ICYMI: ‘Diana — The Original Chic Mix’ Makes Its Debut On Pink Vinyl

Mike Wass | April 24, 2017 6:30 pm
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In case you missed it, the original Chic mix of Diana Ross’ seminal 1980 LP, Diana, made a belated debut on pink vinyl last Friday (April 21). This is how Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards envisioned the album, before the iconic diva called on Motown’s house engineer (Russ Terrana) to remix it. He used alternate vocals and placed Diana higher in the mix to create a more commercial sound. “Our concept was to make it more avant-garde,” Nile Rodgers later revealed in an interview, “and their concept was to make it a little bit more accessible.”

Despite the last-minute changes, Diana was a smash upon release in 1980. The album produced a number one hit (“Upside Down”) as well as enduring LGBT anthem, “I’m Coming Out,” and fan favorite, “My Old Piano.” It peaked at number 2 on the Billboard 200 and sold nine million worldwide. It’s interesting to discover how much different the album could have sounded if they stuck with Chic’s funkier, disco-centric production. See the tracklist and watch a video of Diana performing “Upside Down” with Michael Jackson below.

The Diana 2 x LP tracklist:

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”

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