International Diana Ross Website

Diana Ross-Touch Me in the Morning

CD/Download/Album News Posted: 2010-01-01
SOURCE: JazzWax by Marc Myers

This syndicated blog entry appears courtesy of JazzWax by Marc Myers. All rights reserved.

Diana Ross
It's a mistake for jazz fans to compare Diana Ross to jazz vocalists. Ross' intonation, timbre and roots all come from a completely different place. Her Lady Sings the Blues (1972) drew praise from jazz circles, and it was a big seller. But to me, Ross as Billie Holiday always felt inconceivable and forced. Too much lady, not enough blues. Rather, I much prefer Ross in her zone, notably on her early solo albums--where she delivered a pleading, kittenish sound on medium-tempo soul-pop ballads. Sadly, jazz fans have ignored her contribution, citing a lack of vocal depth or sincerity. These tags are completely unfair, as is evident with the newly released and remastered Touch Me in the Morning (Expanded Edition).

The 1973 album was Ross' fourth studio recording removed from the Supremes and her most mature studio package up until that point. Today we think of Ross as a first-name star performer--like Barbra or Cher. But in the early 1970s, Ross' solo bid was fragile at best and could go either way. As the liner notes to this new CD set point out, Ross would open most of her live dates at the time by saying, “Good evening ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to the 'let's-see-if-Diana-Ross-can-do-it-by-herself show.' “

Questions about Ross' ability to click with audiences certainly were merited. But her slow start hardly was her fault. Little strategic thinking had been done to forge an image for her, as is evidenced by the unevenness of her initial Motown LPs. Clearly, the label assumed that stardom would kick in for Ross eventually and that Motown's resources were better trained on other acts.

But when Ross (Lady Sings the Blues) lost out to Liza Minnelli (Cabaret) at the 1972 Academy Awards, Motown founder Berry Gordy had had enough. Rather than continue to let Ross twist artistically in the wind, Gordy wisely crafted an image for her as a relaxed contemporary legend--not a struggling wannabe or square jazz heir. Ross' projects underway were immediately shelved, including Blue (more jazz), To the Baby (too middle-age), Diana and Marvin (too second fiddle) and Live at Caesars Palace (too premature).

Instead, it was bullet time. To achieve a solid standing on her own, Ross needed a crossover hit album that resonated with blacks and whites, with women and men. Women needed to see Ross as a strong fighter with passionate needs while men had to perceive her as sexy and desirable. And whatever image was created, it had to stick with her for years and not have to be re-made with the next release. The result was Touch Me in the Morning, an album with five top producers headed by Gordy. The title track reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart and the LP hit No. 5 on the Billboard Albums Chart.

The album's approach was similar in some ways to the sound pioneered with great success by Karen and Richard Carpenter on A Song For You (1972), also their fourth release. There was a soft urgency to their delivery, a layered choral approach that hit the mark on Hurting Each Other, Goodbye to Love and I Won't Last a Day Without You. The difference is that Ross' delivery packed more heat on the soulful side compared with Karen Carpenter's tightly wound, ice-cool perfection.

The opening track, Touch Me in the Morning, was written by Michael Masser [pictured] and Ron Miller and instantly established Ross as a strong-sexy woman. Side 1 built steadily from there, with All of My Life, We Need You and Leave a Little Room, closing with the Carpenters' hit I Won't Last a Day Without You written by Roger Nichols and Paul Williams. Side 2 included a mix of originals and covers. There was Little Girl Blue for lingering fans of Lady Sings the Blues from the shelved Blue album and John Lennon's Imagine. There also were three tracks plucked from the To the Baby project.

For years, To the Baby remained a phantom album. Recorded while Ross was pregnant, the project was meant to be a collection of songs for her young children. Said Ross in a 1975 interview paraphrased in Andrew Skurow's liner notes: “When I'm away, I'd like them to be able to put on a tape or record so they can listen to me, or hear me say something positive to them while I'm away, and they'll know that it's okay that I have to do what I have to do."

Fortunately, To the Baby has finally made it out of the vault and onto the second CD in this set. It's a gorgeous, gentle collection of tender songs recorded with enormous love and passion. Included are The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, Got to Be There and Marvin Gaye's Save the Children.

As this new set demonstrates, Ross in 1973 was a beautiful singer of medium-tempo soul-pop ballads. She added warmth and passion to the pop female-vocal genre at a time when male groups dominated the charts and robust singers like Carly Simon and Helen Reddy owned the brassy space and Roberta Flack dominated on the bedroom ballad.

