Ain’t No Mountain High Enough – Diana Ross | Top 40 Chart Performance, Story and Song Meaning
Chart Performance: Pop (#1 for 3 weeks) & R&B (#1); 1970
Story Behind The Song By Ed Osborne
In 1969, after six years of making hits with the Supremes, Diana Ross gave notice and stepped out on her own. Her debut single entered the Hot 100 at a very respectable #39, a week after The Supremes reached #10 with their first post-Diana disc, Up The Ladder To The Roof. Diana’s record topped out at #20; the Supremes 45 went to #5.
On August 8th, 1970 Diana returned with her sophomore effort, Ain’t No Mountain High Enough, a song that had already been a #3 R&B/#19 pop hit for Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell in 1967.
For Diana’s vesrion, creators Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson turned Mountain on its ear; crafting a long slow buildup under Diana’s spoken word intro and sung verse. They saved the rousing chorus until the end with Valerie backing Diana.
Despite its six minute length, radio stations shortened it so it would fit their formats, prompting Motown to release their own edit. In the end, Diana’s record went all the way.
This content and all Song Meaning articles were created and written by Top 40 Contributing Editor Ed Osborne. © 2024 Ed Osborne. All Rights Reserved. In addition to these song meaning articles, Ed has written our “Year in Music 1960s-1990s” articles.
Produced by:
- Nickolas Ashford
- Valerie Simpson
Lyrics Written by:
- Nickolas Ashford
- Valerie Simpson
Award:
- Nominated for Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance in 1970
Ed Osborne
Hi. I got my first record at age two and never looked back, spending a decades-long career in radio and the music business. Even after years of reading about and listening to all types of music, I am still fascinated by it. Apart from that, I’m endlessly intrigued by art, nature, and the inner lives of people (and dogs).