International Diana Ross Website

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.

DIANA ROSS - ALMIGHTY PRESENTS: WE LOVE DIANA ROSS
NEW DIGITAL ALBUM FROM ALMIGHTY  NOW FEATURING THE PREVIOUSLY UNAVAILABLE ESSENTIAL MIX OF 'I'M COMING OUT'! AVAILABLE FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY!  NEW DIGITAL ALBUM FROM ALMIGHTY!

We are delighted to finally announce that, after 5 years in the making, the Diana Ross Project we have all been waiting for is now available!

This digital bundle was originally planned to be released by Universal but fortunately Universal have now granted Almighty the rights to release this from our very own Almighty website!

This bumper, digital collection is overflowing with exclusives, such as the brand new mixes of ‘Ain’t No Mountain High Enough’, 'Love Hangover' and ‘The Boss’, plus first time airings of ‘Remember Me’, ‘Reach Out And Touch’ and ‘I’m Still Waiting’, plus the sensational Almighty 'In The Mix'!

Whether fronting the break-through act of the time 'Diana Ross and The Supremes' or as a solo artist, Diana Ross has established herself as a true legend; selling over 100 million records, charting 18 number 1's, crossing over into television and film and cementing it all with a triumphant display of distinctive and highly acclaimed awards, such as a Golden Globe, a Tony Award and no less than 12 Grammy Award nominations! This unprecedented and soul inspiring success brought us some of the most loved music in history, from 'I'm Coming Out' to 'Ain't No Mountain High Enough' and 'Upside Down' to 'Touch Me In The Morning'. 'Almighty Presents: We Love Diana Ross' is a must-have collection of Diana Ross history, presented as an uplifting dance package, a perfect contrast which compliments these timeless tracks and vocals, creating an outstanding blend of classic and 'now'.

Brian Chin on Diana follows:

Have you ever noticed that Diana Ross never tried to shorten her name to just ‘Diana’? It so happens that various of her Motown albums are called diana and Diana!; but two are called Diana Ross – and two are called Ross. You didn’t get this Beyoncé, Madonna, Reba, single-name branding kind of thing.

For Diana Ross, fame was more complex than trying to make, then claim, a name exclusively. It was even more complex than creating the classic songs here in such a timeless way, and performing them for a lifetime. To stake a place in mainstream America when Diana Ross, The Supremes, and Motown at large did, was to do so understanding that they were pioneers- African-Americans entering a level of visibility where they needed to move with all the ease of those born to privilege. No mistakes allowed.

As ego-driven as stardom is, Motown artists knew that in the early and mid-1960s, there was social strategy to getting a hit record, appearing on The Ed Sullivan Show and playing luxe nightspots like the Copacabana in New York, and London's Talk of the Town. Mrs. Maxine Powell - now Professor Powell - the finishing school coach who tutored personal carriage, imaging and professional strategy to the Motown roster in the famed Artist Development department, was a key player in the striving upwardly-mobile African-American community of post-World War II Detroit, making sure that when black people entered the echelons of power, affluence and influence, they stayed there, alongside those who were entitled by their heritage.

Keeping both names, announcing herself and her family name every time Diana Ross mounted the stage or was played on the radio, was not merely self-regard, but a tribute to the wisdom of Berry Gordy, Professor Powell and many others who dared to create and maintain the conditions for an integrated America. Diana Ross? Even Miss Ross? Yes, Ma'am, and I'd no more roll my eyes at addressing her as she wishes, than I would arrive at church in trainers and a singlet. I know she changed my world, making it more diverse, interesting and welcoming to me.

The statistics are of course, fabulous: Golden Globe winner and Oscar nominee for Lady Sings the Blues; Tony Award winner for her one-woman show An Evening With Diana Ross, and noted in the Guinness Book of World Records in 1993 for her eighteen No. 1 singles - six as a solo artist, and twelve as lead singer of The Supremes. Celebrated in the prestigious Kennedy Center Honors 2007.

But Beyoncé Knowles, Lauryn Hill and many others who've paid musical and video homage to her - all of them know this before anything else: Diana Ross set the table for those who came after her as surely as Lena Horne, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday and others set the table for her. She knows it, owns it and it’s a big reason why WE LOVE DIANA ROSS. 

With gratitude, Brian Chin New York, October 2009
 

* DIANA IN DALLAS  *  DIANA  IN DALLAS  * DIANA IN DALLAS  *  DIANA  IN DALLAS *  DIANA  IN DALLAS *  DIANA  IN DALLAS *  DIANA

Greetings Fellow Ross Fans –

I hope this email finds you doing well and your 2009 is off to a great start!

Many of you know Miss Ross is speaking this April in Dallas, Texas and I thought it would be great to get the Ross Tribe together again for a full-fledged Ross Event!

