Showing posts with label Diana Ross. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Diana Ross. Show all posts

Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Get Ready To Be Swept Away...



Full info on the upcoming re-issues of ALL the albums Diana Ross made with the RCA label in the 80s has been revealed!

Only one unreleased track, most likely due to Ross's contract with the label at the time - but most of the official remixes and edits from the original singles are included. Red Hot Rhythm and Blues includes both the US and UK album versions of "Dirty Looks" plus both of the songs that were not included on the US version of the album.

The release date given is September 29/October 14 (see bottom of this post), but the label is still working on the tracklists, since sometimes more treasures are uncovered in the re-master process (someone should point out that the 7" Swing Mix of "Mr Lee" is currently missing from RHR&B...), and the label has quite often in the past missed their original deadline, due to work still being done on the titles.

All in all, these are by far the most complete versions ever available for all these albums and I am VERY much looking forward to these.

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Diana Ross – Why Do Fools Fall In Love is Expanded Edition for the First Time Ever with 8 Bonus Tracks.

Why Do Fools Fall In Love is the First Album Recorded after leaving the Motown Label.

Album Produced By Diana Ross, herself, which became her second RIAA Platinum Album.

Liner Notes by Alex Henderson

Re-Mastered from the Original Master Tapes by Sean Brennan, at Battery Studio’s, New York

Why Do Fools Fall in Love is the 1981 album by Diana Ross on the RCA label. The album reached #15 in the USA (#4 R&B), #17 in the UK and the Top Ten in Sweden, Norway and The Netherlands.

The album includes the Top 10 hits "Why Do Fools Fall In Love" and "Mirror Mirror". Also included on the album was the track "Work That Body", which was co-written by Ross with Paul Jabara and Ray Chew. The track was a Top 10 hit in the U.K. and Top 15 in The Netherlands.

A solo version of "Endless Love" is also included on the album, a re-recording of her number one duet with Lionel Richie and "It's Never Too Late" was also released as a single in some international territories.


Why Do Fools Fall In Love was a slick and unpretentious album, which became the start of a great springboard for Ross’ in her RCA years.

WHY DO FOOLS FALL IN LOVE
1. Why Do Fools Fall In Love
2. Sweet Surrender
3. Mirror,Mirror
4. Endless Love
5. It's Never Too Late
6. Think I'm In Love
7. Sweet Nothings
8. Two Can Make It
9. Work That Body
10. Mirror, Mirror (7 Inch Mix)
11. Mirror, Mirror (7 Inch Alternate Version)
12. Work That Body (7 Inch Mix)
13. Work That Body (12 Inch Mix)
14. Work That Body (Extended Mix)
15. Endless Love (Edited Version)
16. Endless Love (Vocal Version)
17. Endless Love (Instrumental)

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Silk Electric’s First Time on CD

Diana Ross – Silk Electric is Expanded Edition for the First Time Ever with 3 Bonus Tracks

Album Cover designed by Andy Warhol

The Album contained Ross' Top 10, Grammy Nominated Single, "Muscles", which was Produced & Written by Michael Jackson.

Liner Notes by Alex Henderson

Re-Mastered from the Original Master Tapes by Sean Brennan, at Battery Studio’s, New York

Silk Electric is the 1982 Album released by Diana Ross on the RCA label. The album reached #27 in the USA (#5 R&B), #33 in the UK and The Top 20 in Sweden, Norway and The Netherlands.

Another album that produced by Miss Ross and this time features her name as co-writer on four of the ten tracks and ended up going Gold, thus continuing Diana’s streak of solid-selling albums.

There’s no doubt that Silk Electric is her most experimental album ever with artistically Diana pushing boundaries all over the place. This makes listening to Silk Electric straight-through can be a bizarre and jarring experience, but the far greater issue than the material is the overall sound quality of the album.

So while Silk Electric is a challenging and very pleasant listen, which offers a little glimpse into the creative mind of Miss Diana Ross, and shows some new sides of her…..

