Diana Ross - No One Gets The Prize (Motown Records 1979)
The Boss is a 1979 album released by Diana Ross on the Motown label. This album was written and produced by longtime Ross collaborators Nickolas Ashford & Valerie Simpson and marked her return to Top 40 radio based on the strength of the title track, which peaked #19 on the pop singles chart, and #12 on the US R&B Chart. In addition all the LP tracks went to #1 on the dance charts, and peaked at #14 on the Billboard 200. It was certified Gold by the RIAA in late 90's.
For its 20th Anniversary, the album was remastered and released on CD in 1999 with 12" versions of "The Boss" and "It's My House" as extra tracks. The 12" versions of "I Ain't Been Licked" and "No One Gets the Prize"/"The Boss" appear on Diana: Deluxe Edition, and a rare remixed single version of "No One Gets the Prize" on The Motown Anthology - Diana Ross. Ivo Del Prado remixed the bass-heavy "Once in the Morning" which is a very difficult promotional-only to find. 6 out of 8 of the songs are now club classics.
Ross also promoted the album on her first HBO special, "Standing Room Only". The special was culled from her successful "Tour '79", and the setlist included the title song, "The Boss", "It's My House", "No One Gets the Prize", "I Ain't Been Licked" and "All For One".
Background vocals by Nickolas Ashford, Valerie Simpson, Maxine and Julia Waters.
Diane Ernestine Earle Ross is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer. Born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, Ross rose to fame as the lead singer of the vocal group The Supremes, which, during the 1960s, became Motown's most successful act, and is to this day the United States' most successful vocal group, as well as one of the world's best-selling girl groups of all time. Ross' success as lead singer of The Supremes made it possible for future African-American R&B and soul acts to find mainstream success. The group released a record-setting twelve number-one hit singles on the US Billboard Hot 100, including "Where Did Our Love Go", "Baby Love", "Come See About Me", "Stop! In the Name of Love", "You Can't Hurry Love", "You Keep Me Hangin' On", "Love Child", and "Someday We'll Be Together".
No one, no one gets the prize
No one, no one
No one gets the prize
We were best of friends
It all began
He came in to town and changed the plan
I knew she felt, the same as me
Which one of us would it be
Just in fun, fight begun
Before long a web of hate was spun
she pretended same as me
Oh, but friends again we'd never be
No one, no one gets the prize
She told him lies, and I told him lies
No one, no one gets the prize
She schemed and dreamed and told him dirt
That I was wrong for him
I told him all the boys she'd hurt and I would number them
He was the ray of light that made our hearts live
But either one of us knew really how to give
So we scandalized and criticized
And then we learned how to despise
No one, no one gets the prize
She told him lies and I lied, I lied yeah
No one, no one gets the prize
No, no, no
Yeah, yeah
Back off
Tried to steal him, tried to steal him
Tried to steal him
Runnin' behind my back
Tried to steal him
Tried to show him where it was at
Watch it now
No, no I won't take second place
No, no tell him to his face
We were friends for so, so, so long
Messed around, now he's gone gone gone gone
No one, no one gets the prize
No, no
No one, no one gets the prize
I wasn't alive, a love that's satisfied
No one, no one gets the prize
It wasn't fair, the love I couldn't share
No one, no one gets the prize
No, no
No one, no one gets the prize
No one, no one gets the prize
She lied, I lied, we lied
No one, no one