER and what Diana Ross brings to the subject that no other performer would have on that night .

oh i completely agree this is a DR record. i don't know that i could hear other singer's doing it. and i'd say the same for Upside Down. but then look at something like The Boss or Mountain. not only are those tunes both magnificent records, from a production standpoint, the passionate vocals and the singer's interpretation of things is what makes it truly sensational. that's what makes mountain, MOUNTAIN lol

[TheMotownManiac]

of course a lot of the credit must go to hal Davis. Diana does a great job on it, perhaps better than any other or most any other diva would do. And certainly she helped sell the record. She was also coming off a number one smash, so she was already hot and got ads immediately because of that as well as it was just an obvious hit for program directors. I don’t think the fifth dimensions version would have been as big, but it certainly would’ve hit big. But that axiom works with a lot of records, Would Diana have hit as big with? Don’t leave me this way? Probably. The incredible intro certainly help sell that, and it’s one of the most tenacious number ones I’ve ever seen. I think it took 20 weeks to hit number one. that is a long slow climb of a record that would not be denied. Ross would’ve gotten the ads much more quickly, so I think it would’ve charted as high, but I don’t think it would’ve sold as well. I don’t believe it would’ve been on the chart for whatever it was almost 30 weeks. Bad girls, hot stuff…… Same thing.

[Boogiedown]

of course a lot of the credit must go to hal Davis. Diana does a great job on it, perhaps better than any other or most any other diva would do. And certainly she helped sell the record. She was also coming off a number one smash, so she was already hot and got ads immediately because of that as well as it was just an obvious hit for program directors. I don’t think the fifth dimensions version would have been as big, but it certainly would’ve hit big. But that axiom works with a lot of records, Would Diana have hit as big with? Don’t leave me this way? Probably. The incredible intro certainly help sell that, and it’s one of the most tenacious number ones I’ve ever seen. I think it took 20 weeks to hit number one. that is a long slow climb of a record that would not be denied. Ross would’ve gotten the ads much more quickly, so I think it would’ve charted as high, but I don’t think it would’ve sold as well. I don’t believe it would’ve been on the chart for whatever it was almost 30 weeks. Bad girls, hot stuff…… Same thing.

Having two giant disco records in a row might have hindered Diana's long term singing trajectory, dooming her to discoville.

Also there is an added element of believability of the record coming from a Top 40 unknown. DON'T LEAVE ME THIS WAY becomes what sounds like Thelma's personal testimony ... not just yet another famous singer's performance on a record.


Hal Davis yes, but also Dave Blumberg for those fantastic strings that work every bit of this record [more?] as does Ross herself.



LOVE HANGOVER is written by two woman, Sawyer /McLeod, which gives it a certain authenticity in its sentiments. Did they write it with Diana in mind? Did Hal retrieve it from a grab bag? And why did he choose it for Diana Ross? This song, and this song only for the two of them to go into the studio together and no other ....

[Ollie9]

Diana’s version comes out on top when compared with FD, which for me lacks the thumping groove of the Ross version. It also helps Diana’s voice is unique and brings a playfulness to the song.
At that point in time, ”Love Hangover” was vital to Diana’s career by expanding her appeal to a younger audience, while maintaining the sophistication associated with her name.

[jim aka jtigre99]

Diana Ross is certainly a big part of the song's appeal but the production of the song really is THE element that lifts it beyond just another disco song. Sure, Ross is appealing and playful in her delivery but it was not such a big hit because it was done by her but rather what the producer has done for her. It is one of her better #1 hits like Ain't No Mountain High Enough.

[Boogiedown]

i think this is a producer's hit record. there's nothing challenging about the lyric, the notes, the interpretation, etc. that's not to say Diana doesn't contribute because she absolutely has to bring to life what the producer is looking for.

there's an alt version on the DR76 EE where all of Diana's vocals are left intact. in the released version, the producers took the lead vocals in and out of the mix. in the studio though, diana pretty much sings stuff all the way through.

Wow this is so enlightening




This is not just singing a song, this is a performance ....role playing if you will.


