In 1973, Motown sought to release a duet record that captured the very essence of Marvin Gaye's magic with a lead female vocal. Gaye received praise with former leading ladies such as Tammi Terrell and Kim Weston, so a bet on a Diana Ross/ Gaye collaboration proved to be no real feat. The bet, a surefire. The album measured up to its planned immense success and the powerful combination of vocals and presence was inevitable. The album went Gold.
Ross, pregnant with her second child (actress Tracee Ellis Ross) and fresh off her role as Billie Holiday in Lady Sings the Blues (1972) found it difficult to work with her Motown labelmate. Gaye, prepping to release the acclaimed Let's Get It On (1973), later consented to be a difficult partner. Unlike his fluid chemistry with Tammi Terrell, Ross and Gaye recorded much of their album separately (1972-1973). Decades later, the concept of two phenomenons on vinyl leads us to take a deeper listen to the musical project.
