You're all I need to get by - Johnny Mathis & Deniece Williams

'You're all I need to get by' was written by Nickolas Ashford & Valerie Simpson. It was originally recorded by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell and released on Motown Records' Tamla label in 1968.

Johnny Mathis and Deniece Williams recorded the song for their 1978 duet album 'That's what friends are for'. It was the follow-up to their US number 1 hit 'Too much, too little, too late'. Their version of 'You're all I need to get by' reached number 47 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and number 45 in the UK singles chart. The copy I bought is a UK promotional single, which is a nice find!

My collection: 7" single no. 7091
Found: 33|45 Records, Den Haag, 22 December 2023
Tracks: 'You're all I need to get by' / 'You're a special part of my life'

Too much, too little, too late - Johnny Mathis and Deniece Williams

Johnny Mathis' 1978 album 'You light up my life' featured two duets with Deniece Williams. Both duets are included on this single, with 'Too much, too little, too late' as the lead track. It became Johnny Mathis' comeback hit, peaking at number 1 in the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, his first number one since 1957's 'Chances are'. The single also reached number 3 in the UK singles chart and the Dutch Top 40.

The success of the duet with Williams prompted Mathis to record duets with a variety of partners including Dionne Warwick, Natalie Cole, Gladys Knight, and Nana Mouskouri. Mathis and Williams also recorded a follow-up duet album entitled 'That's what friends are for', however 'Too much, too little, too late' was not included on that album.

My collection: 7" single no. 2406
Found: Plaatboef, Rotterdam, 1998
Cost: 1 guilder
Tracks: 'Too much, too little, too late' / 'Emotion'