sosgemini said:

Babs can't stand Diane

She made a catty remark about Diana when she covered one of her songs and said "Who the hell is she to sing my song, there's only one Barbara Streisand".



P.S. Nice to see you back again

Harlepolis said:

Who could Barbra stand anyways.

Timmy84 said:

I say lock Babs & Aretha in a room toghether and throw away the key

ESP Aretha, this broad have such an allergy against 2-legged vagina having creatures,,,if it ain't it swingin', she'll NOT letting it near her territory.

Harlepolis said:

Flowerpower said:

.....and Janet Jackson as well. But let's not forget about Madonna's rise to become a potential queen of MTV. I really don't think Diana stood a chance.

Timmy84 said:

And lets not forget about THIS awesomely bad video for Eaten Alive:


The song was fine. But videos like THIS^ were the problem.

TonyVanDam said:

Yeah the video was horrendous. Diana did a mistake most artists made during this time: try to do their own Thriller video.

I think after '86 her songs/material were woefully inferior and since Diana Ross is neither a songwriter nor producer, she was dependent on others talents. Granted, her vocal range is limited but given the right material, she can interpet a lyric and make a song hers and hers alone.

As far as her personality....

There's a difference between being a Diva and being precieved as a bitch,
I think Ms. Ross was thought to be bitch after Diana & The Supremes emerged. I've always gotten the impression she knew the limits of her talents and she did what she thought she had to do to not end up like so many of her contemporaries at Motown broke, pennyless, or a lounge act.

TD3 said:

With her then-boss Berry Gordy, Diana was F***ing For Tracks. And she did it very well.

TonyVanDam said:

Yep, especially compared to poor Chris Clark.

TonyVanDam said:

That very well may have been true. Fucking, brown nosing.. it happens, take your pick.

'Swept Away' was her last great album.The albums that came after are spotty at best.In the late 80s,she really needed an amazing producer (Quincy Jones,perhaps?) to help her make an outstanding album.Or hell...she should have just went into the studio with LA and Babyface.Everything they touched turned to gold (or platinum).

Timmy84 said:

That video is horrible,but for some reason,I like it It has a certain charm to it,even though it's completely ridiculous.The ending is hilarious.Diana "bites" something and we hear her chewing something while the man looks scared as hell....lol

It's probably the material that did it... that, and the general ageism/sexism of the media/music industry. She'll ALWAYS be an icon - and I don't think anyone will ever forget what she achieved with Motown - but, let's face it, from the mid 80's onwards, her material has always been a bit patchy. And I say that as a HUGE fan.

Harlepolis said:

Thanks! I'm enjoying my new low-key presence on the site...

Say what you wish... IMHO, People will remember Diana Ross long after those others are forgotten! That includes: Babs, Whitney, Celine, Mariah and Madonna. Motown will survive another 100 yrs easily (That includes Jackson 5, Stevie, Marvin, Tempts, Smokey, Supremes, etc.)
[Edited 9/5/09 10:44am]

i think it was a combination of a lot of things, because no one thing fully describes it.

diana had always exhibited diva-like behavior throughout her career, yet from '70 thru '85/'86 she had hit after hit. she was still highly regarded. i even remember her hosting the tonight show with muhammed ali in '79, and he teased her about her wig (that was must see t.v!). so it's not just that she was a diva.

maybe it was her 'glamourous' image that kinda seemed out of place in the much more casual '80s, even though it's picked up again now. still, whitney often aped diana's glamour, so it's not just that.

certainly age could have been a factor, but as stated patti and cher are her contemporaries, and had big hits in their later years. i believe patti could still have a top ten r&b hit right now, i'm not so sure about diana which is odd given how much more famous diana is/was.

her voice? she had always been a lightweight alongside babs, aretha, patti, gladys...yet she had big hits right along with them.

i've heard it said that when her boys were born in the late 80s, she decided to focus on them. perhaps that's true. i saw her last year at the hollywood bowl, and although she was a little hoarse, she was the same diva-licious diana with the gowns and the hair. everyone streaming out of the venue was very positive about the show.

i think i agree with nonsense; she will ultimately be 'rediscovered' and remembered.

TonyVanDam said:

I remember a review of Control that statd "This record is better than any that Diana Ross has made in 5 years."


Not that it is saying much but Diana was beginnign to be seen as passe' etc in the mid 80's when music changed and ....

IMO, Diana Ross has always been overrated. She's not that strong of a singer, horrible dancer, and if it hadn't been for a talent for sleeping her way to the top with Berry Gordy, there wouldn't be a Diana Ross to even discuss on this thread. Sure she looks good in her famous wigs and outstanding classy outfits, but she's nothing more to me than a background singer who made it big because she went through the right connections to get famous. It worked and walla, here we are. Sorry if i've stepped on a lot peoples toes with my opinion, but thats honestly how I see her.

Diana put some very good vocals on some classic songs. That's all that matters at the end of the day.

By the mid-80's she was viewed as someone from another generation and it's hard to have a hit when that happens. Sure there are a few exceptions, but generally speaking, once your in your 40's, top 40 radio is done with you.

Diana Ross is sitting on enough cash, she doesn't need to sing another note. Diana has put the D in diva (the good, bad and ugly well documented), but at the end of the day, Diana Ross is an ICON (who happens to marry VERY well). Her bad attitude filming Diva's Live could've contributed to lack of interest in her. I love Diana Ross, she is a fantastic show woman, and granted she may not have the most pleasant personality (speculation), but she has done what many women in the industry has to get to the top (example: Madonna) My suggestion to Diana Ross is to cater to her very large gay fanbase and release a dance/house oriented album (as Cher did with Believe).

I agree,she should do a dance/house album.She will find that there is a loyal audience there who doesn't care about her age.It works for Cher and Madonna,and they've been able to have alot of success with this kind of music.

I thought she just took the time to be wth her kids and family

I still remember her bouncing Lil Kim's tatas. Funny lady.

Wasn't she also caught drunk driving or something?

BklynBabe said:

totaldiva said:

nor should she. i saw her perform on some random interview show or superfluous awards show a few years ago and it was not pretty.

and i think she knows it. whenever this happens, i kind of get the vibe from her when she's supposed to sing on TV that she's got an "oh, shit, i've got to sing. can't i just sit here and be Diana Ross? isn't that enough" kind of vibe going on.

i'm also kind of getting that from Madonna and Janet and Mariah lately as well, unfortunately.

like the singing/performing is an afterthought and that's just rather not be bothered.

and in some cases, they really shouldn't be bothered to sing, because it's hit or miss.

TD3 said:

Yeah,her albums from this period (1985 and beyond) are inconsistent.She was having a hard time finding truly great songs.I still remember her embarassing 1988 single "Workin Overtime" Diana doing New Jack Swing (yikes!).

In the 80s,Luther Vandross expressed interest in producing an album for Diana,but she declined That was one of her biggest mistakes.He was the ideal producer for her.A late-80s Vandross-produced album might have rejuvenated her career.

SoulAlive said:

Diana definitely KILT her career with that "Working Overtime" shit. When I was five, I didn't care much for how the song sounded. 20 years later, I don't even wanna look at the video.

BklynBabe said:

Cinnie said:

Timmy84 said:

That song is best forgotten.

Timmy84 said:

Durand!