The Heart of Rock and Soul by Dave Marsh 79 AIN'T NO MOUNTAIN HIGH ENOUGH, Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell Written and produced by Nicholas Ashford and Valerie Simpson Tamla 54149 1967 Billboard: #19 Marvin Gaye was the greatest duet singer of the rock era, combining for hits with four different women. By far the greatest were made with Tammi Terrell. If Terre11 hadn't died prematurely. it's interesting to wonder where their relationship might have gone after Gaye turned black pop around with What's Going On. On the evidence of "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," Tammi could have held her own. Compared to this, Diana Ross's later, bigger solo hit with the song is just a sketch. Terre11 fills in the tune's possibilities, pushing so hard that you almost forget that these are pretty prefab declarations of devotion. In the end, though. what gives you chills is Gaye and Terre11 singing together - the way each audibly and simultaneously draws a breath before plunging into the first chorus. for instance. The contributions of that other great duo. writer/producers Nicholas Ashford and Valerie Simpson, shouldn't be slighted. Making great music from ready-made materials was an essence of Motown. Conceptually predictable as a cheeseburger, "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" is just as durable. because it's perfect1y done. Whatever deficiencies the song may have. the record escapes. because Ashford and Simpson knew the formula and because they were well aware that the job was to make.a great recording. In many ways, it's their production, especially the way they use bells, tambourines, and strings to create an ever present trebly tension, that prods Gaye and Terre11 to their heights of edgy urgency. Created: September 28, 2021 at 6.32 pm at http://www.lexjansen.com with FPDF 1.81 Page 1.