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Diana Ross can only wish she looked this good! :-)) This doll looks great among my collection. I'm glad I bought mine before they went out of stock!

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Nothing from the mountain of information that has been written about Diana Ross and her fabled recording career over the past five decades comes close to being as revelatory in nature as the Hip-O Select expanded edition of her classic 1973 recording, Touch Me in the Morning. Disc One remains mostly true to the original vinyl release with bonus alternative versions of four of the album cuts as well as charming studio spoken banter featuring Diana stating she feels a cold coming on. Disc Two, the unreleased album, To The Baby could be considered Ms. Ross' fully conceived concept album which never saw the light of day, but now almost 39 years later, we can appreciate her artistry and strong sense of vision of who she was. While her label mates, Stevie Wonder was coming of age with his Where I'm Coming From, Marvin Gaye was being haunted by his introspective What's Going On, and the Four Tops were delving into Still Waters Run Deep, Diana was sharing her unabashed joy of motherhood. Perhaps Berry Gordy had other considerations besides the potential commercial success of this venture, keeping To The Baby in the can, but time proved him wrong in initially fighting both Stevie and Marvin from releasing their masterpieces. The Ewan MacCall classic song, The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face was hugely popularized by Roberta Flack, but Ross' version is haunting in it's own right. Got To be There, a Jackson 5 hit is pure delight given the full breathy Ross trademark treatment. T-Boy Ross, whose composition, I Want You, became a classic recording associated with Marvin Gaye, was brilliantly covered by his sister, Diana on her I Love You compact disc. Here, T-Boy' finally gets to have his sublime To The Baby posthumously see the light of day, surely a bitter sweet moment for Diana. To the ears of this reviewer, the medley of Imagine/Save The Children works slightly better than the the Ross produced stand alone version of Imagine, and the Brown Baby/ Save The Children version that appeared on the original Touch Me In the Morning release. To round off this beautifully packaged Hip-O Select set featuring rare photos of a radiant and very pregnant Ross, is the engaging Smokey Robinson written, produced and near duet, Kewpie Doll. Limited to only 7,000 copies, this collector's set will sell out quickly and an attempt to secure a copy will reward the listener many times over. Ross at her best and highly recommended!