With YOUR NEEDS in mind, we’ve done all the pre-work to make it BETTER for YOU!

We’ve contacted the venue! We’ve called the hotels! We even created a website!

Diana Ross Fans who sign up will receive:

• · Discounted Front Orchestra Seats for the Lecture with Diana Ross
• · Discounted Rooms at the Magnolia-Dallas Hotel
• · Unlimited Access and ACCURATE INFORMATION  
• · Entry to more than 10 different Ross Fan Club Events
• · Ross Goodies & Surprise Give-Aways
• · A memorable Experience to last a lifetime!

….well, you can see EVERYTHING for yourself on our new website:

 * DIANA IN DALLAS  *  DIANA  IN DALLAS  * DIANA IN DALLAS  *  DIANA  IN DALLAS *  DIANA  IN DALLAS *  DIANA  IN DALLAS *  DIANA

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
 

Diana Ross at The MGM Grand at Foxwoods

MASHANTUCKET - It was a performance befitting an American music icon. Diana Ross headlined the MGM Grand Theater at Foxwoods Saturday night, earning several ovations over the course of a 75 minute set.

With a catalog of hits that spans more than four decades in her arsenal, Ross was easily able to engage the sold out house, an audience made up of fans that stretched back to her days with The Supremes and some who may have discovered her when she mentored young singers on "American Idol."

Regardless of how they came into the Ross fold, the crowd was treated to a top-notch concert worthy of expansion into a major arena tour.

Ross opened the show by appearing in a red-sequined gown and singing "I'm Coming Out." The grand stage was a minimalist's dream with just a five-piece band and two backing vocalists. It isn't hard to imagine this show in a larger venue with a full orchestra and life-size video screens playing a retrospective of Ross's expansive career.

Like a heavyweight fighter vying for a one-punch win, Ross delivered the big blows early on, stringing together "My World Is Empty Without You," "Where Did Our Love Go," "Baby Love" and "Stop in the Name of Love."

She continued the thread by offering "Can't Hurry Love," and "Touch Me in the Morning" before leaving the stage for a quick costume change (white sequined gown this time) and earning her first standing ovation for "Love Child."

Ross performed "What About Love," from her 2006 release "I Love You," before returning to the hits including "Upside Down," which initiated an impromptu dance-off in the front rows.

Fully engaged with her audience, Ross walked along the apron and encouraged the scene while prompting the band to stretch out the song. She called for the house lights to shed more light on the spectacle and poured more fuel on the fire when she launched into a scat-inspired "Ease On Down the Road."

The road to the close was paved with "The Theme from Mahogany (Do You Know)" with Ross dressed in a canary yellow gown. She wrapped up the set with an over-the-top version of "Ain't No Mountain High Enough."

She opened the encore with Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive," segued into the title track from "I Love You," and found her way back to "I Will Survive" before leaving the stage.

Diana Ross out for Shopping at Bristol farm in Beverly Hills / West Hollywood!!!

 
           

Picture on the left
Miss Ross out for shopping in Beverly Hills at the Food Store “ Bristol Farms “ at the corner of Beverly and Doheny , it was also mentioned that she tried to cover her Face with the  Newspaper which she holds in her hand.

Picture on the right
Miss Ross out for shopping at Bristol Farms a day before her Birthday....

Diana Ross at Blosckbusters in Beverly Hills / West Hollywood on her Birthday !!!



Diana Ross at Blockbusters Video Store  in Beverly Hills /  West Hollywood returning her DVD’s which she rented a couple of days before , looks like she was in a hurry .

"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

Diva Diana Ross performes at the Monster 2009 Retailer Awards  in Las Vegas

SUPERSTAR DIANA ROSS TO PERFORM AT
“MONSTER CABLE RETAILER AWARDS AND CONCERT” AT CES 2009 IN LAS VEGAS

-- There Just “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” to Keep Monster from Throwing a Show-Stopping Monsterous Bash at CES to Honor its Valued Retailers with Awards —

This year, Monster will prove that even in these tough economic times there simply “ain’t nomountain high enough” to keep everyone from having a Monsterously good time at its annualRetailer Awards and Concert. That’s because none other than the Queen of Motown herself, Diana Ross, will be this year’s very special guest artist for the concert

“It’s very important for us to show our appreciation to our dealers both with our awards and with
an unforgettable concert each year at CES,” stated Noel Lee, The Head Monster. “While the
word ‘legend’ is often used for entertainers, this year we have someone who unquestionably fits that description, Ms. Diana Ross. Not only did she dominate the music charts for decades, first with the Supremes and then as a solo artist, she is also a genuine movie star who has starred in such hits as The Wiz, Mahogany and, of course, Lady Sings the Blues, for which she received an Academy Award® nomination.”’



  Image (www.exposay.com

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