Diana Ross, Touch Me In The Morning

In the 162^nd edition of Throwback Vibez (2025), we recollect and reflect on “Touch Me In The Morning” by Diana Ross.

The vibes, the vibes, those Throwback Vibez! Throwback Vibez is a column that celebrates awesome songs from the past.  The records that grace this column are older, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re ancient – no fossils 🦴! All genres of music are welcome. In the 162^nd edition of Throwback Vibez (2025), we recollect and reflect on “Touch Me In The Morning” performed by Diana Ross.  

“Touch me in the mornin’ / Then just walk away / We don’t have tomorrow / But we had yesterday.”

Decorated. Diana Ross (b. 1944) is the definition of an icon.  Not only was Ross a big deal as a member of The Supremes, but she also became a widely successful solo artist. Ask yourself this: How has a musician of the caliber of Ross not won a Grammy? Let that sink in… “Touch Me In The Morning” is one of many gems from her illustrious musical catalog.  It is, fittingly, the opener from her 1973 album, Touch Me In The Morning. Ronald Miller and Michael Masser penned “Touch,” while Masser and Tom Baird produced it. One of six number one hits on the pop chart, it spent one week atop the Billboard Hot 100.

“Touch Me In The Morning” is a masterpiece.  It showcases elite musicianship from all parties involved. The musical backdrop is elite, comprised of piano, an athletic bass line, soulful guitar, vibes, and a picturesque, dynamic orchestra. A bit of a complex pop/soul classic, it is adept at blending pop and soul balladry with more assertive disco and funk cues. Diana Ross brings her A game vocally, marvelously bringing the radiant melodies to life. “Hey, wasn’t it yesterday / We used to laugh at the wind behind us,” she sings, in the second verse, and continues, “Didn’t we run away and hope / That time wouldn’t try to find us?” Sigh, oh, the love, that, unfortunately, must end: “Yeah, I really need you near me tonight / ‘Cause you’ll never take me there again.” Bummer. Ross sings most of the time, but adding another brilliant wrinkle, she also talks. “Hold you until the time / Your hands reach out and,” she says, and continues, singing, “Touch me in the mornin’.” Adding to the sheer excellence of this juggernaut are classy, refined background vocals. “Touch Me In The Morning” is celestial – a Godsend of a song. Even as Diana Ross sounds like a natural on this classic, she struggled recording it 🤯. The perfectionist in her required multiple takes to achieve the perfect vocal on a song that she found difficult to sing.  The good news is her persistence paid off, yielding one of the top-tier songs in her/the soul music catalog. This one is timeless, folks.