You're All I Need

You're All I Need equals the debut of Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell in every way except chart position and newness. It reached #60 Pop. a good showing but 31 rungs lower than United, their debut. It includes arguably their finest recording, "You're All I Need to Get By," a testament to their singing skills and the writing/producing talents of Nicholas Ashford & Valerie Simpson -- and "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing" is no slouch either. The urgent "Keep on Lovin' Me Honey" is the lesser of three single releases, but a quality cut just the same, thanks in part to the twang in Tammi's voice on the uptempo pleader. Johnny (Bristol) and Jackie (Beaver's) "Baby Dontcha Worry" gets an update; Johnny & Jackie first recorded the chugger on Harvey Fuqua's Tri Phi label in 1962. As on all three releases, Marvin and Tammi perform one of Tammi's solo cuts; in this case, "Come On and See Me" takes a back seat to the original. "Memory Chest," an overlooked number, is one of their most charming ballads.