Eaten Alive is the sixteenth studio album by American singer Diana Ross, released on 24 September 1985 via RCA in the US and EMI outside the US. Primarily written and produced by Barry Gibb of the Bee Gees, the album also includes a contribution from Michael Jackson who co-wrote and performed on the title track. It includes her international hit single "Chain Reaction", which topped the charts in the UK and Australia. The album reached #45 in the US, #11 in the UK and Australia and the top ten in Switzerland, Norway, Sweden and the Netherlands. The album was released on the RCA label in the US where it was deemed a commercial failure, selling less than 300,000 US copies. It fared better internationally as an EMI label release to which Ross had been signed directly since 1981.
Overview
The album was primarily conceived by Barry Gibb, who had co-written and co-produced successful albums for Barbra Streisand, Dionne Warwick, and Kenny Rogers earlier that decade. Most of the tracks were co-written by Gibb and at least one of his other siblings, though some were written by all members of the Bee Gees. The album includes the UK and Australia #1 hit "Chain Reaction", along with the Top 10 R&B title track - written and co-produced with Michael Jackson. "Experience" was also released as a single, reaching #47 on the UK Singles Chart. Videos were made for each of the three singles, with the title track being done in the style of the film The Island of Dr. Moreau. The video for "Chain Reaction" paid homage to American Bandstand-type shows of the 1960s. Both "Eaten Alive" and "Experience" co-starred actor Joseph Gian. Due to the success of "Chain Reaction", the album would reach the Top 20 in many European territories. Barry Gibb accompanied Ross in the background on most of the tracks with Jackson also performing on "Eaten Alive". Despite perceptions, the title single, "Eaten Alive" hit the Top 20 in several European territories including Italy where it reached #10, Sweden #14 and Switzerland #17. It also peaked at #3 on the Billboard Dance Charts. The album was remastered and re-released on September 29, 2014 by Funky Town Grooves, with bonus material on a second CD. This reissue was licensed from RCA, which owns rights to the album in the U.S. and Canada and is available in these countries.
The Eaten Alive Demos as sung by Barry Gibb were made available as downloads on iTunes in October 2006. The album contained most of the songs except for the title track and "Chain Reaction". In the spring of 2009, when iTunes changed into DRM-free downloads with higher bit-rates; all of the Barry Gibb demos were no longer available. In August 2011 all of the Barry Gibb demos reappeared on iTunes shortly after the opening of the download store on his official website where many of the same tracks were available. Another demo of the title track by Michael Jackson is known to have been recorded, but, to this date, has not yet surfaced.
