Tammi Terrell came to Motown shortly after finishing with the James Brown revue (as Tammy Montgomery, her birth name), as well as with James Brown himself. So she knew a thing or two about charismatic singers by the time Motown paired her with resident sex symbol (and Berry Gordy's brother-in-law) Marvin Gaye. Together with married writers Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson, Gaye and Terrell made sang opulently arranged pledges of devotion like they were in church. It made eternal romance sound like a blast, appealing directly to teenagers yearning for true love of their own.

"Ain't No Mountain High Enough" is the rare classic that oldies-radio overkill simply cannot budge; it still jumps from the speaker every time, Marvin and Tammi utterly thrilled to be singing together. A different spark animates the sexy "Your Precious Love," which Terrell steals from Gaye, who doesn't lie back at all. The intimacy the two of them work up is so naked it's almost shocking at times, as on the rising tide and explosive climax of "You're All I Need to Get By" as well as the opening verse of "If This World Were Mine," in which Gaye measures every word with mind-boggling care.

It was… read more »