Ain't No Mountain High Enough

"Ain't No Mountain High Enough" is an R&B/soul song written by Nickolas Ashford & Valerie Simpson in 1966 for the Tamla Motown label. The composition was first successful as a 1967 hit single recorded by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, becoming a hit again in 1970 when recorded by former Supremes frontwoman Diana Ross. The song became Ross's first solo number-one hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and was nominated for a Grammy Award.

History

Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell original

The original 1967 version of "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" was a top twenty hit. According to record producers, Terrell was a little nervous and intimidated during recording because she hadn't rehearsed the lyrics. Terrell recorded her vocals alone with producers Harvey Fuqua and Johnny Bristol, who added Gaye's vocal at a later date.^[1] "Ain't No Mountain" peaked at number nineteen on the Billboard pop charts, and went to number three on the R&B charts.

This original version of "Ain't No Mountain", produced by Fuqua and Bristol, was a care-free, danceable, and romantic love song that became the signature duet between Gaye and Terrell. Its success led to a string of more Ashford/Simpson penned duets (including "You're All I Need to Get By", "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing", and "Your Precious Love").

The Gaye/Terrell version was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999, and is regarded today as one of the most important records ever released by Motown.

Diana Ross version

After the Top 20 success of her first single, "Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand)", Ashford and Simpson had Ross re-record "Ain't No Mountain High Enough". Initially, Ross was apprehensive, as she had previously covered the song as a member of the Supremes in a duet with The Temptations (see below). Eventually, however, she was convinced to make the recording. The cover produced a version similar to gospel with elements of classical music strings, spoken word passages from Ross, with the Andantes, Jimmy Beavers, and Ashford and Simpson as backing singers giving the song a soul and gospel vocal element.

Motown chief Berry Gordy didn't like the record upon first hearing it. He hated the spoken-word passages and wanted the song to begin with the climactic chorus/bridge. It was not until radio stations nationwide were editing their own versions and adding it to their playlists that Ashford and Simpson were able to convince Gordy to release an edited three-minute version as a single. Ross' version of "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" rose up to number one on both the pop and R&B singles charts^[2], and Ross received a Grammy nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. This version is in the key of C minor.

Notable covers

With The Supremes, Diana Ross recorded a version of "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" which was more faithful to the Terrell-Gaye original version as a duet with The Temptations. That song was an album cut from a joint LP released by Motown Records in 1968 on the two superstar groups, titled Diana Ross & the Supremes Join The Temptations. In 2000, KLM used this version as a commercial.

1981 saw the recording by Inner Life of the underground dance classic "Ain't No Mountain High Enough", produced by Patrick Adams and Greg Carmichael, remixed by Larry Levan, and released on the Salsoul label. The same year saw an upbeat disco version by the Boys Town Gang who recorded it as a medley with another Ashford & Simpson song, "Remember Me". The full version of this song is nearly 14 minutes long and can be found on their album Cruisin the Street.

Stacy Lattisaw and Howard Hewett sang "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" on Personal Attention album in 1988.

Australian singer Jimmy Barnes released an album of soul covers titled Soul Deep in 1991, including his rock version of "Ain't No Mountain High Enough". This cover reached #28 in Australia in 1992 ^[3]

In 1993, at the end of the film Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit, Whoopi Goldberg and most of the cast of the movie, including future neo-soul superstar Lauryn Hill, mixed both the Gaye/Terrell and Diana Ross solo versions of the song together for a performance of "Ain't No Mountain" at the climax of the film. The Gaye/Terrell version also frequently turns up, often as part of a sing-along, in "feel-good" movies, such as Remember the Titans and Stepmom.

In 1997, Whitney Houston performed the song live as a part of her medley tribute to Diana Ross on her Classic Whitney Live from Washington, D.C. concert.

In 1998, Debelah Morgan covered the song for the movie Our Friend, Martin, also mixing the Gaye/Terrell and Diana Ross versions.

In 1999, the tune of the song was used in Smart Gold commercial in the Philippines.

Former Doobie Brother Michael McDonald recorded the song as part of his Motown album in 2003. The version was used in a commercial for MCI and in the film The 40-Year-Old Virgin. In 2004, the 12 finalists of American Idol covered the song for the ensemble track for the cast album American Idol Season 3: Greatest Soul Classics.

Swedish pop band Play recorded the song for their 2003 album Replay. This version appeared in the trailer for the 2006 film Last Holiday.

In 2006, Australian vocal group Human Nature included a cover on the second album of their Motown trilogy, Dancing in the Street: the Songs of Motown II. The album debuted at #1 on the ARIA charts.

In 2006, Eva Avila performed this song on the fourth season of Canadian Idol during the last round of the semi-finals. Avila went on to win the competition.

In 2006, Amy Winehouse recorded the song "Tears Dry On Their Own" for her album Back to Black, which keeps the chord progression, arrangement and instrumentation of "Ain't No Mountain High Enough", but which contains a different melody and different, original lyrics written by Winehouse.

A duet between Eddie Money & his daughter Jesse Money is featured on his 2007 cover album Wanna Go Back.

Portions of the Diana Ross version were sampled on the Jessica Simpson single "A Public Affair".

In an episode of The Steve Harvey Show, Lydia performs the song towards the end of Booker T. Washington High School's graduation ceremony.

In 2009, Lionel Richie and Stefanie Heinzmann performed the song live in the German music award show Echo 2009.^[4]

In 2010, Hungarian-Slovakian singer Takács Nikolas performed the song in the 4th live show and in the great final of the Hungarian X-Faktor. He ended up 2nd in the competition.

In 2009, Dionne Bromfield covered this song on her debut album "Introducing Dionne Bromfield".

In 2011, the song was re-recorded by Paul Epworth and used in a commercial for DHL.^[5]

In 2011, the song was covered by French singer Chimène Badi and Billy Paul, for Badi's 2011 Gospel & Soul album.

In 2011, the song appeared in a NicoDrem CQ commercial with a minature little band playing the song on the table of the former smoker.

Personnel

Gaye/Terrell version

• All vocals by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell
• Instrumentation by The Funk Brothers and Detroit Symphony Orchestra

Ross version

• Lead Vocals by Diana Ross
• Background Vocals by Nickolas Ashford, Valerie Simpson, Joshie Armstead, Jimmy Beavers, and The Andantes: Jackie Hicks, Marlene Barrow, and Louvain Demps
• Instrumentation by The Funk Brothers and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, with Valerie Simpson on the piano

Notes