SILK ELECTRIC
1. Muscles
2. So Close
3. Still in Love
4. Fool for Your Love
5. Turn Me Over
6. Who
7. Love Lies
8. In Your Arms
9. Anywhere You Run To
10. I Am Me
11. Muscles (Edited Version)
12. Muscles (12" Version)
13. So Close (Single Version)

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Diana Ross – Ross is Expanded Edition for the First Time Ever with 7 Bonus Tracks.

Diana Ross’ Third Release on the RCA Label.

Five of the Eight Tracks produced by Gary Katz, Two by Ray Parker Jr and One by Diana Ross.

Liner Notes by Alex Henderson

Re-Mastered from the Original Master Tapes by Sean Brennan, at Battery Studio’s, New York

Ross is the 1983 album by legendary singer Diana Ross. The album was released shortly before Ross gave a pair of free concerts in New York's Central Park.

The album reached #32 on the US charts, #14 on the US R&B charts and #44 in the UK. The album's highest international chart position was in Sweden, where it reached #7.

The album's first single, "Pieces of Ice", peaked at #31 on the US charts. Subsequent singles "Up Front" (US R&B #60, UK #79) and "Let's Go Up" (US #77) were also hits. "Up Front" was Re-Mixed by Jolley & Swain for the original European release.

The album was an excellent success at the time and it remains one of the best Diana Ross albums more than twenty years after. An inimitable atmosphere, an impalpable mystery surrounds the whole album.

With the great production work by Gary Katz, Ray Parker Jr and Ross herself, there has always been a wonder why the album wasn't more successful upon its initial release. Ross is refreshing in the current time that more people now know of her rich and great catalogue value.

No doubt, this album is one of her finest solo & RCA recordings.

ROSS
1. That's How You Start Over
2. Love Will Make It Right
3. You Do It
4. Pieces of Ice
5. Let's Go Up
6. Love or Loneliness
7. Up Front
8. Girls
9. Piece of Ice (12" Mix)
10. Pieces of Ice (12" Instrumental)
11. Pieces of Ice (7" Mix)
12. Up Front (7" Mix)
13. Up Front (Special Club Mix)
14. Up Front (12" Mix)
15. Let's Go Up (7" Mix)

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Diana Ross – Swept Away will be a 2 CD Deluxe Edition for the First Time Ever.

The Bonus CD will include 9 Bonus Tracks.

This album yields several hit singles, "Missing You", the Daryl Hall & Arthur Baker Produced "Swept Away", and the Julio Iglesias duet, "All of You"

"Missing You" was produced by Lionel Richie and was a tribute to late soul singer Marvin Gaye, Ross and Richie's former Motown Records label-mate.

Liner Notes by Alex Henderson

Re-Mastered from the Original Master Tapes by Sean Brennan, at Battery Studio’s, New York

Swept Away is the 1984 album by the legendary Diana Ross on the RCA label.

The album was certified Gold and peaked at #26 on Billboard Pop Albums Chart, making this her last album to reach the Top 40, which also made the top ten in The Netherlands, Sweden and Norway.

Swept Away certainly did what it needed to do, which was to give Diana Ross some new hits and keep her on the charts. Beyond that, it gave her a classic, “Missing You,” on which she offered one of the great performances of her career.

The album itself holds up pretty well and Swept Away is certainly one of Diana’s best at RCA, which features some sparkling highlights and anthems than its predecessor, Ross.

SWEPT AWAY
CD 1
1. Missing You
2. Touch by Touch
3. Rescue Me
4. It's Your Move
5. Swept Away
6. Telephone
7. Nobody Makes Me Crazy (Like You Do)
8. All of You
9. We Are the Children of the World
10. Forever Young
CD 2
1. Swept Away (12" Long Version)
2. Swept Away (12" Instrumental)
3. Swept Away (7" Single Mix)
4. Touch by Touch (12" Single Mix)
5. Touch by Touch (12" Instrumental)
6. Touch by Touch (Alternate Single Mix)
7. Telephone (Edited Version)
8. Missing You (7" Single Mix)
9. Fight for It (7" Single Version)

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Diana Ross – Eaten Alive will be a 2 CD Deluxe Edition for the First Time Ever.