Touch Me In the Morning: Expanded Edition - Diana Ross (Hip-O Select/Motown/Universal) By 1973, Diana Ross seemed to be light years away from her tenure as a founding member of The Supremes. She had already hit two pinnacles garnering her first #1 solo single in "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" and even more impressive, a #1 album and movie with "Lady Sings the Blues". Her movie debut would earn a Best Actress nomination and Golden Globe. She lost the Oscar to Liza Minelli. All the excitement generated from her cinematic debut would also cause her contemporary music career to take somewhat of a backseat. It is not like she stopped recording. In fact, she had been quite prolific in the recording studio with no less than 3 projects including "Everything is Everything", "Surrender" and the unreleased, "To the Baby" albums. Gordy had decided it was time to return to the top of the charts w/another radio friendly smash. Michael Masser, a new songwriter/producer, was commissioned to create that smash. The result was "Touch Me in the Morning". FM radio was becoming more and more pervasive. FM radio would break the rigid formula of its counterpart. Its freeform nature, at that time, would give equal time to the full 6:06 minute version of "Ain't No Mountain High Enough", rotated next to Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven" or Ten Years After's "Love Like a Man". It would be the last days of the relevance of AM radio. Berry Gordy had mastered the demands and boundaries of that format. Famously Gordy commented that "a single would not be released until its sound was calibrated through a transistor radio", as well as, a state of the art sound system. So let's step back in time for a second and remember when albums had a Side 1/Side 2. To my ears, "Touch Me in the Morning" Side 1 was geared towards AM radio. The songs were more Adult contemporary and the sound was compressed and safe, just like that format in general. Michael Masser wrote a rather complicated song about the end of a love affair. As a producer, he had Diana layer vocals on top of vocals. (Reportedly, this drove Ross crazy and she grew to resent those sessions). The lyrics were a lot more sophisticated than what one may have initially thought. In fact, a lyric like "mornings were blue and gold, we use to feel each other living" would only grow in significance. Diana would experiment with various live arrangements of the song through the years. Songs like "I Won't Last a Day Without You" written by Paul Williams (The Carpenters) and Michael Randall ("Leave a Little Room", "All of My Life") had that sunny AM radio sound that would be antecedent to the "soccer mom" phenomenon of the millennium era. The kind of copyrights that eventually found its way onto Johnny Mathis, Helen Reddy albums. It would also demonstrate the dichotomy that Diana and Berry wrestled with in deciding what direction her solo career should take. (A noted British music critic reflected on how Gordy fashioned Diana's next makeover from a more soulful, edgy Diva (see "Love Child", "I'm Livin' in Shame") to a more cabaret-ish songstress (Streisand, Dionne Warwick). "Lady Sings the Blues" captured both sides beautifully. However, high-end supper club bookings were still coveted compared to arenas. Supper club bookings catered to an older audience. Therefore, her set list would be more MOR (middle of the road). Side Two would be slightly more adventurous. It would open up with a gorgeous, acoustic rendition of Rodgers-Hart's "Little Girl Blue". (Diana recorded no less than 4 different arrangements of this song from The Supremes ("Sing Rodgers and Hart", "Lost and Found: Let the Music Play") and more recently as a solo artist ("Stolen Moments"). She tackles a fairly straightforward version of John Lennon's "Imagine". There is a decidedly more urbane feel to "My Baby My Own" with its wonderful, mournful adlibs. These songs sound ready made for the burgeoning FM radio format. The album closes out with a beautiful medley of "Brown Baby"/"Save the Children", the latter from Marvin's iconic "What's Going On" album from a couple of years prior. Diana had begun to stretch her creativity once again by producing "Imagine" and "Save the Children". While her production skills were fairly safe, it offered promise of what may possibly come. (In fact, when it was announced that Diana and Marvin would record together.......possibilities seemed endless, from writing and producing collaborations. Alas, it would never be fully realized). The alternate mixes on this "Expanded Edition" are particularly impressive. The set includes alternate mixes on half of this album's songs. The two extra versions of "Touch Me in the Morning" are quite listenable. Mix 1 has a fuller orchestration, Mix 2 is even more majestic and symphonic with a long, elegant opening that leads into some of Diana's most potent singing. Still, in reflection, the version that was first released was probably more commercial and radio-friendly. "All of My Life" ,1973 mix, is a tad more soulful with strong violins and a soulful guitar/sax ending. It would become a Top Ten hit in the U.K. And Deke Richards' "We Need You" is decidedly more soulful as well ending with a heartfelt plea. This has always been one of my favorite Diana Ross albums. The soft focused photo cover captures Diana seemingly floating in clouds like an angel listening to harps and orchestral strings.. The album flows delicately like the sound of birds chirping on a spring morning. Disc 2: To The Baby" - Diana Ross (Motown/Universal/Hip-O Select) As the saying goes, a lot has been said and written about Diana Ross. One thing that is hard to deny is her incredible work ethic. In the early 70s, her prolific output continued at a breathtaking pace. She seemed to effortlessly juggle a new solo career, movie debut, new marriage and the birth of her first baby. "To The Baby" was designed to be a tribute to her children. The first, Rhonda Suzanne Gordy-Silberstein was born in August of 1971. Diana would declare in countless interviews that she wanted a large family. The title song "To The Baby" was co-written by Diana's brother, Arthur Ross, affectionately known as "T-Boy". There have been rumors of this album's existence circulating for decades. Just as amazing as the title song demonstrates T-Boy's expertise as a songwriter (he also co-wrote Marvin Gaye's "I Want You"), it is amazing that this wondrous album has finally seen the light of day. Original songs like the title song, "Part of You" and "Kewpie Doll" are sequenced in with more than credible versions of hit songs of that time, like "Got to Be There", "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" and ""Imagine". "Part of You" opens up the album. It is a soft, melodic song with flourishes of Motown and sprinkles of sunny lullabies. Diana sings it with ease. Strings swirl and accentuate the delicate signature of Diana's vocals. "A Wonderful Guest" follows a similar musical turn, part lovely lullaby and part Motown in the finest of that label's distinctive musicianship. Once again, Diana's vocals are wrapped in beautiful violins. It is a reminder of that unique vocal quality that belongs only to her. Some singers possess full-bodied, soul instruments, whereas, I likened Diana's voice to fine delicate crystal. It rings and shimmers and makes for a beautiful tapestry of sounds. Diana confidently takes on covers by Roberta Flack in "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face". In a spoken word intro, she makes clear that this version is not about a deep, abiding love. It is about that magical moment when a parent looks into the eyes of their new borne for the very first time. Michael's sometimes forgotten first solo single, "Got to Be There" is no longer filled with the heart-fluttering romance of teen love. Instead, it becomes a declaration, an affirmation of what will forever be the relationship between mother and child. It is no less memorable. Apparently Lena Horne recorded one of the first versions of "Brown Baby". I have been unable to find much information about it. In this version on "To The Baby", it stands alone as its own track. It is soulful, filled with great adlibs dubbed throughout. (Rhonda Suzanne would graduate from Brown University with a degree in African American studies. The song takes on an even more profound meaning with this knowledge.). In what some may consider her bravest move, Diana does a respectable cover of John Lennon's "Imagine". "Imagine" would become one of the first songs she produced on herself. But in returning to the title track, one feels a wide range of emotions. On one hand, I remember buying T-Boy's only solo album on Motown. Diana resurrected "I Want You" on her last studio outing, "I Love You". In interviews and on that album's DVD, she reminds her fans of T-Boy's writing talents. T-Boy, unfortunately, was barbarously annihilated about a decade ago. The promise of a young talent unfulfilled. "To Be Baby" is included as a bonus disc on the just released, "Touch Me in the Morning: Expanded Edition". Hip-O Select, the catalog division of Motown/Universal released it to the fans in December 2009. Many of Diana's fans have expressed enthusiasm for this great find from the vaults. The album is strong enough on its own that one can only wonder why Motown decided to shelf it for over 3 decades. "Kewpie Doll" written and produced by Smokey closes out this very special release. It makes one wonder why Diana and Smokey have not worked together more often. It was Smokey that first brought Diana and The Supremes to Berry Gordy's attention a half century ago in 1961. She inducted him into the NAACP Hall of Fame. He recently bestowed the coveted Kennedy Center Honors to Diana. They remain close. The internet has been a buzzed with "Kewpie Doll" as a fan favorite. If that were not enough, the Hip-O Select/Motown/Universal team includes the rare "When We Grow Up", Diana's contribution to Marla Thomas' celebrated "Free to Be, You and Me".

