Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. Upside Down
2. Tenderness
3. Friend To Friend
4. I'm Coming Out
5. Have Fun (Again)
6. My Old Piano
7. Now That You're Gone
8. Give Up
9. Upside Down
10. Tenderness
11. Friend To Friend
12. I'm Coming Out
13. Have Fun Again
14. My Old Piano
15. Now That You're Gone
16. Give Up

Disc 2:

1. Love Hangover
2. Your Love Is So Good For Me
3. Top Of The World
4. Lovin', Livin' And Givin'
5. What You Gave Me
6. You Were The One
7. Medley Of Hits - Diana Ross & The Supremes
8. No One Gets The Prize/The Boss
9. I Ain't Been Licked
10. Fire Don't Burn
11. We Can Never Light That Old Flame Again
12. You Build Me Up To Tear Me Down
13. Sweet Summertime Livin'

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #29543 in Music
• Released on: 2003-08-04
• Number of discs: 2
• Format: Deluxe Edition
• Running time: 151 minutes

Customer Reviews

Diana's coming out!
Diana Ross had not had a big UK hit since 'Love Hangover' in 1976 when this album was recorded. I love it, because it's the album that introduced me to the music of Diana Ross and in time many other Motown legends.
This is not a typical Diana Ross album as there are no traditional ballads. Instead we get a succession of cool grooves from Chic's Edwards and Rogers with Diana's sumptious vocals over the top. Apart from the obvious charms of 'Upside Down' and 'I'm Coming Out' the outstanding tracks are 'Now That You're Gone' and 'Tenderness' (a minor hit in 1981).
This album is equally loved and loathed by Ross fans but whatever your opinion it shows Diana as a serious album artist rather than a singer of hit singles. The deluxe version allows you to compare Diana's remixes with the original Chic mixes. Diana's decision to have the album remixed with her voice further up in the mix was without a doubt the correct decision. A great album, but Diana was right not to commit to a second album. In 1989 Diana reunited with Nile Rogers to record 'Working Overtime', probably the worst album of her career.

Good but not as good as the Boss
To say that this was Diana's best work is a bit much,the Boss album from 12 months earlier was much better vocally and musically, as were all of her Ashford and Simpson efforts. I can also understand why Motown remixed the album.I'm Coming Out and My Old Piano are awful on the Chic version,I think they should have left the longer versions of Tenderness and Have Fun Again on the finished product though as the album wasn't very long to start with.Why are we still waiting for expanded editions of Surrender , Touch Me In The Morning, Diana Ross 76 and Baby It's Me

THE QUINTESSENTIAL DIANA ROSS CLASSIC JUST GOT BETTER!
Just as "Thriller" became the ultimate Michael Jackson album, the 1980 "Diana" album evolved as THE quintessential Diana Ross album. It also became the album that subsequent releases from the diva would be compared to.

I remember the occasion just like it was yesterday. It was the summer of 1980 and I was 10 years old (now I AM showing my age!). "Upside Down" could be heard virtually everywhere - and it was a song that was blasted from radios and stereos. It was the coolest record I'd heard and I was hooked. Even now, this slice of Ross/Chic perfection sounds fresh, youthful and vibrant.

If we go back to 1980, we know that Ms Ross was already a superstar in her own right. Some have written that she needed to bring her 'flagging' career up to date. It's true - she'd been absent from the Billboard pop top ten charts for a few years. However, it's worth remembering that "The Boss" album certified Gold in the US the year before.

It was left for Diana to team up with the hottest R&B producers of the day - Bernard Edwards and Nile Rogers. "I'm Coming Out" was a born out of conversations Diana had with Edwards and Rogers. It became Diana's personal declaration of desire and independence. Her vocal performance here was inspired, vivid and spot on. All those who harp on about Diana's lack of vocal prowess need to listen to both versions this track - they'll soon be silenced!

It was a few years later that I discovered that the released version of "Diana" was not the original Chic mix. Like many fans, my curiosity bubbled for years. Here's my take on which tracks are better - released version or Chic version:

UPSIDE DOWN - Released mix
TENDERNESS - Chic mix
FRIEND TO FRIEND - Released mix
I'M COMING OUT - Released mix
HAVE FUN - Chic mix
MY OLD PIANO - Released mix
NOW THAT YOU'RE GONE - Can't decide!
GIVE UP - Chic mix - what a gusty vocal performance!

Were Motown right to tamper with Bernard and Nile's handy work? That's not for me to say. They took all the elements of the original and produced a `radio-friendly' album. The main differences with the remix are that the overall production is smoother, slicker and more sophisticated - just what you'd expect from such a crucial Ross release. With the remix, you can virtually hear each instrument, and Diana's evocative soprano is the icing on the cake. The Chic mix, however, showcases a raw, spontaneous energy and Diana had never sounded stronger vocally. To me, it has an arty clubhouse feel to it, and I can see why Motown opted to play it safe.

Both versions make for fascinating listening - I found myself constantly flipping between the two versions!
As for the "Diana: Dance CD", it contains some truly RARE tracks that will delight any Ross fan, especially:

YOUR LOVE IS SO GOOD FOR ME - 12-inch version
TOP OF THE WORLD
WHAT YOU GAVE ME - get those flares out and boogie!
YOU WERE THE ONE - hey, someone at Motown ought to re-release this funky little ditty - it's awesome!

I think that this DELUXE edition is an essential purchase for Diana's fans - past and present. This gatefold, double CD is lavishly packaged, with candid essays from Nile Rogers, Russ Terrana (re-mixer) and Brian Chin. And of course, Diana looks breathtaking beautiful both on the front cover, and the glorious colour centrefold spread.

"DIANA" - that perennial classic - just got better!