The Bonus CD will include 9 Bonus Tracks.

Eaten Alive includes her international hit single "Chain Reaction".

Written and produced by Barry Gibb of the Bee Gees.

The album also includes a contribution from Michael Jackson who co-wrote and performed vocals on the title track.

Liner Notes by Alex Henderson

Re-Mastered from the Original Master Tapes by Sean Brennan, at Battery Studio’s, New York

Eaten Alive is the 1985 album by Diana Ross which reached #11 in the UK and Australia. The album also reached the Top Ten in Switzerland, Norway, Sweden and The Netherlands.

Following the largely self-produced Swept Away album, Diana Ross' shrewd choice of collaborators continued to impress when she turned to the Gibb brothers for her fifth studio project for RCA Records.

The album was a dynamic affair with an explosive set of songs as well as the title track also boasting the excellent production and song writing skills of the genius himself, Michael Jackson.

In the UK, Chain Reaction caught on to the British public like a magnet! This was simply vintage Diana Ross and it was this retro style that her public loved even though she has commendably attempted time and time again to break out into other musical genres in the past few decades.

Overly, Eaten Alive is a solid album with sparkling vocals from Ross, compelling arrangements and great lyrics. An enjoyable and diverse album from legendary Diana Ross.

EATEN ALIVE
CD 1
1. Eaten Alive
2. Oh Teacher
3. Experience
4. Chain Reaction
5. More and More
6. I'm Watching You
7. Love on the Line
8. (I Love) Being in Love with You
9. Crime of Passion
10. Don't Give Up on Each Other
CD 2
1. Eaten Alive (Single Mix)
2. Eaten Alive (Single Mix Instrumental)
3. Eaten Alive (Hot Extended Dance Mix)
4. Eaten Alive (12 Inch Instrumental)
5. Experience (Special Dance Mix)
6. Experience (Instrumental)
7. Experience (Single Version)
8. Chain Reaction (Special Dance Mix)
9. Chain Reaction (Special Single Mix)

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Diana Ross – Red Hot Rhythm and Blues will be a 2 CD Deluxe Edition for the First Time Ever.

Includes 13 Bonus Tracks            

The album includes the Top 15 US R&B and UK Top 40 hit, "Dirty Looks"

And the ballad "It's Hard for Me to Say", produced by Luther Vandross.

The cover photography was by Herb Ritts.

Includes the Un-Released Track Sweet Soul Music.

Liner Notes by Alex Henderson

Re-Mastered from the Original Master Tapes by Sean Brennan, at Battery Studio’s, New York.

Red Hot Rhythm and Blues is the 1987 album by the legendary Diana Ross. The album made the charts in Germany, The Netherlands and Austria, as well as reaching the Top 20 in Sweden and Norway.

The album was Ross's final album for RCA Records and included cover versions of several R&B classics, including The Bobbettes' "Mr. Lee", Jackie Ross' "Selfish One," Etta James' "Tell Mama", and The Drifters' "There Goes My Baby".

Ross decided to retreat to safer territory, returning to her roots of Rhythm And Blues to mark a celebration in black music for the dynamic Red Hot Rhythm And Blues album.

Listeners to this album were stunned to hear Ross' sensational, sexually-charged and charismatic performance that sound quite fitting when listening to those mildly racy lyrics. Never the less Red Hot Rhythm And Blues is ESSENTIAL to any Diana Ross fan and stands as something of an over-looked classic.

RED HOT RHYTHM AND BLUES
CD1
1. Dirty Looks (US Album Version)
2. Stranger In Paradise
3. Summertime
4. Shine
5. Tell Me Again
6. Selfish One
7. Cross My Heart
8. There Goes My Baby
9. It’s Hard For Me To Say
10. Shockwaves
11. Mr. Lee (UK Album Version)
12. Tell Mama (UK Album Version)
13. Sweet Soul Music (Previously Unreleased)
CD2
1. Dirty Looks (Remix Version)
2. Dirty Looks (Instrumental)
3. Dirty Looks (Bonus Beats)
4. Dirty Looks (UK Album Mix)
5. Shockwaves (12” Remix)
6. Shockwaves (Instrumental)
7. Shockwaves (7” Remix)
8. Mr. Lee (Swing Mix)

9. Mr. Lee (Rare Groove Version)


Pre-Order now to guarantee your Order !!!

