Workin' Overtime
Workin' Overtime | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | ||||
Studio album by Diana Ross | ||||
Released | June 6, 1989 | |||
Recorded | 1988–1989 | |||
Genre | New jack swing[1] | |||
Length | 39:53 | |||
Label | Motown | |||
Producer | Nile Rodgers | |||
Diana Ross chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from Workin' Overtime | ||||
| ||||
Workin' Overtime is the eighteenth studio album by American singer Diana Ross, released on June 6, 1989, by Motown Records. Her first Motown album with new material since To Love Again (1981) after a short stint with RCA Records, Ross reunited with frequent collaborator Nile Rodgers, chief producer of her most successful album to date diana (1980), to make this album which was an attempt to gear her to a much younger audience bringing in new jack swing productions and house music.
Upon its release, Workin' Overtime received negative reviews from music critics and failed commercially despite the title track reaching number three on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. The album reached the top thirty in Sweden and the United Kingdom and peaked at number 116 on the US Billboard 200, earning the distinction of becoming the lowest-charting studio album of Ross' entire solo career. Additional singles "This House" and "Bottom Line" were issued, as well as a Shep Pettibone remix of "Paradise", but all failed to revive the album's sales. The album was supported by a concert tour, the Workin' Overtime World Tour.
Background
Following the release of her album Red Hot Rhythm & Blues (1987), Ross gave birth to her son Ross and became pregnant with Evan, which caused her to go on a hiatus from work. "I stayed off work for about a year... I was having my babies, and during that time I spent a lot of time watching BET on television, the kids doing the hip-hop and so on... and, you know, I’m a risk taker," Ross said.[2]
Workin' Overtime marked Ross' first Motown album with new material since To Love Again (1981), after Ross left the label for a then record breaking $20 million deal with RCA. Upon Diana's return to the label, Motown founder Berry Gordy, Jr. had sold the label to MCA Records and had positioned Jheryl Busby to the head of Motown. Ross was at first reluctant to return to her old label but Gordy promised her a lot in her return: Not only would Ross return to Motown as a recording act, but she would be the label's part-owner.[3]
Critical reception
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Robert Christgau | C+[4] |
Los Angeles Times | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
AllMusic editor Ron Wynn wrote that "this album was the first product of that new contract, and the results weren't very encouraging. There were no moderate or even small hits, and the album quickly dropped off both the R&B and pop charts within a couple of weeks of its release. Ross sounded completely lost, and the production, arrangements, and compositions sounded weak and thin next to the dominant New Jack and hip-hop works."[3]
Track listing
All songs produced by Nile Rodgers.[6]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Workin' Overtime" |
| 4:17 |
2. | "Say We Can" |
| 4:20 |
3. | "Take the Bitter with the Sweet" |
| 3:51 |
4. | "Bottom Line" |
| 4:05 |
5. | "This House" |
| 5:34 |
6. | "Paradise" |
| 3:54 |
7. | "Keep On (Dancin')" |
| 4:33 |
8. | "What Can One Person Do" |
| 3:18 |
9. | "Goin' Through the Motions" |
| 3:54 |
10. | "We Stand Together" |
| 5:07 |
Credits and personnel
Credits adapted from the album's liner notes.[6]
- Performers
- Diana Ross – vocals, executive producer
- Christopher Max – backing vocals, synth programming
- Curtis King – backing vocals
- Dennis Collins – backing vocals
- Fonzi Thornton – backing vocals
- Lazet Michaels – backing vocals
- Peggy Taft – backing vocals
- Nile Rodgers – producer
- Andres Levin – synth programming
- Greg Smith – synth programming, mixing
- Richard Hilton – synth programming, engineer
- Design
- Herb Ritts – photography
- Sue Reilly – art direction, design
- Production
- Budd Tunick – coordinator
- Rene Bell – coordinator
- Tom Durack – engineer, mixing
- Keith Freedman – engineer, mixing
- Patrick Dillett – engineer
- David Michael Dill – engineer
- Paul Wertheimer – engineer
- Ed Brooks – engineer
- Karen Bohanon – engineer
- Katherine Miller – engineer
- Paul Angelli – engineer
- Bob Ludwig – mastering
- Frank Cardello – mixing
Charts
Chart (1989) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australia (ARIA Charts)[7] | 85 |
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[8] | 43 |
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[9] | 64 |
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[10] | 22 |
UK Albums (OCC)[11] | 23 |
US Billboard 200[12] | 116 |
Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United Kingdom (BPI)[13] | Silver | 60,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
References
- ^ Brown, Joe (August 13, 1989). "The Divas With the Die-Hard Fans". The Washington Post. Retrieved August 7, 2016.
- ^ Nathan, David. The Soulful Divas: Personal Portraits of Over a Dozen Divine Divas, from Nina Simone, Aretha Franklin & Diana Ross to Patti LaBelle, Whitney Houston & Janet Jackson, Billboard Books, ISBN 9780823084302, Google Book Search, 1999.
- ^ a b c Wynn, Ron. "Workin' Overtime - Diana Ross", AllMusic, All Media Network. Retrieved 2015-02-09.
- ^ Christgau, Robert. "Workin' Overtime > review". Robert Christgau. Retrieved 2016-04-18.