For me, it's a joy to hear this album again after so many years, particularly Touch Me in the Morning, I Won't Last a Day Without You and Michael Randall's organic Leave a Little Room. It's what radio music sounded like at the tail end of the soul era, before dance music from Philadelphia, Detroit and South Florida changed everything. Ross needs to be revisited by vocal fans and taken more seriously.

JazzWax tracks: Diana Ross' Touch Me in the Morning (Expanded Edition) from Hip-O Select is a two-CD set that's available only here. I don't know whether there are plans to add the album to iTunes and other on-line retailers. Rather than play like a collection of singles, there is a concept feel to the album and a What's Going On symmetry that brings all of the tracks together. For those who like to mix albums in iTunes, Touch Me in the Morning works well shuffled with Dusty Springfield's Dusty in Memphis (1969). Both have a morning coffee feel.

JazzWax clip: Here's Diana Ross singing Touch Me in the Morning from a TV special in 1999...

Symphonica in Rosso
Diana Ross will be headlining this years’ edition of the succesful concertseries Symphonica in Rosso.  Following concerts in previous years by Dutch artists Marco Borsato and Paul de Leeuw and Lionel Richie, the global entertainment icon will be performing her worldwide hits together with the 40-piece Symphonica in Rosso-orchestra at the most spectacular music event in The Netherlands. The 4th edition of Symphonica in Rosso will commence on October 18 and promises to be, thanks to the collaboration of superstar Diana Ross, the highlight of the 2009’ musical year. Tickets for Symhonica in Rosso will go on sale on May 18 at 10:00 am via www.symphonicainrosso.nl, www.topticketline.nl, Free Record Shop and 0900-3005000 (€ 0,45 p.m.).
Diana Ross has an enormous number of international chart topping hits such as The Boss, Baby Love, Ain’t No Mountain High Enough, Chain Reaction, Why do Fools Fall in Love, Love Hangover and I’m Coming Out, besides the many Supremes-classics to which all generation continue to sing along to. Millions of fans have seen her unique performances voiced all over the globe. Talented entertainer Diana Ross now has specially chosen for a unique, once in a lifetime performance, this years’ edition of Symphonica in Rosso. It will be a show to which one can dance, but in which romantic sing-along ballads also will be performed. Fans are expected from all over Europe at this international acknowledged event to share in the performance of one of the world’s greatest concerts artists and vocalists.
I must say I’m really looking forward to sharing this experience in the Netherlands. I’ve always had a special place in my heart for the Dutch audiences, they’ve always given me a wonderful welcome. We’re planning to perform all those songs that the Dutch audience really want to hear, in what I see as being one of the biggest productions imaginable.! I can already feel the excitement!’, Miss Ross said from the US.
It is with great pride that Symphonica in Rosso welcomes the spirit and aura of Diana Ross to the most precious music event in the Netherlands. The first three editions of Symphonica in Rosso attracted more than 600.000 visitors during 19 sold-out evenings at the Gelredome-stadium. Symphonica in Rosso is a –according to worldwide standards- gigantic production. A team of more than 550 people work on these spectacular shows and at certain times, more than 100 people have been performing simultaneously on the enormous stage. Combining the biggest names in the music industry, a gigantic stage, special sound- and lightning effects, impressive videographics and the red theme, together with an audience dressed in red, make Symphonica in Rosso a yearly event not to be missed.
The legendary Diana Ross is one of the most successful female artists of all-time, a  musical treasure whose songs have, for decades, inspired romance, happiness and joy. She has had countless hit songs: in the USA alone, Diana Ross has scored 18 Billboard-number-one-hits with The Supremes, as a solo artist, and with classic duets such as Endless Love recorded with Lionel Richie. Diana Ross crosses musical borders with exhilarating ease - pop, disco, soul, and jazz, constantly reaching out to find new ways to inspire and enthral her audiences. Miss Ross has achieved a truly global iconic status: she has performed at historical events the world over, at the Olympics, at inaugurations for Presidents, during the Superbowl, at Nobel Peace Prize ceremonies. She has inspired many of the female artists who have followed her, such as Beyonce, Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey. As America’s Kennedy Center observed when they honoured her in 2007: “Gladness has informed all of Diana Ross’ body of work. This lady doesn’t just sing the blues. She sings pure joy”.
It is a joy that is certain to be shared by countless of thousands of people when Diana Ross joins Symphonica in Russo this coming October.

An Announcement from DianaInDallas.com:

Stop whatever you’re doing! Hold it right there….

DianaInDallas.com is taking care of business and thrilled to announce former Supremes singer Ms. Lynda Laurence will be speaking at Diana X-posed: A Panel Discussion!

