This week, I’ve had Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell’s “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” #OnRepeat. This has always been a favorite Marvin Gaye song and for some reason this week I haven’t been able to stop listening to it.
Marvin Gaye was a singer, songwriter, drummer, and record producer from Washington D.C. His playing and singing style helped shape the Motown sound of the 1960s and would eventually influence many future Neo Soul and R&B singers. Some of his most well-known songs are “Let’s Get It On,” “What’s Going On,” “You’re All I Need to Get By,” and “Inner City Blues.”
Tammi Terrell is a singer from Philadelphia who became famous for her string of duets with Marvin Gaye and for her brief work with James Brown. Along with “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” her other hits were “Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing” and “You’re All I Need to Get By.” Had she not died at an early age from cancer, she would have no doubt been very successful on the Motown, and later, R&B scene.
The song “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” is essentially a love song; one person tells another how they’ll be there for the other no matter what because of their undying, unconditional love. The theme and words are straight forward (heavy and bittersweet, if you think about it), but the music itself is upbeat and catchy, causing you to sing the melody long after the song has ended. Gaye and Terrell’s voices blend nicely together and individually, they bring a soulful and sweet element to the song through phrasing and vocal riffs.
Take a listen below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xz-UvQYAmbg
Do you have a singer or group that you can’t stop listening to? Leave a comment below!