- ^ Grein, Paul D. (1989-05-21). "Diana Ross "Workin' Overtime"". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2023-01-21.
- ^ a b Workin' Overtime (liner notes). Diana Ross. Motown. 1989. MOT-6274.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (pdf ed.). Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
- ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Diana Ross – Eaten Alive" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved October 31, 2020.
- ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Diana Ross – Eaten Alive" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved October 31, 2020.
- ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Diana Ross – Eaten Alive". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 31, 2020.
- ^ "Diana Ross | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved October 31, 2020.
- ^ "Diana Ross Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved October 31, 2020.
- ^ "British album certifications – Diana Ross – Workin' Overtime". British Phonographic Industry.
External links
- Workin' Overtime at Discogs (list of releases)
- v
- t
- e
- Diana Ross (1970)
- Everything Is Everything (1970)
- Surrender (1971)
- Touch Me in the Morning (1973)
- Diana & Marvin (1973)
- Last Time I Saw Him (1973)
- Diana Ross (1976)
- Baby It's Me (1977)
- Ross (1978)
- The Boss (1979)
- Diana (1980)
- Why Do Fools Fall in Love (1981)
- Silk Electric (1982)
- Ross (1983)
- Swept Away (1984)
- Eaten Alive (1985)
- Red Hot Rhythm & Blues (1987)
- Workin' Overtime (1989)
- The Force Behind the Power (1991)
- A Very Special Season (1994)
- Take Me Higher (1995)
- Every Day Is a New Day (1999)
- Blue (2006)
- I Love You (2006)
- Diana Ross Sings Songs from The Wiz (rec. 1978, rel. 2015)
- Thank You (2021)
- Greatest Hits (1972)
- Diana Ross' Greatest Hits (1976)
- 20 Golden Greats (1979)
- To Love Again (1981)
- All the Great Hits (1981)
- Forever Diana: Musical Memoirs (1993)
- One Woman: The Ultimate Collection (1993)
- Diana Extended: The Remixes (1994)
- Voice of Love (1996)
- Love & Life: The Very Best of Diana Ross (2001)
- The Definitive Collection (2006)
- The Greatest (2011)
- Upside Down: The Collection (2012)
- Supertonic: Mixes (2020)
- Live at Caesars Palace (1974)
- An Evening with Diana Ross (1977)
- Greatest Hits Live (1989)
- Stolen Moments: The Lady Sings... Jazz and Blues (1993)
- Christmas in Vienna (1993)
- Diana! (1971)
- Lady Sings the Blues (1972)
- Mahogany (1975)
- The Wiz (1978)
- Endless Love (1981)
- Live in Central Park (2012)
- Paris 1968: Broadcast Archives (2013)
- "Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand)"
- "Ain't No Mountain High Enough"
- "Remember Me"
- "Reach Out (I'll Be There)"
- "Surrender"
- "I'm Still Waiting"
- "Good Morning Heartache"
- "Touch Me in the Morning"
- "You're a Special Part of Me"
- "Last Time I Saw Him"
- "My Mistake (Was to Love You)"
- "You Are Everything"
- "Don't Knock My Love"
- "Stop, Look, Listen (To Your Heart)"
- "Theme from Mahogany (Do You Know Where You're Going To)"
- "Love Hangover"
- "Gettin' Ready for Love"
- "Your Love Is So Good for Me"
- "You Got It"
- "Lovin', Livin' and Givin'"
- "Ease on Down the Road"
- "Pops, We Love You (A Tribute to Father)"
- "What You Gave Me"
- "The Boss"
- "It's My House"
- "Upside Down"
- "I'm Coming Out"
- "My Old Piano"
- "It's My Turn"
- "Endless Love"
- "Why Do Fools Fall in Love"
- "Mirror, Mirror"
- "Work That Body"
- "Muscles"
- "So Close"
- "Pieces of Ice"
- "All of You"
- "Swept Away"
- "Touch by Touch"
- "Missing You"
- "Eaten Alive"
- "Chain Reaction"
- "Experience"
- "Dirty Looks"
- "If We Hold On Together"
- "Workin' Overtime"
- "This House" / "Paradise"
- "When You Tell Me That You Love Me"
- "Someday We'll Be Together"
- "Take Me Higher"
- "I Will Survive"
- "Not Over You Yet"
- "Goin' Back"
- "I've Got a Crush on You"
- "Thank You"
- "If the World Just Danced"
- "Turn Up the Sunshine"
- "A Brand New Day"
- "We Are the World"
- Super Bowl XXX halftime show (1996)
- Return to Love Tour (2000)
- I Love You Tour (2006–2008)
- More Today Than Yesterday: The Greatest Hits Tour (2010–2012)
- In the Name of Love Tour (2013–2017)
- The Essential Diana Ross: Some Memories Never Fade (2015–2017)
- The Supremes
- Rhonda Ross Kendrick (daughter)
- Tracee Ellis Ross (daughter)
- Evan Ross (son)
- Arne Næss Jr. (second husband)
- Arthur "T-Boy" Ross (brother)
- Diana Ross Playground
- Diana Ross Presents The Jackson 5
Category