Reviews

After seeing the PBS program on the 70s, I just had to get more. This is the best!

Its a great memory trip back to the fun songs of my youth. These are songs that are classic. Great album

Pure Disco, Volume 2 is one hour, twelve minutes and twelve seconds and was released on November 11, 1997. The songs on this cassette were some of the most popular songs during the disco era. The only song that I have not heard in a long time is Love's Theme by Love Unlimited Orchestra. At the end of the cassette is a mixture of diva songs. This is a great cassette to listen to and Pure Disco, Volume 2 gets an A+ from me. Side A I Will Survive (remix)-Gloria Gaynor (Shake, Shake, Shake,) Shaky Your Booty-KC & The Sunshine Band #1 U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Singles #1 U.S. Billboard Hot Soul Singles (four non consecutive weeks at #1) #1 U.S. Cash Box Magazine Top Singles Turn the Beat Around-Vicki Sue Robinson #10 U.S. Billboard Pop Charts #1 U.S. Billboard Hot Dance/Disco (four weeks at #1) Macho Man-Village People #25 U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Singles We Are Family-Sister Sledge #2 U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Singles #1 U.S. Billboard Hot Soul Singles #1 U.S. Billboard Hot Dance/Disco (two weeks at #1) Flashdance...What a Feeling-Irene Cara #1 U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Singles (six weeks at #1) #1 U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play (three weeks at #1) #1 U.S. Billboard ARC Weekly Top 40 (five weeks at #1 #4 U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary #2 U.S. Billboard Hot Black Singles #1 U.S. Cash Box Magazine Top Singles (six weeks at #1) I Just Want To Be Your Everything-Andy Gibb #1 U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Singles (four weeks at #1) #8 U.S. Billboard Easy Listening #1 U.S. Cash Box Magazine Top Singles (three weeks at #1) Everlasting Love-Carl Carlton #6 U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Singles Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Babe-Barry White #1 U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Singles #1 U.S. Billboard Hot Soul Singles (three weeks at #1) #1 U.S. Cash Box Magazine Top Singles Rock the Boat-The Hues Corporation #1 U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Singles #1 U.S. Cash Box Magazine Top Singles Love Rollercoaster-Ohio Players #1 U.S. Billboard Pop Charts #1 U.S. Billboard Hot Soul Singles #3 U.S. Cash Box Magazine Top Singles Upside Down-Diana Ross #1 U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Singles (four weeks at #1) #1 U.S. Billboard Hot Soul Singles (four weeks at #1) #1 U.S. Billboard Hot Dance/Disco (five non consecutive weeks at #1) #1 U.S. Billboard ARC Weekly Top 40 (three weeks at #1) #1 U.S. Cash Box Magazine Top Singles (three weeks at #1) Side B Play that Funky Music-Wild Cherry #1 U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Singles (three weeks at #1) #1 U.S. Billboard Hot Soul Singles (two weeks at #1) #1 U.S. Cash Box Magazine Top Singles (two weeks at #1) The Hustle-Van McCoy #1 U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Singles #1 U.S. Billboard Hot Soul Singles Love's Theme-Love Unlimited Orchestra #1 U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Singles #1 U.S. Billboard Hot Soul Singles #1 U.S. Cash Box Magazine Top Singles Gimmie! Gimmie! Gimmie! (A Man After Midnight)-Abba Did not chart in the United States Fly, Robin, Fly-Silver Convention #1 U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Singles (three weeks at #1) #1 U.S. Billboard Hot Soul Singles #1 U.S. Billboard Hot Dance/Disco (three weeks at #1) #2 U.S. Cash Box Magazine Top Singles Grammy Award in 1976 for Best Instrumental Performance Ring My Bell-Anita Ward #1 U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Singles (two weeks at #1) #1 U.S. Billboard Hot Soul Singles (five weeks at #1) #1 U.S. Billboard Hot Dance/Disco #1 U.S. Cash Box Magazine Top Singles (three weeks at #1) It's Raining Men-The Weather Girls #46 U.S. Billboard Pop Charts #1 U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play (two weeks at #1) #34 U.S. Billboard Hot Black Singles Last Dance-Donna Summer #3 U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Singles #1 U.S. Billboard Hot Dance/Disco (six weeks at #1) #5 U.S. Billboard Hot Soul Singles #42 U.S. Billboard Easy Listening #4 U.S. Cash Box Magazine Top Singles The Diva Megamix

