''Diana!'' is the first solo television special of American singer

Diana Ross Diana Ross (born March 26, 1944) is an American singer and actress. She rose to fame as the lead singer of the vocal group the Supremes, who became Motown's most successful act during the 1960s and one of the world's best-selling girl groups ...

and aired on ABC on April 18, 1971. The special was choreographed by David Winters of ''

West Side Story ''West Side Story'' is a musical conceived by Jerome Robbins with music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and a book by Arthur Laurents. Inspired by William Shakespeare's play '' Romeo and Juliet'', the story is set in the mid ...

'' fame, who at that time choreographed all of Ross' stage and television shows.David Winters remembers Michael Jackson « Magick Papers & Nightlife Thailand
The special featured performances by

The Jackson 5 The Jackson 5 (sometimes stylized as the Jackson 5ive, also known as the Jacksons) are an American pop band composed of members of the Jackson family. The group was founded in 1964 in Gary, Indiana, and for most o ...

, and also included Jackson 5 lead singer

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the " King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over ...

's solo debut. Michael Jackson performed

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the " Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular entertainers of the 1940s, 1950s, and ...

's " It Was a Very Good Year", which drew laughter as its adult-themed lyrics were changed to fit his age. Other guests included Danny Thomas and Bill Cosby, who would be featured on a similar television special by the Jackson 5 (''

Goin' Back to Indiana ''Goin' Back to Indiana'' is a live/soundtrack album by the Jackson 5 for Motown Records, taken from their September 16, 1971 ABC TV special of the same name. It is the Jackson 5's sixth album overall, and was released on September 29, 1971. Th ...

'') a few months later. Since this was right at the beginning of her solo career, she took the opportunity to promote the two hits from her debut, the gold audience participant " Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand)" and the number 1 song " Ain't No Mountain High Enough". She also performed a cover of The Carpenters "

(They Long to Be) Close to You "(They Long to Be) Close to You" is a song written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David. The best-known version is that recorded by American duo the Carpenters for their second studio album '' Close to You'' (1970) and produced by Jack Daugherty. Rel ...

" and the top-20 gold single " Remember Me" released that previous December 1970 included on her forthcoming album " Surrender" to be released later that summer. (Though she performed "Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand)" on the special, it was not included on the soundtrack). The television special, and its subsequent soundtrack, was a Nielsen ratings winner, hitting the top 20 (number 17) of shows that week and garnering Emmy nominations for Ross and Bob Mackie and in technical categories.

Track listing

#"Intro" #"

Don't Rain on My Parade "Don't Rain on My Parade" is a popular song from the 1964 musical '' Funny Girl''. It was also featured in the 1968 movie version of the musical. The song was written by Bob Merrill and Jule Styne. Both the movie and stage versions feature Barbra ...

" #"Jackson 5 Medley" ("

Mama's Pearl "Mama's Pearl" was a hit recording for The Jackson 5 in 1971 and was written by The Corporation, a songwriting team that had helped the group score four consecutive #1 singles. Chart performance "Mama's Pearl" was one of six consecutive top 5 ...

"/" Walk On By"/" The Love You Save") #"

" #"Bill Cosby Segment" #" Love Story" (with Bill Cosby) #" Remember Me" #"Jackson 5 Medley" (" I'll Be There"/" Feelin' Alright") #"Danny Thomas Segment" #" Ain't No Mountain High Enough" #" Call Me"

Charts

References

Sources and external links

Rateyourmusic.com, album ''Diana!''.

Allmusic.com, album ''Diana!'' (Original TV Soundtrack).
{{Authority control Television soundtracks 1971 soundtrack albums Motown soundtracks Diana Ross soundtracks