Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing is a 1968 soul duet by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell. It was released March 28, 1968 on Tamla and served as the lead single from their second album You're All I Need, with the B side Little Ole Boy, Little Ole Girl from the United LP. Written and produced by Ashford & Simpson, with The Funk Brothers on instrumentation, the track blends soul and pop. It reached number 8 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 1 on the US Hot Soul Singles chart, becoming the first of the duo's two number one R&B hits; in the UK it peaked at 34. The song has been covered by several artists, including Aretha Franklin in 1974 and Elton John with Marcella Detroit in 1994.
