Diana Ross: A Biography
Page 65
More Trivia
—– The Japan release of this CD contained two additional tracks, “Drop the Mask” and “Free (I’m Gone).”
BLUE – 6/06—Pop #71—Jazz LP chart #2
Also, see—“‘Oscar, anyway’” in Part Four.
Before and during the recording of the Lady Sings the Blues soundtrack, Diana was in the studio with producer Gil Askey recording jazz standards for this album. With the success of the movie soundtrack, The Blue Album was scheduled to be the follow-up record. The plan was changed, though, when it was decided by Berry Gordy to move on from Lady and put Diana back on top of the Pop music charts. Therefore, this album of standards remained mostly unreleased until 2006. A nice addition to this album is the appearance of previously unreleased bonus tracks from Lady Sings the Blues. The Blue collection received generally positive reviews upon its release, with many of Ross’s harshest critics finally recognizing what her fans have known all along: she can pretty much sing anything—and make it work.
Before the commercial release of this CD, it was available exclusively at Starbucks coffee houses throughout the US and Canada.
More Trivia
—– The original Blue album cover became the cover of the Touch Me in the Morning LP. The black-and-white photo in this book of Diana pregnant with her first child is from that photo session. A new CD cover was designed for Blue in 2006 using a classic vintage photo of Diana taken by Harry Langdon in 1971.
I LOVE YOU – 10/06
It had been seven years since the release of a new Diana Ross studio album but the passing of that time seemed to only enhance the quality of her voice. When singing in her alto range, her tones remain deep and rich, yet her extended high notes are dead-on and more contolled than ever. Her delivery of the classic Heat Wave ballad “Always and Forever” probably rates with the best of her ballad performances while her renditions of Queens’ “Crazy Little Thing Called Love,” the Spiral Starecase’s “More Today Than Yesterday” sound so exuberant and youthful they are evocative of her best 1960s performances. The inclusion of the obscure Paul McCartney gem, “I Will,” was a stroke of genius on Diana’s part—it’s a memorable, heartfelt performance. Without a contemporary-sounding “hit” on the album, chances were slim for its commercial success but diehard fans embraced this collection of classic love songs. Truly, if you’re a fan of Diana Ross, this—her most recent collection of songs—is the album for you.
More Trivia
—– Diana not only reached back in time to assemble classic love songs from the past but eagle-eyed fans also couldn’t help but notice that the CD’s graphics feature photos of her from the mid-1980s—a bit of a disappointment in an otherwise stellar package.
MISCELLANEOUS RECORDINGS
Diana Ross has been featured on dozens of hits collections, soundtracks and various artists compilations. The following are a selection of LPs/CDs that included new, previously unreleased or rare mixes. International releases of special interest are also included in these selections if they include a song or songs not available on a US Diana Ross album.
DORAL PRESENTS DIANA ROSS
This 1971 mail-order album was actually a promotional record for Doral cigarettes by special arrangement with Motown, featuring previously released material from her first three solo albums. Of special interest were alternate mixes of “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” “These Things Will Keep Me Loving You” and “Now That There’s You.” The latter featured an alternate vocal. All three tracks were included on the 2002 CD reissue of her first album, Diana Ross. The album also included the only released mono mix of “Keep an Eye.”
FREE TO BE … YOU AND ME (Marlo Thomas and Friends)
Before this was an Emmy award–winning TV special conceived by Marlo Thomas, it was an album of inspirational songs for children that went to #68 on the Pop LP chart in January 1973. Diana recorded “When We Grow Up” for the record, but when the music was finally adapted for the TV special, Roberta Flack performed the song.
THE WIZ (ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK)
Also, see—“The Wiz” in Part Four.
Because The Wiz was such a disappointment at the box office when it was released back in 1978, many people today forget that Diana actually received some excellent reviews for her work in it. Quincy Jones produced the music for the film and praised Diana’s vocals in it, stating that she sang a third higher than she had ever sung in her life. With the film and the soundtrack—Pop #40—not performing up to expectations, her duet with Michael Jackson on “Ease on Down the Road”—Pop #41, R&B #17 and UK #45—eased on down on the charts. However, it did earn a Grammy nomination for them.
