"Pieces of Ice" is a song written by Marc Jordan and John Capek and recorded by American singer Diana Ross. It was produced by Gary Katz, and was released on June 17, 1983 as the first single from the singer's self-titled album, Ross (1983). It was the only simultaneous top forty single the singer scored on this album, which was one of her rare misses on RCA Records in the early 1980s. In the US, the song reached #31 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and #15 on the soul singles chart.[1] In Europe, "Pieces of Ice" peaked at #46 in the UK, and it charted best in Norway, where it reached #8.[2] The song was released in three different version lengths: a 7-inch version at 3:57, an album version at 4:58, and the 12-inch version at 7:19. The US-released 12-inch single also includes an instrumental version as its B-side.
| "Pieces of Ice" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Diana Ross | ||||
| from the album Ross | ||||
| B-side | "Still in Love" | |||
| Released | June 17, 1983 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 4:58 (album version) 3:57 (7" version) 7:19 (12" version) | |||
| Label | RCA | |||
| Songwriter(s) |
| |||
| Producer(s) | Gary Katz | |||
| Diana Ross singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "Pieces of Ice" on YouTube | ||||
Music video
editThe accompanying music video for "Pieces of Ice" was the first to feature Bob Giraldi as director; he would direct several Ross videos during this period, and features Ross in a slithery red bodysuit. It was also the first video that showcased choreography in Ross' videos.[3]
Personnel
edit- Diana Ross − lead vocals
- Gary Katz − producer
- Joe Walsh − guitar
- Larry Carlton − guitar
- Jeff Porcaro − drums
- Greg Phillinganes − keyboards, keyboard bass
- Jim Horn − saxophone, flute
Charts
edit| Chart (1983) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[4] | 73 |
| Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[5] | 12 |
| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[6] | 12 |
| Norway (VG-lista)[2] | 8 |
| Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[7] | 14 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[8] | 46 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[9] | 31 |
| US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[10] | 15 |
| US Dance Club Songs (Billboard)[11] | 17 |
| West Germany (Offizielle Top 75)[12] | 39 |
Influence
editThe song heavily influenced the theme and title of American children’s author Timothy Bellavia‘s Young Adult graphic novel. Bellavia's book with the same title was nominated for Outstanding LGTBQ Memoir at the Lambda Literary Foundation Award in 2009.
References
edit- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 502.
- ^ a b "Diana Ross – Pieces of Ice". VG-lista. Retrieved 2020-05-24.
- ^ R. Serge Denisoff (1989). "It's the Format". Inside MTV. New Jersey: Transaction Publishers. p. 373. ISBN 9780887388644.
- ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ Pennanen, Timo (2021). "Diana Ross". Sisältää hitin - 2. laitos Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla 1.1.1960–30.6.2021 (PDF) (in Finnish). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. p. 219. Retrieved 2022-07-04.
- ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Diana Ross" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 2020-05-24.
- ^ "Diana Ross – Pieces of Ice". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 2020-05-24.
- ^ "Diana Ross: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2020-05-24.
- ^ "Diana Ross Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 2020-05-24.
- ^ "Diana Ross Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 2020-05-24.
- ^ "Diana Ross Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 2020-05-24.
- ^ "Diana Ross - Offizielle Deutsche Charts" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 2020-05-24.