Monday, May 7, 2012
The Many Faces of Diva
Here we have Miss Ross in a 3:50 retrospective of her entire career of fabulosity, albeit with those bothersome Supremes edited out. From a very authentic looking Hullabaloo vintage show (with the world's coolest boots showing off a snappy mashed potatoes/pony choreography thang,) through the Mahogany era fashion shoot (replete with Avedon-ish hair styling,) a disco whirl of red sequins (if you look carefully, you can see the pole she was presumably lashed to to insure she didn't fall into the fireworks,) and finally an MTV homage with white mink, yet more sequins (natch) and safety gays bursting out of the smoke machine. One can assume without even looking for them that torn jeans are in there somewhere.
The wigs alone create a sort of hairpiece timeline. I have to say, though, the Vidal Sassoon bob and leather miniskirt, while rather flattering, are almost an insult to those of us cherishing memories of the glam contrast between her bouffant and her rhinestone crusted sheaths.
I think it a song of great charm, vaguely Motown-ish, very much playing to her vocal strengths and conscious of her weaknesses. Does the background vocals sound familiar? They should, they are our old friends the Bee-Gees, who also wrote this gem. Someday, this will be required viewing in seminars on 20th Century History.
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Graham Norton claims that he once, literally, gave himself a black eye dancing to this.
ReplyDeleteI'd be very surprised if he were the only one, both to do that to this song and to punch Graham Norton.
DeleteAren't we supposed to have birthday drinks here sometime? WHen? How?
July. 5th-22nd, Hubbs and I. We're free at all times except the middle weekend. (Don't ask)
DeleteWould you care to email one (that's me) at harriesrichard@hotmail.com?
We would love to meet up. x
I'm asking.
DeleteIt's nothing naughtier than my 50th. I know, hard to believe, ain't it?
DeleteSequins. Furs. Big Hair. Fireworks.
ReplyDeleteA Diana Explosion.
And gayboys. Don't forget the gayboys
DeleteOh, Diane. You know this is actually how she remembers her life. Mary? Flo? Who? She probably vaguely remembers Cindy, as the one she hated least (sometimes I wonder if they were ever even introduced, or if she just crept in with Mary behind Miss Ross once she was already in position on stage).
ReplyDeleteI suppose when you have the same hips you did when you were twenty, it's easy to reinterpret the past.
Delete"And Flo, she don't know". That is a direct quote.
DeleteWhen I saw her at the multi-terraced Memphis Botanical Gardens, she was really tiny. She looked to be only four inches tall. Perhaps that was because I was seated at the back of the upper most terrace.
ReplyDeleteThen it dawned on me, that for all I know, I was watching one of the thousands of Diana Ross impersonators out there and possibly there could be as many other concerts going on all around the world as there are drag queens who impersonate her.
It was a staggering conclusion that left me feeling somewhat cheated, after all I see one for free every time I go out to a bar.
She looks great with that Vidal Sassoon bob, as you put it perfectly. I think I'm going to recast my own past and put myself in one too, come to think of it.
ReplyDeleteWigs, shoulder pads, sequins. Sublime.
ReplyDeleteYes, this will be featured in the same lecture as Velveeta and Cheez Whiz. Sorry, but Ms. Ross seems to be past her "sell by" date on this one.
ReplyDeleteHowever, someone -- makeup artist, lighting, cinematographer -- deserves an Academy Award for Best Special Effects for making Ms. Ross look almost as young as she did when The Supremes first charted.
Sometimes, it's the performers who don't try too hard to hold onto their youth who seem the most interesting and attractive. Look at Leonard Cohen, Debbie Harry, Keith Richards, Chrissie Hynde, Marianne Faithfull, and Ronnie Spector. (No, I wouldn't want to sleep with Keith, either, but his lack of pretension about his looks makes him far more interesting than, say, Billy Idol.)
I'd do Keef.
DeleteNo offense, but are you sure you haven't already? We already know Keef was probably too wasted to confirm or deny. . .;-)!
Delete