"Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing" is a 1968 single released by American R&B/soul duo Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, on the Tamla label in 1968. The B-side of the single is "Little Ole Boy, Little Ole Girl" from the duo's United LP. The first release off the duo's second album: You're All I Need, the song—written and produced by regular Gaye/Terrell collaborators Ashford & Simpson—became a hit within weeks of release eventually peaking at number eight on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Hot Soul Singles chart,[1] the first of the duo's two number-one R&B hits. In the UK "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing" reached number 34.
Cash Box called it "a potent ballad", saying that "Detroit backing puts a beat into the session" and praising the "splendid vocals."[2] "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing" was ranked as the 57th-biggest US hit of 1968.
Donny Osmond and Marie Osmond, billed as Donny & Marie, remade "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing" for their November 1976 album release New Season, with the track having a concurrent single release to reach number 21 on the Billboard Hot 100 in February 1977, also charting Adult Contemporary at number 17. It was also a chart hit in Canada, peaking at number 26 on the pop chart and number 11 on the AC chart.[10]
Record World said that it "is their finest performance yet."[11]
Aretha Franklin remade the song for her 1974 album Let Me in Your Life. It was issued as the album's third hit single that August. Franklin's version radically re-invents the upbeat Marvin Gaye/Tammi Terrell original as a deep soul ballad which Jon Landau of Rolling Stone dismissed as "misconceived (done too slowly)".[17]Billboard described it as being highlighted by "extremely powerful vocals."[18] "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing" reached number six on the Billboard Soul chart, as well as number 44 in Cash Box and number 47 on the Billboard Hot 100. It won Franklin the Best Female R&B Vocal PerformanceGrammy for 1974 marking Franklin's eighth total and consecutive win in that category and her last such win until the Grammys for 1981.
Chris Christian remade the song in medley with another Marvin Gaye/Tammi Terrell hit "You're All I Need to Get By" for his Bob Gaudio-produced 1981 album: a duet with Amy Holland, the track "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing/ You're All I Need to Get By" had a single release in the summer of 1982 to reach number 88 on Billboard Hot 100 also charting Adult Contemporary at number 21. (Amy Holland's husband Michael McDonald would remake "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing" for his 2003 album Motown.) Christian's 1986 live album release Live At Six Flags features "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing" in medley with "Don't Worry Baby" and "I Go to Pieces".
English musician Elton John and American singer Marcella Detroit recorded the song for John's 1993 album Duets. After its inclusion on Detroit's album Jewel, the song was released as a single under London Records in May 1994, as the fourth and final song from Duets, and the second single from Jewel, with all B-sides, "Break the Chain" and "I Feel Free", performed solo by Detroit. Detroit and John's version peaked at number 24 on the UK Singles Chart for the week ending May 21, 1994.[19]
Music critic David McGee of Rolling Stone named Vince Gill and Gladys Knight's recording of the song one of a couple "outright failures" of the 1994 ensemble album Rhythm, Country and Blues, criticizing Gill for "sound[ing] like a wimp [and] his soft, airy readings blown away by Knight's fierce delivery."[20]
Music critic John J. Moser of The Morning Call praised Michael McDonald and Chaka Khan's duet performance of "Ain't Nothing like the Real Thing" at McDonald's June 25, 2019, live concert at Sands Bethlehem Event Center as "better" than their performance of "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" (also originally sung by Gaye and Terell), which Moser criticized as "an underwhelming mess of missed lyrics and timing."[21]
Referencesedit
^Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 225.
^"CashBox Record Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. April 6, 1968. p. 22. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
^. Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Archived from the original on September 27, 2016. Retrieved October 1, 2016.
^"The Hot 100 (week of February 5, 1977)". Billboard. Retrieved February 19, 2022.
^"Adult Contemporary Music Chart". Billboard. February 7, 1976. Retrieved September 27, 2016.
^Landau, Jon (April 11, 1974). "Let Me in Your Life". Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 1, 2016.
^"Top Single Picks" (PDF). Billboard. August 17, 1974. p. 58. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
^"Official Singles Chart Top 100: 15 May 1994 - 21 May 1994". Official Charts.
^McGee, David (April 21, 1994). "Recordings—Rhythm Country and Blues by various artists". Rolling Stone. p. 85. ISSN 0035-791X. ProQuest 220146603 – via ProQuest.