I wonder if this is how Hal explained it to her, to sing it this way ..... or is this how Diana took it in and made it her own.....

[No one has been assigning percentages here, but inferences seem to suggest most hear this as something like a 75% - 25% rendering, with the bulk of the credit going to the studio work. ]

[Spreadinglove21]

If Donna Summer's Love to Love You Baby hadn't been such a hit, would there have even been a "Love Hangover"?

I'd say success of the song is 50/50 split between the production and Ross' vocals. Makes me wonder if a full album of Ross and Davis would compare to the Donna Summer/Giorgio Moroder albums of the mid to late 70s?

[copley]

'Love Hangover' [[Alternate Version) is the best version. Diana just goes for it, no stopping her.

[lucky2012]

Wow this is so enlightening




This is not just singing a song, this is a performance ....role playing if you will.


I wonder if this is how Hal explained it to her, to sing it this way ..... or is this how Diana took it in and made it her own.....

[No one has been assigning percentages here, but inferences seem to suggest most hear this as something like a 75% - 25% rendering, with the bulk of the credit going to the studio work. ]

I say 50:50. I think Hal Davis and Diana Ross are equally responsible for the recording's commercial and artistic success. It was stunning the first time I heard it on DR76. Hal Davis produced one of the most perfect disco tracks, and I can't imagine a more mesmerizing and memorable vocal interpretation and performance by anyone other than Ross.

For me, Diana Ross owns Where Did Our Love Go, You Can't Hurry Love, Love Hangover, Upside Down, Missing You and Summertime.

[sup_fan]

ok i'm changing my mind a little. at first my thought was that LH doesn't have the vocal or lyrical complexities of many of her other tunes. that it was more texture and production than, say, what she did on Mountain.

but then i realized that during the dance segment of LH, there really is not structure for her to go with. it's not like there was a lyric sheet and she was just singing along. she totally had to invent what she did. I love the part where she's drawing out the lines "sweeeeet love, i loooooove you, sweeeet loooove i neeeeeed love. i have love, sweeeett love hangover." i think i sort of typed those right lol. there aren't verses and choruses for her to work with and play with. she just had to make it up, to go for it. and she had to do it in a compelling fashion

that takes some talent

[TheMotownManiac]

Having two giant disco records in a row might have hindered Diana's long term singing trajectory, dooming her to discoville.

Also there is an added element of believability of the record coming from a Top 40 unknown. DON'T LEAVE ME THIS WAY becomes what sounds like Thelma's personal testimony ... not just yet another famous singer's performance on a record.


Hal Davis yes, but also Dave Blumberg for those fantastic strings that work every bit of this record [more?] as does Ross herself.



LOVE HANGOVER is written by two woman, Sawyer /McLeod, which gives it a certain authenticity in its sentiments. Did they write it with Diana in mind? Did Hal retrieve it from a grab bag? And why did he choose it for Diana Ross? This song, and this song only for the two of them to go into the studio together and no other ....

I don’t think too disco records would’ve been a problem, after all they tried to squeeze a hit out of one love in my lifetime…… Whatever kind of record that supposed to be.

hal Davis had been working with diana ross for a long time and really loved working with her. Was one of those who felt that she could do anything, so it doesn’t surprise me,, as a producer, he felt he might strike it big with her as opposed to someone else.

I don’t think that people look too much into who’s singing it and what they’ve done before and since. I think it’s all about the sound of a record, if it’s good people buy it if they hear it. Case closed. I wish Miss Ross would have done. Don’t leave me this way. It would be nice to have another huge hit under her belt.

[TheMotownManiac]

If Donna Summer's Love to Love You Baby hadn't been such a hit, would there have even been a "Love Hangover"?

I'd say success of the song is 50/50 split between the production and Ross' vocals. Makes me wonder if a full album of Ross and Davis would compare to the Donna Summer/Giorgio Moroder albums of the mid to late 70s?

I don’t think so because how Davis was not as prolific. Would’ve been great though if he had enough quality material. Like the boss.

