Saturday, October 25, 2014

CAFFE` LATTE` TOP 2000 TRACKS

#130 AIN'T NO MOUNTAIN HIGH ENOUGH Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell
The magical pairing of Marvin Gaye with Tammi Terrell produced several Motown gems. "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" remains the best duet from the label's 2 star vocalists. Married couple Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson co-wrote the classic. Production duties were handled by longtime Gaye associate Harvey Fuqua and Johnny Bristol. 
The duet was released as a single in 1967. In the US, the disc reached #3 on the R&B chart and 19 Pop. The single also charted in the UK and Australia. The duo released an LP entitled 'United' that year. "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" was so successful that other Gaye / Terrell duets followed for the next 4 years.
Terrell's health declined and some subsequent releases- although credited to her- were in fact recorded by Simpson (co-writer of this hit song). Despite 8 operations, Terrell died of a brain tumour in 1970, aged just 24. Gaye was devastated by the loss of his singing partner. He was never the same again. 
The song has been covered by many other artists since. The 1970 remake by Diana Ross remains the most successful. Her re-interpretation reached #1 in the USA. She had previously recorded a cover with The Supremes and The Temptations in 1968. 
 
This is a list made up of the songs I enjoy the most, ranked in order of preference: the higher we go, the more I cherish them. Some were released as singles, others as album tracks. Some are obscure; others were worldwide hits or have universal appeal. They aren't always the most famous or popular, but simply a personal choice. I have excluded songs from the last few years in order to get a better idea of a song's lasting impression. I hope you find some new tracks to love, or re-discover some past favourites.
A new song from the Top 200 is added each day, while another 2 are also included from positions 1501-2000 daily. Check back here every 12 hours for an update of the 2000.

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