*Right after Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Richard Pryor and other legends finished filming the theatrical version of the Broadway phenomenon The Wiz, released in 1978, Motown Records sent Ross back to the studio to record an album of all of the musical’s songs — including those sung by her cast mates.

The album was to have been called “Diana Ross Sings Songs From The Wiz”, and was scheduled for release in early 1979 as a companion piece to the movie’s Quincy Jones-produced soundtrack album.

The film itself was mired in controversy before filming began, with critics savaging Motown for casting a 33-year-old Ross as the The Wiz’ 24-year-old Dorothy.The movie was generally panned upon its release, and it under-performed at the box office. Motown subsequently cancelled the release of the companion Ross album.

Read more: http://www.eurweb.com/201...exclusive/

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This looks really interesting to me, but I disagree hugely with JRT's statement on CDs. That's the kind of attitude that causes MJ fans to buy anything the Estate gives them, even if it's abysmally done. In any case, it isn't exactly a release that many of the iTunes generation will be keeping an eye out for.

Doesn't this kind of release at least merit a limited CD run? Where are Hip-O Select when you need them?

NBC's LIVE version of The Wiz debuts Thursday night on Dec 3rd..So yeah, releasing that old Diana Album a week before the televised Play is a smart move...There's a youtube Clip of Stephanie Mills and the new Dororthy rehearsing/dueting "Home"...Stephanie sounds amazing and I hope she has a Solo-song as Aunt Em..I'm guessing when the revival hits Broadway in 2016 Stephanie will play Aunt Em throught the run of the Play...Cirque du Soleil is part of the LIVE-TV & 2016 stage production and I'm looking forward to seeing what they got up their sleeve....So far The Wiz sounds like it's gonna be a Hit...

Only digital

SoulAlive said:

I love it when "lost" albums are finally set free,but I'm not too excited about this project,for some reason

Whoa, LAWD!!! FIRSTLY, I don't understand how Stephanie Mills wasn't cast as Dorothy in the original motion picture, where she would have played a much more CREDIBLE version of Dorothy in size, stature and in vocal ability. Ross looks more like someone's retarded older daughter and it didn't translate well onto film. Not to MENTION, she didn't even SING the original version of "You Can't Win." Michael Jackson did. Count ME out on this one TOO! I'm SURE it won't be very good and those vein and eyeball-bulging performances in the movie will only LEND 2 the humor of actually hearing them (again) remastered. :-O

^^I agree,the movie was a mess.Diana Ross had no business playing the role of Dorothy! What was she thinking?! Plus,she looks way too skinny and boney in that film.I also wasn't impressed with much of the music in this movie....one or two songs are OK,but I actually have no desire to purchase the soundtrack.

I don't know what y'all talking about but The Wiz film is a classic and the majority of the songs were on-point...Back in the Day Critics said Mabel King brought the house down on Broadway and her performance in the Movie is still the highlight of the film..Queen of Hip/Hop Soul Mary J. Blige would not have been my first pick as Wicked Witch Evillene but "Don't Nobody bring Me No Bad News" is not a difficult song to sing...I think Mary will own it...Just a side note...I would have cast Kelly Price as The Wicked Witch..."No bad News" is the showstopper and I would have gone after a vocalist who can bring some Grit..

I'm looking forward to this. Universal continues to move further and further away from physical CD reissues. I thought they would have released Rick James' "Glow" on CD by now but it's still only available digitally. And I just found out a few weeks ago that Tata Vega's last two Motown albums were released digitally, one with several bonus tracks. No plans for actual CD releases. Guess it's something us oldsters have to accept.

Michael Jackson played a major role in that movie and was on the original soundtrack album.

Isn't there a sticky for these pointless endless Jackson connected claptrap?

Lock this thread!

BBBBBBBBut this is not about MJ it is about the upcoming release of "The Wiz" album, which is meant to cross promote the upcoming made-for-TV feature airing in a few weeks. The stage show opened in 1974. Michael was merely involved in the film adaptation released in 1978. It took six replies for him to even be mentioned. Simmer down.

.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wiz

JKOOLMUSIC said:

BBBBBBBBut this is not about MJ it is about the upcoming release of "The Wiz" album, which is meant to cross promote the upcoming made-for-TV feature airing in a few weeks. The stage show opened in 1974. Michael was merely involved in the film adaptation released in 1978. It took six replies for him to even be mentioned. Simmer down.

.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wiz

irrelevant. the Jermain Jackson thread also got locked.

I suggest that any thread about any person that is a singer (just like Michael Jackson was!!!) should be locked

SoulAlive said:

^^I agree,the movie was a mess.Diana Ross had no business playing the role of Dorothy! What was she thinking?! Plus,she looks way too skinny and boney in that film.I also wasn't impressed with much of the music in this movie....one or two songs are OK,but I actually have no desire to purchase the soundtrack.

WORD!!! My favorite songs from the film weren't the Ross songs except for "Ease On Down The Road." THAT ONE is a classic. Otherwise, "You Can't Win" by M.J. is amazing as is the showstopper, "Don't Nobody Bring Me No Bad News." And if I may digress, the cyclone in the middle of a NYC street was REALLY corny!!! They should have come up with sumpthin' a little more original than THAT like Dorothy gettin' hit by a snowplow and gettin' knocked out on the side of the street after she smacked her head on the curb. Just sayin'.

BombSquad said:

JKOOLMUSIC said:

BBBBBBBBut this is not about MJ it is about the upcoming release of "The Wiz" album, which is meant to cross promote the upcoming made-for-TV feature airing in a few weeks. The stage show opened in 1974. Michael was merely involved in the film adaptation released in 1978. It took six replies for him to even be mentioned. Simmer down.

.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wiz

irrelevant. the Jermain Jackson thread also got locked.

I suggest that any thread about any person that is a singer (just like Michael Jackson was!!!) should be locked

Ah. Good luck with that. From what I can tell the entire cast of "The Wiz" are singers as it is a stage show or play. Sha-mown!

I'm gonna check my DVR guide and see if The Wiz is gonna air before the LIVE special....I wanna see it again..I think that was Lena Horne's last movie appearance..

whitechocolatebrotha said:

SoulAlive said:

^^I agree,the movie was a mess.Diana Ross had no business playing the role of Dorothy! What was she thinking?! Plus,she looks way too skinny and boney in that film.I also wasn't impressed with much of the music in this movie....one or two songs are OK,but I actually have no desire to purchase the soundtrack.

WORD!!! My favorite songs from the film weren't the Ross songs except for "Ease On Down The Road." THAT ONE is a classic. Otherwise, "You Can't Win" by M.J. is amazing as is the showstopper, "Don't Nobody Bring Me No Bad News." And if I may digress, the cyclone in the middle of a NYC street was REALLY corny!!! They should have come up with sumpthin' a little more original than THAT like Dorothy gettin' hit by a snowplow and gettin' knocked out on the side of the street after she smacked her head on the curb. Just sayin'.

I cant