Dominique's singing

[Snarky Oracle!]

I'm all for the melodrama of Diahann Carroll's acting and vocal song stylings -- and the show even obliterated that ghastly La Mirage lobby to make room for The Sierra Room where Dominique can warble to her heart's content.

But is Dominique, this anonymous superstar voice known only in Europe yet around the world, actually any good?

I like a good torchy ballad as much as anybody, but her performances usually make me giggle.

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

I mean, like, Jesus Christ....

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

To be so un-famous in America, Claudia had all of Dominique's records, and the WHAT'S MY LINE? cast guesses her identity in about 25 seconds at around 16:20 (well, at least Dorothy Kilgallen does -- a woman murdered 60 years ago almost to this day).:

A 1963 medley with Judy Garland:

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

THE STAR WARS HOLIDAY SPECIAL, in which Dominique semi-pornographically serenades Chewbacca -- but then, it's somewhere in the '70s, a galaxy now far, far away...

 

[Monzo]

Dominique's singing didn't impress me either, but it suited her, as she generally considered herself better than she was. Was Dominique actually Dynasty's only foray into the music business? Music was conceived as a great plot point for The Colbys, but with Dynasty, we didn't hear anyone else sing besides Dominique, or did we?

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

Dominique's singing didn't impress me either, but it suited her, as she generally considered herself better than she was. Was Dominique actually Dynasty's only foray into the music business? Music was conceived as a great plot point for The Colbys, but with Dynasty, we didn't hear anyone else sing besides Dominique, or did we?

Alexis sang all Dietrich-y in Season 4 in a bar room. Kwysthteena sang a lullaby in Season 9.

Blake sang to Krystle once. Luke sang "It's Rainin' Men!" to Steven seven times.

I'm sure there were other incidents.

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

Oh, and Prince Michael's "Life in a Northern Town." It gave such subtext to the struggles in Moldavia.

 

[Ked]

Diahann's singing is beautiful, but the song is trash.

 

[Svengali]

Dynasty had Dominique
Falcon Crest had Apollonia
Knots landing had Cijie/cathy
and Dallas had Afton with her one and only song that finally we never heard completely !

 

[Matthew Blaisdel]

The Colbys had Wayne Masterson, not to forget! The only male singer of the primetime soaps.

 

[Willie Oleson]

The Colbys had Wayne Masterson, not to forget!

And Dominique blatantly upstaged him when they performed a duet in The Colbys. So cringe!

This sounds much better:

The only male singer of the primetime soaps.

Lance Cumson was a stag night singer.

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

Diahann's singing is beautiful, but the song is trash.

I'm not a fan of the song in particular, but Miss Carroll's hyperbolic vocal chutzpah makes it "trash"...

As torch songs go, the melody is okay, the lyrics are adequate. But it's Diahann ridiculous bravura which makes it cheesy and stupid. (Which is why, you'll notice, that the quiet closing of the song works better than the loud shit).

Sometimes, less is more. And that's certainly the case with Carroll's singing. It's not that she's "bad" but she's oversells it in an attempt to be caterwaulingly fabulous. (Her DYNASTY acting is a bit like that, too, but I'm fine with it because it fits the show and the role).

That's why her song which opens episode 4x27, "Nightmare", is probably the most acceptable performance she gives musically on the show. (Imperfect though the lip-synching may be). It's effectively subdued.

I mean, look how much more exciting this 1984 crap is comparison to DYNASTY itself:

There's a long-standing ugly rumor that Whitney Houston is Diahann Carroll's biological daughter (it's probably the shared Aquarius Rising) but Whitney can belt it out more effectively than Diahann.