[Boogiedown]

I don’t think too disco records would’ve been a problem, after all they tried to squeeze a hit out of one love in my lifetime…… Whatever kind of record that supposed to be.

hal Davis had been working with diana ross for a long time and really loved working with her. Was one of those who felt that she could do anything, so it doesn’t surprise me,, as a producer, he felt he might strike it big with her as opposed to someone else.

I don’t think that people look too much into who’s singing it and what they’ve done before and since. I think it’s all about the sound of a record, if it’s good people buy it if they hear it. Case closed. I wish Miss Ross would have done. Don’t leave me this way. It would be nice to have another huge hit under her belt.

It might have worked, but my concern is that two back-to-back giant disco records so early in the disco years might've pigeon-holed her as a disco act. As it is disco served her very well in properly spaced doses such that she escaped the "disco diva" label.

I've noticed that monster records regularly were by one-hit-wonders [or close to it.] I think the fresh unknown voice made for an appealing and convincing association of that artist to that particular record. YOU LIGHT UP MY LIFE by Debbie Boone, SEASONS IN THE SUN Terry Jacks, DON'T LEAVE ME THIS WAY Thelma Houston.
The record itself mattered more than the artist.
Familiar artists came with preconceived baggage, they had a supportive fan base that helped boost their singles' successes, as well as having detractors that would "never buy a record from "______" [insert your personal nonfavorite here.]

Hal Davis does have a great track record with Diana/Supremes. I'm glad he was genuinely drawn to her as a talent. Any idea why they did just one song during this session for LOVE HANGOVER ? It makes me again think the song was created for her.

Hal continued to actively produce quite a bit after this for several acts , but after DON'T LEAVE ME .....his hit-making talents seemed to have left him.

[Ollie9]

After the massive success “Love Hangover”, it’s all the more confusing as to why she was teamed with Richard Perry for the sophisticated, but hardly dance friendly Baby It’s Me.
‘Your Love Is So Good For Me” and “Top Of The World” sounding lukewarm when compared to the thumping sexy vibe of “LH”.

[rovereab]

In the UK, I can remember the "shock" of hearing Love Hangover for the first time, it was like Diana had reinvented herself after all of the ballads that were released as singles. I was hooked immediately. Like the OP above, I can remember the reaction on the dancefloor to the song being played, and I was right there to enjoy the vibe.

This release of this song was a game changer for Diana. I find it very hard to think of assigning percentages as there are so many aspects that magically came together for this outstanding performance, i.e. the songwriters Marilyn McLeod and Pamela Sawyer, the producer Hal Davis, the person who had the foresight to give the song to Diana to effect the game changer and lastly but not leastly, Diana for putting it such a strong performance.

LH remains one of my favourite all time songs from any artist in all of its 45 edited [[so skilfully done), original album and alternative original versions.

Truly a masterpiece that I love to listen to often to this day. I never want a cure for it!

[sup_fan]

After the massive success “Love Hangover”, it’s all the more confusing as to why she was teamed with Richard Perry for the sophisticated, but hardly dance friendly Baby It’s Me.
‘Your Love Is So Good For Me” and “Top Of The World” sounding lukewarm when compared to the thumping sexy vibe of “LH”.

my guess is that disco hadn't TOTALLY overtaken the pop industry yet, as it would with Saturday Night Fever. BIM was released just a couple months prior to SNF. prior to this, you still had a considerable mix of types of music making the charts. had BIM been released 6 - 12 months earlier, i think it would have found its niche.

but then once SNF exploded, nearly everything was disco. and you had everyone and their mother released a disco album

[sup_fan]

In the UK, I can remember the "shock" of hearing Love Hangover for the first time, it was like Diana had reinvented herself after all of the ballads that were released as singles. I was hooked immediately. Like the OP above, I can remember the reaction on the dancefloor to the song being played, and I was right there to enjoy the vibe.

This release of this song was a game changer for Diana. I find it very hard to think of assigning percentages as there are so many aspects that magically came together for this outstanding performance, i.e. the songwriters Marilyn McLeod and Pamela Sawyer, the producer Hal Davis, the person who had the foresight to give the song to Diana to effect the game changer and lastly but not leastly, Diana for putting it such a strong performance.

