Diana Ross (1970 album)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Diana Ross | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
|||||
| Studio album by Diana Ross | |||||
| Released | May 1970 | ||||
| Recorded | September 1969 - March 1970 | ||||
| Genre | Soul | ||||
| Length | 36:58 | ||||
| Label | Motown MS 711 |
||||
| Producer | Nickolas Ashford & Valerie Simpson Johnny Bristol |
||||
| Professional reviews | |||||
| Diana Ross chronology | |||||
|
|||||
Diana Ross (later reissued as Ain't No Mountain High Enough) was the debut solo album for Diana Ross.
The album was the ultimate test to see if the former Supremes frontwoman could make it as a solo act. With the help of the songwriting-producing team of Nickolas Ashford & Valerie Simpson, Ross turned out a successful album. Ross did extensive work with other producers before settling with Ashford & Simpson, including Johhny Bristol, producer of her final single with The Supremes, "Someday We'll Be Together". Bristol here produces "These Things Will Keep Me Loving You"; the rest of the LP is fully written and produced by Ashford & Simpson.
Ross' first solo single, "Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand)", was something of a disappointment when it charted at number 20 on the Billboard Hot 100. Its follow-up, a cover of Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell's "Ain't No Mountain High Enough", did considerably better, peaking at number one on the Hot 100, and garnering a Grammy nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. As a result of the single's success, Diana Ross was reissued as Ain't No Mountain High Enough, and another Ross solo LP (her 1976 LP featuring "Love Hangover") would be issued as an eponymous release. Critics have since lauded Diana Ross as some of the singer's best work ever, with others naming it arguably the best full-length album Ross released in her career.
Contents |
[edit] Track listing
All tracks written and produced by Nickolas Ashford & Valerie Simpson, except for "These Things Will Keep Me Loving You", written by Johnny Bristol/Harvey Fuqua/Sylvia Moy and produced by Bristol.
[edit] Side one
- "Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand)" – 3:02
- "Now That There's You" – 3:27
- "You're All I Need to Get By" – 3:24
- "These Things Will Keep Me Loving You" – 3:06
- "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" – 6:16
[edit] Side two
- "Something on My Mind" – 2:24
- "I Wouldn't Change the Man He Is" – 3:15
- "Keep an Eye" – 3:12
- "Where There Was Darkness" – 3:12
- "Can't It Wait Until Tomorrow" – 3:12
- "Dark Side of the World" – 3:08
- The album was re-released in 2002 with four bonus tracks.
[edit] Personnel
- Diana Ross: lead vocals
- Nickolas Ashford & Valerie Simpson: producers, background vocals
- Johnny Bristol: producer, additional vocals ("These Things Will Keep Me Loving You")
- Paul Riser: arranger
- The Andantes: background vocals
- Jimmy Beavers: background vocals
- Maxine & Julia Waters, background vocals ("These Things Will Keep Me Loving You")
- The Funk Brothers: instrumentation
[edit] Singles history
- "Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand)" b/w "Dark Side of the World" (Motown 1165, April 1970)
- "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" b/w "Can't It Wait Until Tomorrow" (Motown 1169, July 16, 1970)
[edit] Chart history
| Name | Chart (1970) | Peak position |
|---|---|---|
| Diana Ross | U.S. Pop Albums Chart | 19 |
| Diana Ross | U.S. R&B Albums Chart | 1 |
| "Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand)" | U.S. Billboard Pop Singles | 20 |
| "Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand)" | U.S. Billboard R&B Singles | 7 |
| "Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand)" | UK Singles Chart | 33 |
| "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" | U.S. Billboard Pop Singles | 1 |
| "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" | U.S. Bllboard R&B Singles | 1 |
| "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" | UK Singles Chart | 6 |
