Friday, October 9, 2009

MARY WELLS & MARVIN GAYE - TOGETHER (1964)


AMG Review:
'Motown mogul Berry Gordy Jr. decided to increase his chances for sales by recording his male and female stars together, and the public went for it too. Together trekked up the pop charts, finally stopping at #42, a good showing for an R&B album in 1964. A two-sided hit and the only single released, "Once Upon a Time" and "What's the Matter With You Baby," helped the cause by charting in the upper echelons of the R&B and pop charts. The former is a slow, floating ballad, while the latter is an accusing, jump-beat number. A rendition of Sam Cooke's "(I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons" doesn't measure up to their talents or the song involved, while "Deed I Do" fits the mold of songs done by male/female duos of the early '60s. For the most part, the material is different than what Mary or Marvin normally cut; Marvin probably felt more comfortable with these songs than Mary, since they were closer to the MOR tunes that he preferred doing — at the time — anyway. '

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