LH remains one of my favourite all time songs from any artist in all of its 45 edited [[so skilfully done), original album and alternative original versions.

Truly a masterpiece that I love to listen to often to this day. I never want a cure for it!

i think you're absolutely right about this being a game changer and a perfect reinvention of DR.

and let's look at this timeline too

64 - she's the pop ingenue with the sups. they're beautiful, sophisticated but still somewhat down to earth. the beautiful older sister
66 - she re-emerges on Sullivan for YCHL as a cutting edge fashionista. she's no longer the older sister or extremely pretty girl next door. she's a worldly diva
68 - with TCB she starts to emerge as a more mature woman and she's taking on the role of Mistress of the Ceremonies. she's not just singing a pop tune, she's an entertainer
70 - solo star and the music she's singing is more r&b, her A&S really pushes her as a vocalist. and she is totally living up to the image of Mountain
72 - Lady
73 - reinvents herself as a new mother and TMITM has a totally new sound. soft, loving, jazz influenced yet still pop.
76 - the sultry steamy intro to LH and then this explosion of sound, diana going totally free with the music, a sensational moment caught on tape.

that's barely a 12 year span and look at how many different Diana's we got. and people say that Madonna was the first chameleon super star

[Ollie9]

my guess is that disco hadn't TOTALLY overtaken the pop industry yet, as it would with Saturday Night Fever. BIM was released just a couple months prior to SNF. prior to this, you still had a considerable mix of types of music making the charts. had BIM been released 6 - 12 months earlier, i think it would have found its niche.

but then once SNF exploded, nearly everything was disco. and you had everyone and their mother released a disco album

I would have thought the massive success of “Love Hangover” would have provided some indication as to what direction might work well.
It’s true disco hadn’t exploded, but it was steadily gaining momentum. The sophistication of BIM” would have been better suited to 81 as opposed to 77.

[Boogiedown]

I would have thought the massive success of “Love Hangover” would have provided some indication as to what direction might work well.
It’s true disco hadn’t exploded, but it was steadily gaining momentum. The sophistication of BIM” would have been better suited to 81 as opposed to 77.

I think it was calculated. In '76 disco was still mostly a gay thing. Diana Ross didn't have to play to that crowd, she already had them.

As said SNF hadn't broken yet taking disco to the masses. And getting entrenched into that gay sphere would not be a smart career strategy for a Diana that had grander visions of Central Park, the Superbowl, and Toto too.

HANGOVER was enough*. Thus the turning down of DON'T LEAVE ME and going in a completely different direction with Richard Perry.


*and I think it's massive success caught Diana and Motown by surprise. Motown was never very disco savvy. HANGOVER was but one cut on an album that otherwise wasn't disco. And when it came time to release a single from that album , as we know, LOVE HANGOVER was not the choice. They probably thought they'd provide a cut on the LP for the boys in the clubs, and that's about as far as it would go.

[RanRan79]

I would have thought the massive success of “Love Hangover” would have provided some indication as to what direction might work well.
It’s true disco hadn’t exploded, but it was steadily gaining momentum. The sophistication of BIM” would have been better suited to 81 as opposed to 77.

In a way, I think disco was forced down the throat of the masses. By that I mean to say, as Sup says everyone and their mother was releasing something disco, that it wasn't that the public only wanted disco, the industry decided to a large degree that disco is what they would give the public, which of course was all about money. Still, during disco's reign, other types of music were successful and hitting big.

So I said that to say, when it comes to BIM, I don't think it was a misstep at all. Granted, if I were in on the decision making, after "Hangover" I probably would have had Diana do a dance album. But looking at BIM, not only was it a critical success, it really is a damn good album. And it put up pretty good numbers, despite the travesty of promotion. Because Motown completely screwed up promotion and single releases, markets were often left to choose their own "singles", and some of the songs were well received in certain markets. There was a place for BIM in the general public's music consumption judging off of these elements. So imagine had the album actually been properly promoted and the singles given a schedule that wasn't created by someone coked up, I think it would have been an easy top 10 million seller.

[sup_fan]

In a way, I think disco was forced down the throat of the masses. By that I mean to say, as Sup says everyone and their mother was releasing something disco, that it wasn't that the public only wanted disco, the industry decided to a large degree that disco is what they would give the public, which of course was all about money. Still, during disco's reign, other types of music were successful and hitting big.

So I said that to say, when it comes to BIM, I don't think it was a misstep at all. Granted, if I were in on the decision making, after "Hangover" I probably would have had Diana do a dance album. But looking at BIM, not only was it a critical success, it really is a damn good album. And it put up pretty good numbers, despite the travesty of promotion. Because Motown completely screwed up promotion and single releases, markets were often left to choose their own "singles", and some of the songs were well received in certain markets. There was a place for BIM in the general public's music consumption judging off of these elements. So imagine had the album actually been properly promoted and the singles given a schedule that wasn't created by someone coked up, I think it would have been an easy top 10 million seller.

of course this sort of falls into our "what is a hit" discussion. BIM was successful in the general sense but us fans of course want everything to go to #1. and given the quality of the music on BIM, it should have had high chart numbers.

yes there were other tunes still getting chart action while Sat Night Fev was exploding. you also had You Light Up My Life overtaking everything on the charts in fall 77. SNF hit in Dec and then the Bee Gees and the soundtrack basically overtook everything through mid 78. you then have Grease and it's soundtrack in summer 78 and then chic and Le Freak exploding in Dec 78

during this time there was certainly other music. hell Anne Murray had a #1 one with You Needed Me in Nov 78. Commodores had Three Times A Lady, Hot Blooded by Foreigner. Hot Child in the City, Kiss you all over.

maybe part of the problem is the BIM set is too safe. Getting Ready for Love, Top of the World are nice pop tunes but as i pointed out above, they aren't reinventing Diana Ross. Your Love Is So Good is a pretty good dance tune but it's nowhere near as inventive as LH nor as aggressive of a dance track as Let Yourself Go by the Sups or Best of My Love or Stayin' Alive or I Feel Love which came out just months prior to the BIM set.

[RanRan79]

Yes, it was successful in the "general sense", again, despite all the reasons why it shouldn't have been. The album was going to get a certain amount of attention because it was Diana Ross, so that was an automatic chart placement. From there, I'm guessing the album sold pretty well in the areas where a song from the album was doing pretty well, and then anywhere else due to word of mouth. Now for the album to do as well it did because of these things, imagine what it could have done if Motown hadn't screwed everything up.

Diana reinvented herself with "Love Hangover". She spent the first half of the decade in a post Supremes/kind'a still Supremes/jazzy/bluesy type artist. Dare I say the "Reach Out and Touch" thru "Do You Know Where You're Going To" Diana period is best described as "moody". Once "Hangover" hit, Diana entered a more youthful yet sophisticated era. While "Hangover" and much, if not all, of BIM are different from one another, I think BIM still fell in the range of where Diana was going. She didn't need to reinvent herself with every album or every year. I think BIM was still on brand for Diana, and honestly I do think the album was a bit ahead of its time, as Ollie points out that it sounds like it would have fit in around 81.

If Motown had done what it was supposed to do for BIM, I think we're having an entirely different discussion about whether it was right or wrong, or whatever. If anything, Ross78 was the problem. I think Diana would have had a nice string of hit albums going from DR76 to BIM to Ross78 to Boss to diana80 if the idea of Ross78 being a dance album had been allowed to move forward. The more I think about it, the more I suspect someone at Motown was intentionally trying to sabotage Diana, although to what end I don't know. I just know that a company about serious business would not have handled BIM, Ross78, or even The Boss the way that it was handled.

[sup_fan]

completely agree that motown botched the sales and promotion plans for BIM. while it probably would have been a challenge for it to have #1 singles or even top 10 singles, the released struggled to get into top 40!!?!?! that's proof of motown bungled operation

while i mentioned that tunes like Getting Ready for Love and Your Love Is So Good For Me weren't really breaking new ground, i do think the title track of Baby Its Me was something new and fresh from diana. and the new version on the EE is even stronger than the original. it's fun and funky sound, something we'd definitely not heard prior with all the "moody" and ballads stuff she'd done. it's definitely danceable, although clearly not disco. there's really nothing else on the album like it so not sure about what could have been a follow up single, had the title track been the lead. but it definitely makes an interesting discussion point. of course diana was never going to do hardcore funk like Bootsy Collins or Parliament. but maybe a "diana-ified" version of funk could have worked.

