Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing
Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell
1968
Earliest retained annual association for this catalog identity; original release year not independently established.
Explore this recording
More by this artistEditorial Motown-family recording selection; not an official all-time chart.
Release: 1968
Release: 1968Source checked
V3.6 reconciles the original release year with the reviewed Artist Essentials entry for this exact retained recording ID. Year precision is used; an album-first release is not silently replaced by a later single, reissue or annual-list year. The original recording is documented in the 1968 release history of You're All I Need. Only year precision is assigned; later singles, charts, remasters and live versions do not establish its first release.
The large badge identifies this listening list, not a newly issued recording. Later reissues and renewed chart popularity do not replace an original release date. How years are assigned.
Owner-supplied release annotations
Reported dates in 1968.html. Not independently established; neighboring dates can reflect album/single or regional differences.
You're All I Need - original duet program
The original 1968 album identifies You're All I Need to Get By and Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing with preceding 1968 song dates. These are the Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell recordings.
Inspiration and background
Supplied note - not independently verified
This note came with the supplied collection and has not been independently verified.
Written by Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson, the song celebrates authentic love.
Evidence scope: Source-provided note, not an established account of the songwriter's intent
Sources for this information
Owner-supplied 1968.html, song-list position 32
Supplied annotation reproduced with attribution; underlying historical claims have NOT been independently verified.
Other appearances and versions
catalog version unspecified
Original release date and exact pressing/version are not independently established.
An annual chart year and an original release date are different. Similar titles may be covers or different masters; no audio fingerprint has been performed.
Sources and scope
Source-backed annual association (secondary source; not a complete discographic review)
Editorial artist-repertoire classification
Billboard year-end 1968 table (Wikipedia transcription)
Secondary transcription reviewed 2026-10-11: title, artist and annual chart association; not original release date or complete recording metadata.
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