"What You Gave Me" is a hit duet written and produced by Ashford & Simpson and issued as a single originally by the vocal duo of Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell in 1969 on the Tamla label.
Recorded in the final throes of the Gaye-Terrell duet recordings, the song became the second single from their album, Easy. As with much of the album, there is debate over who sang with Gaye: Terrell, who was undergoing treatment for brain cancer, or the track's co-writer and co-producer, Valerie Simpson.
While Gaye later insisted that Simpson stood in for Terrell, Simpson has maintained that Terrell took part in the recordings. Whatever the case, the song gave the duo a modest charting, peaking at number forty-nine pop and number six R&B.[1]
Cash Box described it as a "finely honed vocal collaboration."[2]
Chart history
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
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Later versions
David Ruffin also recorded the song for his 1969 album Feelin' Good. It was revived years later as a club hit by Diana Ross in 1978. Her version peaked at #86 on the R&B charts.
Credits
- All vocals by Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell/Valerie Simpson
- Produced by Ashford & Simpson
- Instrumentation by The Funk Brothers
References
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 225.
- ^ "CashBox Record Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. November 22, 1969. p. 18. Retrieved 2021-12-08.
- ^ Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–1990 - ISBN 0-89820-089-X
- ^ The Top 100 Soul/R&B Singles
External links
- Listen to "What You Gave Me" on YouTube (Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell)
- Listen to "What You Gave Me" on YouTube (Diana Ross)
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