Diana Ross (1970 album)

Diana Ross
Studio album by Diana Ross
Released	May 1970
Recorded	September 1969–March 1970
Genre	Soul, pop
Length	36:58
Label	Motown
Producer	Nickolas Ashford & Valerie Simpson, Johnny Bristol
Diana Ross chronology
Diana Ross (1970) Everything Is Everything (1970)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]
Robert Christgau	(C+)[2]
Q	[3]
Rhapsody	(favorable)[4]
Rolling Stone	[5]

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)",sold over 500,000 copies in the USA, 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", peaking at number one on the Hot 100, selling over 1,200,000 copies in the USA only 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.^[6]

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.

Side A

1. "Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand)" – 3:02
2. "Now That There's You" – 3:27
3. "You're All I Need to Get By" (originally recorded by Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell) – 3:24
4. "These Things Will Keep Me Loving You" (originally recorded by The Velvelettes) – 3:06
5. "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" (originally recorded by Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell) – 6:18

Side B

1. "Something on My Mind" – 2:24 (originally recorded by Syreeta Wright)
2. "I Wouldn't Change the Man He Is" (originally recorded by Blinky)  – 3:15
3. "Keep an Eye" (originally recorded by (Diana Ross &) The Supremes) – 3:12
4. "Where There Was Darkness" – 3:12
5. "Can't It Wait Until Tomorrow" – 3:12
6. "Dark Side of the World" (originally recorded by Marvin Gaye) – 3:08

Expanded edition bonus tracks

12. "Something on My Mind" [live] (Ashford, Simpson) – 2:37
13. "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" [alternate mix] (Ashford, Simpson) – 6:06
14. "Now That There's You" [alternate mix] (Ashford, Simpson) – 3:08
15. "These Things Will Keep Me Loving You" [alternate mix] (Bristol, Fuqua) – 3:13
16. "Time and Love" (Laura Nyro) – 4:08
17. "Stoney End" (Nyro) – 3:39
18. "The Interim" (Cheryl Ernst) – 4:49
19. "Love's Lines, Angles and Rhymes" (Joyce) – 4:02

Personnel

• Diana Ross: lead vocals
• Nickolas Ashford & Valerie Simpson: producers, background vocals
• Johnny Bristol: producer, additional vocals on "These Things Will Keep Me Loving You"
• Paul Riser: arranger
• The Andantes: background vocals
• Jimmy Beavers: background vocals
• Maxine & Julia Waters: background vocals on "These Things Will Keep Me Loving You"
• The Funk Brothers: instrumentation

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)

Chart history

Album

Name	Chart (1970)	Peak position
Diana Ross	U.S. Billboard 200	19
	U.S. Billboard R&B Albums Chart	1
	UK Albums Chart	14

Singles

Name	Chart (1970)	Peak position
"Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand)"	U.S. Billboard Hot 100	20
	U.S. Billboard R&B Singles	7
	UK Singles Chart	33
"Ain't No Mountain High Enough"	U.S. Billboard Hot 100	1
	U.S. Billboard R&B Singles	1
	UK Singles Chart	6

See also

• List of number-one R&B albums of 1970 (U.S.)

References

1. ^ Allmusic review
2. ^ Robert Christgau review
3. ^ Q review
4. ^ Rhapsody review
5. ^ Rolling Stone review
6. ^ Allmusic.com review: "...arguably her finest solo work at Motown and perhaps her best ever...". "Diana Ross [1970 album"]. AllMusic.com. http://allmusic.com/album/diana-ross-1970-r449334, Allmusic.com review: "...arguably her finest solo work at Motown and perhaps her best ever...".. Retrieved 2 May 2011.