Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell: United - 1967

 

Here we have a Harvey Fuqua and Johnny Bristol-produced debut album that yielded four hits for Marvin and his duet partner, Tammi Terrell, with whom he enjoyed the most success. 

It is the usual sixties Motown mixture of killer hits and slightly cheesy covers. Despite that, it is highly enjoyable in its innocent way. 

Ain't No Mountain High Enough was the original of the song that was such a huge hit for Diana Ross. Marvin and Tammi do a great job on it. It is far more upbeat and less dramatic than Diana Ross's version. Nickolas Ashford had apparently written the song while walking on Central Park And West and intended it for a female solo performance, (presumably Tammi Terrell), but Marvin and Tammi's chemistry was so good on it that they released it. 

You've Got What It Takes was an old Marv Johnson hit from the early sixties (and in the seventies for Showaddywaddy). Marvin and Tammi rock it up, soulfully. It suits them. 

The stand-out track of the album, for me, is the excellent, brassily glorious If I Could Build My Whole World Around You. It is another of those songs that has Marvin and Tammi uniting perfectly. I bet Southside Johnny loved it, listening to that brass.

As for Frank and Nancy Sinatra's Something Stupid, however - no thanks. From the sublime to the ridiculous. I have always hated the song. No need for schmaltz like this here.

Your Precious Love is a finger-snapping sexy soul classic. It goes without saying that the vocal synergy between the two is superb on both songs. Marvin said that "when we were singing we were in love, but when the music ended we kissed each other on the cheek and said goodbye". Songwriter Nickolas Ashford said of the pair's chemistry - 

"Marvin had a special way of creating romance and its real meaning in his voice. Tammi was the icing on the cake. I thought their blend was really good. I think that was why people tuned into them. You could feel that from the both of them on the wax...". 

I couldn't have said it better myself. Of course, I couldn't. I didn't write the song. 

The 'b' side to Your Precious Love, Hold Me Oh My Darling, had a bit of a retro feel about it. Indeed, it dated as far back as 1963, when it was intended for Ann Bogan.

Two Can Have A Party is a clear It Takes Two re-make. Marvin had a hit with that song with Kim Weston, of course, in 1966. While it is fun it is too close to It Takes Two to be totally convincing. Little Ole Boy, Little Ole Girl is a solid number, with Tammi's vocal particularly and unusually powerful, gruffer than usual. It was an Etta James song and Tammi seems to channeling her inner Etta.

If This World Were Mine is a beautifully sparse and romantic ballad that gets stronger as it progresses. Sad Wedding is a mournful, slow-paced ballad of love gone wrong. It is in contrast to the sheer loved-up joie de vivre of most of the pair's material. 

Give A Little Love is a fine song too. Anything these two did is ok by me. Incidentally, it was originally intended as a Marvin Gaye/Kim Weston duet, but, once again Tammi cut the mustard. She always did, didn't she? Such a tragedy to have her taken way too soon. She was an angel of a singer. 

Oh How I'd Miss You is a vibrant, brassy closer to this highly enjoyable album. 

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