[sup_fan]

If Motown had done what it was supposed to do for BIM, I think we're having an entirely different discussion about whether it was right or wrong, or whatever. If anything, Ross78 was the problem. I think Diana would have had a nice string of hit albums going from DR76 to BIM to Ross78 to Boss to diana80 if the idea of Ross78 being a dance album had been allowed to move forward. The more I think about it, the more I suspect someone at Motown was intentionally trying to sabotage Diana, although to what end I don't know. I just know that a company about serious business would not have handled BIM, Ross78, or even The Boss the way that it was handled.

see i think one of the biggest problems isn't that motown wasn't promoting her product. it's that her product was especially weak. You Were the One is clearly the standout on Ross 78 but it's not an indelible classic. it's not LH or The Boss or Mountain or Mahogany. it's a fine enough song, worthy of release on an album and maybe as single release #2 from that album. but it's not a masterpiece. none of the material she was doing at this time is frankly very compelling. none of the Holland material is even close to what they did on the MS&S album. Lovin Livin Givin is fine too but again, no classic. What You Gave Me, For once in my life - meh.

DR needed quality product and she wasn't recording it at this time. once you have quality product, then a solid album package and promotional campaign can follow

[Ollie9]

In a way, I think disco was forced down the throat of the masses. By that I mean to say, as Sup says everyone and their mother was releasing something disco, that it wasn't that the public only wanted disco, the industry decided to a large degree that disco is what they would give the public, which of course was all about money. Still, during disco's reign, other types of music were successful and hitting big.

So I said that to say, when it comes to BIM, I don't think it was a misstep at all. Granted, if I were in on the decision making, after "Hangover" I probably would have had Diana do a dance album. But looking at BIM, not only was it a critical success, it really is a damn good album. And it put up pretty good numbers, despite the travesty of promotion. Because Motown completely screwed up promotion and single releases, markets were often left to choose their own "singles", and some of the songs were well received in certain markets. There was a place for BIM in the general public's music consumption judging off of these elements. So imagine had the album actually been properly promoted and the singles given a schedule that wasn't created by someone coked up, I think it would have been an easy top 10 million seller.

Although “BIM” is a fine album, i don’t hear any top ten hits. This is where the problem lay, and i assume why the intended follow up was abandoned.
A dance follow up to “Love Hangover” would have served her much better at that point in time, with Motown once again quite clueless as regards career strategy.

[sup_fan]

Although “BIM” is a fine album, i don’t hear any top ten hits. This is where the problem lay, and i assume why the intended follow up was abandoned.
A dance follow up to “Love Hangover” would have served her much better at that point in time, with Motown once again quite clueless as regards career strategy.

the sort of tried that with One Love In My Lifetime. out of the cuts on DR 76 that's about the closest thing to another disco tune. and of course there's the story that Don't Leave Me This Way was intended not only for DR but as the LH follow up. that would have been perfect. she went into the studios to do more recording with Hal Davis and the only tunes i'm aware of are Lovin, Livin, Givin, Sweet Summertime Lovin, For Once In My Life and What You Gave Me.

seems like Hal either same up with a gem or a dud. he did Dancing machine for the J5, LH and Don't leave me this way but then he did these other tracks for DR, the Mary Wilson album.

[daviddh]

this IS the song i fell in love with DR. it was her voice. i bought the album straight away. been a fan ever since

[Ollie9]

the sort of tried that with One Love In My Lifetime. out of the cuts on DR 76 that's about the closest thing to another disco tune.

I was thinking something a little more driving then “One Love In My Lifetime”.

[JLoveLamar]

So once in the studio and when her engine got properly lubed, did Diana start to feel it?? Did she apply her A game??

