"Dirty Looks" is a song from the 1987 album Red Hot Rhythm & Blues by Diana Ross. It was written by Lotti Golden and Richard Scher, and produced by Tom Dowd. It was also released as the album's lead single on April 29, 1987, by RCA and EMI. The song, which peaked at #12 on Billboard's Hot R&B Singles,[1] originally appeared on Warp 9's second LP on Motown, Fade in, Fade Out.[2] The European releases of Red Hot Rhythm & Blues features the short version of the song.
| "Dirty Looks" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Diana Ross | ||||
| from the album Red Hot Rhythm & Blues | ||||
| Released | April 29, 1987 | |||
| Genre | R&B, Pop, Soul | |||
| Length | 4:09 (album version) 3:20 (edit/UK album version) | |||
| Label | RCA, EMI | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Lotti Golden Richard Scher | |||
| Producer(s) | Tom Dowd | |||
| Diana Ross singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
The 30th Anniversary (2017) of the 1987 album Red Hot Rhythm & Blues generated new perspectives on the LP: "Despite its fiery title, Red Hot Rhythm & Blues went with a soft, pastel take of Quiet Storm, adult contemporary pop and vintage soul," noting two exceptions: "the urbane percussive funk of the LP's first single “Dirty Looks” (U.S. R&B #12, UK #49) and the tasteful take of Simply Red's guitar soul injected [track] “Shine” [3] Described as "a sexy, mature number that incorporates elements from the burgeoning Hip-hop genre, “Dirty Looks”’ exudes the “glossy soul Diana Ross has perfected over the past two decades. The song was written by Lotti Golden and Richard Scher, who’d first produced the song for their electro Hip-hop group Warp 9 on their 1986 Motown LP..."[4] Further details from Diana Ross: A Biography by J.Randy Taraborellii [5] describes (p. 556) how Ms. Ross found "Dirty Looks" herself, and brought the song to producer, Tom Dowd, who was forced to rethink the LP in order to accommodate the song due to its urban, hip hop values; it wasn't the direction Dowd was planning for the album, but Ross was adamant about recording “Dirty Looks” [6]
Charts
edit| Chart (1987) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada Top Singles (RPM)[7] | 88 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[8] | 60 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[9] | 49 |
| US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[10] | 12 |
| West Germany (GfK)[11] | 58 |
References
edit- ^ Joel Whitburn (1942–1995) Top R&B, Record Research Inc. Wisconsin USA, page 382
- ^ Discogs.com
- ^ "Sweet Soul Music: Diana Ross' 'Red Hot Rhythm & Blues' Turns 35 | Anniversary Retrospective". 8 May 2022.
- ^ "Red Hot Rhythm & Blues (1987)". 3 June 2012.
- ^ "Nonfiction Book Review: Diana Ross: A Biography by J. Randy Taraborrelli, Author . Citadel $26.95 (539p) ISBN 978-0-8065-2849-6". September 2007.
- ^ Randy Taraborrelli, J. (2007). Diana Ross: An Unauthorized Biography. Pan Macmillan. ISBN 9780330436007.
- ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 0823." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved October 14, 2021.
- ^ "Diana Ross – Dirty Looks" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved October 14, 2021.
- ^ "Diana Ross: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 14, 2021.
- ^ "Diana Ross Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved October 14, 2021.
- ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Diana Ross – Dirty Looks" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved October 14, 2021.
