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Tamla T 54112 (B), February 1965
B-side of I’ll Be Doggone
(Written by Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier and Edward Holland Jr.)
Tamla Motown TMG 510 (B), April 1965
B-side of I’ll Be Doggone
(Released in the UK under license through EMI / Tamla Motown)
The inescapably sexist overtones of the A-side, I’ll Be Doggone, meant I couldn’t really take full pleasure in that song’s excellent, driving energy – not to mention it being Marvin’s first R&B Number One, and his first million seller. No such concerns here; if this is conceived on a much smaller scale than the plug side, if it’s not aiming for the same kind of heights, well, it’s still lovely, and I’ll never turn down the chance to hear Marvin Gaye making art to move the soul rather than the feet.
The Holland-Dozier-Holland team had scored a hit with Marvin’s previous (mainstream) single, How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You), and so, following the usual Motown “rules”, they should have been granted the opportunity to write and produce Marvin’s follow-up 45. But here, in 1965, those rules – developed at a time when Motown was just another struggling black label, rather than an all-conquering American institution – were starting to break down now that the sums of money involved were being counted in the millions rather than thousands of dollars. Put simply, Holland-Dozier-Holland were too valuable to be tasked with regularly writing and producing for more than a couple of the label’s top acts, meaning the Supremes and Four Tops got first dibs on the trio’s new material and everyone else had to wait their turn. You’ve Been A Long Time Coming was originally recorded with the Supremes in mind, not Marvin Gaye.
I’ve already talked some about how far and how fast the Motown house band had developed, but this is maybe the best example yet – the difference between the winter of ’63/’64 and the winter of ’64/’65 laid bare. Brian Holland’s ear for a melody, Lamont Dozier’s love of the drift and drive of his classical influences, both could now readily be indulged, their tunes heard the way their composers meant them to be heard.
You’ve Been A Long Time Coming is an airy ballad-cum-waltz sketch in 6/8 time, a song that you could easily imagine slotting in on More Hits by the Supremes (which is presumably, of course, where it was meant to go) – but it’s been made with so much more consummate care, the by now de rigeur string arrangement and the ghostly, echoing harmonies of the Andantes slotting in seamlessly as the band lock into their magnificent, telepathic groove, great billowing clouds of notes drifting by, smooth and open as the summer sky.
And look, here’s Marvin, excelling himself while singing a song written for a woman with a tessitura far above his own, sounding so beautifully and beatifically comfortable that the listener gets absolutely no indication this wasn’t actually meant for him from the start. It’s not the standout track on Moods of Marvin Gaye, above, just as it wouldn’t have been a standout track on More Hits – it’s much too small in scope for that, a mood piece (no pun intended) rather than an anthem – but what a great mood piece it is, and that’s all thanks to Marvin and the band.
Edward Holland Jr., quoted in the liner notes to The Complete Motown Singles Volume 5: “Marvin Gaye was the fastest and quickest artist I’ve ever worked with in my life… I could sing it down one time, he would take the lyric sheet, and just sing it. He had this unique ability to hear the music and become part of it, because you think in terms of Marvin Gaye, he really had a very soft, sweet voice, basically. That’s what he loved doing.”
Ironically, for a man who spent his entire early career wanting to be Nat King Cole – and who, even as this song was being recorded, was busy making plans for his own tribute LP full of Cole’s songs (pictured right), the last time Motown would indulge Gaye by greenlighting a personal side project for quite some years – the best examples of Marvin’s sweet ballad voice aren’t to be found on the three albums of MOR standards he’d recorded to date in a failed bid to prove his supper-club credentials. Rather, the true beauty and wonder in Marvin’s voice – the voice that would have made him a success on that circuit – comes out when he wasn’t trying too hard to ape someone else, but rather when he really put his heart and soul into a song. This here is the real stuff, and it’s a thing to behold.
A song of gentle joy after pain, very much in the vein of the Supremes’ I’m In Love Again (another newly-recorded HDH B-side, which maybe explains why You’ve Been A Long Time Coming might have been dropped from any proposed early tracklisting for More Hits), Marvin singing words written for a woman, yet inhabiting them completely, baring his soul to his partner and the audience in a song that floats by like a dream… never in a million years is this a single, and a greater contrast to the A-side you’d be hard-pushed to find, but it’s effortlessly beautiful all the same. And let’s face it, I’m a sucker for a well-sung slowie, as is probably well known by now.
If you wondered why I got so hung up on the lyrics of I’ll Be Doggone (which I’d love to be able to rate higher, but in good conscience I just can’t do it), or how I can possibly be rating this so much higher than one of his classic singles, well, it’s because I love Marvin so much, and – when he’s on form – just listening to the man sing is a special experience in itself. This is a fine example of that, and it’s a pleasure.
MOTOWN JUNKIES VERDICT
(I’ve had MY say, now it’s your turn. Agree? Disagree? Leave a comment, or click the thumbs at the bottom there. Dissent is encouraged!)
You’re reading Motown Junkies, an attempt to review every Motown A- and B-side ever released. Click on the “previous” and “next” buttons below to go back and forth through the catalogue, or visit the Master Index for a full list of reviews so far.