More Trivia
—– This soundtrack was released on MCA. However, Motown planned its own LP entitled Diana Ross Sings Songs from “The Wiz.” She recorded alternate versions of “Home,” “Be a Lion” and a new song, “Wonder, Wonder Why,” for this project. However, they all remained in the Motown vaults. Only the song “Home” was finally released in 2001 on The Motown Anthology.
I’M STILL WAITING AND ALL THE GREAT HITS
(Motown international release only)
This LP/CD included top UK hits plus some new remixes, as well as the 12-inch version of “The Boss” on CD for the first time. The two new mixes included were “I’m Still Waiting” (Phil Chil remix)—UK #21—and “Love Hangover 88”—UK #75. The latter was issued in the US on 12-inch vinyl as “Love Hangover ’89,” and went to #3 on the Dance chart.
GREATEST HITS LIVE (EMI international release only)
This album was recorded live in London in 1989 during the taping of an HBO TV special.
WHEN YOU DREAM (EMI Japan release only)
The cover of this CD featured a painting of Diana and her two young sons. This was actually a mini-CD intended for children with Diana’s vocals on only four tracks including “That’s Why I Call You My Friend” (a tune that had been released the prior year in Japan as the theme to a local TV show).
THE MUSIC, THE MAGIC, THE MEMORIES OF MOTOWN: A TRIBUTE TO BERRY GORDY
To coincide with Berry Gordy’s 1993 autobiography, To Be Loved, Motown released this collection of songs by various Motown artists. For it, Diana recorded a cover of Brenda Holloway’s “You’ve Made Me So Very Happy.” The CD also included “We Couldn’t Get Along Without You,” which was recorded by the Supremes in 1966. The tune is actually “My World Is Empty Without You” but with new lyrics saluting Mr. Gordy. It first appeared in 1986 on the Supremes’ 25th Anniversary collection.
CHRISTMAS IN VIENNA
This is the soundtrack to a 1993 PBS Sony Christmas special starring Diana with Placido Domingo and José Carreras. Ross’s teaming with the famous tenors resulted in a popular holiday special and a number one album for her on the Classical LP chart!
CHRISTMAS IN THE CITY (various Motown artists)
This is a 1993 Motown Christmas compilation containing one previously unreleased solo track by Diana, Donny Hathaway’s “This Christmas.”
HALLMARK PRESENTS: MAKING SPIRITS BRIGHT
This is a “special product” 1994 Christmas CD, produced for Hallmark stores only. It features six new holiday tunes performed by Diana.
A VERY SPECIAL SEASON—14 SONGS FOR CHRISTMAS
(EMI international release only)
This long-overdue 1994 solo collection of holiday songs quickly became a fan favorite. The inclusion of Stevie Wonder’s “Overjoyed” seemed an odd choice for a Christmas CD, but the combination of Ross’s sensitive delivery with its almost classical arrangement makes the song a welcome inclusion. Her performance of “Amazing Grace” from the Christmas in Vienna special is included here, as well.
GREATEST HITS: THE RCA YEARS
This 1997 US collection would have been better titled The Best of the RCA Years, since several singles were not included in favor of preferred album tracks. Of course, as with any compilation, it becomes a matter of taste as to exactly what is “the best” of an artist’s work. H
owever, this CD does show that Ross’s years with RCA have been underrated and overlooked historically. Some single mixes and edits are available here for the first time on CD, including “Mirror, Mirror,” “Muscles,” “Swept Away” and “Missing You.”
VOICE OF LOVE (EMI international release only)
This 2000 collection of previously released love songs features three new tracks: “I Hear (the Voice of Love),” Michael Jackson’s “You Are Not Alone” and the EMI single “In the Ones You Love”—UK #34.
THE GIFT OF LOVE (EMI Japan release only)
Also released in 2000, this is another mini-CD with only eight tracks, featuring a spirited new pop/dance single: “Promise Me You’ll Try.”
