Track Listing

1. Surrender
2. I Can't Give Back the Love I Feel for You
3. Remember Me
4. And If You See Him
5. Reach out, I'll Be There
6. Didn't You Know (You'd Have to Cry Sometime)?
7. Simple Thing Like Cry
8. Did You Read the Morning Paper?
9. I'll Settle for You
10. I'm a Winner
11. All the Befores
12. I'm Still Waiting [*]
13. Baby I'll Come [#][*]
14. Remember Me ["Diana! " Vocal/Undubbed Stereo Mix]
15. Reach out, I'll Be There [Alternate Vocal][#][*]
16. I Can't Give Back the Love I Feel for You [Alternate Vocal][#][*]
17. Ain't No Mountain High Enough [Alternate Vocal and Mix][#][*]
18. Remember Me [Alternate Vocal and Mix][#][*]
19. Surrender [Alternate Stereo Mix][#][*]
20. Remember Me [#][*]

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #38161 in Music
• Released on: 2008-12-09
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Dimensions: .21 pounds

Customer Reviews

Early Solo Studio Album
After the disappointingly lukewarm success of one of her most over-looked albums, Everything Is Everything (1970), she returned to the recording studios in 1971 where she was again aided by Ashford and Simpson who had previously produced her magnificent solo set, Diana Ross (1970). The Surrender (1971) album continues in similar vein but has its own individual merits to make it another masterpiece and stands as one of Diana Ross' best ever and most consistent studio albums.

The title track, Surrender, was the albums premier single and was a fun, funky little number at that. If anything this album steers into a more urban R&B terriotry and never more so than with Surrender. The lyrics are playful, the musical arrangements quite raw and Diana delivers this in a much earthier and grittier tone than usual. As the song builds to its exalting climax, you really hear Diana just losing herself in the music as she really pushes her vocals foward. Surrender hit the U.K Top 10 but merley crawled in at the bottom end of the U.S Top 40.

Can't Give Back The Love I Feel For You is perfectly assembled musically, flowing beautifully and delivered with a fabulous performance from this classy soul music legend.

However far more startling and compelling was the hauntingly atmospheric, Remember Me, one of the most remarkable songs she has ever recorded. Her delivery is somewhat chilly as she begins that haunting verse: Bye baby/see you around/didn't I tell you I wouldn't hold you down. It could easily be described as her message to Motown boss Berry Gordy. Diana Ross and Berry Gordy had been lovers during the 1960's and it was naturally assumed by everyone at Motown that they would one day marry but in mid 1971 she announced her marrage to Robert Silberstein which apparently came like a bolt out of the blue to Berry Gordy. The track is a superb soul classic and it was quite clear that Diana had developed something of a penchant for melodrama. Remember Me speedily jumped into the U.K Top 10 whilst stopping at No.16 in the U.S.

And If You See Him continues in similar vein with its rather melodramatic lyrics and exceedingly dramatic musical arrangements but is still absolutely magnificent in the process. As the rhythm steadily builds, Diana goes from a striking lower throat register and builds into a higher pitch which is remarkably effective.

Her startling re-working of The Four Tops classic, Reach Out I'll Be There is a blatant attempt to re-work the tried and tested formula of Ain't No Montain High Enough where she would talk-sing through the lyrics whilst the rhythm builds to another exalting climax. Certainly an excellent recording with such fire and pure soul in Dianas vocal delivery but unfortunatly the song stopped at No.29 on the U.S BillBoard Singles Charts.

As like Reach Out I'll Be There, Didn't You Know You'd Have To Cry Sometime encapsulates a strong gospel feel, a field Diana had rarley delved into at that point. The gospel backing is immpecable and Dianas delivery is sensual yet strong at the same time.

More urban flavoured was the superb masterpiece of A Simple Thing Like Cry. Dianas yearning delivery is crystal-clear, impressivley razor sharp and she throws her voice around the complex arrangements to great and vast efffect.

Did You Read The Morning Paper? features Diana singing against a jazzy piano backdrop where the sweeping musical arrangments are further ignited by Dianas exuberant vocal delivery where as I'll Settle For You is just simply beautifully mellow in its content and Dianas refreshing delivery is vastly soothing.

This leads into the rip-roaring and riotously funky affair of I'm A Winner which had Las Vegas undeniably written all over it. Diana delivers a cool, sassy performance and sounds totally red hot as she hits those high notes. I'm A Winner then takes us to the final of the set - All The Befores - another masterpiece ballad with its commercial-like yet diverse musical arrangements. Again her performance is classy, stylish and sophisticated. An excellent recording!

Surrender didn't become a big seller in the U.S where it stopped at No.56 but merrily bounced its way into the U.K Top 10 album charts and was re-named I'm Still Waiting, following the tracks chart-topping success. Surrender simply is an essential Diana Ross album!

Surrender to Diana Ross!!!
I love this album so much and cannot recommend it highly enough to you.
To start with there are three amazing 70s singles in this collection, 'Surrender' and 'Remember Me' back to back top ten hits in the UK amd the modestly placed US hit' Reach Out- Ill Be There'. I love Dianas/Ashford and Simpsons reworking of 'Reach Out', it's so different from the original but works really well, starting of slow and calm and building up to a tremendous finale. I also love 'I Can't Give Back The Love' and 'And If You See Him'. 'Didn't You Know Youd Have to Cry Sometime' and 'Did You Read The Morning Paper' are also classic 70s Diana Ross classics which any big fan will love. It's astounding to me that this album was not a big success in the US. To me it's one of Diana's very best albums.I just wish that Diana would work with Ashford and Simpson again. For me they produced her three best albums 'Diana Ross'(1970), 'Surrender' (1971) and 'The Boss'(1979) Buy with confidence!!!

One Of Her Best - If Not THE BEST

I am delighted that hip-o-select are releasing this album. A 90s European release (called Surrender/I'm Still Waiting) now changes hands for a lot of money, so this affordable release is a welcome addition to her catalogue.

My favorite track on here is her version of The Four Tops hit 'Reach Out (I'll Be There)', it is slowed down and made dramatic by producers Nicholas Ashford and Valerie Simpson. It was not a huge hit like her version of Marvin & Tammi's 'Aint No Mountain High Enough', but it has always worked for me.

The bonus tracks on here are interesting and worthwhile. There is only one brand new track 'Baby I'll Come', but the alternate versions/mixes of songs from the album are different enough to make them worth having. The alternate version of 'Aint No Mountain High Enough' from her first solo album 'Diana Ross', sounds like it might have been her first attempt at the song. The set ends with Valerie Simpson's demo of 'Remember Me. Now there is another great artist! On first listening, I picked out lyrics I had not understood in 30 odd years of loving Diana's version.

Ashford/Simpson knew how to get the best from Diana Ross' voice and facility. I rate this album as one of Diana's best. Back in the 70s it was my firm favourite, but there are more contenders now.