SOLD! Motown Record Diana Ross and Lionel Richie 45 RPM

Motown Record, Diana Ross and Lionel Richie 7” 45 RPM The record is in good condition, comes in a paper sleeve that is not original. Backstory: As one of the biggest-selling tracks in Motown history, “Endless Love” is accompanied by many accounts of its making. “[Lionel] wrote the song for the movie,” recalled Diana in her autobiography, “and although Endless Love did not do well, the song was brilliant and, as with Mahogany, the song did better than the film.” (That film, starring Brooke Shields, was based on a Scott Spencer novel about teenage love.) Ross admitted, however, that the working relationship with Lionel was difficult. “I am a perfectionist. I like to be on time, always. Lionel was not always on time.” It didn’t help that finding any time whatsoever to record “Endless Love” was a challenge for both. “We showed up one morning in a sixteen-track studio in Reno,” Lionel told biographer Roberta Plutzik, “both of us barely awake. I had just come out of a [recording] session. Diana had done two shows at Lake Tahoe. We were running on empty at first.” Adding to Lionel’s preoccupation, perhaps, was that he was still a member of the Commodores, still recording with them while also producing and writing for country/pop star Kenny Rogers. “Lionel’s departure had still not been made official in terms of the paperwork,” remembered his friend and fellow Commodore, Thomas McClary, in his autobiography, “but his heart and his presence had long departed.” (Richie wanted him involved in creating music for the Endless Love soundtrack; McClary plays guitar on the title song.) The origin of “Endless Love” can be traced to movie director Franco Zeffirelli and producer Jon Peters, who at first planned an instrumental theme for their new project with PolyGram Pictures. Peters arranged for Richie to meet the director, who subsequently decided that he wanted a title song, complete with lyrics. The soon-to-be-former-Commodore was happy to deliver; he was under contract to Motown, but Ross had recently departed. Still, a deal was done: Motown released their duet as a single, PolyGram featured it in the movie and soundtrack album. The outcome was a smash to benefit everyone: Number One on the Billboard Hot 100 for a remarkable nine weeks, as well as topping the R&B and adult contemporary charts. “Endless Love” travelled, too, and dominated best-seller lists in Australia, Canada, Holland and Sweden, among other countries. In total, the single sold more than 3 million copies, and was nominated in five 1981 Grammy categories, including Record of the Year. Lionel’s reputation as a songwriter and producer was enhanced more than ever, setting up his solo career, while Diana enjoyed a glittering “goodbye” to Motown. And even though Endless Love was not as big at the box-office as hoped, the PolyGram soundtrack album reached the Top 10. The proceeds, as well as the love, seemed endless.

——- Although we try to give an accurate description, remember, this is a vintage item and there may be small imperfections from age or flaws from production that we have not noticed or noted in the comments. We try to list all the deficiencies, marks etc. Please review ALL pictures closely. If you are purchasing multiple items from our shop, we are happy to combine shipping and refund the difference.