Recorded - March 13, 14 and 18, 1970
Released - June 19, 1970
#1 for weeks of September 19 and 26 & October 3, 1970.
Here's a song that just about everyone will be familiar with, although most likely via Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell's original 1967 version. "Ain't No Mountain High Enough", composed by the Nick Ashford/Valerie Simpson songwriting team, remains one of the most famous Motown songs. The vocal matchup of Marvin and Tammi is nothing short of magical, and thanks to the song's use later in the film, Remember The Titans, kids and teenagers of all decades know the song.
Now, you may be asking yourself why I'm talking about Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell when the version that topped the charts was by Diana Ross. Well, as some of you may know, Tammi Terrell was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor in late 1967. She spent the next two and a half years balancing between producing more music, and being in a state of ill health. Sadly, she never managed to recover, and succumbed to this cancer on March 16, 1970.
Knowing this back story, when you listen back to Diana Ross' version of "Ain't No Mountain High Enough", it comes across as a mournful tribute to Tammi. Whether this was intentional or not, this rendition certainly has a somber feeling to it. The instrumentation features a very prominent string section as well as Latin percussion during the choruses.
While the song starts off quite understated and melancholic, it gradually builds into a brass-heavy gospel-tinged powerhouse. The key change towards the song's end adds a further uplifting feel to the music. I actually feel energized after the song's over due to this increase in upbeat mood and instrumentation.
One aspect of Diana Ross' version that divides listeners is her choice to speak many of the verse lines as opposed to singing them. I used to not particularly care for these spoken lyrics either. However, when I realized that this version of the song was recorded around the time of Tammi's passing, I took Diana's spoken word as a sign of respect for her fallen friend.
The success of Diana's "Ain't No Mountain" ensured that she could continue a successful career even after leaving The Supremes. By following both group's chart histories during the 1970's, it's clear that most of The Supremes' audience chose to follow Diana instead of the trio. We'll pick up on Diana's next chart topper when we get to 1972...
Final Verdict - While Diana Ross' version of "Ain't No Mountain" can't hold a candle to the Gaye/Terrell original, it is nonetheless a spirited rendition of the tune. The song builds into quite a stellar musical symphony by the end, and as long as you stick around for the full six minutes, I'm sure you'll be entertained as well.
Coming Up Next - "Cracklin' Rosie" by Neil Diamond.
Until Next Time, I'm Dr. Rock and there ain't no mountain high enough, to keep me from loving Motown tunes -
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