Diana Ross - Diana (1980) WAV

musbest · November 4, 2016

Artist: Diana Ross
Title: Diana
Year Of Release: 1980-05-22
Label: Motown (USA) / Astor Records Pty Ltd. (AU)
Genre: R&B, Soul/Funk, Electronic, Disco
Quality: WavPack (img.+.cue), [24bit/192kHz]
Total Time: 34:12
Total Size: 1,54 Gb

Diana Ross would probably be offended by anyone who called her 1980 smash Diana a comeback, but let's face it -- after the flop of The Wiz, and the way that the disco revolution steamrollered so many of her Motown compatriots' careers, that's exactly what it was. Wisely hooking up with Chic's Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards (both the most traditionally rooted and most fearless of the major disco-era producers), Ross sounds more forceful than she had in years. The helium-toned style of her early hits with the Supremes is worlds away from the assertive way she rips into the funky hit "Upside Down." Even better, the joyous, celebratory "I'm Coming Out" is probably the best solo track of her career, and the heartfelt "Now That You're Gone" is one of her most subtle ballads. The glossy Chic production might sound a bit dated to some ears, but it's matured much better than many similar albums of the era. Overall, this is, in many ways, Diana Ross' best solo record.

~Review by Charity Stafford~

Release of this album: 1980, may, 22 [LP Motown (USA) / Astor Records Pty Ltd. (AU), Cat.# M8936, AU]
Made from masters of Motown Record Corporation
Manufactured and distributed by Astor Records Pty Ltd.
Made in Australia

Credits:

Backing Vocals – Alfa Anderson, Fonzi Thornton, Luci Martin, Michele Cobbs
Bass – Bernard Edwards
Concertmaster – Gene Orloff
Design – Ria Lewerke-Shapiro
Drums – Tony Thompson
Engineer – Bill Scheniman, James Farber, Neil Dorfsman, Ralph Osborn
Engineer [Assistant] – Abdoulaye Soumare, Jeff Hendrickson, Lucy Laurie, Peter Robbins
Guitar – Nile Rodgers
Keyboards – Andy Schwartz, Raymond Jones
Mastered By – Dennis King
Photography By [Cover] – Francesco Scavullo
Photography By [inside] – Douglas Kirkland
Producer, Written-By, Arranged By, Conductor – Bernard Edwards & Nile Rodgers
Saxophone – Eddie Daniels
Strings [The Chic Strings] – Cheryl Hong, Karen Milne, Valerie Heywood
Trombone – Meco Monardo
Trumpet – Bob Milliken

Tracklist:

Side A

A1. Upside Down (04:04)
A2. Tenderness (03:52)
A3. Friend To Friend (03:16)
A4. I'm Coming Out (05:25)

Side B

B1. Have Fun (Again) (05:56)
B2. My Old Piano (03:55)
B3. Now That You're Gone (03:59)
B4. Give Up (03:46)