Pre-Order price has been discounted down to $9.98, the price will go up on our Stock Arrival Date (29th September) to $11.98

The Actual Official Street Date is 14th October - our Diana Ross releases will not hit Amazon and all other retailers till that date, by ordering directly with Funkytowngrooves you will receive your order 2 Weeks before the Official Street Date.

Stock Arrival Date = 29th September 2014 

Track listing's are correct at time of Pre-Order release and could be subject to change.

Due to the finding's of Extra Bonus Material in the Re-Master process, please keep a look out on our website or on our Facebook page, for future info.

Saturday, July 12, 2014

RCA Deluxe!...



Funkytown Grooves have just announced that expanded editions of five (out of six) Diana Ross albums from her RCA years will be released in expanded editions.

No more info but tracklist and more info will follow. These albums are all way overdue for the deluxe treatments - Silk Electric has been out of print for years (it took me ages to get it) and both Ross and Swept Away have been hard to get as well.

UPDATE:

Why Do Fools Fall In Love will apparently have 8 bonus tracks! More news should be coming next week and the discs are expected to come out in September/October.

I am obviously super excited - stay tuned for more info :)

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Happy Birthday Darling...




I can't believe it! My darling diva, Diana Ross, turns 70 years young today!

Miss Ross has been featured many times here before - a look at her discography can be found here, her work with The Supremes is featured here and selections of some gorgeous photos can be seen here and here.

This time around, here is a  look at some of the magazine covers from her 50 (!) years in show business:




































"I don't judge people by their sexual orientation or the color of their skin, so I find it really hard to identify someone by saying that they're a gay person or a black person or a Jewish person."

"If I have someone who believes in me, I can move mountains."

"Criticism, even when you try to ignore it, can hurt. I have cried over many articles written about me, but I move on and I don't hold on to that ."

"Just because I have my standards they think I'm a bitch."


"You know, you do need mentors, but in the end, you really just need to believe in yourself."




Diana Ross was, is and will always remain the supreme diva!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY darling!

Diana Ross turns 70 (video)

Diana's 70 Greatest Moments In Honor Of Her Birthday!

Diana Ross: a tribute to pop's femme fatale

Diana Ross turns 70

Happy Birthday, Diana!

Female entertainer of the century

Beauty Icon: Dian's life in pictures

Diana Ross at 70

Celebrating the Supreme Diana Ross

This day in black history



Also:

Diana Ross - Complete Motown Albums CD box set is coming out in October. 23 CDs, card sleeves (gatefolds where applicable) in a clamshell box. No tracklist or cover art yet, but the box can already be pre-ordered here

23 discs? Well, Diana made 18 albums with The Supremes and 15 solo albums at Motown. If additional titles (Blue, soundtracks, live albums etc) are added to her solo albums, the number is 23. It will be interesting to see just what this box will include - I would guess it's going to look something like this:

Studio albums:
1970: Diana Ross
1970: Everything Is Everything
1971: Surrender
1973: Touch Me in the Morning
1973: Diana & Marvin
1973: Last Time I Saw Him
1976: Diana Ross
1977: Baby It's Me
1978: Ross
1979: The Boss
1980: Diana
1989: Workin' Overtime
1991: The Force Behind the Power
1995: Take Me Higher
1999: Every Day Is a New Day
2006: Blue

Live:
1974: Live at Caesar's Palace
1977: An Evening with Diana Ross
1993: Stolen Moments: The Lady Sings...Jazz and Blues

Soundtracks:
1971: Diana! (TV)
1972: Lady Sings The Blues

Compilations with new material:
1981: To Love Again
1994: Diana Extended: The Remixes

Of course I have all of them - but you can bet I'm going to want to add this box to my collection, no matter what's included...




And finally: a rare (and stunning) live recording of one of my favorite Diana songs, along with a British TV documentary.

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