Diana Ross’s 11th studio album was simply titled Diana and it would make the biggest impact of her solo career. Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards exclusively produced the album and gave it classic danceable grooves that crushed the disco backlash.  Their work as the group Chic was one of the best things about music in the ’70s and no one could forget “Le Freak” and “Good Times.”  Influential DJ Frankie Crocker had warned Ross about the album failing because of the attitudes towards disco at the end of the decade and she had it remixed by Russ Terrana. The original energy of the album was still present despite the changes that included speeding up the songs and removing lengthy instrumental segments. 

“Upside Down” was the first single from Diana and it went to number one on the Billboard 100, Soul and Disco charts. Radio, rollerskating rinks, club DJs and house parties made “Upside Down” one of the biggest songs of Ross’s career. She had attended the famed Studio 54 club in New York City and saw how Rodgers and Edward’s music lit up the dancefloor and she reached out to them for her album. The idea for “Upside Down” came from her literal words to them to turn her career “Upside Down” so she could have fun again. The success of Diana made it the highest seller of Ross’s career and  MC Lyte, Xscape and Tom Jones are a few artists who have sampled “Upside Down.” Diana was remastered in 2003 and released as a double CD with the original mixes from Rodgers and Edwards as well as the Motown version. 

In 2021 Diana Ross’s 25th studio album Thank You was released through Decca Records. 

Diana Ross’ diana album with the original Chic mixes as envisioned by Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards is available now for the first time on vinyl. The double album is on pink vinyl at 45rpm and there are alternate versions of “Upside Down” and “I’m Coming Out.”

Ross originally collaborated with Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards to take her sound in a different direction after working with Ashford and Simpson in 1979. Motown and Ross were not pleased with the results because of the recent disco backlash. Russ Terrana, Motown’s engineer, took the album and mixed to have a more commercial sound.

Rodgers and Edwards were angry about the changes to the album and wanted their names removed from it until they saw the album go to #2 on the Billboard 200 and nine million copies sold.

The original Chic mixes were first released to the public on 2003’s diana: deluxe edition. Ross’ album was one of four Chic worked on that year;  Sister Sledge’s Love Somebody Today, Sheila and B. Devotion’s King Of The World and their own studio album, Real People.

diana – the original CHIC mix vinyl track listing

Side One

1. Upside Down

2. Tenderness

Side Two

1.  Friend to Friend

2.  I’m Coming Out

Side Three

1. Have Fun (Again)

2. My Old Piano

Side Four

1. Now That You’re Gone

2. Give Up

Kathy, Debbie, Joni and and Kim Sledge are sisters from Philadelphia who formed their Baptist trained singing group in 1971. Their grandmother Viola Williams was an opera singer and they used to perform under the name of Mrs. Williams’ Grandchildren. First albums Circle Of Love and Together in ’75 and ’77 produced modest R&B hits “Love, Don’t You Go Through No Changes On Me” and “Blockbuster Boy.” It wasn’t until they worked with Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards of Chic in ’79 that their voices began to travel up the charts and into the nation’s permanent musical memories. The Chic connection is how their classic album We Are Family got produced and this is where “He’s The Greatest Dancer” came from under the disco style tutelage of Rodgers and Edwards. “We Are Family” their most successful song was the title track to the album and “Lost In Music” is another dance favorite also from that set. Love Somebody Today and All American girls followed and made an impression with “Got To Love Somebody,” “Pretty Baby” and “Next Time You’ll Know.” The sisters went on to release ten more albums with the Earth, Wind and Fire influenced African Eyes from ’97 being their last critical success. The band still tours and Kathy Sledge is known on the dance scene for “Take Me Back To Love Again” and “Another Star.”