THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

900-Diana Ross-Touch Me in the Morning.

1973-Number 9 single.

Best Bit-At 2.28. It’s the best offer you’ll get all day.

‘Touch Me in the Morning’ is the title track, and the first of two singles released from Diana Ross’ fourth studio Album from June 1973. The song was co-written by Michael Masser, (1941-2015) (music) and Ron Miller, (1932-2007) (lyrics) with the production credited to Masser, and Tom Baird (1943-1975/1976?) Tom Baird, who was also a songwriter, and session musician, worked for many years for ‘Motown Records,’ and it’s subsidiary labels ‘Rare Earth,’ and ‘Tamla.’ The songs title is actually very fitting, because at that time Diana Ross would only record her vocals in the early morning hours. In an interview with Diana’s second eldest daughter many years later, Tracee Ellis Ross said that her mother would put them to bed and record all night, in order to wake her children, and send them to school the next morning. Also commenting on the recording process Michael Masser recalled,’She always tried to push hard to get the vocals right for this particular song.’ Masser called it a ‘Draining experience, that resulted in several near-emotional breakdowns when she wasn’t up to her abilities.’

1973 was another very busy year for Diana Ross, (see also best songs 1001-900-519-411-365-212-183-148 and 28) she was now three years in to her solo career, and had just completed her first film ‘ Lady Sings the Blues,’ in 1972, for which she had won the ‘Golden Globe Award,’ and ‘Academy Award’ nominations, for ‘Best Actress,’ for her portrayal of Billie Holiday (1915-1959) (see also best songs 624.) This would be the first of three major films that Diana Ross would star in, with the other two being ‘Mahogany,’ (1975) and ‘The Wizz’ (1978.) With Diana Ross having spent time on her acting career, Motown supremo Berry Gordy felt that Ross needed a ‘big’ song to get her solo singing career back on track, and ‘Touch Me in the Morning’ certainly did the trick, giving Diana her second solo American Billboard Number 1 single, after 1970’s ‘Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.’ In fact 1973 proved to be very productive musically, with the release of three studio Albums. Following on from ‘Touch Me in the Morning,’ in June, came the duets Album ‘Diana & Marvin,’ with Marvin Gaye, (1939-1984) (see also best songs 723-183 and 114) in October, and then December saw the release of ‘Last Time I Saw Him,’ Diana’s sixth solo studio Album. Incidentally the soundtrack of ‘Lady Sings the Blues’ had proved to be a major success, reaching the Number 1 spot on Billboard, and selling in excess of 2 million copies in the States.

‘Touch Me in the Morning’ was co-written by Michael Masser, and Ron Miller. Ronald Norman Miller, was born on October 5th, 1932, in Chicago, Illinois, he died of cardiac arrest, after a long battle with emphysema, and cancer, at the age of 74. Whereas Michael Masser was a relative newcomer, Miller was a veteran by comparison, having co-written many of Stevie Wonder’s 1960’s hits, including ‘For Once in My Life,’ (1968-Billboard Number 2, and UK Number 3) and ‘Yester-Me, Yester-You, Yesterday,’ (1969-Billboard Number 7, and UK Number 2.) Miller was also the co-writer of ‘I’ve Never Been to Me,’ for Charlene (1982-Billboard Number 3, and UK Number 1.)

Michael Masser was born on March 24th, 1941, in Chicago, Illinois, United States, he died on July 9th, 2015, at the age of 74.’Touch Me in the Morning’ was the first major composition by Masser, who would go on to even greater success, writing two Billboard Number 1 singles for Whitney Houston,’Didn’t We Almost Have It All,’ (1987) and ‘Saving All My Love for You,’ (1985) Masser also co-wrote with Linda Creed, (1948-1986) the George Benson, and Whitney Houston hit ‘The Greatest Love of All.’ Other hits co-written by Masser for Diana Ross include ‘Last Time I Saw Him,’ and ‘Theme from Mahogany (Do You Know Where You’re Going To)’

Ron Miller was impressed by Michael Masser’s ‘Pop’ composition, but was worried that a pure Pop record would alienate Ross’ fans. Miller freely admits pinching some ‘Soul’ from one of Diana’s earlier hits.’I didn’t want Diana to lose her base, so we ripped off a riff from Ashford and Simpson (see also best songs 703-359-228 and 28.) One part is straight out of ‘Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,’ and then we had her talking in parts, all of which we did to keep the identity she established with ‘Mountain,’ and to add some ‘Soul’ to the record.’

‘Hey! Wasn’t it me who said that nothing good’s gonna last forever? And wasn’t it me who said, let’s just be glad for the time together? It must’ve been hard to tell me that you’ve given all you had to give. I can understand you’re feeling that way, everybody’s got their life to live.’