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.
Your Precious Love
Tammi Terrell Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Honey, to keep me loving you (oh, honey)
And with every passing minute (oh, sugar)
Oh baby, so much joy wrapped up in it
Oh-oh-oh, heaven must have sent you from above
Oh-oh-oh, heaven must have sent your precious love
Oh, and now, I've got a song to sing (oh, darlin')
And you gave me a reason for living (oh, honey)
And ooh, you taught me
You taught me the meaning of giving
Oh-oh-oh, heaven must have sent you from above
Oh-oh-oh, heaven must have sent your precious love, oh
To find a love like yours is rare these days
'Cause you've shown me what happiness is in so many ways
I look in the mirror and I'm glad to see
Laughter in the eyes where tears used to be
What you've given me I could never return (oh, baby)
'Cause there's so much, girl, I've yet to learn (oh, honey)
And I wanna show, I wanna show, my appreciation (oh, sugar)
'Cause when I found you
I found a new inspiration
Oh-oh-oh, heaven must have sent you from above
Oh-oh-oh heaven must have sent your precious love
Oh-oh-oh heaven must have sent you from above
Oh-oh-oh heaven must have sent your precious love
The song "Your Precious Love" by Tammi Terrell is essentially about finding love that is rare and valuable, and acknowledging the positive impact it has on the person's life. The first verse talks about how everyday, there is something new that keeps the singer loving their partner, and how joy is wrapped up in it. The chorus suggests that the partner was sent from above and is a true gift. The second verse mentions that the singer now has a reason for living, and the partner has taught them what giving really means. The bridge talks about the rarity of the love they have found and how it has brought happiness where there was previously sadness.
Overall, the song celebrates a strong and meaningful relationship and the gratitude that the singer feels for this love in their life. The playful melodies and sweet lyrics make it a classic and beloved love song.
Line by Line Meaning
Ooh, everyday, there's something new (oh, baby)
Every day, I discover new things about you that make me love you more
Honey, to keep me loving you (oh, honey)
You do things that make me want to keep loving you
And with every passing minute (oh, sugar)
As time goes on, my love for you grows stronger
Oh baby, so much joy wrapped up in it
Being with you brings me so much joy and happiness
Oh-oh-oh, heaven must have sent you from above
You are so wonderful that I believe you must have been sent from heaven
Oh-oh-oh, heaven must have sent your precious love
Your love is truly a treasure and a gift from above
Oh, and now, I've got a song to sing (oh, darlin')
I want to tell the world about how amazing you are
Tellin' the world about the joy you bring (oh, sweetheart)
I want everyone to know how happy you make me
And you gave me a reason for living (oh, honey)
Before I met you, I didn't feel like I had a purpose in life. But now, being with you gives me a reason to live
And ooh, you taught me, you taught me the meaning of giving
You have shown me the true meaning of giving and how much joy it can bring
To find a love like yours is rare these days
It's not common to find a love as wonderful as yours
'Cause you've shown me what happiness is in so many ways
You have taught me how to be truly happy in so many different ways
I look in the mirror and I'm glad to see
When I look at myself, I am happy because I have you in my life
Laughter in the eyes where tears used to be
You have helped me turn my sadness into happiness and laughter
What you've given me I could never return (oh, baby)
I could never repay you for everything you have given me
'Cause there's so much, girl, I've yet to learn (oh, honey)
There is endless knowledge and love to gain from being with you
And I wanna show, I wanna show, my appreciation (oh, sugar)
I want to express how grateful I am to have you in my life
'Cause when I found you, I found a new inspiration
Meeting you has given me a new sense of purpose and inspiration in life
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Arthur Brooks, Jerry Butler, Richard Brooks
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@misslolo2420
Marvin & Tammi....one of the greatest vocal pairings of all times. ❤ ❤ ❤
@tracyskins7854
Yup yup 👍
@geoffowens4926
We're they dating for real?
@reindolffokuo8516
@@geoffowens4926 yepp sadly was abused by James Brown😔
@donkilluminati6384
@@geoffowens4926 no they were not
@maryjenkins8043
I remember when I was in college, wanted to go to LA just to meet Marvin and ask him if he was in love with Tammi....but then my dream faded on April 1st, when he died. However, I believe he would have said "Yes"
@mariahzamora1662
Even though Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell weren't an actual couple; whenever they sung together, it's like they were confessing and professing their love for one another...a couple in song as they were in life.
@derrickflowers1945
🙏👏👏👏
@murcson
Same with Stephanie Mills and Teddy Pendergrass
@wymellwilliams1543
They just should have been I don't think Marvin with a hit her after Tammy pass Marvin went into it seems like a semi-retirement in turn to drugs