Though the remix of Gaynor's "I Will Survive" featured on this compilation pales in comparison to the original, heard on the first in the series, the other songs contained within are true indicators of what a generation danced to during the late 70's and early 80's. Classics like "Turn the Beat Around," the perennial favorite "We Are Family," "Can't Get Enough of Your Love," "Rock the Boat," Diana Ross's monster hit "Upside Down," "Play the Funky Music," the great "Ring My Bell," It's Raining Men," "(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty," "The Hustle," "Love's Theme," and the Donna Summer Oscar-winning "Last Dance" will, most definitely, take a disco lover to musical heaven. Of course, there's a little filler here. "Flashdance" seems a bit too 80's for this collection and Andy Gibb's "I Just Want to be Your Everything" just doesn't fit. However, one can overlook those errors in judgment and just enjoy the disc in its entirety.

If you like the original version of "I will survive" do not buy this CD. This version is horrible!!! Unfortunately, I opened the CD and couldn't return it.

Reviews

Mostly like the songs on this CD, but don't like the "eco-friendly packaging, as the CD is not held tightly on a spindle in the packaging and falls out at the slightest movement after the first time you take it out of the case. Put CD in a jewel case, so everything is now fine! (So much for saving the environment!) Songs are a good mix of Diana Ross' and the Supreme's early work. Most of the best songs, BUT these songs have been remixed. We don't really like the remixing, but it's not too terrible. Worth the price, would probably buy again!

I had forgotten how many great songs that Diana Ross and the Supremes recorded until I looked at the playlist for this album. 24 songs is a great deal that I just couldn't resist and I'm not disappointed. I've been listening to it all afternoon and thinking back to where I was and what I was doing when each of the songs was popular. It's hard to pick favorites from this album but Baby Love, You Keep me Hanging On and Stop in the Name of Love are the ones that bring back special memories. Really, I love them all. I always buy the mp3 versions of albums these days. It's easier than getting the CD and then having to upload it to the computer and then downloading to the iPod. The sound on this collection is superb. I brought my iPod downstairs and connected it to the surround sound system with this type of cable 3.5mm Male to 2 RCA Type Male 6 FT. Audio-Y Cable for iPod, iRiver, Zune, Audiovox FMM100 FM Modulator or other AUX adapter and listen to my iPod playlists. I made a separate playlist for this collection and also added the songs to my "Oldies" playlist which is about 6 days long now!