On Monday April 27^th, Lynda Laurence will add her sensational charm, as she joins Tom Adrahtas and Gregg Simon for a positive discussion on the Return to Love tour, Miss Diana Ross and the changes within the music industry.

This Event takes place at The Magnolia Hotel-Dallas.

Ms. Laurence originally joined The Supremes in 1971 and continues to represent the group, stay true to the Motown Sound and tour the world with The FLOS (Scherrie Payne and Lynda Laurence Formerly of The Supremes). In 2000, Ms. Laurence, along with Ms. Scherrie Payne, joined Diana Ross on the Return to Love tour, delivering an incredible and memorable show!

Stylish and forever classy, Ms. Laurence will enlighten Fans, sharing stories of her time with Supremes, The FLOS and Miss Diana Ross.

For complete information on this and all the Fan Events, please visit www.DianaInDallas.com

Friend to Friend    -  Dustin & DeMarcio




Continuing To Celebrate The Magic That Is Diana Ross
 

"Entertainerin des Jahrhunderts": Soul-Diva Diana Ross wird 65

NEW YORK. Sie hatte nähen gelernt und von einer Zukunft als Modedesignerin geträumt. Stattdessen wurde Diana Ernestine Ross aus der Autostadt Detroit zur Diva des schwarzen Amerikas.

Mehr als 100 Millionen Platten hat die Soulsängerin verkauft. „Billboard“ ernannte sie bereits 1976 zur „Entertainerin des Jahrhunderts“. Das Guinness Book of World Records zog 1993 nach und sprach ihr den Titel der „erfolgreichsten Musikkünstlerin aller Zeiten“ zu. Am kommenden Donnerstag (26. März) wird die Tochter eines Fabrikarbeiters, die unter bescheidensten Verhältnissen aufwuchs und zu einer der reichsten Frauen der USA wurde, 65 Jahre alt.

An den Ruhestand denkt sie aber offenbar noch nicht. Diana Ross füllt weiterhin Konzertsäle in aller Welt. Im Dezember trat sie bei der Verleihung des Friedensnobelpreises in Oslo auf, davor in New Yorks traditioneller Radio City Music Hall als „Diva mit Herz“. Präsident Georg W. Bush ehrte sie sowie Regisseur Martin Scorsese und Filmstar Steve Martin noch kurz vor Ende seiner Amtszeit bei einer Gala im Washingtoner Kennedy Center. Auch in Europa wird das einstige Glamour-Girl der Popmusik weiterhin begeistert gefeiert.

Eine Weile lang sorgten ihre persönlichen Eskapaden für Schlagzeilen: Ein Polizei-Video, das Ross volltrunken zeigte, eine Gefängnisstrafe, die sie wegen bevorzugter Behandlung ein zweites Mal absitzen musste, Wutausbrüche bei Fernsehaufzeichnungen und handgreifliche Attacken gegen eine Sicherheitsbeamtin am Londoner Flughafen bewegten Fans und Medien. Doch nach einer Entziehungskur 2002 trat wieder Ruhe ein in ihrem Privatleben.

Die kleine Diana wuchs als zweite von sechs Geschwistern der Baptistenfamilie Ross auf. Sie sang im Gospel-Chor der Kirche und wurde mit 15 in die Doo-Wop-Gesangsgruppe von drei Freundinnen, The Primes, aufgenommen. Motown Record - die erste Plattenfirma, in der ein schwarzer Produzent schwarze Sänger zu einigermaßen fairen Bedingungen unter Vertrag nahm - holte die Mädels als Background- Sängerinnen an Bord.

1964 gelang den Supremes, wie sie sich inzwischen nannten, mit „Where Did Our Love Go“ dann der eigene Durchbruch. Es wurde der größte Hit, den bis dahin ein schwarzer Künstler geschafft hatte. Weitere zwölf Nummer-eins-Songs folgten. Die Supremes beherrschten mit den Beatles die Musikboxen und Radiostationen der 60er Jahre. Der „Motown-Sound“, ihre Spielart des Soul, machte über Nacht Musikgeschichte. So sehr die Kritik auch ihre Texte verriss: Die Dynamik und Erotik, mit denen die Supremes sie von pulsierenden Bässen und hämmernden Tambourinen begleitet schrien, seufzten und säuselten, war einzigartig und blieb unnachahmlich.

