On YAINTGB it's a mixture of Tammi and Valerie. That's the blend of voices that Valerie referred to once. Tammi sings some lines, Valerie others [[where more power is needed). I found that hard to believe at first but seems obvious now.
On YAINTGB it's a mixture of Tammi and Valerie. That's the blend of voices that Valerie referred to once. Tammi sings some lines, Valerie others [[where more power is needed). I found that hard to believe at first but seems obvious now.
I think on YAINTGB that it's actually more Valerie than it is Tammi. I use to think that it was Tammi singing at the very beginning of the song and that Valerie came in around the 43-second mark and sang the rest of the song. But after re-listening to the first 90 seconds of the track several times in a row, I'm now beginning to think that it's actually Valerie singing very low and soft in her Tammi voice and Tammi's not on the record at all.
I don’t think Marvin Gaye ever specified what tracks Valerie stepped in for Tammi. I don’t think anyone is trying to erase Tammi from songs, we’re having a discussion and people are just discussing the facts and music.
It’s my understanding that there are other unreleased tapes of Tammi attempting to sing. An individual who heard those tapes described Tammi’s voice as being frail and was convinced that it is indeed Valerie on the songs in question.
In DIVIDED SOUL, Marvin specifically mentioned the EASY album as an example of Valerie subbing for Tammi.
Another Marvin bio subsequently published by MOJO Books [[I believe) brought up the question of whether Valerie subbed on the single YOU'RE ALL I NEED TO GET BY as well. But Marvin didn't mention that one.
Last edited by reese; 10-04-2020 at 09:43 PM.
I went to the site DFTMC and looked the M&T Easy tracks up. Ludie Montgomery says Tammi had her 8th brain surgery in January 1970. So Tammi had possibly had 6 surgeries by the time Tammi recorded her vocals for that album. Can't really see her being able to go into a recording studio and take hours to record any vocals. Unless ?
Interesting topic to revisit again; I think Valerie worked with Marvin on the songs and that is why Marvin said what he did. I think Tammi was brought in the studio later and Valerie's tapes or dubs were used to help Tammi through the songs so it look they [[Marvin and Tammie were in the studio at the same time). Valerie and Nick used Tammie words line by line or word by word similar to what was done with Touch Me in the Morning. What you get is sometime just Val. There is probably only one person alive today that knows this.
That was not Valerie on You're All I Need to Get By. I'll go to the afterlife believing that.
You know what I think now? David Ritz misconstrued Marvin's words about the "Easy" sessions. Marvin probably did tell him what songs Tammi sung on "Easy". It's also probable Tammi and Valerie shared vocals on a couple of songs. But I can tell Tammi was on a good chunk of "Easy" [["Good Lovin' Ain't Easy..." is definitely Tammi).
We can probably settle the dispute here by putting in the dates of WHEN Tammi had surgery on her brain.
I think the first surgery was January 1968? The last one [[this one to just ease the pain as Tammi was clearly dying) was January 1970. So what happened in between these dates? And then we can go over "Easy" session dates and see if it makes sense. Obviously, she was there when N&V and Marvin worked on the album.
Val is the only one of the 4 major players still alive so I'm starting to believe that she brought Tammi in and got what she could from her. It's still a good album.
Good Lovin Ain't Easy, to my ears, is definitely Valerie Simpson. The track was finished in November 1968. Tammi herself is quoted in a magazine article published in November of '69, as saying that she had not been to Detroit to record in a year in a half. Aren't all of the tracks in question all produced by Ashford & Simpson? Things that make you go hmmmmm.
For me, a key reason to think it's Tammi on YAINTGB is that Marvin mentions her name, "Tammi listen". I don't think that he would have mentioned her name on a song where Valerie is singing or where he is duetising a solo recorded Tammi song.
I've been following this thread for a while, and there is nothing of note that I can add to the debate, plus my lack of knowledge and the inability of my ears to note subtle changes would clearly prevent me. This is my own personal view and is not meant to try to influence or disagree with anyone else. Over the past few days I have listened to the CD twofer "United / You're All I Need" issued in the UK, the double CD "The Complete Duets", plus "Come On And See Me".
Probably you are all correct in various ways, and I understand to get to the truth and the final answer would be very satisfying. However, for what it's worth, in my fantasy world I would like to think that Tammi gave all she could, the Motown "family" came together and used whatever they could and Valerie filled in wherever and whenever necessary to complete the project and provide a final and lasting tribute and memorial to Tammi.
In no way am I saying that I am right, but for me some mysteries are never meant to be solved but we are all free to come to our own independent conclusions. I will continue to follow this thread and perhaps one day the full facts will appear, but in the meantime I am happy to have and listen to "Easy" based on my own, perhaps inadequate, understanding.
Please accept that I don't intend to step on anybody elses toes or views.
Wow it does say Valerie under female vocal
Thank you for this information. I've checked all the other entries from "Easy" on DFTMC and it seems that "I'm Your Puppet" is the only track where Valerie is mentioned.
I'm relatively new to Valerie's songs apart from those which appeared on the later Complete Motown Singles and a couple of tracks on MU 1967 and 1969 [[plus "The Key To The Kingdom"). It wasn't until I saw on the COM5 thread which was issued on the Caroline label, that there were the two albums on one CD by Valerie also on Caroline. I've only had it a couple of weeks but perhaps over time, if I listen particularly to "Exposed" I will get to know her voice better.
You asked me for my thoughts! Well, I listened To "I'm Your Puppet" followed by "More, More, More". In the latter Marvin sings Tammi's name, so assuming that it is Tammi singing, then I tried to draw a comparison. I felt that Valerie's voice was slightly smoother but I preferred Tammi's voice which I thought had a slightly rougher throatier edge to it. That may well put me in a minority of one as far as that description is concerned, but I'm still learning! Thank you for steering me in this direction.
It should be noted that only “I’m Your Puppet” has the VS note. The rest of the “Easy” tracks don’t have that. It’s possible, emphasis on possible, that Val only sang for Tammi just for that one song and that may managed to get at least a couple of lines from Tammi on the others. If you listen to the mono version of “Satistfied Feelin’”, you hear two female voices from the second verse on. I believe one is Tammi and the other is Valerie in her natural voice singing in tandem to help smooth things out.
Last edited by jboy88; 10-16-2020 at 05:12 PM.
With all of this debate, I need to remind myself that Tammi was reportedly taken to Motown's recording studios in a wheelchair to record YAINTGB. That determination prevailed even later when she was reported being seen on a bus heading to the studios for, presumable recordings for Easy.
The strength and determination of this young, hugely talented and beautiful singer is staggering. It's not surprising she might have needed a little help from Val, especially if the reports are true of her suffering from aspects of paralysis.
Despite all of this, we are left with some of the best duets ever recorded by two artists who deserved so much better in their lives.
For me, YAINTGB is the pinnacle of their achievement and I am sure the song will be played by many generations to come.
What a tragic loss to us all.
I think it was long ago concluded that Valerie Simpson is on some or many or a lot of the Gaye/Terrell songs.
Just as it was unthinkable for years that Andantes and a dozen other background singers took the place of or augmented Mary Cindy and Florence, the same happened with Terrell and Simpson.
As the years go by, it means little to me; the songs are still the songs as they always were.
One of the Motown executives told me 10 years or so ago that it is best not to ask too many questions about these issues unless you are prepared for answers you might not want to hear.
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