Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, she entered the music business at the age of 13, regularly performing live. In 1961 she was signed to the fledgling Scepter Records (later Wand Records), recording under the name "Tammy Montgomery". After coming to the attention of James Brown she recorded one single apiece for Brown's own Try Me record label and, in 1964, Checker Records. The year after that, she was spotted by Berry Gordy Jr. while playing live, and signed to his Motown label. Attractive and talented, she became romantically linked with both James Brown and David Ruffin, lead singer of The Temptations.
Tammy Montgomery changed her name to "Tammi Terrell" at the time of her Motown signing, and was teamed with producers Harvey Fuqua and Johnny Bristol. After releasing a pair of minor R&B chart hits, "I Can't Believe You Love Me" and "Come On and See Me," Terrell was chosen to replace Kim Weston as Marvin Gaye's duet partner. The duo recorded a number of successful hits which remain popular today: "Ain't No Mountain High Enough", "Your Precious Love," "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing," and "You're All I Need to Get By", all written (and in the case of the latter two, produced by) Ashford & Simpson.
While on tour with Gaye in Virginia in mid-1967, Terrell fainted on stage, and was later diagnosed as having a malignant brain tumor. While Terrell endured several operations and continued to record new material, her health steadily deteriorated. Fuqua and Bristol resorted to having Gaye overdub archived Terrell solo tracks to fill out the Gaye/Terrell duets albums. The final album attributed to Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell, "Easy" (1969), actually features co-producer Valerie Simpson subbing for Terrell on all but two of the tracks.
Twelve of Tammi Terrell's solo Motown recordings, including "I Can't Believe You Love Me", "Come On and See Me," and a minor hit cover of The Isley Brothers' "This Old Heart of Mine (Is Weak for You)", were issued as Terrell's only solo album, "Irresistible," in January 1969. Terrell died of brain cancer at age 24 on March 16, 1970.
Make The Night Just A Little Longer
Tammi Terrell Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Till the stars are in the sky
And every night when we can be together
Time just seems to hurry by
So Lord I'm beggin' you to make the night
(Just a little longer)
Make the night
So I can kiss him
(Just a little longer)
And hold him tight
(Just a little longer)
You made the world the way you thought it should be
So won't you make the night a little longer for me?
My nights are warm, 'cause when he hugs & holds me
Everything just feels so fine
But Lord, you know, I hate to see the sunlight
Takes away that man of mine
So Lord I'm beggin' you to make the night
(Just a little longer)
Make the night
(Just a little longer)
So I can kiss him
(Just a little longer)
And hold him tight
(Just a little longer)
(Just a little longer, just a little longer)
So Lord I'm beggin' you to make the night
(Just a little longer)
Make the night
(Just a little longer)
So I can kiss him
(Just a little longer)
And hold him tight
(Just a little longer)
Then embrace his arms
(Just a little longer)
Capture all of his charms
(Just a little longer)
Please Lord, make the night ...
Tammi Terrell's song "Make The Night Just A Little Longer" showcases the yearning of a woman who is in a long-distance relationship with her lover. She expresses how time seems to be flying by too quickly when they're together, and how every moment she spends with him is precious. Tammi implores the Lord to make the night last "just a little longer" so that she can bask in the warmth of his embrace and enjoy his company for a little while more.
The song's lyrics beautifully capture the agony and ecstasy of long-distance relationships. Tammi's soulful voice adds to the intensity of the emotions she portrays, as she sings about the pain of being away from the one you love, and the angst of knowing that the night is almost over, and that you will have to part ways soon. She lays her heart bare when she intones, "Lord, you made the world the way you thought it should be, So won't you make the night a little longer for me?"
"Make The Night Just A Little Longer" is a classic soul song that speaks directly to the heart. Tammi Terrell's ability to convey raw emotions with her voice is awe-inspiring, and this song is a testament to her talent. The song is a true gem that stands the test of time and will continue to resonate with listeners for generations to come.
Line by Line Meaning
My days are years 'cause I don't see my baby
The time feels immeasurably long when I am away from my loved one.
Till the stars are in the sky
We only get to meet when the day passes and night descends.
And every night when we can be together
We get to spend only a few hours together every day and it is never enough.
Time just seems to hurry by
The short time we spend together just flies by and before we know it, it's over.
So Lord I'm beggin' you to make the night
I implore and pray to God to help me extend the time we have together.
(Just a little longer)
I don't want much, just a few more moments with the one I love.
So I can kiss him
I desire to prolong these moments so I can savor and enjoy them fully.
And hold him tight
My love for him is so deep that I want to hold him close as long as possible.
You made the world the way you thought it should be
God, as the creator of the universe, has power over its mechanics and can alter time as needed.
My nights are warm, 'cause when he hugs & holds me
When I hold my love in my arms, it fills me with warmth, comfort, and happiness.
Everything just feels so fine
Being with him is everything I need, and it makes me feel complete and content.
But Lord, you know, I hate to see the sunlight
The daybreak brings separation, and I don't want to be away from the one I love.
Takes away that man of mine
Daylight is a threat to our precious time together, as it signifies his departure.
(Just a little longer, just a little longer)
Once again, I plead for a little more time to be with my love.
Then embrace his arms
I ache to wrap my arms around him, luxuriating in the pleasure of his embrace.
Capture all of his charms
I want to fully immerse myself in every aspect of his being, cherishing his every trait and quality.
Please Lord, make the night ...
In conclusion, I beseech God to grant my request of extending our time together.
Contributed by Ian P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Yvonne Sanders
I never knew Tammi Terrell and Chuck Jackson did a duet together! They are both some of my favorite singers. I really enjoyed them singing together!
John Hyland
Brilliant! This is one of your best mixes, John, in its simplicity and in its seamlessness. The clarity of Tammi's voice and the smokiness of Chuck's are a great complement to one another. And the Shirelles are an added bonus. A real gem. Thank you :) John
BRILLIANT DIVA
Two of my favorite artists ⭐️
Ken Taylor
beautiful--never knew tammi had duetted with chuck.
Michael Hinchcliffe
A fabulous mix of two great vocals.
Moutton Noir
Great job!
AJSmith
This is the best ever man wow what can I say I'm listening to it again
heyy i sing
Tammi is my idol ah I love her! ❤
Ujima Jame
Great mix! This should have been on the bogus "Chuck Jackson & Tammi Terretll" album Scepter/Wand issued to take advantage of the success of Tammi & Marvin Gaye (but was actually Chuck by himself on one side of the album and Tammi by herself on the other). From what I understand, Tammi did demos for the Shirelles, which is why you have The Shirelles doing, not only this track but ":Voice of Experience", "It's Mine" and "Big John" as well. Interestingly enough, Scepter's Chuck Jackson, Tammi Terrell (then Montgomery) and writers Ashford & Simpson ended up at Motown though Shirelles main lead singer Shirley Alston Reeves (who also recorded as "Lady Rose") refused to go with moonlighting Motown VP Barney Ales when she was signed to his Prodigal label and he decided to go back to Motown.
Andy Lockett
Thought this was an actual duet - fantastic.