What the Hell Is the Point of Diana Ross's "Ain't No Mountain High Enough"?

http://www.mtv.com/shared/media/images/amg_covers/200/drd900/d962/d96237xd1wf.jpg

I never really thought about this until I heard it again on XM today.

But it encapsulates just about everything I despise about Motown (and none of what I like): the tendency to recycle anything and everything, the treacly, slushy orchestral arrangements, and, most of all, Diana Ross.

Think about what this, the first post-Supremes single of Diana's career, is for a second:

The song begins as if it's at the end -- with a wordless version of the chorus that sounds like an outro. Then, it goes into a sub par version of "Ike's Rap," with Diana doing a spoken word version of the verse. Repeating that a few times, we then get some counter melody before at long last we get to the weird Swingle Sisters version of the melody: "AIN'T NO MOUNTAIN HIGH ENOUGH! <BLAM!> AIN'T NO VALLEY LOW ENOUGH!!<BLAM!!>"

Then, finally, we get the chorus. But hey! We're not through yet! There's still a modulation! Dear lord.

Granted, there's the moment in which it came out to think of -- Richard Harris and Rod McCuen and so forth. And Ashford and Simpson did produce this and had written the original, which is a classic. But for all the fanfare, this just adds nothing to that song.

On just about every level, it's just an overblown, formless disaster, and it's hard to believe it's considered some sort of classic today -- but hey, I guess that's payola for you.

I love that cover; she looks like Mowgli.

I had no idea this was an Ashford/Simpson song!

I agree. This was one of those songs that, when it came on the oldies station, would always be cause for me to do a run through the presets.

We should have a name for songs that were reason enough to make you preset/dial reach. "Preset reacher"?

the idea that this song is anything other than great is completely beyond me

but then again I love Diana Ross unequivocally

the idea that this song is anything other than great is completely beyond me

OTM. The thundering overproduction and modulation into the endless, whirlpooling chorus at the end (of the full 6-minute version) are why this is fanfuckingtastic.

It's the "hairbrush-singing-in-Hollywood-movie"-friendliness of the Gaye/Terrell version that I'm not particularly partial to.

er, i only know the ashford/simpson version

I also hate this song.

Can we all at least agree that the Inner Life version is untouchable?

jesus christ how many versions are there

I don't love this version, but it's pretty good. How can you separate bad taste from Diana?

make it sit at the kids table

The Gaye/Terrell version is awesome.

I like the spoken word part and the rest of it too. Here's the 6:20 Diana Ross version

Marvin & Tammi 2:23

The DR version amazingly arranged and beautifully scored.
The vocal performances on the orig are obv better though.
That makes them about even.

er, i only know the ashford/simpson version

― being rich would be the best (roxymuzak), Saturday, November 22, 2008 4:42 PM (46 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

waht?? you must mean the marvin&tammi???

dont forget CCR :D

CCR did "I Heard It Through the Grapevine," they'd have sounded utterly ridiculous doing "Ain't No Mountain."

In that picture Diana looks like she needs George Harrison to organize a benefit for her.

The DR version amazingly arranged and beautifully scored.
Yeah, but the Marvin & Tammi track has that great little percussive thing at the beginning and what may be the very best of the hundred thousand great James Jamerson bass lines.

Don't you mean Sirius XM radio, Matthew? RIP Soul Street.

CCR did "I Heard It Through the Grapevine," they'd have sounded utterly ridiculous doing "Ain't No Mountain."

― Matos W.K., Saturday, November 22, 2008 6:54 PM (5 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

haha oh yeah duh

id love to hear ccr do aint no mountain

i mean, for lols

er, i only know the ashford/simpson version

― being rich would be the best (roxymuzak), Saturday, November 22, 2008 4:42 PM (46 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

waht?? you must mean the marvin&tammi???

dont forget CCR :D

― is that my man hannity?? (deej), Saturday, November 22, 2008 6:30 PM (1 hour ago) Bookmark

Not sure what was meant by this exchange, but I learned to-day that Ashford & Simpson wrote the song, and were behind both recordings (even singing backup vocals in this version).

x-posts

i assumed roxy meant she had only heard the ashford and simpson version, not the marvin and tammy one - this surprised me. i know they wrote it i was just assuming they had also recorded a version

if thats not what she meant then i have no idea what she meant

Richard Harris
Yeah, this version of the song is one step away from "Climb Ev'ry Mountain" which is one step away from "The Impossible Dream" which was song by another Richard, Richard Kiley, in Man of La Mancha which is one step away from Camelot in which Richard Harris appeared. And no, I don't like when the Four Tops sang whichever one of those they sang.