^Moser, John J. (June 26, 2019). "Review: Michael McDonald, Chaka Khan at Sands Center take us somewhere back in our long ago". The Morning Call.
External linksedit
Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell - Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing on YouTube
Donny & Marie Osmond - Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing on YouTube
January 01, 1970
nothing, like, real, thing, 1968, single, released, american, soul, marvin, gaye, tammi, terrell, tamla, label, 1968, side, single, little, little, girl, from, united, first, release, second, album, need, song, written, produced, regular, gaye, terrell, collab. Ain t Nothing Like the Real Thing is a 1968 single released by American R amp B soul duo Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell on the Tamla label in 1968 The B side of the single is Little Ole Boy Little Ole Girl from the duo s United LP The first release off the duo s second album You re All I Need the song written and produced by regular Gaye Terrell collaborators Ashford amp Simpson became a hit within weeks of release eventually peaking at number eight on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Hot Soul Singles chart 1 the first of the duo s two number one R amp B hits In the UK Ain t Nothing Like the Real Thing reached number 34 Ain t Nothing Like the Real Thing A side label of the U S vinyl singleSingle by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrellfrom the album You re All I NeedB side Little Ole Boy Little Ole Girl ReleasedMarch 28 1968Recorded1967StudioHitsville USAGenreSoul popLength2 12LabelTamlaT 54163Songwriter s Ashford amp SimpsonProducer s Ashford amp SimpsonMarvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell singles chronology If I Could Build My Whole World Around You 1967 Ain t Nothing Like the Real Thing 1968 You re All I Need to Get By 1968 Gaye in 1968 Cash Box called it a potent ballad saying that Detroit backing puts a beat into the session and praising the splendid vocals 2 Ain t Nothing Like the Real Thing was ranked as the 57th biggest US hit of 1968 Contents 1 Chart performance 1 1 Weekly charts 1 2 Year end charts 2 Personnel 3 Donny amp Marie version 3 1 Chart performance 4 Other notable versions 5 References 6 External linksChart performance editWeekly charts edit Chart 1968 Peakposition Canada RPM Top Singles 3 9 UK Singles OCC 4 34 US Billboard Hot 100 5 8 US Hot Rhythm amp Blues Singles Billboard 6 1 US Cash Box Top 100 7 9 Year end charts edit Chart 1968 Rank US Billboard Hot 100 8 57 US Cash Box 9 70Personnel editAll lead vocals by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell Background vocals by Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson Produced by Ashford amp Simpson Instrumentation by The Funk BrothersDonny amp Marie version edit Ain t Nothing Like the Real Thing nbsp Side A of the US singleSingle by Donny amp Marie Osmondfrom the album New SeasonReleasedNovember 1976Genrepop Adult ContemporaryLabelPolydor KolobSongwriter s Ashford amp SimpsonProducer s Mike Curb and Michael LloydDonny amp Marie Osmond singles chronology Deep Purple 1975 Ain t Nothing Like the Real Thing 1976 You re My Soul and Inspiration 1977 Donny Osmond and Marie Osmond billed as Donny amp Marie remade Ain t Nothing Like the Real Thing for their November 1976 album release New Season with the track having a concurrent single release to reach number 21 on the Billboard Hot 100 in February 1977 also charting Adult Contemporary at number 17 It was also a chart hit in Canada peaking at number 26 on the pop chart and number 11 on the AC chart 10 Record World said that it is their finest performance yet 11 Chart performance edit Chart 1976 77 Peakposition Canada RPM Top Singles 12 26 Canada RPM Adult Contemporary 13 11 US Billboard Hot 100 14 15 21 US Billboard Adult Contemporary 16 17 US Cash Box Top 100 30Other notable versions editAretha Franklin remade the song for her 1974 album Let Me in Your Life It was issued as the album s third hit single that August Franklin s version radically re invents the upbeat Marvin Gaye Tammi Terrell original as a deep soul ballad which Jon Landau of Rolling Stone dismissed as misconceived done too slowly 17 Billboard described it as being highlighted by extremely powerful vocals 18 Ain t Nothing Like the Real Thing reached