Sunday, September 14, 2014

"Work That Body" by Diana Ross

Song#:  0990
Date:  04/10/1982
Debut:  73
Peak:  44
Weeks:  7
Genre:  Pop, Dance



Pop Bits:  Ross' first album for RCA, "Why Do Fools Fall in Love," did well thanks to a pair of Top 10 hits including the title-track cover. This third single helped it along by almost getting into the Top 40. Although not a big hit in the US, it was highly successful in the UK and reached #7. The album would become a platinum seller for her, but unfortunately it would be her last LP to reach those heights in the US.

ReduxReview:  I'm almost tempted to put a Novelty genre on this one. That is basically what it is, minus the humor, of course. It's a time capsule song. One that you hear and go, "Oh, yeah! Remember our leggings and headbands? What were we thinking?!" It evokes a time, a place and a fad, but that's about it. It's completely silly and I hope that is the spirit in which it was written (I'd hate to think they were creating art here...). Like the clothing inspired by the fad, so many years later it's a bit cringe inducing. Frankly, it wasn't very good back then either...

ReduxRating:  2/10

Trivia:  Like any decade, the 80s had its share of fads and crazes. One from the early 80s was the fitness craze. Aerobic exercise was all the rage and businesses were popping up all over the place. It was egged on by celebrities and fitness gurus with the craze even making the cover of Time magazine in 1981. Music was a big part of the exercise routines and songs like Olivia Newton-John's "Physical" led the way. Ross took things a step further by co-writing this song which basically mimics an aerobics class. Although the song's chart performance wasn't that great, the song became a standard in most fitness clubs.

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