How Sweet It Is To Be Loved By You – MARVIN GAYE***

You Are A Wonderful One/How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)/Try It Baby/Baby Don’t You Do It/Need Your Lovin’ (Want You Back)/One Of These Days/No Good Without You/Stepping Closer To Your Heart/Need Somebody/Me & My Lonely Room/Now That You’ve Won Me/Forever

In 1965 Motown superstar Marvin Gaye was just beginning to gain national recognition in the US with the No. 6 hit single How Sweet It Is To Be Loved By You. However, the accompanying album was much less successful despite also containing the No. 15 hit Try It Baby. (US:128)

“Although Marvin Gaye would ultimately rebel against the production line sound of Tamla, one could never detect any antipathy from the consummate performances he gave, seeing himself as the new Black Sinatra. The recordings he made in the sixties include some of the best records that Motown would put out.”

“How Sweet It Is contains enough quality material to be a good listen. The title song hit is one of the most infectious singles to ever hit the airwaves. The superb No Good Without You makes excellent use of it's killer refrain, and Marvin's vocals on Now That You've Won Me and Forever are particularly lovely. The rest of the record's material is typical Motown filler: nothing special, but perfectly listenable.”

“There were no R & B charts in 1964, as they had been abandoned late in 1963 due to their similarity with the main pop charts. In early 1965, the R & B charts were re-launched with new rules to provide a clear distinction between the two charts, just in time for the title track to become a massive hit in both of them. Although none of the other tracks seem to have found fame elsewhere, they are all of a high quality and showcase Marvin`s then burgeoning talent well.”

“He hadn't quite found his voice fully here but he could already make a song his own. You are hearing an artist just getting warmed up into a legendary career.”

“In keeping with normal Motown marketing, How Sweet It Is To Be Loved By You capitalized on the massive sales of the title track single. Essentially a compilation of earlier singles, shelved songs, and a couple of new studio tracks, the difference from earlier releases was that this LP succeeded in revealing Marvin Gaye to be a major talent, one of Motown's most impressive performers. The results made for one of those rare albums where virtually every song had something going for it. While his reputation rests primarily on his later recordings, there is a lot of great music here.”