Als Diana Ross 1970 ihre Solo-Karriere startete, war das Ende der bis dahin erfolgreichsten weiblichen Gruppe Amerikas eingeläutet. Sie dagegen verkaufte noch mehr Platten als zuvor. Ihr erstes Solo-Album „Ain’t No Mountain High Enough“ wurde ihr förmlich aus den Händen gerissen. Sie profilierte sich in einer Filmbiografie über Billie Holiday („Lady Sings The Blues“) auch als nuancenreiche Jazz- Interpretin und wurde 1972 als beste Schauspielerin für einen Oscar nominiert. Eine zweite Nominierung holte sie sich mit dem Titelsong für den Film „Mahagony“.

1982 trat Ross in der Frankfurter Alten Oper auf, 1983 gab sie ein Freiluftkonzert für Tausende im New Yorker Central Park. In Wien ging beim Weihnachtskonzert 1992 mit Placido Domingo und José Carreras ihr Traum in Erfüllung, einmal neben Opernstars auf der Bühne zu stehen. Fünfzig Jahre nach dem Start ihrer Karriere, nach zwei gescheiterten Ehen und mit fünf Kindern gehört die blendend aussehende Entertainerin noch immer zu den Spitzenverdienern ihrer Branche. Wenn sie vor Temperament und Begeisterung sprühend ihre makellose Glitter- und Glamourshow auf der Bühne abzieht, verbucht sie auch heute noch ein „Heimspiel“ nach dem anderen. URL

Hallmark's 2009 Valentine's Day CD  Celebrating 50 Years of Motown

In Stores Now
 
CD Features Motown Artists Stevie Wonder, The Supremes, Marvin Gaye and More Available Beginning January 5 Exclusively at Hallmark Gold Crown® Stores

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (Jan. 5, 2009) — HEART & SOUL – CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF MOTOWN, a collection of classic love songs by some of Motown’s greatest artists, is Hallmark’s 2009 Valentine’s Day album and is now available in stores. The CD is being offered exclusively through Hallmark Gold Crown stores.

HEART & SOUL marks the first Valentine’s compilation album from Hallmark with music that spans three generations of the “Motown Sound,” from the 60s 70s and 80s. The 2009 Hallmark Valentine’s Day CD includes ten popular songs from that magical era, including music from artists who are still performing today like Diana Ross, The Commodores and Stevie Wonder.

The release of HEART & SOUL reflects Hallmark’s ongoing commitment to offering customers projects from artists who have had an enduring impact on music lovers around the world.

“This CD will appeal to all generations because it contains songs that are an integral part of so many of our lives,” says Jay Quickel, Hallmark's retail merchandise manager. “The classic romantic and memorable songs we’ve chosen for this special album reflect the essence of Valentine’s Day.”

Appropriately timed around the the 50th anniversary of Motown Records (January, 1959) HEART & SOUL includes timeless favorites like Martha & the Vandella’s only (and Motown’s first) Grammy-nominated hit, “(Love is Like a) Heat Wave;” the Miracles’ best-selling single which hit #1 in 1975, “Love Machine;” the chart-topping single included in Rolling Stone’s list of The Greatest 500 Songs of All Time - The Four Tops’ “I Can’t Help Myself,” and the song that earned Stevie Wonder his first Grammy nomination, “Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I’m Yours.” The ten songs on the album were carefully chosen by Hallmark’s creative team and include eight #1 songs, many of them Grammy-nominated.

HEART & SOUL is priced at $7.95 with each purchase of three Hallmark cards. Consumers can visit Hallmark.com or call 1-800-HALLMARK to find a Hallmark Gold Crown store in their area.

Hallmark CDs are sold exclusively by nearly 3,500 Hallmark Gold Crown stores and are available for a limited time.
Track List:

“Stop! In the Name of Love!” / The Supremes / 1965
“(Love is Like a) Heat Wave” / Martha & the Vandellas / 1963
“I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)” / The Four Tops / 1965
“My Girl” / The Temptations / 1964
“Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing” / Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell / 1968
“Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I’m Yours” / Stevie Wonder / 1970
“My Guy” / Mary Wells / 1964 “Love Machine” / The Miracles / 1975
“Brick House” / The Commodores / 1977
“Endless Love” / Lionel Richie & Diana Ross / 1981


 

Daily-ist Monday: The Wiz
 

Somewhere over the rainbow, nearly 30 years ago, Barry Gordy bought the rights to the Broadway version of The Wizard of Oz, and proceeded to create one of the worst remakes in the history of film starring one of the biggest on-screen ensembles of stars.

Hoping to ride the wave of Blackspolitation in true, watered-down Motown style, Gordy cast a 30-something Diana Ross as Dorothy, Michael Jackson as the Scarecrow (but of course!), Nipsey Russell as the Tin Man and Richard Prior as "The Wiz." The film was set in New York City and was essentially completely re-written from the Broadway version.