What a treasure trove of hits this has. From Where did our love go, through You Can't Hurry Love, and even Jean Terrell's Stoned Love and ending with several of Diana's duet and solo hits. This really is a must have for any Supremes fan and what a great price. They sound so much better on this cd than the old 45's did.

Say what you will about the many incarnations of Diana Ross - Motown Chanteuse, Auteur, Mannequin, Jacko Muse or (Nora) Desmond Diva - it is almost impossible to deny her enduring influence on popular culture over the past forty years. Whether in group, or sans Supremes this collection is a career-spanning tour de force that leaves little argument that her presence not only continues to loom large but is timeless. Considering the ancient recording technology that supported the original masters, Number 1's is as clean and pristine as any contemporary release could hope to be. However, the unintended consequence of brilliance and transparency is perhaps, the excavation of too much information best left buried beneath the pop and static of the original "stereophonic" recordings - the underlying shrillness that sometimes surfaces in recordings that have been scrubbed too clean - like watching The Twilight Zone in HD and being able to discern make-up lines and prop fakery that were never apparent in the lower resolution broadcasts. Under digital magnification Ross's sometimes thin and reedy vocals are occassionally exposed - but no matter - as the epic quality of the material itself more than compensates when her range is stretched beyond the limits of human hearing. Also, for some reason, Universal Music seems obsessed about making a great deal of the "eco-friendly" biodegradable packaging. I suspect it will be a great comfort to my descendents that the landfill half-life of Ms. Ross is now 500 years instead of 1,000. Frankly, I would have much preferred a jewel case replete with liner-notes and other biographical material. Note to UM - lose the pc inspired, minimalist nonsense and give Ross and the Supremes the respect and presentation they deserve. Regardless, note for note this is an almost perfect collection and is very highly recommended.

The cd was in excellant condition and the shipping was very fast. I will definitely shop here again.

Reviews

I wanted to know more about the history of the first release of this song prior to the new, revised song coming out this spring. This anniversary edition was great entertainment, complete with participants' interviews and excerpts from award programs which acknowledged "We Are the World"....a wonderful piece of entertainment history for my kids to enjoy.

I'm really pleased with my purchase, it was delivered just as described and I'm looking forward to watching it. Thanks heaps.

Great music and an incredible commitment to make a recording to help people in Africa.

You have to buy this! After all these years it is excellent.While you're watching it you feel as though it was just put out this year. I LOVE IT, LOVE IT, LOVE IT, LOVE IT, LOVE IT!!!!!! Worth every penny and then some!!!!

These pieces of the video I saw at Youtube and I fell in love with the beautiful music, voices, people. And of course Michael. It's very good quality, 2 discs are full of friendship, kindness and L.O.V.E.

Reviews

Product was excatly as described. Received product on time. Will purchase from this vendor again.

This was one of my favorite movies when I was young! The songs in it from when I was a child still linger with me today. I bought this movie so I could share it with my children now. On top of that MJ is in it and he will be forever missed!

A little weird, I mostly just wanted to see Michael Jackson as a teenager doing his first movie. I loved that -seeing him sing and dance and interact. He was so talented. Why didn't we appreciate him, why didn't we reach out to him, embrace him in his later years?? Almost all geniuses tend to get a little weird when they move on from their prime and they cannot overachieve anymore, or out do what they have done. Their physical appearanace changes, new people come into the spotlight and nudge them over-it is not in their character to accept those normal life experiences. HIs brothers went on to live normal lives, but for Michael, it was not possible. Show biz WAS his link to life, he could not adapt.

It was great to see Michael Jackson's first film role, and he was great as the Tin Man, but the film as a whole doesn't stand the test of time. Some of the dance numbers just seem to go on and on and on without moving the story forward. This type of indulgence was typical of the time in which the film was made-the 70's (very over-the-top). And, for all her talent and brilliance, (and I think she's amazing) but Diana Ross was just horribly miscast as Dorothy. Also, we buy DVD's because we want the extra's and this DVD doesn't contain any, other than the theatrical trailer, (which really isn't an extra). For a 30th anniversary re-release they should have gone back to the director or producer for commentary; or at least some of the living cast members. The digital remastering did enhance the picture quality, but over-all the film as a whole was just "ok." I didn't love it, but didn't hate it.

I love Micheal Jackson and have always wanted to see this movie. To be honest it was not the greatest movie I have ever seen, but it was cute and if you like The King of Pop you will like this movie.