1981 - would a different label have made a difference?

[TheMotownManiac]

Much as i dislike WDFFIL Berry did sanction the release of Last time i saw him which i regard as her weakest and most uneven Motown album. Many of the outtakes were stronger than the released album. Whatever possessed Berry to press ahead with such an underwhelming album especially when the infinitely superior Touch me in the Morning had other potential singles yet was basically abandoned to make way for LTISH and Diana and Marvin. LTISH should have at the very least been delayed for at least six months. We had a long wait for the Black album so it would have made sense to have spaced the releases out better.
Diana did seize control of her career towards the end of her Motown tenure, but it was financial security that she desired, and Motown could not or as Diana claimed would not enter a bidding war for her services. Money trumped artistic integrity.

I agree with your read on LTISH - what a disappointment. Gordy shelved WeNeed You Because he was so anal about following up a big hit from the same producer, so anal that he took a Dixie land novelty song and followed up a torchy pop ballad like touch me in the morning. It’s been 47 years and I’m still angry every time I think about it. I remember the first time I heard the album, my heart sank when I heard the title cut and for the next 25 minutes nothing that sounded even remotely like a hit. From the sublime to the ridiculous in five months.

[Bluebrock]

I agree with your read on LTISH - what a disappointment. Gordy shelved WeNeed You Because he was so anal about following up a big hit from the same producer, so anal that he took a Dixie land novelty song and followed up a torchy pop ballad like touch me in the morning. It’s been 47 years and I’m still angry every time I think about it. I remember the first time I heard the album, my heart sank when I heard the title cut and for the next 25 minutes nothing that sounded even remotely like a hit. From the sublime to the ridiculous in five months.

TMITM was better exploited in the UK where All of my life became a top 10 hit. We need you or I won't last a day without you could have followed it but Motown USA wanted them to concentrate on LTISH. Utter madness.

[sup_fan]

TMITM was better exploited in the UK where All of my life became a top 10 hit. We need you or I won't last a day without you could have followed it but Motown USA wanted them to concentrate on LTISH. Utter madness.

agreed - get a second single out of the album. and i would have released the To The Baby lp too. of course that would have required some rejiggering of tracks between the two sets but you could have had a lovely TMITM album sans the Baby tracks [[it's just Brown Baby, Imagine and Save) and used up a few more Blue sessions or even pull in No One's Gonna be a Fool which was her first Masser recording. that would have fit and actually given a bit more variety in tracks too.

[TheMotownManiac]

TMITM was better exploited in the UK where All of my life became a top 10 hit. We need you or I won't last a day without you could have followed it but Motown USA wanted them to concentrate on LTISH. Utter madness.

I think leave a little room, after we need you and all of my life would have hit. However, I’d have been SO tempted to release a 4:49 edit of brown baby/save the children and push it hard after the side one ballads had been exhausted. I’ve always felt Brown baby would have been an interesting experiment worth the effort. It certainly would have hit on the black chart and easy listening.