PMG,
I do agree with you that the 'angelic' harmonies of The Andantes on earlier Motown recordings did not continue to be heard throughout the classic years.
The sound of The Andantes became more homogeneous, less distinctive, and they were literally faded more 'into the background' of the recordings..also with their voices more frequently heard singing in unison. Perhaps that was due to increased demand, and it simply saved session time to do it that way. Also, other combinations of female background voices were being used.
I completely agree with your selected example of 'Heaven Sent You, I Know', by Marvin & Kim.
There are of course, so many more...such as Kim's 'A Thrill A Moment'.....
My own favourite 'jaw drop' moment of theirs is on Tommy Good's 'Baby I Miss You'. It features their usual honeyed harmonies, high up in the mix...and then they break out later in the song with "Oh Yeaaahhh!". You can choose to hear all those three voices separately, or as their close harmony....but as far as background vocals go, for me that is as good as it gets.....
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