United (Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell album) explained

United
Type:studio
Artist:Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell
Cover:Marvinunited.jpg
Released:August 29, 1967
Recorded:1967
Genre:Soul
Length:33:36
Label:Tamla
TS-277
Producer:Harvey Fuqua
Johnny Bristol
Hal Davis
Berry Gordy, Jr.

United is a studio album by soul musicians Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, released August 29, 1967 on the Motown-subsidiary label Tamla Records.[1] Harvey Fuqua and Johnny Bristol produced all of the tracks on the album, with the exception of "You Got What It Takes" (produced by Motown CEO Berry Gordy, Jr.) and "Oh How I'd Miss You" (produced by Hal Davis).[2] Fuqua and Bristol produced "Hold Me Oh My Darling" and "Two Can Have a Party" as Tammi Terrell solo tracks in 1965 and 1966, and had Gaye overdub his vocals to them in order to create duet versions of the songs.[2]

United was the duo’s as well as Marvin Gaye’s most successful album of the 1960’s with sales almost reaching one million copies, it yielded four Top 100 Billboard chart hits, including the two Top 10 singles "Your Precious Love," "If I Could Build My Whole World Around You," the Top 20 single, "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" and "If This World Were Mine". United peaked at #69 on the U.S. Billboard 200 album chart and #7 on the U.S. Billboard R&B albums chart upon its release.[1] The album was the first of three collaborative albums by Gaye and Terrell.

Track listing

  1. "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" (Nickolas Ashford, Valerie Simpson) – 2:32
  2. "You Got What It Takes" (Berry Gordy, Jr., Gwen Gordy, Tyran Carlo) – 2:59
  3. "If I Could Build My Whole World Around You" (Harvey Fuqua, Johnny Bristol, Vernon Bullock) – 2:26
  4. "Somethin' Stupid" (C. Carson Parks) – 2:46
  5. "Your Precious Love" (Ashford, Simpson) – 3:07
  6. "Hold Me Oh My Darling" (Harvey Fuqua) – 2:50
  7. "Two Can Have a Party" (Johnny Bristol, Fuqua, Thomas Kemp) – 2:19
  8. "Little Ole Boy, Little Ole Girl" (Fuqua, Etta James, Brook Benton) – 2:46
  9. "If This World Were Mine" (Marvin Gaye) – 2:46
  10. "Sad Wedding" (Bristol, Jackey Beavers) – 3:27
  11. "Give a Little Love" (Bristol, Fuqua, Clyde Wilson) – 3:01
  12. "Oh How I'd Miss You" (Hal Davis, Frank Wilson, Vance Wilson) – 2:37

Chart history

Billboard (North America) – United

YearChartPosition
1967Pop Albums69
7

Personnel

Notes and References

  1. allmusic – United overview
  2. Chin, Brian (2001). Liner notes for Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell: The Complete Duets. New York: Motown Records/UMG Recordings.