Marvin Gaye & Maxine Brown - Aint No Mountain High Enough

[luke]

In June 2014 issue of Record Collector, interview with Ms Brown where she stated she took an ill Tammi Terrell's place at the Apollo for a week of shows, singing Aint No Mountain high enough with Marvin. She also said she and Chuck Jackson SHOULD have had that song. In same issue there is a blurb about unpublished photos in London exhibit of Motown stars, which ended on July 13. Anyone see them?

[midnightman]

No. But I'm quite interested in hearing if there is an audio track of this. Brenda Holloway, Barbara Randolph and Carla Thomas also took Tammi's place during concert performances with Marvin.

[no_place_like_motown]

Ann Bogan also replaced Tammi for live performances.

[144man]

Wasn't Ann Bogan dropped because she souled it up too much?

[rrussi]

I did know that Maxine Brown and Brenda Holloway had both replaced Tammi for performances...didn't know about Carla Thomas or Ann Bogan. I don't know for sure why Maxine made the statement about the song being for her and Chuck Jackson. They did record duets at Scepter-Wand and Ashford & Simpson did write songs for artists on that label, namely the Shirelles, before signing with Motown. Even though Chuck Jackson went with Motown , Maxine was never with the label as far as I know.

[marybrewster]

Later, Florence Lyles would assume the "Tammi" role in live performances, as evidenced on his 1977 "Live at the Palladium" LP.

[reese]

I did know that Maxine Brown and Brenda Holloway had both replaced Tammi for performances...didn't know about Carla Thomas or Ann Bogan. I don't know for sure why Maxine made the statement about the song being for her and Chuck Jackson. They did record duets at Scepter-Wand and Ashford & Simpson did write songs for artists on that label, namely the Shirelles, before signing with Motown. Even though Chuck Jackson went with Motown , Maxine was never with the label as far as I know.

As you said, Ashford and Simpson were in-house writers for Scepter before signing with Motown. I know that Maxine and Chuck recorded some of their songs for their duet albums. Possibly they heard the song before Nick and Val took it to Motown. But of course, that doesn't mean it was meant for she and Chuck. She might have just meant that if Nick and Val had stayed with Scepter, they might have recorded it. Not having read her original statement, its hard to know.

[no_place_like_motown]

Wasn't Ann Bogan dropped because she souled it up too much?

From "What's Going On?: Marvin Gaye and the Last Days of the Motown Sound":

When Tammi could no longer perform on stage, Marvin fulfilled a few contractual obligations with Barbara Randolph and a singer named Ann Bogan. "She went on-stage and tried to outsing him," Elgie Stover says of the latter somewhat ruefully, as Bogan was drafted at his suggestion. "She tried to steal the show! She was a church girl, and she got a little too happy. She went jumpin' and hoppin' across the stage like Patti Labelle, and then she got to shoutin'. She just left him standing there, looking around."

[144man]

From "What's Going On?: Marvin Gaye and the Last Days of the Motown Sound":

When Tammi could no longer perform on stage, Marvin fulfilled a few contractual obligations with Barbara Randolph and a singer named Ann Bogan. "She went on-stage and tried to outsing him," Elgie Stover says of the latter somewhat ruefully, as Bogan was drafted at his suggestion. "She tried to steal the show! She was a church girl, and she got a little too happy. She went jumpin' and hoppin' across the stage like Patti Labelle, and then she got to shoutin'. She just left him standing there, looking around."

Yes, that's where I read it.

[honest man]

i thought Ain't no mountain was firstly a solo outing for Tammi as we hear on the hipo cd. M arvin was dubbed in for duet later on,

[midnightman]

From "What's Going On?: Marvin Gaye and the Last Days of the Motown Sound":

When Tammi could no longer perform on stage, Marvin fulfilled a few contractual obligations with Barbara Randolph and a singer named Ann Bogan. "She went on-stage and tried to outsing him," Elgie Stover says of the latter somewhat ruefully, as Bogan was drafted at his suggestion. "She tried to steal the show! She was a church girl, and she got a little too happy. She went jumpin' and hoppin' across the stage like Patti Labelle, and then she got to shoutin'. She just left him standing there, looking around."

Jesus... I'd kick her out too. LOL why do all of that craziness in a duet performance? :D

[midnightman]

i thought Ain't no mountain was firstly a solo outing for Tammi as we hear on the hipo cd. Marvin was dubbed in for duet later on,

It might've been since I think Tammi recorded her vocal in late '66. Marvin recorded his in early '67. It might've been decided by Berry that Marvin could "help her" and N&A/Tammi agreed but judging from the timeline on Unsung, the song was meant to be a duet. I don't know, it's hard to tell. With most of the parties deceased save for Valerie, we may never really know.

[smark21]

I wonder if Ann Bogan ever "got happy" during a Marvelettes show?

[copley]

Heavens! The things you learn when I thought I'd heard it all!

[midnightman]

I wonder if Ann Bogan ever "got happy" during a Marvelettes show?

When did Ann join? 1967, right? Considering how many performances they actually did with Ann due to Wanda's health imbalance due to her substance abuse issues, who knows?