Turrentine was born in Pittsburgh's Hill District into a musical family. His father, Thomas Turrentine, Sr., was a saxophonist with Al Cooper's Savoy Sultans, his mother played stride piano, and his older brother Tommy Turrentine became a professional trumpet player.
He began his prolific career with blues and rhythm and blues bands, and was at first greatly influenced by Illinois Jacquet. In the 1950s, he went on to play with the groups of Lowell Fulson, Earl Bostic, and at the turn of the decade, Max Roach.
Turrentine received his only formal musical training during his military stint in the mid-'50s. In 1959, he jumped from the frying pan into the fire when he left the military and went straight into the band of the great drummer Max Roach.
He married the organist Shirley Scott in 1960 and the two frequently played and recorded together. In the 1960s, he started working with organist Jimmy Smith, and made many soul jazz recordings both with Smith and as a leader.
In the 1970s, after his professional split and divorce from Scott, Turrentine turned to jazz fusion and signed for Creed Taylor's CTI label. His first album for CTI, Sugar proved one of his biggest successes and a seminal recording for the label. He worked with Freddie Hubbard, Milt Jackson, George Benson, Bob James, Richard Tee, Idris Muhammad, Ron Carter, Grant Green and Eric Gale, to name a few. He returned to soul jazz in the 1980s and into the 1990s.
Turrentine lived in Fort Washington, Maryland from the early 90s until his death.
He died of a stroke in New York City on September 12, 2000 and is buried in Pittsburgh's Allegheny Cemetery
Ain't No Mountain High Enough
Stanley Turrentine Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ain't no valley low, ain't no river wide enough;
Baby if you need me call me no matter where you are,
No matter how far;
Just call my name; I'll be there in a hurry;
You don't have to worry,
'Cause baby there ain't no mountain high enough,
Ain't no river wide enough
To keep me from getting to you babe.
Remember the day I set you free
I told you you could always count on me
From that day on, I made a vow,
I'll be there when you want me,
Some way, some how.
'Cause baby there ain't no mountain high enough,
Ain't no valley low enough,
Ain't no river wide enough
To keep me from getting to you babe.
My love is alive
Way down in my heart
Although we are miles apart
If you ever need a helping hand,
I'll be there on the double
As fast as I can.
Don't you know that there
Ain't no mountain high enough,
Ain't no valley low enough,
Ain't no river wide enough
To keep me from getting to you babe.
No wind no rain or winters cold can stop me baby,
'Cause you are my goal.
If you're ever in trouble;
I'll be there on the double.
Just send for me, oh baby.
If you need me call me no matter where you are,
No matter how far;
Just call my name; I'll be there in a hurry;
You don't have to worry,
'Cause baby there ain't no mountain high enough,
Ain't no valley low enough,
Ain't no river wide enough
To keep me from getting to you babe.
The lyrics of Stanley Turrentine's "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" are a testament to the depth of the singer's love for someone else. The song represents an unwavering commitment to being there for that special someone, no matter what obstacles stand in the way. The opening lines of the song say it all: "Ain't no mountain high, ain't no valley low, ain't no river wide enough." Turrentine asserts that he can overcome any obstacle to be with his love.
The song's lyrics express the idea that distance is no barrier to love. Turrentine assures his love that he will be there for them, regardless of how far apart they are. He uses phrases like "if you ever need a helping hand" and "I'll be there on the double" to underscore his unwavering commitment to be by his love's side. The song is an uplifting expression of love that encourages the listener to be brave and to never give up on the people they care about.
Line by Line Meaning
Listen baby, ain't no mountain high,
I am assuring you, my love, that there is no obstacle in this world that is insurmountable for me.
Ain't no valley low, ain't no river wide enough;
I mean it when I say that there is no distance, height or depth that could ever keep me from coming to you.
Baby if you need me call me no matter where you are,
I am always here for you, my love, and I want you to know that you can call on me anytime, anywhere.
No matter how far;
Even if you are far away from me, I will still be there for you, because distance is not a barrier to my love.
Just call my name; I'll be there in a hurry;
All you need to do is call out my name, and I will come running to you as fast as I can.
You don't have to worry,
You have my word, my love, that you don't have to worry about anything as long as I am here for you.
'Cause baby there ain't no mountain high enough,
I am reaffirming my earlier promise that there is really no mountain high enough to keep me away from you.
Ain't no valley low enough,
I am also saying that there is no valley low enough to cause a separation between us.
Ain't no river wide enough
Furthermore, I am also stating that there is no river wide enough that could ever hold me back from being with you.
To keep me from getting to you babe.
Overall, what I am saying is that nothing, absolutely nothing, can ever stop me from coming to be with you, my love.
Remember the day I set you free
This line is a reminder of the time I said to you that you were free to count on me whenever you needed me.
I told you you could always count on me
I gave you the assurance that you can rely on me always, no matter the situation.
From that day on, I made a vow,
I am reminding you that from the day I made that promise to you, it has not changed, and it remains my vow to be there for you always.
I'll be there when you want me,
Just like I promised, I will always be there for you whenever you need me.
Some way, some how.
I will make it happen, no matter what.
My love is alive
I am expressing the fact that my love for you is still very much alive and real.
Way down in my heart
I am letting you know that my love for you is deep, and it is something that is not just superficial but rather heartfelt.
Although we are miles apart
Distance might separate us, but it can never take away the love I have for you.
If you ever need a helping hand,
I want you to know that whenever you need help with anything, I am always here for you, my love.
I'll be there on the double
As soon as you call me, I will come to your rescue as fast as I can.
As fast as I can.
I will not waste any time, and I will come to you as quickly as I can.
Don't you know that there
I want you to understand and believe that there is really nothing that can prevent me from being there for you.
No wind no rain or winters cold can stop me baby,
I am saying that not even the harshest conditions of nature can prevent me from coming to be with you.
'Cause you are my goal.
You are the reason why I am doing all these things, my love. You are my ultimate goal.
If you're ever in trouble;
If you ever find yourself in any difficult situation, please don't hesitate to call me, and I will come to your rescue.
Just send for me, oh baby.
Just let me know that you need me, my love, and I will be there with you right away.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Valerie Simpson, Nickolas Ashford
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind