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.
Youve Got What It Takes
Tammi Terrell Lyrics
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You don't drive a big fine car
And you don't look like a movie star
And on that little ol' paycheck, we won't get far
But you got it (I got it), baby, you got what it takes for me
Whoah, ya satisfyYou got what it takes to set my soul on fire
You got it (I got it), baby, you got what it takes for me
Huh, come here dammit, let me tell you somethin' (I'm here, baby)
Honey, you don't live in a beautiful place
And you don't dress with the best of taste
And nature didn't give you such a beautiful face but you got it (boy, I got it)
Baby, you got it, what it takes for me
You satisfy, you got what it takes to set my soul on fire
You've got it (I know it), honey, you've got it, what it takes for me
Now when you kiss me
Oh, baby, my head goes round and round
Honey, honey, when you're near me
Oh, baby, my love comes tumblin' down
You send me, honey
Oh, you don't live in a beautiful place
And you don't dress with the best of taste
And nature didn't give you such a beautiful face
But you got it, baby, you got it, what it takes for me
Oh, you know you satisfy (ooh)
You got what it takes to set my soul on fire
You've got it, ooh, baby, you got it, what it takes for me
I know, I know you've got it, baby, you've got it, what it takes for meYou set my little soul on fire, you've got it
Whoa, baby, you've got it, what it takes for me
I know, I know, baby, you've got what it takes for me
Whoah, yeah
Tammi, Tammi, you've got it
Marvin, you've got it, what it takes for me
I know you've got it, baby, you've got it
What it takes for me
I know you've got it, ooh baby, you got
In the song "You've Got What It Takes" by Tammi Terrell, she sings about her love for someone who may not have all the material things that society deems important, but to her, they have everything she could ever want. The song is a celebration of love that goes beyond superficial qualities and focuses on the deeper, more meaningful traits that make a person lovable. The singer is addressing her lover, Marvin, and telling him that even though he may not drive a fancy car, look like a movie star, or live in a beautiful place, he has everything she needs to feel complete.
The lyrics are also about the power of attraction and how love can be ignited by even the smallest of things. The singer talks about how just being near Marvin makes her love come tumbling down and how his kisses make her head spin. This is an example of the beauty of genuine attraction and how it can transcend societal norms and expectations.
In summary, "You've Got What It Takes" is a touching love song that celebrates the deeper aspects of love and relationships while rejecting shallow external qualities that we often equate with success and happiness.
Line by Line Meaning
Come here, Marvin, let me tell you something (yeah, baby)
I want to share something important with you, Marvin.
You don't drive a big fine car
You may not have a fancy car.
And you don't look like a movie star
You don't have the looks of a typical movie star.
And on that little ol' paycheck, we won't get far
With such a small income, our future may be uncertain.
But you got it (I got it), baby, you got what it takes for me
But you have the qualities that I value the most, Marvin.
Whoah, ya satisfy
You satisfy me, Marvin.
You got what it takes to set my soul on fire
You have the ability to make me feel passionate and alive.
Huh, come here dammit, let me tell you somethin' (I'm here, baby)
I want to speak directly to you, Marvin.
Honey, you don't live in a beautiful place
You may not live in a glamorous location, Marvin.
And you don't dress with the best of taste
Your clothing may not be the most fashionable, Marvin.
And nature didn't give you such a beautiful face but you got it (boy, I got it)
You may not have been gifted with stunning looks, but you have other attributes that make up for it, Marvin.
Baby, you got it, what it takes for me
You have the qualities that I value the most, Marvin.
You satisfy, you got what it takes to set my soul on fire
You satisfy me and have the ability to make me feel passionate and alive, Marvin.
Now when you kiss me
When you kiss me, Marvin.
Oh, baby, my head goes round and round
Your kisses make me feel dizzy and lightheaded, Marvin.
Honey, honey, when you're near me
When you're near me, Marvin.
Oh, baby, my love comes tumblin' down
My feelings for you intensify, Marvin.
You send me, honey
You have an emotional impact on me, Marvin.
I know, I know you've got it, baby, you've got it, what it takes for me
I am certain you have the qualities that I value the most, Marvin.
Whoah, yeah
Expressing affirmation and enthusiasm.
Tammi, Tammi, you've got it
The singer admires Tammi Terrell's attributes.
Marvin, you've got it, what it takes for me
The singer values Marvin's qualities the most.
I know you've got it, baby, you've got it
The singer is certain of Marvin's qualities.
What it takes for me
Those qualities are exactly what the singer is looking for in a partner.
I know you've got it, ooh baby, you got
The singer is certain of Marvin's qualities.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Tyran Carlo, Gwen Fuqua, Berry Gordy Jr.
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind