| "Once Upon a Time" | |
|---|---|
| Single by Marvin Gaye and Mary Wells | |
| from the album Together | |
| B-side | "What's the Matter with You Baby" |
| Released | 1964 |
| Genre | Pop, rhythm and blues |
| Length | 2:32 |
| Label | Motown |
| Songwriter(s) | Clarence Paul Barney Ales Dave Hamilton William "Mickey" Stevenson |
| Producer(s) | Mickey Stevenson |
"Once Upon a Time" is a 1964 single released by Marvin Gaye and Mary Wells from their sole duet album, Together.[1][2]
Written by Clarence Paul, Barney Ales, Dave Hamilton and William "Mickey" Stevenson, the song discussed how the two narrators felt lonely until they met each other referring to their past as it happened "once upon a time".
The song brought simultaneous top forty pop success for the duo as the single hit number nineteen while its b-side, "What's the Matter with You Baby" peaked at number seventeen on the pop singles chart.[2][3] The song's co-writer, Dave Hamilton, plays the vibraharp solo.
This song has also been covered numerous times by different reggae artists. It was first recorded by Delroy Wilson as "Once Upon a Time" in 1968, then by Dennis Brown as "I Was Lonely" in 1972, also by Clancy Collins & the Versatiles AKA Sir Collins in 1974, Roman Stewart (1975), Sidney Rogers (1976), Main Attraction (1978) Jacob Miller (1980), and Gregory Isaacs (1997).
Personnel
- All vocals by Marvin Gaye and Mary Wells
- Produced by William "Mickey" Stevenson
- Instrumentation by The Funk Brothers
References
- ^ What's the Matter with You Baby at Discogs
- ^ a b The Complete Motown Singles Vol 4: 1964 [CD liner notes]. New York: Hip-O Select/Motown/Universal Records.
- ^ Allmusic review