Theme from Mahogany (Do You Know Where You're Going To)
| "Theme from Mahogany (Do You Know Where You're Going To)" | ||
|---|---|---|
| Single by Diana Ross | ||
| From Mahogany, a Berry Gordy film: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack | ||
| B-side | "No One's Going to Be a Fool Forever" | |
| Released | September 24, 1975 | |
| Format | 7" single | |
| Genre | Pop | |
| Length | 3:23 | |
| Label | Motown M 1377 | |
| Writers | Michael Masser & Gerald Goffin | |
| Producers | Michael Masser | |
| Chart positions | #1 (US) | |
| Diana Ross singles chronology | ||
| "Sorry Doesn't Always Make It Right" 1975 |
"Theme from Mahogany (Do You Know Where You're Going To?)" 1975 |
"I Thought It Took a Little Time (but Today I Fell in Love)" 1976 |
"Theme from Mahogany (Do You Know Where You're Going To?)" is both the theme to the 1975 Motown/Paramount film Mahogany and a 1975 number-one hit single by Diana Ross. It held the number-one spot on the Billboard Hot 100 for one week (January 17–January 24 1976), replacing "I Write the Songs" by Barry Manilow and replaced by "Love Rollercoaster" by the Ohio Players. In 1999, Mariah Carey and Jennifer Lopez both recorded cover versions of the song for Sony Records, resulting in conflict over their release.
Song information
The tragic ballad presents Ross, who plays the rags-to-riches role of a poor African-American woman who becomes a top Paris fashion designer, remembering good times with an ex-lover. She must also face the reality of a cold harsh future with no love and other decisions affecting her life. The decisions concerning her lack of a future move her to the point where she bemoans, "Do you know where you're going to, do you like the things that life is showing you, where are you going to... do you know?"
Recorded with a full orchestra as a "Theme from Mahogany" was the best-reviewed element of Mahogany, which most critics reviewed unfavorably. The song was a number-one hit on the US pop charts, and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Song. Diana Ross performed "Theme From Mahogany" at the Academy Awards ceremony live via satellite, becoming the first artist to do so.
During the Academy Awards telecast, Ross became the first artist to perform for the Oscars ceremony via satellite; she sung 'Theme From Mahogany' from a concert she was headlining in Holland.
Cover versions
The "Theme from Mahogany" has had two notable covers in recent years. Mariah Carey recorded the song as a foreign bonus track for her 1999 compilation album #1's as well as her ninth album, Rainbow. Jennifer Lopez, also an artist under Sony Music, recorded the song for foreign versions of her 1999 album, On the 6. Neither version was officially released in the United States.
Chart Performance
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | Billboard Pop Singles | #1 |
| 1975 | Billboard Black Singles | #14 |
| 1975 | Billboard Adult Contemporary | #1 |