If those moans of ecstasy at the beginning are any indication, I'd definitely say she felt it

[Boogiedown]

In a way, I think disco was forced down the throat of the masses. By that I mean to say, as Sup says everyone and their mother was releasing something disco, that it wasn't that the public only wanted disco, the industry decided to a large degree that disco is what they would give the public, which of course was all about money. Still, during disco's reign, other types of music were successful and hitting big.

So I said that to say, when it comes to BIM, I don't think it was a misstep at all. Granted, if I were in on the decision making, after "Hangover" I probably would have had Diana do a dance album. But looking at BIM, not only was it a critical success, it really is a damn good album. And it put up pretty good numbers, despite the travesty of promotion. Because Motown completely screwed up promotion and single releases, markets were often left to choose their own "singles", and some of the songs were well received in certain markets. There was a place for BIM in the general public's music consumption judging off of these elements. So imagine had the album actually been properly promoted and the singles given a schedule that wasn't created by someone coked up, I think it would have been an easy top 10 million seller.

Disco was centered around a very limited demographic ... 18- 23 year-old gays There were plenty of record buyers who couldn't care less about dancing in a club [including many 18-23 year old gays.] The disco crowd was looking for the new ...and there were plenty of new artists to fill the need. Someone like Diana Ross was welcome to the party ...but only if she delivers in the process. To go full-tilt disco would've been a high career risk should she fail. She'd come across as a desperate has-been. Even if successful, there were plenty of older fans who weren't hungry for her to go that route....don't want to alienate them.

Diana got very lucky. She landed some good disco.
Plenty didn't. Aretha. Elton. Mary Wilson.

Originally Posted by Boogiedown

So once in the studio and when her engine got properly lubed, did Diana start to feel it?? Did she apply her A game??
JLoveLamar
If those moans of ecstasy at the beginning are any indication, I'd definitely say she felt it

hee haw!
What was her liquor of choice that Hal Davis primed her with that session?

[rovereab]

If those moans of ecstasy at the beginning are any indication, I'd definitely say she felt it

Interestingly, on the expanded album's alternate version of LH, those moans at at the end of the song. I wonder where they were originally, moans of what's to come or moans of a joyous end!

[midnightman]

Diana’s version comes out on top when compared with FD, which for me lacks the thumping groove of the Ross version. It also helps Diana’s voice is unique and brings a playfulness to the song.
At that point in time, ”Love Hangover” was vital to Diana’s career by expanding her appeal to a younger audience, while maintaining the sophistication associated with her name.

The fact it started off sultry and then turned funky was what helped to make it a hit. The instrumentation is still stellar.

[midnightman]

ok i'm changing my mind a little. at first my thought was that LH doesn't have the vocal or lyrical complexities of many of her other tunes. that it was more texture and production than, say, what she did on Mountain.

but then i realized that during the dance segment of LH, there really is not structure for her to go with. it's not like there was a lyric sheet and she was just singing along. she totally had to invent what she did. I love the part where she's drawing out the lines "sweeeeet love, i loooooove you, sweeeet loooove i neeeeeed love. i have love, sweeeett love hangover." i think i sort of typed those right lol. there aren't verses and choruses for her to work with and play with. she just had to make it up, to go for it. and she had to do it in a compelling fashion

that takes some talent

Yeah I think she ad-libbed the lyrics afterwards, from what I read. Everything after the slow intro was stuff she was singing off the top of her head. The song was titled "Love HANGOVER" and, uh, Miss Ross was, uh, "hung over" so to speak lol

[midnightman]

Disco was centered around a very limited demographic ... 18- 23 year-old gays There were plenty of record buyers who couldn't care less about dancing in a club [including many 18-23 year old gays.] The disco crowd was looking for the new ...and there were plenty of new artists to fill the need. Someone like Diana Ross was welcome to the party ...but only if she delivers in the process. To go full-tilt disco would've been a high career risk should she fail. She'd come across as a desperate has-been. Even if successful, there were plenty of older fans who weren't hungry for her to go that route....don't want to alienate them.

