There is little doubt that had Tammi Terrell had not tragically died at the age of twenty four back in 1970 after suffering a brain tumour then she would have become one of Motown's leading ladies, and one only has to listen to this excellent CD to see what I mean.
The one time girlfriend of the late David Ruffin, and also it is rumoured that she also dated the legendary James Brown, she started her career at Scepter Records where she recorded under the name of Tammi Montgomery before being spotted by Berry Gordy in late '64' and she was signed to Motown shortly afterwards.

Whilst her main commercial success came about after the label paired her up with Marvin Gaye in 1967 (Click here for CD info) she eventually recorded one album for Motown 'Irresistible' of which this CD is primarily made up from, plus a few extra gems. Three singles for the label ensued the first of which was 'I Can't Believe You Love Me' which found Tammi in a mid tempo groove and the production was all that was good about the Motown Sound of that era.

'That's What Boys Are Made For' sounds as if it could have been recorded at the same session as Brenda Holloway's 'Operator' as the similarity on the production is uncanny. The UK got their first '45' in 1965 when Motown issued the brilliant 'Come On And See Me' which to this day remains one of the most rarest and collectable singles from the sixties. The production and vocal delivery by Tammi is impeccable. Check out the version too by the Supremes which whilst being very good, fails to outshine Tammi's version.

From the album we find the dance track 'Tears At The End Of A Love Affair' which northern soul venues still occasionally find time to feature on their play lists and again guarantees to fill floors at most venues. The Isley Brothers may have had the success with the Holland Dozier Holland song 'This Old Heart Of Mine' in '65' but Tammi was not to be beaten and her racy rendition of this popular song found its way onto a US Motown 45 that same year. Motown collectors soon found themselves flipping the single over to find a real gem in 'Just Too Much To Hope For' a mid paced dancer of the highest calibre and remains on a lot collectors wants lists.

So good is this particular song one wonders why it never achieved a release as an 'A' side in its own right.

A couple of standout tracks on this CD is Tammi's solo version of 'Two Can Have A Party' which she had originally recorded as a duet with Marvin Gaye that only appeared as a 'b' side in the UK in '68' and actually uses the same backing track to maximum effect. Click here to see which other UK CD it can be found on.

The addition of three previously unreleased tracks from the vaults gives us her version of the Temptations song 'I Gotta Find A Way To Get You Back' which again uses the same backing track and is a valuable addition to any northern soul collectors box.
Click here to enjoy a sample of audio of this song. The inclusion of 'Lone Lonely Town'  could have been tailor made for the northern soul scene. This song whilst being previously unreleased did actually get included on a Motown connoisseurs CD recently.

Another unreleased track on this CD is 'Slow Down' a easy going mid paced song clearly taken from the same recording session as 'I Can't Believe You Love Me' and whilst not quite as strong as the other two on first hearing, will clearly grow with each play. It really does prove that the vast majority of unreleased Motown recordings sitting in the vaults, are equally as good as those that did get issued, albeit not necessarily from a commercial point of view.

The CD finishes with her duet with Marvin Gaye from '67' with 'Ain't No Mountain High Enough' which really is the definitive version over and above the one that became the big hit for Diana Ross four years later.

Full marks to Universal Music/Spectrum for once again delivering the goods.

Rating 10/10
Expect to pay around £6.99 in the UK