Marvin Gaye & Friends
Spectrum Music - Catalogue Number 544 520-2
Released 26th March 2001
UK Recommended retail price £6.99

Now here IS something very special indeed. Marvin Gaye and his girls, all four of them featuring Mary Wells from 1964, Kim Weston from 65-66, and the late Tammi Terrell from 67-69, and ex Supreme lead singer Diana Ross from 72-74.

I have to admit that the very early days of Motown circa 1963 did very little for me personally although the beginning of the following year saw the real ‘sound’ emerging out of Detroit. In the UK EMI issued a couple of 45’s on their Statesode label on Marvin & Mary Wells, who herself was one of the original Motown diva’s before leaving the company to seek a career away from Berry Gordy’s then fledging music empire with 20th Century Fox/Atco/Atlantic where she recorded some wonderful material.

‘Once Upon a Time’ and ‘What’s The Matter With You Baby’ are typical early sixties Motown music in it’s rawest form, the latter being a call and response song with Marvin’s vocals on top form. Both are highly collectable singles, although it was clear that better was to come.

Next up in 1966 was the teaming up with Kim Weston who again had already recorded her own singles for Tamla and the issue of their single ‘It Takes Two/It’s Gonna Take A Miracle’ catapulted to the top of the UK charts and is arguably one of the best Motown dance tracks of all time. Perfect vocals from both artists and an amazing production and arrangement that rates amongst one the labels best.

The issue of an LP that same year caught the attention of record collectors to a track entitled ‘When Were Together’ (also available on the current Motown Connoiseurs CD)  One listen at this track and your hooked for life. The soaring strings and violins make this essential listening and their voices blend perfectly when they sing the chorus. A perfect example of downbeat Motown at it’s very best.

In 1967 Berry Gordy teamed Marvin up with the late Tammi Terrell, a move that many will argue made both artists into household names. Two superb mid tempo dance tracks emerged in the form of ‘If I Could Build My Whole World Around You’ and the original version of ‘Ain’t No Mountain High Enough’  - which for some reason is NOT on this compilation. However the epitome of their singing relationship was evident on the 1968 release of ‘Ain’t Nothing Like The Real Thing’ which again is probably THE song they will be remembered for best. It hit the UK charts top 20 in August of 68.

By this time they were on a roll. The songwriting talents of Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson couldn’t fail and five hits followed. The first ‘Your All I Need To Get By’ was another UK smash and appears to have been their most successful song of them all. The flip to that 45 ‘Two Can Have A Party’ is again not featured here. No sooner did this song start to drop down the charts Motown followed it with another killer tune with ‘Good Lovin’ Ain’t Easy’ which followed suit and kept the pair in the public eye for much of that year.

‘The Onion Song’ in 1969 is possibly the biggest kept secret at Motown. Did Tammi sing on this song - or was it the voice of Valerie Simpson? There has been much speculation, but no definate answers. It was at a time when Tammi had fallen ill with a brain tumour causing her to withdraw from public life and recording. Her death in 1971 on stage with Marvin Gaye was the end of a very fruitful and special relationship of which it is fiercely argued was purely professional yet if you have ever watched the promo video of ‘Ain’t No Mountain High Enough’ filmed on the American theme park you may argue differently.

I do hope that Spectrum will consider the issue of Tammi’s 1965 album ‘Irresistable’ in the near future.

So to the 1970’s where in the early part there were a number of singles with ex Supreme Diana Ross, all of which sold well and charted high in the UK. Here you had two absolute giants of the label together, and it was a partnership that couldn’t have failed. No HDH/Ashford & Simpson this time but a more gentler approach with songs penned by the excellent songwriting team of Thom Bell and Linda Creed. Bearing in mind that by 1972 the whole Motown sound as we knew it had changed from a vibrant uptempo pop soul, to a more gentler laid back feel, this was a style that even veterans such as the Four Tops/Jimmy Ruffin and The Tempations had taken to good effect. As Earl Van Dyke once said “The Motown Sound had to change to survive. We could not go on as we were”

This new direction saw hits with the gorgeous ‘You Are Everything’ and ‘Stop, Look, Listen to your Heart’ (both hits too for the Stylistics) and the mid tempo ‘My Mistake (Was To Love You) before they split and Diana moved into film work with Lady Sings The Blues, and Marvin’s well documented LP ‘Hear My Dear’

This CD is a wonderful journey into the Motown duo’s of the middle sixties to early seventies and even with eighteen great tracks here, there are as many more sat on albums and ‘b’ sides just waiting to be discovered.

Rating 10/10i

UK Tracklisting;

with Mary Wells: Once Upon A Time/What's The Matter With You Baby

with Kim Weston: What Good Am I Without You/It Takes Two/When Were Together/I Want You Round

with Tammi Terrell: If I Could Build My Whole World Around You/You Ain't Livin' Until Your Lovin'/
Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing/You're All I Need To Get By/Good Lovin' Ain't Easy To Come By/
What You Gave Me/The Onion Song/California Soul

with Diana Ross: You Are Everything/My Mistake (Was To Love You)/Stop Look Listen To Your Heart/Your A Special Part Of Me