LOVE & LIFE: THE VERY BEST OF DIANA ROSS (EMI international release only)
There were various compilations and alternate titles of this 2001 collection available, depending on for which country the CD was intended. It includes one new track, a remake of the Dusty Springfield classic from the 1960s, “Goin’ Back.”
More Trivia
—– This compilation includes the US single remix of “Work That Body” on CD for the first time.
THE MOTOWN ANTHOLOGY
As of this writing, the leadership of Motown is clearly putting some effort into the company’s CD reissues again, and it shows in this well-thought-out 2001 double-disc collection of Diana’s material as a solo Motown artist. The CD boasts a healthy sampling of rare and unreleased material as well as some interesting alternate mixes—many of which have been earlier mentioned in this discography. Of special interest to fans is “Remember Me” with an alternate vocal, an unedited version of “Last Time I Saw Him” and alternate mixes of “Surrender” and “My Mistake.”
THE DEFINITIVE COLLECTION – 9/2006
This hits compilation is noteworthy in that it’s the first single disc released in the United States to include all of Diana’s solo Top 10 hits from Motown and RCA. There are also new single mixes of “Love Hangover” and “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” as well as a slightly extended remix of “Remember Me.”
More Trivia
—– An original lineup of this disc included “Chain Reaction,” but Motown marketing executives wanted a tie-in with the recent release of “Blue” and pushed for “What a Difference a Day Makes,” instead.
Please see “A final note” (p. 465) for more details of Miss Ross’s 2005 and 2006 releases.
Searchable Terms
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Abbott, Lillian 14
ABC Records 190
ABC-TV 245, 417
Abernathy, Reverend Ralph 197
Abner, Ewart 243
Actor’s Studio 467
Adelson, Andrew 417
Aghayan, Ray 266
“Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” 228–9, 245, 364
All the Great Hits (album) 510–11
All Stars 105
“All of You” 340
Allen, Reg 266
Allen, Steve 108
American Bandstand 67
American Idol 467–8
Anaid 359
Andantes 141, 157, 165, 194
Anderson, Carl 266
Anderson, Edna 297
Animals 121
Anka, Paul 122
Anthology (album) 523
Apollo Theater (New York) 78–80
Aquisto, Carol 369–70
Armstrong, Louis 331
Ashford, Nickolas 220, 325–6
Askey, Gil 123, 128–9, 132, 140, 150, 156, 168, 194, 200, 201, 244, 252–3, 256, 266
Astrup, Camilla 442
Atkins, Cholly 123–4, 149, 189, 190, 195
Avildsen, John 280
Baby It’s Me (album) 516–7
“Baby Love” 101, 105
Badham, John 310, 312
Baker, Josephine 196
Balch Elementary School 14, 15
Ballard, Cornell (brother) 54–5, 56, 65–6
Ballard, Florence 44–5
alleged rape of 54–7
character 25, 52, 70
death and funeral 1–6, 304, 447
in Diana’s autobiography 412
and Diana’s breakdown 145–7
discontent with Supremes 149–51
drinking problem 148, 149, 157–8, 166, 303, 412
drops out of school 65–6
experiences of racism 73–4
firing of from Supremes and final departure 162–4, 172–6
formation of the Primettes 24–5, 52
hard times suffered after Supremes 189, 300–5
lawsuit against Motown 300–1
missing of recording sessions/rehearsals 52–3, 139–40
parental background 70
pneumonia 148–9
pregnancy 191
purchase of home 118, 119
relationship with Diana 6, 31–2, 40, 145–7, 149, 158, 191, 301, 302, 303–4, 447
relationship with Gordy 136, 140, 148, 149–50, 157, 158–9, 166, 174
relationship with and marriage to Chapman 148, 190
replacing of temporarily for shows 140–1
returns to Supremes for last performances 164–7, 172
reunion with Supremes 303
severance deal with Motown 179–80, 189–90
signs recording contract with ABC Records 190
as a Supreme 98, 126, 136 see also Supremes
twenty-fourth birthday and party arranged 167–72
voice and style 24, 31, 38, 92
weight 149–50, 164
Ballard, Jessie (father) 30–1
Ballard, Lurlee (mother) 52, 53, 54, 70, 162, 163, 304
Ballard, Maxine (sister) 24
Barnes, Billy 203, 204
Barrow, Marlene 141
Bateman, Robert 33, 38, 53
Baun, Leonard 189, 190
Bea, Aunt see Moten, Bea
Beatles 108, 109, 121, 151
Benjaminson, Peter 56, 157
The Story of Motown 34
Bennett, Michael 346
Berger, Shelly 185, 198, 199, 206, 210, 213, 290
Berry, Halle 421
BET Awards (2007) 468–9
Beyoncé 469
“Big Bad Love” 465
Big Maybelle 23
Billboard 99
Billups, McCluster 16
Birdsong, Cindy 194, 226, 232, 303, 351, 353, 356, 434, 435, 460
and Diana’s leaving of Supremes 205, 211–12
joins the Supremes 160–1, 163–4, 165, 176
kidnapping of 206–7, 208
relationship with Diana 160–1, 182–3, 202–3, 209
signs royalties away to Motown 195
Bishop, Joey 108, 131
Bit of Liverpool, A (album) 121, 489
Black American, The 306
“blaxploitation movies” 250
Blinstrub, Stanley 143, 145
Blinstrub’s nightclub (South Boston) 142–3
Blue (album) 273, 465, 531–2
Boardwalk Records 336
Bodyguard, The 321–2, 323, 326, 327–8
Bogart, Neil 336
Bonnington, Chris 391
Boorman, John 321
Boss, The (album) 325–6, 518
Bradford, Janie 35, 37, 38, 47
Brandy 419–20
“Breathtaking” 84
Brewster Projects 22–3, 51, 118, 463
Briley, Jean 384
Bristol, Johnny 210, 460
Brown, Earl 203
Brown, James 78
Brown, Timmy 223
Browne, Michael 345, 373, 374–5, 377–8, 379–81, 382–3
Bryant, Elbridge 67
“Buttered Popcorn” 58, 470
Byrum, John 281–3, 285
Caesar’s Palace 305, 372–3, 384
Cagle, Jess 412
Call Her Miss R
oss (Taraborrelli) 412
Calley, John 321
Carroll, Diahann 242, 245
Carroll, Eddie 326–7
Carson, Johnny 184
Cass Technical High School (Detroit) 61–2
Cassidy, Jack 131
Cavalcade of Stars tour 95–6
Central Park charity concerts (1983) 359–65, 367, 384
“Chain Reaction” 341
Champlin, Charles 297
Channing, Carol 181
Chapman, Michelle 406
Chapman, Tommy 148, 190, 302
Charles, Ray 78, 465
Cher 331
Chic 328, 329
Christmas in the City (album) 534
Christmas in Vienna (album) 534
Cinema Center Films 242
civil rights 184, 196
Diana’s contributions to 471–3
Clark, Chris 223, 238, 250, 266
Clark, Dick 95, 98, 99
Clear Channel 443
Coca-Cola 109
Cohen, Rob 275–7, 278, 280, 286, 290, 296, 309–10, 313, 314
Cole, Nat “King” 331
Coles, Honi 123
Collier, Charles 208
Collins, John 253
“Come See About Me” 101, 105
Constance, Mary 64
Contours 67, 68, 79
Cooke, Sam 78, 121, 122
Copacabana (New York) 122, 130–4, 139, 142, 165, 184, 187, 253
Cosby, Hank 193
Courtney, Elizabeth 398
Cox, Taylor 58, 95–6, 97
Cream of the Crop (album) 501
Crystals 98
Daily Variety 267
Daley, Richard J. 184
Darin, Bobby 122, 156
Davis, Billy 35
Davis, Gail 369
Davis, Hal 273, 274
Davis Jr., Sammy 122, 131, 133, 331, 359, 373
Democratic Party 197
dePasse, Suzanne 199, 226, 227, 233, 237–8, 250, 254, 261, 266, 276, 317, 350, 351, 366, 392–3, 421
Detroit 14
black music in 37