How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)
A Motown hit relaxed into the lead single from Gorilla, with Carly Simon on harmony.
James Taylor, from Gorilla (1975)
- Written by
- Holland-Dozier-Holland
- Released
- 1975
- Length
- 3:33
- Album
- Gorilla
Holland-Dozier-Holland wrote it in 1964 for Marvin Gaye, whose single reached number six on the Hot 100 in January 1965. Taylor's version was the lead single from Gorilla in 1975. It reached number five on the Hot 100 and number one on the Easy Listening chart, and it is the most successful remake of the song so far. Carly Simon sings harmony, Danny Kortchmar plays guitar, David Sanborn plays saxophone, Nick DeCaro wrote the string arrangement, and Lenny Waronker and Russ Titelman produced.
Bud Scoppa of Rolling Stone called it "a relaxed rendition," Robert Christgau a "desecration of Marvin Gaye," and the biographer Timothy White thought it "music for the park on Sunday."
Covers and versions
- Marvin Gaye (1964) The original, number six on the Hot 100
- Junior Walker and the All Stars (1966) Number 18 on the Hot 100
- Karen Dalton (1971) On In My Own Time
- Tyrone Davis (1980)
More songs by James Taylor
Carolina in My Mind, Sweet Baby James, Mexico, Her Town Too, Fire and Rain, You've Got a Friend, Handy Man
Sources
- How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You), Wikipedia
- Gorilla, Wikipedia