''How Sweet It Is to Be Loved by You'' is the fifth

studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...

released by American singer and songwriter

Marvin Gaye Marvin Pentz Gay Jr., who also spelled his surname as Gaye (April 2, 1939 – April 1, 1984), was an American singer and songwriter. He helped to shape the sound of Motown in the 1960s, first as an in-house session player and later as a solo ar ...

, released in 1965. The album features the successful title track, which at the time was his best-selling single and was famously covered by

James Taylor James Vernon Taylor (born March 12, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A six-time Grammy Award winner, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. He is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, havi ...

in 1975. Other hits include "

Try It Baby "Try It Baby" is a slow blues ballad recorded by American soul singer Marvin Gaye, released on the Tamla label in 1964. The ballad was written and produced by Gaye's brother-in-law, Motown chairman Berry Gordy. Background The ballad talked of ...

" (which features

The Temptations The Temptations are an American vocal group from Detroit, Michigan, who released a series of successful singles and albums with Motown Records during the 1960s and 1970s. The group's work with producer Norman Whitfield, beginning with the Top ...

) and "

Baby Don't You Do It "Baby Don't You Do It" is a 1964 single by United States, American singer Marvin Gaye. Released on the Motown Records, Tamla label, this song discusses a man who is at a standstill with his girlfriend, who he feels is neglecting his love stating ...

" (with backing vocals provided by

The Andantes The Andantes were an American female session group for the Motown record label during the 1960s. Composed of Jackie Hicks, Marlene Barrow, and Louvain Demps, the group sang background vocals on numerous Motown recordings, including songs by Mar ...

). Inspired by Jackie Gleason’s trademark expression.

Track listing

Side one

# " You're a Wonderful One" ( Holland-Dozier-Holland) - 2:45 # " How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)" (Holland-Dozier-Holland) - 2:58 # "

" (

Berry Gordy, Jr. Berry Gordy III (born November 28, 1929), known professionally as Berry Gordy Jr., is a retired American record executive, record producer, songwriter, film producer and television producer. He is best known as the founder of the Motown record l ...

) - 2:51 # "

" (Holland-Dozier-Holland) - 2:38 # "Need Your Lovin' (Want You Back)" (Marvin Gaye, Clarence Paul) - 2:15 # "One of These Days" ( William "Mickey" Stevenson) - 3:00

Side two

# "No Good Without You" (William "Mickey" Stevenson) - 2:43 # "Stepping Closer to Your Heart" (Marvin Gaye, Harvey Fuqua) - 2:43 # "Need Somebody" (

Ivy Hunter George Ivy Hunter (August 28, 1940 – October 6, 2022), known as Ivy Jo Hunter, was an American R&B songwriter, record producer and singer, most associated with his work for Motown in the 1960s. Life and career Raised in Detroit, Michigan ...

, William "Mickey" Stevenson) - 2:51 # "Me and My Lonely Room" ( Barrett Strong, Norman Whitfield) - 2:52 # "Now That You've Won Me" (

Smokey Robinson William "Smokey" Robinson Jr. (born February 19, 1940) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and former record executive director. He was the founder and front man of the Motown vocal group the Miracles, for which he was also chief ...

) - 2:40 # "Forever" ( Lamont Dozier, Brian Holland,

Freddie Gorman Freddie Gorman (born Frederick Cortez Gorman, April 11, 1939 – June 13, 2006) was an American musician and record producer, most famous as a singer, songwriter for the Motown label in the late 1960s and mid 1970s. He was a native of Detroit ...

) - 2:20

Personnel

– lead vocals * The Spinners – backing vocals (side 1, tracks 5 and 6; side 2, tracks 1–4) *

– backing vocals (side 1, tracks 2, 4, and 6; side 2, tracks 4 and 6) *

The Supremes The Supremes were an American girl group and a premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s. Founded as the Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, the Supremes were the most commercially successful of Motown's acts and the most successful ...

– backing vocals (side 1, track 1) *

– backing vocals (side 1, track 3) *

Martha and the Vandellas Martha and the Vandellas (known from 1967 to 1972 as Martha Reeves & The Vandellas) were an American vocal girl group formed in Detroit in 1957. The group achieved fame in the 1960s with Motown. An act founded by friends Annette Beard, Rosalind ...

– backing vocals (side 2, track 5) *

The Funk Brothers The Funk Brothers were a group of Detroit-based session musicians who performed the backing to most Motown recordings from 1959 until the company moved to Los Angeles in 1972. Its members are considered among the most successful groups of stud ...

– instrumentation Liner notes. ''The Complete Motown Singles Vol. 4: 1964'', Hip-O Select - B0005946-02, USA, 24 Feb 2006 ** Maurice Davis – trumpet solo (side 1, track 3) **

Marcus Belgrave Marcus Batista Belgrave (June 12, 1936 – May 24, 2015) was an American jazz trumpet player from Detroit, born in Chester, Pennsylvania. He recorded with numerous musicians from the 1950s onwards. Belgrave was inducted into the class of 2017 ...

– trumpet (side 1, track 1) ** Russell Conway – trumpet (side 1, track 1) ** Paul Riser – trombone (side 1, track 1) ** Patrick Lanier – trombone (side 1, track 1) ** Henry Cosby – tenor saxophone (side 1, track 1) **

Mike Terry Mike Terry may refer to: * Mike Terry (recording engineer) * Mike Terry (saxophonist) Andrew Alexander "Mike" Terry (July 18, 1940 – October 30, 2008) was an American saxophonist, songwriter, arranger, producer and musical director. His bariton ...

– baritone saxophone (side 1, tracks 1, 2 and 4) ** George Fowler – organ (side 1, tracks 1 and 2) ** Johnny Griffith – piano (side 1, track 1) **

Earl Van Dyke Earl Van Dyke (July 8, 1930 – September 18, 1992) was an American soul musician, most notable as the main keyboardist for Motown Records' in-house Funk Brothers band during the late 1960s and early 1970s. Career Van Dyke, who was born in Detr ...

– piano (side 1, track 2) ** Clarence Isabell – bass (side 1, track 1) ** James Jamerson – bass (side 1, track 2) ** Benny Benjamin – drums (side 1, track 1) **

Richard "Pistol" Allen Howard Richard "Pistol" Allen (August 13, 1932 – June 30, 2002) was an American musician, most notable as a Motown session drummer with The Funk Brothers. History Allen was the primary recording session drummer for Motown Records' in-hous ...

– drums (side 1, track 2) **

Eddie Willis Eddie "Chank" Willis (June 3, 1936 – August 20, 2018) was an American soul musician. Willis played electric guitar and occasional electric sitar for Motown's in-house studio band, The Funk Brothers, during the 1960s and early 1970s. Career Bo ...

– guitar (side 1, track 1) ** Robert White – guitar (side 1, track 2) ** Jack Ashford – tambourine (side 1, tracks 1 and 2)

References

{{Authority control 1965 albums Marvin Gaye albums Tamla Records albums Albums produced by Brian Holland Albums produced by Lamont Dozier Albums recorded at Hitsville U.S.A. Albums produced by Berry Gordy