Customer Reviews

Diana & Marvin

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I first heard this recording in 1974 and fell in love with it then. This is a wonderful collection of love songs, done in duets by two strong voices and friends of an almost forgotten era. Highly recommended for those with open minds and more importently, open hearts!

I believe that some people should go back to the times where this type of music was on top. Everyone loved to listen to the type of music. Well, I do. Majority of the old listeners would not mind listening to their old time favorites. I'm 24 and I still listen to them. They will always be apart of my music collection. Now I don't care what they say about the new music that replaced the beats to this soothing sound, it'll take the place of Motowns finest. Thank you for the time you have given me. Thank you.

True, Diana can not sing as well as Marvin the great, but who can? This is a very good cd for your collection. I have enjoyed this album/cd for 20 years. It's not Marvin and Tammy, but it's very good..

I finally got around to buying this CD a few years ago. Even though it was probably recorded (according to Motown lore) in separate sessions, the final product is indeed wonderful. My favorites on this album are "Love Twins" and "Pledging My Love". "Twins" is a mildly funky song that has some great vocal interchanges between Gaye & Ross. It always kills me to hear Gaye go "I love you baby" & then have Ross say, "I love you too, Marvin". "Pledging My Love" is a marvelous re-working of the old Johnny Ace tune that outdoes the original.

The 2 big hits were "My Mistake" & "Special Part of Me". "My Mistake" is a wonderful, haunting tune with that mournful harmonica weaving in and out. "Special Part" is a gospel-ish ballad that is quite beautiful.

The 3 other cover versions include Wilson Pickett's "Don't Knock My Love" which is fine but probably the weakest song here. The duo does very nice jobs on 2 Stylistics' songs "You Are Everything" & "Stop Look & Listen". It makes you wonder what might have happened if Diana Ross and/or Marvin Gaye had recorded in Philly.

The remainder of the songs are nice, low key love ballads.

Really, Diana Ross' singing here is, in my opinion, some of the best of her entire solo career. At the same time this album came out, I really didn't care for some of her campy/Helen Reddy sounding hits like "Last Time I Saw Him" or even "Them from Mahogany". The only other time she has sounded this good to me was on her "Baby It's Me" album from 1977.

I don't think I'm going too far in saying that, besides Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On" album (I'm the only person on earth who didn't really care for his "Let's Get It On" period) & Ross' "Baby It's Me" album, this may be both singers' best work of the 1970's.

Fans of Quiet Storm & Smooth Jazz should enjoy this one.

BEAUTIFUL ALBUM, EVERY TRACK IS GREAT, ESPECIALLY WITH THE AWESOME SHM AUDIO FORMAT. MUST HAVE FOR ANY CD COLLECTION, BUT DON'T PAY THESE RIDICULOUS OVER-INFLATED PRICES, I BOUGHT MINE FROM THE MUSIC SPECIALIST ON E BAY, THEY ALSO HAVE A STORE IN GEMM, ANTEATERMUSIC. SAVE YOURSELF A TON OF CASH.
CHEERS!

I had this album as a child, wore it out back then and still listen to it today. The music is slammin' but Marvin just sings circles around Diana. His thick, rough voice against her thin, waily voice just doesn't quite get there. I understand that Marvin and Diana were the Prince and Princess of Motown at the time of the LP's release but their voices together are a mis-match. I'm wondering if Thelma Houston was signed with Motown at this time. Now she could have hung with Marvin. I love Diana Ross and I love her voice but you really gotta bring it to get down with Marvin.

If you're looking for some romantic duets, this may not be the album for you. The chemistry is just not there. The album cover pretty much lets us know that (their backs are turned to each other.) We all have heard the story about their vocals being put down separately because Marvin refused to stop smoking in the presence of pregnant Diana. I still don't think their voices would have sounded any better had they been recorded together. There was no magic between them like there was between Marvin and Tammi. On "Love Twins" Marvin says to Diana (or maybe not, she may not have been anywhere in sight) "I love you baby." She replies, "I love you too Marvin." They sound more like distant cousins who haven't seen each other in a while, rather than passionate lovers.

If you want to hear some good ole 70's Motown music, this one is the joint. Uptempo songs include, "My Mistake" and "Don't Knock My Love." There are some beautiful slow ones also, "Falling In Love With You" and "Just Say, Just Say" written by the maestros Ashford and Simpson. "Pledging My Love" is also pretty but this song really shows how Marvin just blew Diana out of the water. He starts off, really strong, singing, "Forever my darling, my love will be true, always and forever, I'll love just you..." Then here comes Diana sounding like a 12 yr. old, "Forever my darling..." It makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up.

If you're a diehard fan of Marvin and/or Diana, this album is definitely a must have. I give it 5 stars because of the music alone. But if you want to hear some magical duets, particularly some Marvin duets, you may want to stick with Marvin and Tammi, Marvin and Kim or Marvin and Mary.

First Ashford and Simpson produced and arranged tracks for a Diana-Marvin album. Only a few of those vocals were ever laid down and one made the final album. Other producers came on board and more was recorded but Diana and Marvin only sang at one session together. The rest was recorded separately and the album sounds like it. Mucho mechanical, not very passionate, one great single, "You're A Special Part of Me" (fake Ashford-Simpson). "Don't Knock My Love" on the album is not the same version as used on the single. These two were barely on speaking terms when this project was put together. They were barely on singing terms either.

Great but could have been outstanding. This should have been one of the greatest albums of all time. The songs that were chosen are fine and the vocals are top notch - some critics say this is the best Diana Ross has ever sounded - however this album lacks the energy that these two mega-talented stars could have generated. (It has been written that Diana and Marvin never entered the same recording studio at the same time - their egos just wouldn't allow it). As good as these recordings are - and they are very, very good - I always got the feeling that this album fell short of it's potential. Most outstanding songs: "Stop, Look, Listen", "Love Twins", "Don't Knock My Love", and "Special Part of Me". One great song recorded for, but omitted from, the album "I'll Keep a Light in My Window" is on the album "Diana's Duets".

"One of the best album's i've ever heard. Brings back memories" (so my wife says) She's been trying to get this in CD to replace her old worn out vinyl copy for ages!!

True, Diana can not sing as well as Marvin the great, but who can? This is a very good cd for your collection. I have enjoyed this album/cd for 20 years. It's not Marvin and Tammy, but it's very good..