(Or maybe you’re only interested in Marvin Gaye? Click for more.)
Marvin Gaye “I’ll Be Doggone” |
The Miracles “Ooo Baby Baby” |
DISCOVERING MOTOWN |
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Dave L said:
It deserves this verdict, and I don’t have it on, but I could hear it being sung while I read 🙂
I love the Moods album; it is chuck full of goodies. “I’ll Be Doggone,” “Ain’t That Peculiar,” “One More Heartache” and “Take This Heart of Mine” were all out on singles by the time it was released, but then even “Little Darling I Need You” and “Your Unchanging Love” got sprung too. I’ve never been without a copy of it since 1966.
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Mark V said:
It would take some doing to stand out on the “Moods of Marvin Gaye” LP (which is halfway to a Greatest Hits, Volume 2 album), but this did it effortlessly. You’ve pointed out what made it so great–the Andantes, the weaving and blending of the melody, the simplicity that draws one back time and again, the musicians.
10 out of 10, no question.
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Damecia said:
Yes the Andantes sound like angels. I forgot to give them a shoutout in my comment = )
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Mark V said:
They sometimes get a bad rap for being ever-present and a homogenizing factor for Motown, but given the right record, they could sure harmonize!
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Sonic eric said:
I would have thought that you’d like A tribute to the great Nat King cole better than the two previous “Broadway” albums but unfortunately no.
I really love his awkward way of aping Cole’s voice on Mona Lisa or Pretend. Not as great as Moods of Marvin Gaye (with its three masterpieces : Ain’t that peculiar, One more heartache and Pretty little baby) but a true plaisir coupable.
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John Plant said:
Waiting for the next one with bated breath!!
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Dave L said:
As we all are. I suspect more pregnancies springboarded from that particular Motown record than any other. Played along with it’s contemporary, Barbara Mason’s “Yes I’m Ready,” and nude people are easier to envision than clothed ones.
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Ed Pauli said:
at least he didn’t put “master” ….in front of “bated”…and besides that I’ll bet more than one DJ snickered at the title of Marvin’s overlooked b-side..LOL
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John Plant said:
That will have to wait for ‘In Case You Need Love’ – ‘I’m not trying to be a jack of all trades/It’s love that I’m tryin’ to master, yeah, yeah/And if you’d let me make love to you/ I could master…… a little bit faster!’ Is that ‘it’ or bate’ in the dotted lines??? Has the music of 1965 locked us all in permanent adolescence, lol (the first time I’ve used that anagram!!)
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Landini said:
Agree that this is a very pretty song. I enjoy it when it comes up randomly on a playlist. Sorry I have been away for awhile. Health is hanging in there. Still taking chemo – though I am taking one which is a little less intense.
I hope all of my USA friends have a wonderful Thanksgiving. Among the many things I am thankful for is this website & the very nice people here.
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Dave L said:
We all wish you a strong recovery, Landini. And Happy Thanksgiving to you too. 🙂
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Mary Plant said:
Happy Thanksgiving – you’re completely correct – this blog is one of the many wonderfulthings we have to be thankful for! We’re all pulling for you!
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John Plant said:
Best wishes from Canada too! – Wishing you a powerful recovery accompanied by much joy in music and in life.
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Landini said:
Thank you everybody! Blessings to all!
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Robb Klein said:
Hi John,
Where in Canada are you located? I come from Winnipeg. I hope you had a great Thanksgiving. Are you any relation to Robert Plant?
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Damecia said:
Hi Grandpa Landini!
How was thanksgiving?
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Landini said:
Thanksgiving was very nice thank you!
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Damecia said:
Agree with the verdict. This song has a gentleness that appeals to the ears. While listening I could hear the Supremes singing this too. Marvin did a great job…infact I like this better than the A-side.
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Ron Leonard said:
” You’ve Been A Long Time Coming” made for a great B side. In fact, “Moods Of Marvin Gaye, this album is still a mainstay for me. “Little Darling(I Need You)” a classic H-D-H production..From the shaking tamborine at the beginning to the fade, still love this and yes of course, the strings!
I also enjoyed, “Your Unchanging Love”!
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benjaminblue said:
I didn’t realize this was intended as a song for Diana Ross and The Supremes. It’s fortunate that they didn’t record it, considering the backlash that arose after Buttered Popcorn and (some) listeners taking the low road in interpreting lyrics.
The Holland-Dozier-Holland/Marvin Gaye song I thought might be a good fit for Diana and company was I’ll Take Care Of You; it’s a much stronger song than, for instance, Mother You, Smother You and the second-rate, rushed, wrong-key covers (I Guess I’ll Always Love You; It’s The Same Old Song; I’ll Turn To Stone) on The Supremes Sing Holland-Dozier-Holland or the less-than-satisfying versions of H-D-H tunes (Heaven Must Have Sent You; Why Don’t You Stay In My Lonely Arms) that were to come later on.
And I’ll Take Care Of You is similar to I’m In Love Again; I expect that Diana could have put the song across most convincingly.
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