At first I thought this thread was about "Somebody We'll Be Together" which has a slightly faster tempo, a catchier guitar lick and the Johnny Bristol exhortations all going for it.

hating on ashford & simpson's songwriting - two who, at their prime, are mentionable in the company of lieber & stoller or lerner & lowe - is just incomprehensible to me

but I can't be rational about Diana, The Boss saved my life

It's the "hairbrush-singing-in-Hollywood-movie"-friendliness of the Gaye/Terrell version that I'm not particularly partial to.

― Eric H., Saturday, 22 November 2008 22:42 (Yesterday) Permalink

BOOOOOOOOO

"Stepmom" is awesome.

p.s. they also use a telephone as a microphone

otm, thx

Stepmom pales in comparison to The Family Stone.

I love THE FAMILY STONE.

i need to rewatch but it wasn't as good first time around guys, let's not lie.

It wasn't good at all. Is my point.

ohhh. i see now. you were being smart

I like the intro! And I like the modulation at the end! But, most importantly, it has one of the greatest Jamerson bass lines.

Yeah, what he said. Patrick, plz post more. Esp. about Jamerson.

Is Jamerson even on the Diana version? If he is he's a lot more subdued than on the M&T version. Anyway, I just listened to it and it's a lot better, less overwrought, than I remembered. Obviously it's not a Norman Whitfield track, but there's some nice Motown signature stuff, the guitar tone and the drum pickups, the congas from Eddie "Bongo" Brown, and especially the celeste from Johnny Griffith.

I happened to be watching the entire contents of the Standing In The Shadows Of Motown DVD yesterday and at the bitter end, buried at the back of the Biographies section, there was a recommended listening for each guy which is where I learned the bit about Johnny Griffith and the celeste. The best celeste credit since the Nick Drake album that credits one John Cale Celeste with playing piano.

Cool

hating on ashford & simpson's songwriting - two who, at their prime, are mentionable in the company of lieber & stoller or lerner & lowe - is just incomprehensible to me

but I can't be rational about Diana, The Boss saved my life

― J0hn D., Saturday, November 22, 2008 8:16 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark

I hope I wasn't interpreted as hating on Ashford and Simpson. They are excellent songwriters, to say the least.

For the record, I like both versions.

I think the "point" of this version can be summed up in one word: 1970

Joe Budden's self-titled comes to mind.

Steve, are you familiar with a DC-area soul DJ named Bobby Bennett, aka The Mighty Burner?

but I can't be rational about Diana, The Boss saved my life

― J0hn D., Sunday, November 23, 2008 1:16 AM (18 hours ago) Bookmark

What was the name of that old "gay musicians" thread? I have to add someone.

Steve, are you familiar with a DC-area soul DJ named Bobby Bennett, aka The Mighty Burner?

― Ruudside Picnic (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, November 23, 2008 8:10 PM (19 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

Yes I am. I used to listen to him dj old-school soul on Pacifica station WPFW before he joined XM radio. I think I might have heard him years before he was on WPFW, when he was on legendary AM r'n'b & go-go station WOL. Awww man, I just googled him and see that the new merged XM-Sirius just fired him and two others. I don't have XM, but that stinks. I am guessing he did a good job and I see some complaints online about what happened. I need to spread the word about this. I don't think the Washington Post has covered it.

Hideous Lump plz make sure you don't confuse it with the "old gay musicians" thread, I think I got a couple years left before I belong on that one

Diana's first post-Supreme single was "Reach Out and Touch Somebody's Hand". "Ain't Now Mountain High Enough" was her second single.

What the Hell Is the Point of Diana Ross's "Ain't No Mountain High Enough"?

Change! Yes, we can!

;)

We can agree that the inner life version is untouchable.

i love this song and can't understand.

I am guessing he did a good job

In any case, all Motown fans should listen to Mr. Fine Wine's show from this past Friday, where he paid tribute to a forgotten Funk Brother, baritone sax player Andrew "Mike" Terry, who passed away at the end of last month. You can also read about him at soulfuldetroit or soul-source.

Can we all at least agree that the Inner Life version is untouchable?

count me in.

i love this song and can't understand.

yeah, what the fuck. even the defence for this song is as if it's some guilty diana ross pleasure. i think this was my favourite song five years ago because of the triptych of the best-wordless-vocals-this-side-of-james-brown sandwiched between every backing call of ain't no mountain high enough. 'slushy orchestral arrangement' as a pejorative confuses me. can not understand hearing this and not melting into it.

Just listened again by chance of long 70s hit Soul playlist.

that bassline is unbelievable!

the big change is completely disarming.

not flawless, but still a great song.