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.
Two Can Have A Party
Tammi Terrell Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Who needs the records turned up loud?
When two, we two can have a party all alone
Oh, yeah
Ooo, pretty music, a cozy chair
Lights down low and I'm holding you near
Oh, baby, we two can have a party all alone
When we are together, I'm like a feather
Floating in the air
I don't care where we're going
Just as long as you are there
Oh, baby, me and you, you and me
We can have a party, just wait and see
Oh, well, two, we two can have a party all alone
Yes, we can
When we are together, I'm like a feather
Floating in the air
I don't care where we're going
Just as long as you are there
Oh, baby, me and you, you and me
We can have a party, just wait and see
Oh, well, two, we two can have a party all alone
Yes, we can
Baby, two, we two can have a party all alone
Nobody else, you and me, hah, all alone
Pretty, pretty music, a cozy chair, yeah
And fade
The lyrics of Tammi Terrell's "Two Can Have A Party" are a declaration of love and a celebration of the power of togetherness. The song implies that being together with someone you cherish is enough to create a whole world of happiness and joy, without the need for external stimuli like a crowded party. The opening line "Who needs the noise of a party crowd?" indicates that the singer is content with being by themselves with that special someone. Moreover, the lyrics declare that the simple things in life can be the most fulfilling, showing that love and connection are more important than external distractions like loud music and crowds.
The second and third stanzas describe how being in each other's company fills them with a sense of freedom and lightness, represented by the phrase "I'm like a feather floating in the air." The song implies that intimacy is all they need to be happy and fulfilled. The final stanza repeats the song's central message, emphasizing that the singer and their partner can create their own party and their own memories together.
The song puts across an affirmative message of self-love and self-reliance. It is an anthem for relationships where two people rely on each other for emotional support, and their happiness comes from within. The song is a celebration of the power of two individuals being together, united in their love for each other.
Line by Line Meaning
Who needs the noise of a party crowd?
Who really wants to deal with the chaos and commotion of a party with a bunch of people?
Who needs the records turned up loud?
Who really wants to have music blasting so loud that you can't even hear yourself think?
When two, we two can have a party all alone
Just the two of us together can create our own private party and have just as much fun
Ooo, pretty music, a cozy chair
Soft and gentle music and a comfortable place to sit can be just as pleasant as a party setting
Lights down low and I'm holding you near
With the lights dimmed, I draw you close to me in a caring embrace
When we are together, I'm like a feather Floating in the air
When we're together, I feel light and carefree, like I'm floating on a cloud
I don't care where we're going Just as long as you are there
I'm happy to go anywhere as long as we're together
Oh, baby, me and you, you and me We can have a party, just wait and see
Together we can create a joyful and fun atmosphere, you just have to trust and believe
Oh, well, two, we two can have a party all alone Yes, we can
Absolutely, just us two can have a party and it will be just as much fun
Baby, two, we two can have a party all alone Nobody else, you and me, hah, all alone Pretty, pretty music, a cozy chair, yeah
It will be just us, no one else around, surrounded by nice music and comfortable furnishings
And fade
The song fades out, ending our private party together
Contributed by Penelope D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
usmale 49
I love this! Tammi Terrell had such a fantastic voice! The dancers in this video are just great! Thank you for sharing!
John Ager
Goes together like gin and tonic 🍸
144_Rene Dubey
My grandfather is 73 and he still remembers Tammi and cries every time a song of hers comes on...what a voice
Sylvia Bolan
Tammi Terrell, what a voice!🎀
Linda hines
didn't she have a beautiful voice!🫂
TDSouledOut1
The ultimate feel good soul anthem. God bless you Tammi.
Leonor Cintron
Singing is how I learned english
Jerald Ford
Rip peace Tammie you left us to soon 🙏🙏
martin grzempczak
timeless perfection-100% classic
Barbie Que
All I can say is WOW!!! I'm speechless. I didn't know dance groups existed back then with so much talent, energy and precision. It makes me so proud but I just wished they'd gotten the recognition they deserve. If they have, then obviously disregard my comment. Thank you.