A Return to Form
5
By Beaux Luis
With her focus exclusively on her recording career, "Swept Away" was calculated for ultimate success. Diana employed the talents of some of the best songwriter/producers in the business for the Top 40 singles. Richard Perry was first up with the English language debut of international superstar, Julio Iglesias in a glossy duet, "All of You". That single topped the Adult Contemporary charts , as well as, his second American Top 20 single. The lush duet became a worldwide hit, topping the singles chart in Spain, at #1 in Julio's home country. It all served as yet another hit in Spain for Diana, who had first experience success in Spain with The Supremes.
Next on board was labelmate, Daryl Hall, producing the title cut with dance sensation of the era, Arthur Baker. It became another #1 Dance hit residing two weeks in the pole position to compliment its Top 20 Hot 100 success. After the A/C success of "All of You", "Swept Away" was an edgy, bombastic, not to be ignored club winner. A clever music video emulating Leslie Caron became Diana's first and only taste of MTV play. The tragic death of Marvin Gaye had traumatized many of his Motown label mates, though he had moved onto Columbia...he would always be known as a Motown artist. Diana and Lionel Richie shared their greviances of his passing while Lionel transformation their sentiments into the #1 smash "Missing You". Diana was not a music video artist having come up during the days of a performer doing sometimes multiple shows in a day. However, she had already achieved some level of recognition from music videos as "Missing You" became the debut music video rotated on VH1.
Diana's strong relationship with Dick Clark's American Music Awards (winner of 8 awards) and hosting the award show two years in a row. She was able to get the American Music Awards to air the video during its prime time airing of the award show that year. The next morning the request lines at radio lit up and the single jumped *49-*10!
The final single culled from "Swept Away" reunited Diana with Bernard Edwards (Chic) taking "Telephone" to #13!
4 solid hits from the album pushed sales passed the million mark.
But almost as compelling as Diana's smart singles chart, she completed the album with the best self-produced tracks to date. "Touch by Touch" became a European Top 10-15 hit further. Underscoring this album's artistic strength. Probably the best and most surprising song she recorded during this time was the co-self-penned "Fight for It". Taking its bass line reminiscent of James best that had also influenced Hall & Oates "Maneater" hit! Robby Benson contributed the quirky "Nobody Drives Me Crazy" completing an album with the best elements of the 80s.
(If there was one thing that fans didn't need was the cover art that tried in vain to re-capture "diana" with a Tina Turner/Nona Hendryx coiffure that for once finding Diana a follower and not the trendsetter her album art had been since "The Black Album" with Victor Skrebeneski's award winning photos.
Had "Swept Away" been the anchor for her global Central Park concerts, this album would easily have sold in the multi-millions. Instead, she had to settle for a bonafide platinum smash that arguably captured the best of her 80s era albums.
