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Good Lovin' Ain't Easy to Come By
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Wikipedia article
'"Good Lovin' Ain't Easy to Come By"' is a duet released in 1969 on the Tamla label by singers Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell.
The first release off the duo's third album, 'Easy', it has been hugely debated whether or not an ailing Terrell, who was dying from a brain tumor, was on the track or if the song's co-writer, Valerie Simpson, subbed for Terrell.
In his biography, 'Divided Soul: The Life of Marvin Gaye', Marvin said Tammi was too ill to record, but Motown pushed for another Marvin/Tammi record. Marvin refused, calling it inhuman, until the label convinced him the album would cover for Terrell and her family, so Gaye and Simpson sung as if it were a Gaye/Terrell duet.
However, in Terrell's sister Ludie Montgomery's book, 'My Sister Tommie: The Real Tammi Terrell', Simpson reportedly denied she took part in the song saying Terrell was assisted to the studio to record her part. Whatever the reason, the song became an international top forty hit for the duo reaching number thirty on the pop chart and number twenty-six on the UK pop singles chart.'The Complete Motown Singles Vol. 9: 1969' [CD liner notes]. New York: Hip-O Select/Motown/Universal Records
'Cash Box' praised the song's "belting rhythmic accompaniment, loverly lyric and the twosome's distinctive impact."
The recording was featured in the film 'The Boys in the Band'.
Personnel
*All vocals by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell/Valerie Simpson
*Produced and written by Ashford & Simpson
*Instrumentation by The Funk Brothers
Further reading
*Ritz, David, 'Divided Soul: The Life of Marvin Gaye' (1985, 2003; in the book Gaye said Simpson subbed Terrell for vocals on the 'Easy' album)
*Montgomery, Ludie, 'My Sister Tommie: The Real Tammi Terrell' (2005; in this book Simpson denies subbing for Terrell)
References
Category:1969 singles
Category:Marvin Gaye songs
Category:Tammi Terrell songs
Category:Songs written by Nickolas Ashford
Category:Songs written by Valerie Simpson
Category:Malefemale vocal duets
Category:1969 songs
Category:Song recordings produced by Ashford & Simpson
Category:Tamla Records singles
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