"Touch Me in the Morning" is a song recorded by Diana Ross on the Motown label. It was written by Ron Miller and

Michael Masser Michael William Masser (March 24, 1941 – July 9, 2015) was an American songwriter, composer and producer of popular music. Early life Born to a Jewish family in Chicago to Ester Huff and William Masser, he attended the University of Illinois ...

, and produced by the latter and Tom Baird. It was released on May 3, 1973 as the first single from her album of the same name. In 1973, it became Ross's second solo No. 1 single (and 14th over her career) on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100.

Background/Recording

It was conceived by then-unproven songwriter and producer

. He had been recruited by Motown CEO

Berry Gordy Berry Gordy III (born November 28, 1929), known professionally as Berry Gordy Jr., is a retired American record executive, record producer, songwriter, film producer and television producer. He is best known as the founder of the Motown record l ...

and A&R chief Suzanne de Passe. Masser teamed up with the proven ballad lyricist Ron Miller to write it. According to Masser, in a video documentary about Ross, she "always tried to push hard to get the vocals right for this particular song", calling it a "draining experience" that resulted in several near-emotional breakdowns when she wasn't up to her abilities. It was recorded in the early morning hours, as was her custom after she began raising her children. In a Barbara Walters

Mother's Day Mother's Day is a celebration honoring the mother of the family or individual, as well as motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society. It is celebrated on different days in many parts of the world, most commonly in th ...

interview special, her second-oldest daughter,

Tracee Ellis Ross Tracee Joy Silberstein (born October 29, 1972), known professionally as Tracee Ellis Ross, is an American actress. She is known for her lead roles in the television series '' Girlfriends'' (2000–2008) and '' Black-ish'' (2014–2022). She is ...

, said Diana would put them to bed and record all night, in order to wake her children and send them to school the next morning.

Release

Motown released the song as a single and it hit No. 1 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 singles chart, becoming her longest-charting record until 1980, remaining on the chart for 21 weeks. It also spent a week at No. 1 on the

adult contemporary chart The Adult Contemporary chart is published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine and lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary radio stations in the United States. The chart is compiled based on airplay data submitted to ''Billboard'' by sta ...

, her first No. 1 on that chart. Sherlie Matthews,

Clydie King Clydie Mae King (August 21, 1943 – January 7, 2019) was an American singer, best known for her session work as a backing vocalist. King also recorded solo under her name. In the 1970s, she recorded as Brown Sugar, and her single "Loneliness ( ...

and

Venetta Fields Venetta Lee Fields (born 1941) is an American-born singer, musical theater actress and vocal coach. She was a backing vocalist for American and British rock and pop acts of the 1960s and 1970s, including Ike & Tina Turner, Pink Floyd, Humble Pi ...

sang background vocals. Bob Babbitt played bass. It marked a turning point in the career of Diana Ross, reinvigorating her singing career, coming immediately after her

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

nomination for

Best Actress Best Actress is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organisations, festivals, and people's awards to leading actresses in a film, television series, television film or play. The first Best Actress aw ...

in her acting debut, '' Lady Sings the Blues''.

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

References

Bibliography

* Whitburn, Joel (1996). ''The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits'', 6th Edition (Billboard Publications)

External links

List of cover versions of "Touch Me in the Morning"
at SecondHandSongs.com * {{Diana Ross 1973 singles Songs written by Ron Miller (songwriter) Songs written by Michael Masser Diana Ross songs Andy Williams songs The Nolans songs Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles Cashbox number-one singles Motown singles 1973 songs Pop ballads Rhythm and blues ballads