In 1981,after a hugely successful comeback album produced by Bernard Edwards and Niles Rodgers of Chic,Diana Ross made a bold move.Instead of working with them on a follow-up,she decided to produce her own album.She chose the songs,picked the musicians,and came up with a winner.'Why Do Fools Fall In Love',released in the fall of 1981,is an excellent album,one of her best.The title track is a clever remake of the Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers classic.It became a big hit.The follow-up single "Mirror,Mirror",released in early 1982,is one of my favorite Diana Ross tunes.Featuring vibrant vocals by Diana,lots of guitar and horns,a funky breakdown part and a powerful chorus,this song is one of Diana's greatest singles.

it

This album is damn near perfect,but there are two minor flaws: the silly,embarassing "Work That Body" and the solo version of "Endless Love".A few months earlier,the duet version with Lionel Richie was all over the radio and topping the charts.It would have made sense to include that version here,but for some reason,Diana re-recorded it as a solo number

I live for this entire album. Miss Ross was doing tearing the 70's and 80's up.

Did that album also have "Muscles" on it ?


I love me some early 80's Diana

SoulAlive said:

I do like "Work That Body", but don't care for her solo version of "Endless Love". I thought "Work That Body" captured the essence of the early 80s workout trend. Yes, it's cheesy now, but in 1982, it was great.

newpower99 said:

No, "Muscles" is on Silk Electric.

This was Diana gone rock. It sounded pretty good.

vainandy said:

yeah this song has alot of rock guitar in it.

daPrettyman said:

It's amazing how prolific artists were back then.I remember hearing "Mirror,Mirror" on the radio in early 82.By the fall of that year,Diana was back with a new hit single "Muscles" and a whole new album 'Silk Electric'!

vainandy said:

Yeah Diana was starting to add guitar-based rock in her music.

That whole Upside Down - Im Coming Out - Its My turn - Why Do Fools - Mirror Mirror - Muscles Era

newpower99 said:

She had an impresive run in the 80s,particularly the first half of that decade.

Timmy84 said:

I think that is one of the reasons she wanted to leave Motown. They wanted to keep doing pop ballads and she wanted to rock out (some). I vaguely remember her discussing her Motown departure in her autobiography.

daPrettyman said:

Yeah Diana wanted to branch out (that's why she did the different things she did to get through during the RCA period). She felt Motown held her back in a lot of ways because her pop stuff were selling more than other material.

This album is GREAT - 'Work That Body' included. The only track I skip is 'Endless Love' - I just prefer the version with Lionel Richie. 'Sweet Surrender' and 'Think I'm In Love'.

The whole thing is so over the top - totally Diana.

Speaking of guitars, I CANNOT listen to this track without busting out laughing:




What the HELL was she thinking??! I would have loved to have seen her record this.

And this:




I can't believe she got a writer's credit.

onenitealone said:

I remember this song! It's from her 1982 album 'Silk Electric',which she also produced.This song is hysterical....Diana trying to do heavy metal! A few years earlier,she was dating Gene Simmons of KISS,so maybe he influenced this bizarre direction?

SoulAlive said:

Maybe she didn't noticed everyone in the studio were histerically laughing while recording that...
She was really influenced by Gene in this song

I've never heard this song before, WOW I LOVE IT! I could hear some Motown and Jackson 5 influence in it too. The G-A-B-flat hook in the background and how it's structured reminds me a little bit of Jackson 5's ABC and the song reminds me a little bit of Baby Be Mine and Another Part of Me....so maybe MJ was influenced by Mirror Mirror, he LOVED diana the way fans love him.

It also reminded me a little bit of Pink Floyd, and even one of Lenny's tracks on the 5 album.


[Edited 8/6/09 11:12am]
[Edited 8/6/09 14:18pm]

kumala75 said:

I have no idea - but I can't take it seriously. At. All. It's just ridiculous.

'Silk Electric' isn't one of my favourite albums - apart from 'Muscles', 'Who' and 'I Am Me', I hardly ever listen to it.

You're just laughing at her doing metal cause she's black! I respect her for not being trapped in a box.

alphastreet said:

This is a joke, right??