It flopped, both critically and commercially, despite the fact that it took nearly $22 million dollars to create. It did, however, serve to introduce Jackson to Quincy Jones, who later produced the albums "Off the Wall," "Thriller," and "Bad."

The film contained all the ingredients to become a cult classic (including awkward hair, make-up and costume, and singing), which is what makes it perfect for Domy's Monday Movie Night series. Put on your gingham dress and ruby slippers and head to the hipster bookstore at 8:30 p.m. tonight to see the film.

The Wiz
Admission: Free
Date and Time: 8:30 p.m. tonight
Location: Domy Books, 1709 Westheimer, 77098

Diana Ross, Baby It’s Me (1977)
In 1976, Billboard crowned Diana Ross “Entertainer of the Century”. It was a well-earned coronation. Just six years after leaving the Supremes, Ross had established herself as a formidable talent with a career that spanned records, film, television, and the Broadway stage. Amidst four chart-topping singles, Grammy and Oscar nominations, and a Tony Award for An Evening with Diana Ross, Ross released no less than a dozen albums between 1970 and 1977. Motown ensured that their top-selling female artist remained prolific even as she raised her three young daughters, Rhonda, Tracee, and Chudney.

However, Motown’s saturation of Diana Ross product—an average two album per year release schedule—buried some of the singer’s finest recordings. One of those albums, Baby It’s Me was sandwiched between the double live album An Evening with Diana Ross (1977) and Ross (1978), an odds and sods collection of new and previously recorded material. Like many of the albums Ross recorded in the 1970s, it deserves to be rediscovered.

Produced by studio wunderkind Richard Perry, Baby It’s Me beckoned listeners to the boudoir. Ross’ come-hither gaze on the album cover was an appropriate preamble to the music. “We wanted to make a record people could make love to,” Perry even disclosed to Ben Fong-Torres in Rolling Stone. Indeed, the songs on Baby It’s Me were ideal for “shadow dancing” in a razzle-dazzle sort of way.

Musically, the album contained a pastiche of pristinely orchestrated pop-soul confections. It also marked the full transition from the breathy, ingénue-like quality of Ross’ singing voice to a more mature and stronger tone. Ensconced at Studio 55 in Los Angeles during the summer of 1977, Perry maximized this newfound stridency. “You Got It” symbolizes the particular quality that characterizes the album: Perry’s stylized yet appealing pop and the cut-glass timbre of Ross’ voice. Her exuberant intonation of “got” defines the ecstasy of romantic love, and thus, the theme of Baby It’s Me.

The album is a treasure trove of irresistible tracks. “All Night Lover”, a glitzy tribute to the Holland-Dozier-Holland productions Ross recorded with the Supremes, echoes both “Where Did Our Love Go” and “I Hear a Symphony”. Though “All Night Lover” shares much in common with the classic sound of the Supremes, lyrics like “Renew me, do me” distinguish Ross—a sexy, classy woman—from the cooing 20-year old version of herself.

“Top of the World” and “Gettin’ Ready for Love”, which was the only single from the album to crack the Top 40 pop charts, were sweeping, buoyant three-minute odes to the stirring sensations of romantic love. The gorgeous “Come in from the Rain” and “Confide in Me”, each co-written by Melissa Manchester, disguised seduction as a seemingly innocuous invitation, while a cover of Stevie Wonder’s “Too Shy to Say” embellished the sweetness of the original with a tinge of melodrama. The title cut is the wild card of the bunch, a track that could only be described as funk-lite burlesque but, nonetheless, bewitching.

To simply dismiss the album as “glossy”, which it was upon its release, is to miss out on its numerable charms. (The only truly disposable contrivance is “Your Love Is So Good for Me”, a disco excursion that goes nowhere.) The production might be as slick as Ross’ coif but it’s just as alluring. No one will mistake Ross singing “The Same Love That Made Me Laugh” for Bill Withers, but hearing her navigate the song’s maze of heartache with that distinctive wail of hers summons its own kind of intoxication. During the last 45 seconds of the song, when the 4/4 beat suspends briefly, Ross cries wordlessly against the rhythm section. One can visualize the mascara running down her cheeks, her lipstick still glistening. The moment is executed perfectly under Perry’s direction, of course, but it’s beguiling just the same.

While Baby It’s Me vanished from circulation years ago (used CDs fetch upwards of $100), it’s well worth filing through the used album crates to hear how it captures a significant moment in the career of one of Motown’s most legendary artists. Christian John Wikane.

Source: PopMatters  URL