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Diana Ross

Diana (Deluxe Edition) (CD)

Motown Records, a division of UMG Recordings, Inc. (US) / 2003 / B0000791-02,
CD in jewel case

Deluxe Edition- Produced by Harry Weigner and Andrew Skurow
Digitally remastered by Suha Gur at Universal Mastering Studios-East
Art Direction: Vartan
Digipack cover and booklet cover photos: Francesco Scavullo
Digipak spread and booklet center spread photos: Douglas Kirkland
Additional booklet photos, lyrics and handwritten notes courtesy of the Motown Records Archives
Original master tape boxes from the Universal Music Vaults

Album produced by Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers for the Chic Organization
Remixed by Russ Terrana

 

Disc One:

Diana (released album mix)

1. Upside Down (4:06)
2. Tenderness (3:51)
3. Friend To Friend (3:19)
4. I'm Coming Out (5:25)
5. Have Fun (Again) (5:57)
6. My Old Piano (3:55)
7. Now That You're Gone (3:59)
8. Give Up (3:46)

Diana (original unreleased Chic mix)

1. Upside Down (4:17)
2. Tenderness (5:10)
3. Friend To Friend (3:19)
4. I'm Coming Out (6:01)
5. Have Fun (Again) (7:08)
6. My Old Piano (4:51)
7. Now That You're Gone (3:40)
8. Give Up (3:58)

Disc Two:

Diana: Dance

1. Love Hangover (10:00)* (extended alternate mix)
2. Your Love Is So Good For Me (6:18) (12-inch mix)
3. Top Of The World (3:06)
4. Lovin', Livin' And Givin' (5:11) (LP mix)
5. What You Gave Me (6:00) (12-inch mix)
6. You Were The One (4:01)
7. Diana Ross & The Supremes Medley Of Hits (10:00) (12-inch mix)
8. No One Gets The Prize/The Boss (9:38) (12-inch re-edit)
9. I Ain't Been Licked (5:16)* (12-inch mix)
10. Fire Don't Burn (3:20)*
11. We Can Never Light That Old Flame Again (4:37) (alternate mix)
12. You Build Me Up To Tear Me Down (4:43)*
13. Sweet Summertime Lovin' (3:40)*

*-Previosuly unreleased

Much anticipation was fueled by the re-release of Diana Ross' 1980 album "Diana" in 2003 for one simple reason: for the first time in almost 25 years, the original version of "Diana" was going to be finally released to the public. Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers, the frontmen for the group Chic, had produced this album for Ross, but when it got into the hands of Motown, it was rejected because apparently Ross didn't sound like she was supposed to (read: frothy) as opposed to the raw, lean delivery she leashed out on the original "Chic mix".

Motown in-house remixer Russ Terrana was summoned to give the album a complete makeover from top-to-bottom. That would soon become the official version of the album, which gave Ross her biggest hit at the time with "Upside Down" (#1 for an entire month) and a Top 5 follow-up ("I'm Coming Out").

With the now-released "Chic" interpretation of the album, it is apparent that had the original been the official version to be released, Ross' musical direction might've avoided the rollercoaster she would experience after her defection to RCA a year later and her return to Motown at the end of the decade. Her vocals on the "Nile/Nard" "Diana" are at times rough and playful, other times smooth and sensual. In essence, she sounds as if she is truly enjoying herself on this album. With tight, funky, earthy arrangement throughout along with even tighter songwriting, each song has its own distinct personality. The overall optimism of this album coincides with the lack of ballads here. "Friend To Friend" is the only slow song here, but the addition of guitar overlays (which were deleted on the Terrana-remixed version) make it special. "Now That You're Gone" is slow-paced but has a lilting backbeat that keeps it steady.

It is the upbeat tunes, of course, that make this album top-notch. Edwards and Rodgers' magic shines on "Upside Down" and "My Old Piano", with an innovative piano solo, a style similar to Chic's "My Feet Keep Dancing" (from their album "Risque"). "Have Fun (Again)", with its fade-out/fade-in, is a delight. The closer, "Give Up", is a catchy tune with its lyrically-clever Dragnet references ("...just the facts, man").

The original mix is clearly superior to the official release for the fact that the records set longer and Ross is presented in a drastically different light here. In a sense, she has overcome the banality of "The Wiz" and has picked up where her previous album, "The Boss", left off. History aside, Ross' vocals on the original mix show that she is versatile and can surprise the listener with twists and turns, which unfortunately were squelched when the album was re-done to suit Motown's tastes. Overall, the album is a tour-de-force and a reminder that, for better or worse, Diana Ross is an institution.

The second disc in this set consists of thirteen disco-oriented tunes; some LP cuts, others unreleased, a few promotional tracks. The version of "Love Hangover" included here is a Disconet mix that wasn't available commercially. It runs over ten minutes long, and has a series of breaks to die for. Some of the selections here are filler to be sure, but the closing cut, "Sweet Summertime Lovin'" is a jazz-inflicted tune that works nicely with images of kiddies playing the hot summer sun and cruising in a fast car down an L.A. freeway (if that was ever possible).

The original Chic mix of "Diana" has to be listened to, so spend the few extra ten bucks for this set; it's not found anywhere else. Before you choose to skip the second disc, listen to the alternate mix of "Love Hangover" and it might make you curious as to what Ross had to offer to the disco tableau.

Buy from:
Amazon.com (US)
Amazon.co.uk (UK)

Submitted by Salsoul1975 (5)