Touch Me in the Morning

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"Touch Me in the Morning" was a successful single by Motown and soul music icon Diana Ross when released as a single in 1973.

The song was conceived by then-unproven talent, songwriter and producer Michael Masser, who had been recruited by Motown boss Berry Gordy and A&R staffer Suzanne de Passe to give Ross another huge hit a few years after Ross had hit pay dirt with her seminal 1970 cover of Marvin Gaye's "Ain't No Mountain High Enough". Masser teamed up with proven ballad writer Ron Miller, to finish the song.

According to Masser later in a documentary about Ross, he said the singer always tried to push hard to "get the vocals right for this particular song" and said that it was a "draining experience" that resulted in several near-emotional breakdowns by Ross when she felt the song wasn't up to her abilities.

When she finally was satisfied with the version she recorded, Motown released the song as a single and Ross' prayers were answered when the song hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, and is Ross' longest charting record. It was on Billboard for 20 weeks. Sherlie Matthews, Clydie King and Venetta Fields sang background vocals for the song.

The song marked a turning point in both the careers of Ross and Masser as it reinvigorated Ross' singing career just as she was getting rave reviews for her acting debut in Lady Sings the Blues and introduced Masser to an audience that would become accustomed to his ballad-drenched songs.

Masser would go on to produce more songs for Ross and eventually worked with another soul diva - Whitney Houston.

Preceded by "The Morning After" by Maureen McGovern

Billboard Hot 100 number one single August 18, 1973

Succeeded by "Brother Louie" by Stories