Take Me Higher

Take Me Higher is a studio album by American singer Diana Ross, released on September 5, 1995 by the Motown label. The album features production from urban producers such as Narada Michael Walden, Brenda Russell, Jon-John and the Boom Brothers, the latter two coming from Babyface's production company.

This article is about the Diana Ross album. For the song by Creed, see Higher (Creed song). For the song by J. Williams and Dane Rumble and covered by Titanium, see Takes Me Higher. For other uses, see Take Me Higher (disambiguation).

Take Me Higher
Studio album by Diana Ross
Released	September 5, 1995
Recorded	1995
Length	50:50 (US edition)
Label	Motown
Producer	Nick Martinelli Narada Michael Walden Brenda Russell Jon-John the Boom Brothers
Diana Ross chronology
A Very Special Season (1994) Take Me Higher (1995) Voice of Love (1996)
Singles from Take Me Higher
"Take Me Higher" Released: August 5, 1995 "Gone / Swing It" Released: November 14, 1995 "Voice of the Heart / If You're Not Gonna Love Me Right" Released: February 20, 1996 "I Will Survive" Released: April 14, 1996

The album yielded the UK hits "Take Me Higher", "Gone" and Ross' dance cover of Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive", which featured club mixes by Steve Rodway of Motiv8 and Grammy Award-winning Remixer Hex Hector.

Photographer Ruven Afanador shot the album cover and the fashion forward video shoot which Ross used for promotional purposes. He also shot the video compilation for the single, "Don't Stop". Motown created a special promotional box for the album that included the video, touring schedule and postcards.

Chart performance and single releases

Take Me Higher reached #10 in the UK Albums Chart and #114 on the US Billboard 200 (#38 R&B), where it sold a little over 100,000 copies.[1] The title track "Take Me Higher" hit #1 on the US 'Dance' charts, also reaching the UK Top 40. Ross' cover of "I Will Survive" reached #14 in the UK Singles Chart. Her version got an extra boost from being played at a key scene in the $65 million grossing Kevin Kline film, In & Out. She also performed it during a "Take Me Higher" megamix at her acclaimed Super Bowl XXX Half-Time show as she was whisked away in a helicopter. "(I'm) Gone" written and produced by Jon-John Robinson, was also another Top 40 UK hit single, and "If You're Not Gonna Love Me Right" appeared at #67 on the US R&B charts, while "Voice of the Heart" reached #28 on the Adult Contemporary chart.

She also shot several promotional videos including a stylised black and white narrative driven one for "Gone", a video recreating the West Hollywood LGBT Pride parade featuring RuPaul for "I Will Survive" and a fashion compilation video for the single, "Don't Stop". Motown used the special promotional box for the album that included the "Take Me Higher" video that debuted on Vevo, an elegant touring schedule on elegant vintage paper and fashion postcards.

Critical reception

The critical reaction for the album proved quite fortifying. The London Times deemed it in her finest work in years. Television personality Arsenio Hall said essentially the same: "It was the best Diana had done in years". This came after a ratings breaking appearance introducing her previous album, The Force Behind the Power on his show in the late summer of 1991. USA Today gave it 3.5 stars out of 4. As of 2016, it stands as her last album to reach the top 10 in the UK.

Track listing

US Edition

1. "Take Me Higher" (Sally Jo Dakota, Nikita Germaine, Narada Michael Walden) - 4:18
2. "If You're Not Gonna Love Me Right" (Monty Seward) - 4:41
3. "Voice of the Heart" (John Bettis, Bruce Roberts, Julia Turner-Stanley) - 4:18
4. "Let Somebody Know" (Bunny Hull, Brenda Russell) - 4:55
5. "Keep It Right There" (Babyface, Jon John, Chris Liscomb) - 4:50
6. "Don't Stop" (Chuck Boom) - 3:48
7. "Gone" (Jon John) - 5:15
8. "Only Love Can Conquer All" (Sally Jo Dakota, Preston Glass, Narada Michael Walden) - 4:10
9. "I Never Loved a Man Before" (Gerry Goffin, Tom Snow) - 4:55
10. "I Thought That We Were Still in Love" (Tom Snow, Liz Vidal) - 4:52
11. "I Will Survive" (Dino Fekaris, Freddie Perren) - 4:48

International Edition

1. "Take Me Higher" (Dakota, Germaine, Walden) - 4:20
2. "If You're Not Gonna Love Me Right" (Seward) - 4:41
3. "I Never Loved a Man Before" (Goffin, Snow) - 4:54
4. "Swing It (Babyface, Jon John, Philips) - 4:14
5. "Keep It Right There" (Babyface, Jon John, Liscomb) - 4:33
6. "Don't Stop" (Boom, Tone) - 4:07
7. "Gone" (Jon John) - 5:16
8. "I Thought That We Were Still in Love" (Snow, Vidal) - 4:52
9. "Voice of the Heart" (Bettis, Roberts, Stanley) - 4:54
10. "Only Love Can Conquer All" (Dakota, Glass, Walden) - 4:10
11. "I Will Survive" (Fekaris, Perren) - 4:50
12. "If We Hold On Together" (Horner, Mann, Jennings) - 4:09 (Japan-only bonus track)

Charts

Album

Chart	Peak position
Scottish Albums (OCC)[2]	37
UK Albums (OCC)[3]	10
US Billboard 200[4]	114
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[5]	38

Singles

Single	Chart	Peak position
"Take Me Higher"	Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks	77
"Take Me Higher"	Hot 100 Singles & Tracks	114
"Take Me Higher"	Hot Dance Music/Club Play	1
"Take Me Higher"	UK Official Singles Chart	32
"I Will Survive"	Hot Dance Music/Club Play	37
"I Will Survive"	UK Official Singles Chart	14
"If You're Not Gonna Love Me Right"	Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks	67
"I'm Gone"	UK Official Singles Chart	36
"I'm Gone"	Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks	107
"Voice of the Heart"	Adult Contemporary	28

References

1. "THE SUPREMES, DIANA ROSS, STEVIE WONDER and RAY CHARLES.....USA album sales". Retrieved 27 March 2017.
2. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
3. "Diana Ross | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved May 7, 2017.
4. "Diana Ross Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved May 7, 2017.
5. "Diana Ross Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved May 7, 2017.