Diana got very lucky. She landed some good disco.
Plenty didn't. Aretha. Elton. Mary Wilson.




hee haw!
What was her liquor of choice that Hal Davis primed her with that session?

Courvoiser

[Ollie9]

The fact it started off sultry and then turned funky was what helped to make it a hit. The instrumentation is still stellar.

I agree, as we got to hear more of the sultry and irresistible Ross voice.

[TheMotownManiac]

It might have worked, but my concern is that two back-to-back giant disco records so early in the disco years might've pigeon-holed her as a disco act. As it is disco served her very well in properly spaced doses such that she escaped the "disco diva" label.

I've noticed that monster records regularly were by one-hit-wonders [or close to it.] I think the fresh unknown voice made for an appealing and convincing association of that artist to that particular record. YOU LIGHT UP MY LIFE by Debbie Boone, SEASONS IN THE SUN Terry Jacks, DON'T LEAVE ME THIS WAY Thelma Houston.
The record itself mattered more than the artist.
Familiar artists came with preconceived baggage, they had a supportive fan base that helped boost their singles' successes, as well as having detractors that would "never buy a record from "______" [insert your personal nonfavorite here.]

Hal Davis does have a great track record with Diana/Supremes. I'm glad he was genuinely drawn to her as a talent. Any idea why they did just one song during this session for LOVE HANGOVER ? It makes me again think the song was created for her.

Hal continued to actively produce quite a bit after this for several acts , but after DON'T LEAVE ME .....his hit-making talents seemed to have left him.

after love, hangover, I would’ve trotted out. I thought it took a little time again and worked the hell out of it. Then, don’t leave me this way might’ve been ready, and it wouldn’t have been back to back. But even if it was, since mahogany had been so huge right before, I don’t think it’ll have pigeonholed her any. With the lack of quality material at Motown, I don’t think she could afford to be so picky. For having sakes look at her next five singles…… None of them with a lick of Chance to hit big.

I do think the title of baby it’s me would’ve been a scorcher, but it was a little too urban for it today perhaps, perhaps not, and I still think coming from the rain would’ve hit. And a slight reworking of getting ready for love might’ve taken it top five.

problem is, she didn’t plug her singles on TV ever when they were new, and some of them really needed it.

[rovereab]

I'm pleased that Diana didn't record Don't Leave Me This Way. The arrangement is too close to LH and would have been seen as trying to replicate a masterpiece. LH needed to be left as a one off given its game changer feel. I think it was entirely right for Diana to move on with the next phase of her career having hit big with LH.

However, I do agree that I Thought It Took A Little Time would have been a good follow-up to LH followed by One Love In My Lifetime, then move on with the next album/project.

Above all, LH really stirred up the public's view of Diana and showed the world what she is more than capable of.

[sup_fan]

I was thinking something a little more driving then “One Love In My Lifetime”.

i don't disagree that One Love isn't the most iconic of songs. but i think it could have charted higher than it did. one of the problems is that the single was remixed and included an additional instrumental break while current a chorus or a verse or something. i think it just got too much "instrumental"

also the other voice on the track is a bit odd. maybe they should have just dubbed diana in and had her do both.

i don't think this would ever have been a #1 but should have gone a bit higher than the 25 it achieved. the track is an exciting one

[sup_fan]

The fact it started off sultry and then turned funky was what helped to make it a hit. The instrumentation is still stellar.

exactly. the combination of the two styles was perfect. the track is just a supremely hot one.

[Ollie9]

i don't disagree that One Love isn't the most iconic of songs. but i think it could have charted higher than it did. one of the problems is that the single was remixed and included an additional instrumental break while current a chorus or a verse or something. i think it just got too much "instrumental"

also the other voice on the track is a bit odd. maybe they should have just dubbed diana in and had her do both.

i don't think this would ever have been a #1 but should have gone a bit higher than the 25 it achieved. the track is an exciting one

I hate the instrumental break on the single version, but don’t think the song had potential to climb much higher.
I really wish BIM had contained a killer dance track. “Your Love Is So Good For Me” is pleasant enough but nothing more. The 12inch version at least had some oomph.