Berry Gordy was vindicated again, the record both gaining plenty of new fans, and selling well; people bought it and people played it, and I find that heartening. Certainly I like this a lot more than I might once have expected to. (8)
Maybe it’s unfair to give it a mark at all, never mind to consider it as part of the Supremes’ “real” recorded output in this most glorious of years for Motown’s top group. But here it is – and it’s so cacophonous, so ear-splittingly unlistenable, that no matter how good its intentions and how kind its heart, it ends up one of the worst Motown singles of all time. (1)
If the rest of the song is too slight and weird to really connect without Marvin Gaye and his chemistry balancing things out, this is still a fine record not easily forgotten. (7)
Understandable that Tammi’s solo work has been overshadowed by the Marvin Gaye duets, especially since we never got to hear the next act in her story. But this right here is Tammi’s show, and she inhabits the record body and soul; as calling cards go, they really don’t come much more impressive than this. (9)
Dated (which isn’t necessarily a problem), rough (again, not always a problem), and boring (definitely a problem), this is an inexplicable return to a time already vanished, and the trip does the Spinners no credit at all. (3)
All my complaints about this being slightly scruffy are really only minor niggles, and it’s really only the existence of a better version which diminishes this one for me, and there’s really only a small gap between the two versions… but it’s the same size as the small gap between “rather good” and “bleedin’ great”, and I can’t quite bridge it. (6)
While Marvin doesn’t sound quite as bored as he did on the A-side, he’s still only giving this about fifty per cent, tops. The song really calls for a forceful, full-on delivery to mask its pilfering and lack of lyrical content, but he sounds most un-Gayelike: flat, perfunctory, almost limp; going through the motions. (4)
