Sunday, July 16, 2017

Diana Ross by Diana Ross (1976)

“Diana Ross” by Diana Ross (1976)

Release Date: February 10, 1976
Produced by Michael Masser, Hal Davis, Nickolas Ashford, Valerie Simpson, Berry Gordy, Don Costa, Lawrecne Brown, Gil Askey
Genre: Soul, Disco, Pop
Label: Motown

Chart Positions: #2 (Netherlands, Canada), #4 (UK), #5 (US), #8 (France), #26 (Sweden), #27 (Japan), #39 (Australia)
Certifications: Gold (US, UK)

Singles: “I Thought It Took A Little Time (But I Fell In Love Today)” #32 (UK), #47 (US), #53 (Canada), #4 (US Adult Contemporary), #6 (US R&B), “Love Hangover” #1 (US, Ireland), #3 (Canada, France), #10 (UK), #16 (Italy), #18 (Netherlands), #23 (Holland), #28 New Zealand), #69 (Australia), #1 (USR&B, US Dance), #19 (US Adult Contemporary), “One Love In My Lifetime” #24 (Canada), #25 (US), #10 (US R&B), #31 (US Adult Contemporary)
Singles Certifications: “Love Hangover” Gold (US)
Other Charting Tracks: N/A
Best Tracks: “Love Hangover,” “One Love In My Lifetime,” “Smile,” “Theme From Mahogany (Do You Know Where You’re Going To)”

      Leave us a comment below and share your memories of this
                                             album!
                                         Thank you! ðŸ˜ƒ


Trivia: “Diana Ross” the album was Ross' biggest-selling album since 1973's "Touch Me in the Morning", and the first of Ross' albums since her debut to yield more than four hit singles. It reached #5 on the US Billboard 200 album chart, #4 on the US Billboard R&B Album Chart and the Top 5 in the UK, where it was awarded a Gold disc for sales in excess of 100,000 copies. It was her second eponymously named album. The first was released in 1970 and was later renamed “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.” The 1976 album includes the track, “Theme from Mahogany (Do You Know Where You're Going To)” which was released, four months before the release of “Diana Ross,” as a single from the soundtrack “Mahogany.”

The #1 hit single “Love Hangover” is one of Diana Ross’ biggest selling singles of her entire career. Ross received a Grammy Award nomination for "Love Hangover" (Best R&B Performance, Female Artist), and an Oscar nomination for Best Song for "Theme from Mahogany (Do You Know Where You're Going To)". With "Love Hangover" Diana Ross was again stepping out of her comfort zone and leading the pack. Yes, there had been disco hits over the previous year but none as dark and deep as "Love Hangover," maybe with the exception of Donna summer's "Love To Love You Baby," which was released three months later. "Love Hangover" hit the charts and sizzled all the way to the top. Diana commented, "I remember Suzanne de Passe bringing me 'Love Hangover," she had to make me believe in the song because it wasn't exactly a song, it was all feeling." Despite Diana's reservations she took it to the studio and recorded it in one take. She ad-libbed most of it. She had recently finished filming the role of Billie Holiday for the film "Lady Sings The Blues" so she put a little Billie into the song in the part where she sings, "If there's a cure for this."

"Love Hangover" (1976)

The album's third single "One Love In My Lifetime" was a sizable hit reaching #25 on the US chart, as well as #24 in Canada and received a fair amount of airplay.

Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson (Ashford & Simpson) wrote and produced the anthemic Gospel tinged "Ain't Nothing But A Maybe."

Diana closes the album with the Charlie Chaplin tune "Smile," which, as an instrumental, first appeared on the soundtrack for Chaplin's 1936 film "Modern Times." In 1954 John Turner and Geoffrey Parsons added the lyrics and gave it the title "Smile." Nat King Cole took the song into the Top Ten in 1954. Diana Ross's schmaltzy jazz and blues tinged rendition echoes her work portraying Billie Holiday. 

Back Cover of "Diana Ross"

Diana Ross (1976)






DIANA ROSS