Red Hot Rhythm and Blues is the seventeenth studio album by American R&B singer Diana Ross, released on May 8, 1987, by RCA Records and EMI Records. It was Ross' last of six albums released by the label during the decade. It was produced by veteran Atlantic Records producer Tom Dowd with one track contributed by Luther Vandross.
Overview The album charted in the UK, Germany, the Netherlands and Austria, as well as reaching the Top 20 in Sweden and Norway. It was Ross's final album for RCA Records, after a six-year stint with the label since Why Do Fools Fall in Love (1981). In the US, the album peaked at No. 73 on the Billboard 200.
The album included "Dirty Looks" (US R&B No. 12, UK No. 49), originally recorded by Motown outfit Warp 9, and the retro-flavoured "Shockwaves" which was released as a Shep Pettibone remix in the UK and peaked at No. 76.
A number of major contemporary songwriters contributed new songs to the project including Luther Vandross who also produced "It's Hard for Me to Say" (and later cut the track for his 1996 album Your Secret Love). It also included the first recording of Leonard Cohen's "Summertime" as well as Mick Hucknall's "Shine" (also released on Simply Red's concurrent album Men and Women).
The album also included cover versions of several R&B classics, including the Bobbettes' "Mr. Lee" (UK No. 58), Jackie Ross' "Selfish One", Etta James' "Tell Mama", and the Drifters' "There Goes My Baby".
The album was promoted with a TV special that aired on ABC on May 20, 1987, titled Diana Ross: Red Hot Rhythm and Blues. The special featured guests such as Etta James, Little Richard, Billy Dee Williams, Leslie Nielsen, LL Cool J, Bernadette Peters and Wolfman Jack.
The tracks "Mr. Lee" and "Tell Mama" were not included on the US version of the album and the mix of "Dirty Looks" on the UK version differs from the mix on the US version.
The cover photography was by Herb Ritts.
Re-release in 2014 The album was remastered and re-released in September 2014 by Funky Town Grooves, as an "Expanded Edition" with bonus material on a second CD. This reissue was licensed from RCA, which owns rights to the album in the U.S. and Canada and is available in these countries (plus, through imports from Solid Records, also in Japan, even when actually Warner Music owns rights here).
Track listing
Personnel Credits are adapted from the Red Hot Rhythm & Blues liner notes.
Performers
Diana Ross – lead vocals John Capek, Greg Phillinganes, Richard Tee – keyboards Steve Goldstein, Jason Miles – synthesizers Joseph Joubert – keyboards, arrangements Steve Farris, Eric Gale, Jeff Mironov – guitars Francisco Centeno, Nathan East, Chuck Rainey – bass guitar Steve Ferrone, Steve Gadd, Tommy Vig – drums, percussion Ivan Hampden – drums Paulinho da Costa, Sammy Figueroa – percussion Marc Katz – arrangements Paul Riser – arrangements Charles Samek – arrangements Albert Schoonmaker – arrangements John "Skip" Anderson – arrangements (11) Jocelyn Brown – backing vocals Dennis Collins – backing vocals Benny Diggs – backing vocals Lani Groves – backing vocals Maeretha Stewart – backing vocals Darryl Tookes – backing vocals Luther Vandross – backing vocals (11)
Production
Diana Ross – executive producer Tom Dowd – producer (1–10, 12) Luther Vandross – producer (11) Larry Alexander – engineer (1–10, 12) Paul Brown – engineer (11) Bruce Wildstein – engineer (11) Ray Bardani – mixing (11) Nick Basich – assistant engineer (1–10, 12) Don Rodenback – assistant engineer (1–10, 12) Adrian Trujillo – assistant engineer (1–10, 12) Ted Jensen – mastering at Sterling Sound (New York City, New York) Sephra Herman – musical contractor Ria Lewerke – art direction Pietro Alfieri – design Herb Ritts – photography Stylist – Michael Roberts – stylist
Charts Chart (1987)PeakpositionCanada Top Albums (RPM)78 scope="row" European Albums (Music & Media)34 scope="row" Italian Albums (Musica e dischi) 21 scope="row" scope="row" scope="row" scope="row" scope="row" US Cashbox Top 200 Pop Albums63
References
External links