"What Good Am I Without You" is a
Motown duet between singers
Marvin Gaye and
Kim Weston.[1] The song was released as a single in late 1964 and became the first duet Marvin and Kim recorded, a couple of years before the duo recorded the breakthrough hit, "
It Takes Two". The song came after the departure of
Mary Wells, who had left Motown that year shortly after releasing a successful duet album with Gaye. The single was featured on Gaye and Weston's only LP together, Take Two and peaked at number 61 on the
Billboard Hot 100 (and number 28 on the
Cashbox R&B chart) when it was released. The single was co-written and produced by
William "Mickey" Stevenson.[2][3][4] The b-side, "I Want You 'Round", was also included on Take Two.
According to Billboard, the "lyrics carry great tale and story is well told by [the] duo to powerful rock beat."[5]
Credits
Lead vocals by Marvin Gaye and Kim Weston
Background vocals by
The Andantes: Marlene Barrow, Jackie Hicks and Louvain Demps