Blue (Diana Ross album)

Blue, originally titled The Blue Album,[1] is a studio album by American singer Diana Ross. Initially recorded in late 1971 and early 1972, it was released as Ross' twenty-third studio album by Motown Records on June 20, 2006. Overseen by Ross' musical director Gil Askey,[2] the jazz-flavoured album was originally conceived as a follow-up to her soundtrack to the 1972 American biographical drama film Lady Sings the Blues in which Ross starred. Berry Gordy and Motown subsequently decided to shelve the album, and Ross' next release was the more pop-orientated Touch Me in the Morning (1973) album.[3]

Blue
Studio album by
Diana Ross
ReleasedJune 20, 2006
Recorded1971–1972
Genre
Length50:16
LabelMotown
ProducerGil Askey
Diana Ross chronology
Love & Life: The Very Best of Diana Ross
(2001)		 Blue
(2006)		 I Love You
(2006)
Singles from Blue

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
About.com[4]
All About Jazz(favorable)[5]
Allmusic[3]
Entertainment WeeklyB+[6]
Metro Weekly(mixed)[7]
PopMatters[8]
Rolling Stone[9]

Allmusic editor Rob Theakston found that "Gil Askey's arrangements are top-notch without sounding like dinner theater knock-offs. Blue is an album every bit as bold an artistic statement as her contemporaries Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye, who were recording the opuses Where I'm Coming From and What's Going On around the same time, and for Ross fans, Blue is every bit as enjoyable as her sultriest moments as the supreme Supreme."[3]

Chart performance

Blue was initially sold through Starbucks' US stores for the first 30 days of release, though coffeehouse chain immediately sold out of its supply nationwide. On the charts, Blue peaked at number two on the US Billboard Top Jazz Albums, also logging a single week on the Billboard 200 at number 146.[10] Its final sales figure was slightly higher than 100,000 US copies.[11]

Track listing

All songs produced and conducted by Gil Askey.[3]

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."What a Diff'rence a Day Makes"
3:28
2."No More"
3:09
3."Let's Do It"Cole Porter3:00
4."I Loves Ya Porgy"
5:11
5."Smile"
2:58
6."But Beautiful"
2:50
7."Had You Been Around"
3:29
8."Little Girl Blue"
4:00
9."Can't Get Started with You"
3:10
10."Love Is Here to Stay"
  • George Gershwin
  • Ira Gershwin
2:13
11."You've Changed"
  • Bill Carey
  • Carl Fischer
2:54
12."My Man"
3:31
13."Easy Living"
2:54
14."(In My) Solitude"
2:05
15."He's Funny That Way"
3:02
16."T'Ain't Nobody's Bizness If I Do"
2:22

Notes

  • Tracks 12-15 were originally recorded for Lady Sings the Blues (1972) but some were left out of the movie or were included in different versions.[2]

Personnel
  • Gil Askey – Conductor, Musical Arrangements, Producer
  • Oliver Nelson, Benny Golson - Arrangements
  • Guy Costa – Engineer
  • Cal Harris, Sr. – Engineer
  • Michele Horie – Producer, Artwork
  • Harry Langdon – Photography, Cover Photo
  • Pat Lawrence – Executive Producer
  • Ralph Lotten – Assistant
  • Bill MacMeeken – Engineer
  • Larry Miles – Engineer
  • John B. Norman – Engineer
  • Ryan Null – Photo Coordination
  • Kevin Reeves – Mastering, Mixing
  • David Ritz – Liner Notes
  • Greg Ross – Design
  • George Solomon – Consultant
  • Art Stewart – Engineer
  • Russ Terrana – Engineer
  • Harry Weinger – Liner Notes, Compilation Producer

Charts
Chart (2006) Peak
position
US Billboard 200[10] 146
US Top Jazz Albums (Billboard)[12] 2
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[13] 71

References
  1. "Rolling Stone: The Blue Album". Archived from the original on 2009-02-24. Retrieved 2017-10-27.
  2. Motown - Never released Diana Ross album discovered! Archived June 7, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  3. Allmusic review
  4. About.com review
  5. All About Jazz review
  6. Entertainment Weekly review
  7. Metro Weekly review Archived February 3, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  8. PopMatters review
  9. Rolling Stone review
  10. "Diana Ross Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved November 1, 2020.
  11. http://www.greasylake.org/the-circuit/index.php?%2Ftopic%2F116321-the-supremes-diana-ross-stevie-wonder-and-ray-charlesusa-album-sales%2F
  12. "Diana Ross Chart History (Top Jazz Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 1, 2020.
  13. "Diana Ross Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 1, 2020.
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