As so typically earlier than, Motown succeeded itself at No.1 on the Billboard Sizzling 100 for the week of September 19, 1970. That chart confirmed Edwin Starr’s “Battle” having its three-week reign ended by Diana Ross, scoring her first solo chart-topper and beginning a three-week run of her personal with “Ain’t No Mountain Excessive Sufficient.”
Ross’ solo profession after leaving the Supremes had, surprisingly, not had essentially the most auspicious begin, when her first single in her personal title, Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson’s “Attain Out And Contact (Any individual’s Hand),” peaked at No.20 on the pop chart. Within the UK, it solely made No.33.
To intensify issues, the Supremes’ first single with out Diana, “Up The Ladder To The Roof,” had completed altogether higher, peaking at No.10. All of it appeared to knock Diana’s confidence. In a few of her first solo live shows, she would say to the viewers: “Good night, all people, and welcome to the ‘Let’s-see-if-Diana-Ross-can-do-it-by-herself’ present.”
Then in July 1970, Motown launched her cowl of one other Ashford & Simpson track which had been a success three years earlier for Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell. The singer herself was moderately shocked on the writers’ suggestion of a canopy of “Ain’t No Mountain Excessive Sufficient,” however went together with it.
Berry Gordy then insisted that he wouldn’t launch it as a single except the producers transfer the refrain to the entrance, which Ashford & Simpson flatly refused. It was radio programmers who took the reduce, from her self-titled first album and began enjoying it, that created the hit.
Take heed to uDiscover Music’s Diana Ross Greatest Of playlist.
Ross’ remake actually made the track her personal, and went on to obtain a Grammy nomination for Greatest Up to date Vocal Efficiency, the place it misplaced out to Dionne Warwick’s “I’ll By no means Fall In Love Once more.” All the identical, the track actually lit the fireplace underneath Ross’ stardom in her personal proper, and have become the primary of no fewer than 5 solo pop chart-toppers, plus a sixth with Lionel Richie on “Countless Love.”
Purchase or stream “Ain’t No Mountain Excessive Sufficient” on the album Diana Ross.