Photo credits: Motown Records
Diana Ross’s song “Love Hangover” was recorded in 1975 and released as a single on March 16, 1976.
It topped the Billboard Hot 100 and Hot-Selling Soul Singles charts. It also topped the disco charts in Record World. Russ Terrana, the song’s engineer, was asked by producer Hal Davis to add a strobe light to the studio – that way Ross would capture the “disco” vibe.
Ross felt more at ease with the material as the song progressed from ballad to uptempo; she started humming, sang little portions, grinned, danced about, and even mimicked Billie Holiday. Ross’ casual and seductive vocals, as well as the music’s orientation, contributed to the song’s success. Donna Summer’s 1975 single “Love to Love You Baby” was widely used in the background vocals.
The song was initially published in February 1976 on Diana Ross’s self-titled album. The song “I Thought It Took a Little Time” was released by Motown to promote the album. “Love Hangover” was released as a single by a group called The 5th Dimension. Ross’ version was later released as a single by Motown. Both versions debuted on the same day on the charts. Ross had remade herself as a disco queen by the time her remix hit number one, while The 5th Dimension’s version only managed to land at number 80.
Ross was nominated for a Grammy for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for this song. On May 29, 1976, the track “Love Hangover” became number one in the U.S., according to the Music History Calendar.
Casey Kasem of American Top 40 said that Diana had broken the record for number-one singles by a female singer with “Love Hangover” song that week. With her fourth number one, she broke the tie with Connie Francis, Helen Reddy, Roberta Flack, and Cher, who all had three.
Ross went on to have two more number-one singles in the 1980s, bringing her total to six. This achievement established an all-time record at the time that was not tied or broken for the next 12 years.
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