number six on the Billboard Soul chart as well as number 44 in Cash Box and number 47 on the Billboard Hot 100 It won Franklin the Best Female R amp B Vocal Performance Grammy for 1974 marking Franklin s eighth total and consecutive win in that category and her last such win until the Grammys for 1981 Chris Christian remade the song in medley with another Marvin Gaye Tammi Terrell hit You re All I Need to Get By for his Bob Gaudio produced 1981 album a duet with Amy Holland the track Ain t Nothing Like the Real Thing You re All I Need to Get By had a single release in the summer of 1982 to reach number 88 on Billboard Hot 100 also charting Adult Contemporary at number 21 Amy Holland s husband Michael McDonald would remake Ain t Nothing Like the Real Thing for his 2003 album Motown Christian s 1986 live album release Live At Six Flags features Ain t Nothing Like the Real Thing in medley with Don t Worry Baby and I Go to Pieces English musician Elton John and American singer Marcella Detroit recorded the song for John s 1993 album Duets After its inclusion on Detroit s album Jewel the song was released as a single under London Records in May 1994 as the fourth and final song from Duets and the second single from Jewel with all B sides Break the Chain and I Feel Free performed solo by Detroit Detroit and John s version peaked at number 24 on the UK Singles Chart for the week ending May 21 1994 19 Music critic David McGee of Rolling Stone named Vince Gill and Gladys Knight s recording of the song one of a couple outright failures of the 1994 ensemble album Rhythm Country and Blues criticizing Gill for sound ing like a wimp and his soft airy readings blown away by Knight s fierce delivery 20 Music critic John J Moser of The Morning Call praised Michael McDonald and Chaka Khan s duet performance of Ain t Nothing like the Real Thing at McDonald s June 25 2019 live concert at Sands Bethlehem Event Center as better than their performance of Ain t No Mountain High Enough also originally sung by Gaye and Terell which Moser criticized as an underwhelming mess of missed lyrics and timing 21 References edit Whitburn Joel 2004 Top R amp B Hip Hop Singles 1942 2004 Record Research p 225 CashBox Record Reviews PDF Cash Box April 6 1968 p 22 Retrieved January 12 2022 Item Display RPM Library and Archives Canada Collectionscanada gc ca Archived from the original on September 27 2016 Retrieved October 1 2016 Official Singles Chart Top 100 Official Charts Company Marvin Gaye Chart History Hot 100 Billboard Marvin Gaye Chart History Hot R amp B Hip Hop Songs Billboard Cash Box Top 100 Singles June 8 1968 Archived from the original on August 12 2014 Retrieved June 12 2017 Top 100 Hits of 1968 Top 100 Songs of 1978 musicoutfitters com Retrieved February 22 2015 Cash Box Year End Charts Top 100 Pop Singles December 28 1968 Archived from the original on October 9 2016 Retrieved June 12 2017 Item Display RPM Library and Archives Canada Collectionscanada gc ca March 5 1977 Retrieved April 15 2018 Hits of the Week PDF Record World November 27 1976 p 1 Retrieved March 3 2023 Image RPM Weekly Library and Archives Canada Bac lac gc ca February 12 1977 Retrieved April 15 2018 Item Display RPM Library and Archives Canada Collectionscanada gc ca March 5 1977 Retrieved April 15 2018 Joel Whitburn s Top Pop Singles 1955 1990 ISBN 0 89820 089 X The Hot 100 week of February 5 1977 Billboard Retrieved February 19 2022 Adult Contemporary Music Chart Billboard February 7 1976 Retrieved September 27 2016 Landau Jon April 11 1974 Let Me in Your Life Rolling Stone Retrieved October 1 2016 Top Single Picks PDF Billboard August 17 1974 p 58 Retrieved July 22 2020 Official Singles Chart Top 100 15 May 1994 21 May 1994 Official Charts McGee David April 21 1994 Recordings Rhythm Country and Blues by various artists Rolling Stone p 85 ISSN 0035 791X ProQuest 220146603 via ProQuest Moser John J June 26 2019 Review Michael McDonald Chaka Khan at Sands Center take us somewhere back in our long ago The Morning Call External links editMarvin Gaye amp Tammi Terrell Ain t Nothing Like the Real Thing on YouTube Donny amp Marie Osmond Ain t Nothing Like the Real Thing on YouTube Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Ain 27t Nothing Like the Real Thing amp oldid 1194248307, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
