“Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” (Diana Ross) #1 9/19/1970

Rarely does a tune become a hit all over again with an almost completely different arrangement. Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell had one of Motown’s most enduring songs with their take in 1967. The writers, Ashford and Simpson, convinced Diana Ross to try a radically rearranged version with a long spoken introduction; the familiar chorus didn’t show up until over halfway into the six minute recording. Berry Gordy didn’t like it and forced a sharply edited 45 to be released. But many radio stations played their own edits or the long version, and the song became Diana’s first solo #1.