Ain’t No Mountain High Enough/You Got What It Takes/If I Could Build My World Around You/Somethin’ Stupid/ Your Precious Love/Hold Me Oh My Darling/Two Can Have A Party/Little Ole Boy Little Ole Girl/If This World Were Mine/Sad Wedding/Give A Little Love
Marvin Gaye was better known in the sixties for his duets with female singers rather than as a solo artist. His most fruitful partnership was with Tammi Terrell. Their first LP United contains the US top twenty hits Your Precious Love, If I Could Build My Whole World Around You and Ain't No Mountain High Enough. (US:60)
"A fantastic Motown LP from the two standout artists Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell. The combination of smooth soul and uptempo numbers gives you a good feeling of what the Motown sound is all about. Highlights are the unbeatable Ain't No Mountain High Enough, the ballad If I Could Build My World Around You and the great Your Precious Love."
"First rate collection from R 'n' B's most sterling duo. As late as 1967 Motown were still satisfied to keep to soul spirit and pop structures in their productions, nearly everything being under three minutes. Gordy must have rubbed his hands raw after hearing Tammi and Marvin's unique chemistry, brightening up some of the compulsory contemporary standards they had to deal with too. On Somethin' Stupid their emotional range runs neck and neck with its musical counterpart."
"The album is full of uptempo love songs brimming with optimism and coming from a place where infidelity had not yet been invented. Ain't No Mountain High Enough is the obvious big hit opener, but You Got What It Takes sets the tone for the album with its message of unconditional love. This album is the perfect setting for two great performers who sound like they're enjoying every minute of it."
"The ingredients blend perfectly and, after all, Motown rarely failed to deliver a quality product. As far as the material is concerned, the new songwriting teams of Ashford/Simpson and Fuqua/Bristol are more suited than some of the writers on Gaye's previous albums. I like these duets in particular because of Gaye and Terrell's convincing rapport; she's a woman who knows her own mind and he's a man who has to tread carefully. Of the numerous duet albums Marvin Gaye recorded United was probably the most consistent and enjoyable. Terrell was clearly the female partner with whom Gaye had the most chemistry and it showed."
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