THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

519-Diana Ross-Love Hangover.

1976-Number 10 single.

Best Bit-At 2.42. It’s where she goes from Romantic Ross, to Disco Diana.

‘Love Hangover’ was the second single released fro Diana Ross’ seventh solo studio Album ‘Diana Ross,’ from 1975. This was her second self titled Album, as her 1970 debut was also called ‘Diana Ross.’ ‘Love Hangover was written by Marilyn McLeod, and Pam Sawyer, who were both employed at Motown at that time as songwriters. McLeod was born in Detroit, Michigan, United States in 1938, and was employed by Motown from 1968-1985, in the early 1990’s she became a songwriter for the Motown revival label ‘Motorcity Records.’ Pam Sawyer was born in London, England, in 1938, she joined Motown in 1967, she is the co-writer of several hit singles on the label (see also best songs 411 ) until leaving in the early 1980’s, to set up her own production company.

It was this songs producer Hal Davis (1933-1998) who wanted Motown to keep up with the latest musical trends, namely Disco, but both the labels owner Berry Gordy, and also Diana Ross, were none too keen. The ballad ‘I Thought It Took a Little Time (But Today I Fell in Love’) had been chosen and released as the Album’s first single, while the American group the ‘5th Dimension’ (see also best songs 202) had released their own version of ‘Love Hangover.’ When the ‘5th Dimension’s version entered Billboard at the lower reaches of the chart, Berry Gordy realised he had made a mistake, and rush released Diana Ross’ version. The 5th Dimension’s recording stalled at Number 80, as Diana Ross shot up the charts, spending two weeks at Number 1, in May and June 1976. The songs producer Hal Davis would go on to repeat the same formula around six months later when Thelma Houston’s cover version of ‘Don’ Leave Me This Way’ (see also best songs 725) also topped the chart on Billboard.

Diana Ross (see also best songs 1001-900-411-365-212-183-148 and 28) recorded her vocals at 2.am, and after a vodka, it is said she kicked off her shoes, and got on with it, improvising, and at one point letting out a laugh which made it on to the record. Ross has said,’It was a spontaneous thing that we captured on record, and if I had to go back in and do it again, I couldn’t have. The music was me, and I was the music. Things came out of my mouth that I didn’t even expect.’

‘Don’t call a Doctor, don’t call her momma, don’t call her preacher, no I don’t need it, I don’t want it.’