Red Hot Rhythm & Blues [Deluxe Edition]

Personnel: Eric Gale , Jeff Mironov, Steve Farris (guitar); Greg Phillinganes, John Capek, Richard Tee, Joseph Joubert (keyboards); Jason Miles , Steve Goldstein (synthesizer); Tommy Vig, Ivan Hampden, Paulinho Da Costa, Sammy Figueroa, Steve Gadd , Steve Ferrone (drums, percussion); Darryl Tookes, Maretha Stewart, Dennis Collins , Jocelyn Brown, Lani Groves, Luther Vandross, Benny Diggs (background vocals).
Audio Mixer: Ray Bardani.
Liner Note Author: Alex Henderson.
Recording information: Encore Studios; Power Station; Record Plant; WEstlake Studios, Los Angeles, CA.
Photographer: Herb Ritts.
Arrangers: Al Schoonmaker; John "Skip" Anderson; Marc Katz; Charles Samek; Paul Riser; Joseph Joubert.
Diana Ross made one of her better albums in quite a while, although this late-'80s number didn't fare as well as anticipated. But "It's Hard For Me to Say," aco-produced and co-written with Luther Vandross, was the first heartache tune Ross had done in many years with a real, poignant edge to it, while "Cross My Heart" was a decent commercial number. Of course, the tune that ended up making the most noise was "Dirty Looks," another of Ross' patented cute, quasi-sophisticated numbers. ~ Ron Wynn