Diana Ross cover art

  Studio Album · No. 1

Diana Ross Songwriting Credits by Diana Ross

1970 Motown 11 tracks 37 min

Produced by Nickolas Ashford, Valerie Simpson, Johnny Bristol

Motown R&BSoul
0%
Authorship
Singer / Performer

Holds writing credit on 0 of 11 tracks

Authorship Breakdown 0 / 11 documented

Who wrote the songs?

Scored across the 11 tracks with documented writers, by whether Diana Ross carries a lyricist or composer credit.

0%
0 trackswritten by Diana Ross 11 tracksoutside writers
Diana Ross's roles on this album

Share of the 11 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.

Lyricist0%
Composer0%
Producer0%
Performer100%

By the Numbers

11
Tracks
5
Lyricists
2
Producers
1
No.1 Single
Gold
Worldwide Copies Sold
1970
Released
Data Insight

The debut shows Diana Ross as a pure interpreter at the start of her solo career: Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson wrote almost every track, and Ross supplies the lead vocal rather than the pen. The lone exception to their authorship is 'These Things Will Keep Me Loving You,' written by an earlier Motown team, and her signature hit 'Ain't No Mountain High Enough' is itself an Ashford and Simpson song reimagined for her.

Diana Ross is the debut solo studio album by Diana Ross, released in June 1970 by Motown after she left the Supremes. The record was the test of whether the group's former frontwoman could carry an album on her own, and it was placed in the hands of the writing and production team Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson, who wrote almost all of it. Ross is the interpreter throughout, singing their material rather than her own. The album produced the inspirational opener 'Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand)' and her first solo number-one hit, an expansive new reading of 'Ain't No Mountain High Enough' that became one of her signature recordings.

Track Listing & Credits 11 tracks

Written by the artist Written by outside writers
#TitleLyricist(s)Composer(s)Producer(s)Performers
1
Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand) #20
Nickolas AshfordValerie Simpson Nickolas AshfordValerie Simpson Nickolas AshfordValerie Simpson Diana Ross (Lead Vocals)
2
Now That There's You
Nickolas AshfordValerie Simpson Nickolas AshfordValerie Simpson Nickolas AshfordValerie Simpson Diana Ross (Lead Vocals)
3
You're All I Need to Get By
Nickolas AshfordValerie Simpson Nickolas AshfordValerie Simpson Nickolas AshfordValerie Simpson Diana Ross (Lead Vocals)
4
These Things Will Keep Me Loving You
Harvey FuquaJohnny BristolSylvia Moy Harvey FuquaJohnny BristolSylvia Moy Nickolas AshfordValerie Simpson Diana Ross (Lead Vocals)
5
Ain't No Mountain High Enough #1
Nickolas AshfordValerie Simpson Nickolas AshfordValerie Simpson Nickolas AshfordValerie Simpson Diana Ross (Lead Vocals)
6
Something on My Mind
Nickolas AshfordValerie Simpson Nickolas AshfordValerie Simpson Nickolas AshfordValerie Simpson Diana Ross (Lead Vocals)
7
I Wouldn't Change the Man He Is
Nickolas AshfordValerie Simpson Nickolas AshfordValerie Simpson Nickolas AshfordValerie Simpson Diana Ross (Lead Vocals)
8
Keep an Eye
Nickolas AshfordValerie Simpson Nickolas AshfordValerie Simpson Nickolas AshfordValerie Simpson Diana Ross (Lead Vocals)
9
Where There Was Darkness
Nickolas AshfordValerie Simpson Nickolas AshfordValerie Simpson Nickolas AshfordValerie Simpson Diana Ross (Lead Vocals)
10
Can't It Wait Until Tomorrow
Nickolas AshfordValerie Simpson Nickolas AshfordValerie Simpson Nickolas AshfordValerie Simpson Diana Ross (Lead Vocals)
11
Dark Side of the World
Nickolas AshfordValerie Simpson Nickolas AshfordValerie Simpson Nickolas AshfordValerie Simpson Diana Ross (Lead Vocals)

Songwriter & Credit Spotlight 6 contributors

More from Diana Ross

Frequently Asked Questions Diana Ross

Who wrote Diana Ross's debut solo album?
Almost the entire album was written by Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson. Ross did not write the material; she is the interpreter throughout.
Did Diana Ross write Ain't No Mountain High Enough?
No. 'Ain't No Mountain High Enough' was written by Ashford and Simpson; Ross recorded a new extended version that became her first solo number-one single.
Who produced the 1970 Diana Ross album?
It was produced mainly by Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson, with Johnny Bristol also credited as a producer.
What are the hit singles from the album?
'Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand)' and 'Ain't No Mountain High Enough,' the latter topping the Billboard Hot 100.
Why was this album important for Diana Ross?
It was her first record after leaving the Supremes and the proof that she could succeed as a solo artist.
What songs did Diana Ross write on this album?
None. Every track was written by outside songwriters, with the bulk by Ashford and Simpson, making it a fully interpreted record.

Sources