Thread by @Vinnie_Crocker_, April 2, 1939"An Artist, if he is truly an Artist, is only [...]

April 2, 1939

"An Artist, if he is truly an Artist, is only interested in one thing and that is to wake up the minds of men, to have mankind and womankind realize that there is something greater than what we see on the surface."
(Marvin Gaye)

Happy Birthday Mr. Marvin Gaye

Though his musical roots were deeply embedded in Gospel music, Marvin gravitated towards jazz and, for a long time, harboured aspirations to be the African-American Frank Sinatra.

Initially, Berry Gordy indulged Gaye’s ambition to be an entertainer, AS LONG AS he cut some hit R&B sides in the process.

Throughout the 1960s, Gaye would show his immense range thanks to songs written by crack writers/producers like Holland-Dozier-Holland and Norman Whitfield.
By the end of the decade, he had racked up 27 American Top 40 entries.

Of course, let's not forget the songs written by the Man himself, like "Stubborn Kind Of Fellow", his first hit single :

IMHO, Marvin reached a new artistic level thanks to his work with Producer Extraordinaire Norman Whitfield.

The "I Heard It Through The Gravepine" case is interesting.

Initially, Gordy refused to release versions by the Miracles, the Isley Brothers and Marvin Gaye.

But Norman was stubborn.

After a first rejection, Berry finally accepted Gladys Knight and the Pips second version thanks to faster arrangement.

It became Motown's best-selling single to date in 1967

The next year, Gordy agreed to release Marvin's version.

And it was even BIGGER.

From the same LP, "You" is my favorite Marvin 60s song.

His vocals, combined to Ivy Jo Hunter's gorgeous arrangements, are pure Gold

It's impossible to talk about Marvin's 60s period without evoking his Duets.

1) "Together" with Mary Wells, the first charted album credited to Gaye :

Mary Wells quickly left Motown upon reaching 21.

The label then enlisted Kim Weston for the "Take Two" album :

Despite the "It Takes Two" huge success, the label once again enlisted - not just - an other partner... but Marvin's Musical Soulmate : Tammy Montgomery aka Tammi Terrell (Berry Gordy felt that her new name was screaming "Sex Appeal")

Thanks to Classics like "Ain't no mountain high enough", "Your precious love", "If I Could Build My Whole World Around You" , the "United" album is an artistic and commercial success.
It reached number 29 on the pop charts, the highest rating of any of the duo's LPs

My favorite song from this album is Marvin's penned "If This World Were Mine"

R&B heads will instantly recognize Tweet's "Turn da lights off" sample (mad props to @MissyElliott who definitely knows her Music

)

There was magic between Tammi and Marvin, who fully embraced the whole Duet Thing
Terrell became a vocal and performance inspiration for the shy and laid-back Gaye, who hated live performing.

Unfortunately, it was a short-lived fairytale...
On October 14, 1967, while performing together, Tammi fell onstage.
Doctors diagnosed a malignant tumor on the right side of her brain.
She died on March 16 1970, a month shy of her 25th birthday

"I felt that i somehow died with her"
Marvin put himself through a period of both hibernation and preparation.
Psychologically, he insulated himself from any pressure.
Musically, he continued to experiment and grow.

Meanwhile, he worked with the Originals (aka Motown's best kept secret).
By rehearsing and recording the group, he realized that he could - and would ! - sing all four parts.
Through these sessions, he expanded his music to wider harmonic horizons.

His next Project needed Time.
The musical landscape kept changing, Tammi died, his Brother came back from Vietnam and told him these terrible stories...
So Marvin needed an extra year to proceed.
He also needed to analyze and develop his strategy to release HIS Masterpiece

June 1, 1970
Marvin is READY and returns to Hitsville U.S.A., where he recorded his new composition "What's Going On", inspired by an original idea from Renaldo "Obie" Benson of the Four Tops after he witnessed an act of police brutality at an anti-war rally in Berkeley.

Session was legendary : Jamerson was pulled into the session after Gaye located him playing with a band at a local bar.
According to one of the members of the Funk Brothers, he laid on the floor playing his Legendary bass riffs :

Gaye asked his engineer Kenneth Sands to give him his 2 vocal leads to compare what he wanted to use. Sands ended up mixing the leads together, by accident. Gaye was so impressed with the double-lead feel that he kept it

May 21, 1971
Marvin released his 11th LP, the Landmark Masterpiece "What's Going On".
One of the Greatest and Most Important Record of All-Time, What's Going On is also the first Soul Concept Album, which deals with Social Awareness, War, Drugs and Environment among other topics

Just like Stevie's "WICF", it's a self-produced and largely self-composed personal Statement.
For the first time on the label, both albums contain printed lyrics.
Another unexpected precedent: Motown begun to give credit to its studio musicians, FINALLY acknowledging them

Following the success of What's Going On, Marvin Gaye had not only won creative control over Berry Gordy, but he also renewed a $1 million contract, making him the musician the most profitable R&B artist at the time.

What's the next step ?

In 1972, in the wake of his immensely successful album, Marvin Gaye released the single “You’re the Man,” which failed to crack the Top 40 of Billboard’s Pop chart.

At the same time, he started playing the Moog synthesizer, an instrument that had recently been gifted to him by... Stevie Wonder.
As a result, he recorded "Christmas in the City", slated to be the B-Side of the scrapped single.

Disappointed, Marvin retreated, electing to focus on projects unrelated to creating a follow-up to WGO.

It lead him to score the movie Trouble Man.

"T" Plays It Cool is the perfect illustration of his love for his new instrument :

Overcoming writer's block Marvin went back to his Next Project.
The first song "Let's Get It On" was first supposed to be a religious ode to life, then was re-recorded with a stronger political tone.
But, then a Lady called Janice Hunter entered the Picture

Marvin felt in love with Janice after meeting through Ed Townsend during the initial sessions.
Ed said Janice's presence during the album's recording was the MAIN inspiration for Marvin.
The Album then took a more romantic and sexual direction

August 28, 1973
Marvin released his 13th LP "Let's Get It On", which surpassed his previous studio effort as the best-selling record of his tenure with Motown.
It's a smash and a critical triumph.

October 26, 1973

Marvin & Diana Ross finally released their Duet LP "Diana & Ross" (initially entitled "Art & Honey")

Sessions were difficult : Diana, pregnant, asked Marvin to stop smoking in the studio.

Marvin notoriously answered : "If I can't smoke, I can't sing."

The majority of the next project was written before Marvin even heard it.
Leon Ware and Diana Ross brother Arthur "T-Boy" were working on a few songs. Berry felt the great potential.

"Berry played 'I Want You' for Marvin. The next day Marvin was ready to do the album". (L.Ware)

I can't be objective about "I Want You" since it's my absolute favorite Soul Album.
"I Want You" is a long, passionate love poem to Janice.
The album sold around 1 million but critics weren't impressed, some thinking he was biting Barry White's style

"I Want You" became a classic among music lovers and its incredible Legacy can still be felt today with Major Artists like Maxwell (who worked with Leon Ware), D'Angelo and Erykah Badu (who covered "Your Precious Love"), all citing "I Want You" as a Major Influence.

1977 : Marvin, pressured by Motown, jumped on the Disco Wagon ("Motown was screaming disco at me!").

Art Stewart (Marvin's engineer) wrote and produce what became Marvin's ultimate party record, a 11 minutes dance song originally called "Dancing Lady":

November 1975 : Anna Gordy Gaye sues Marvin for divorce
September 1976 : a warrant is issued for Gaye's arrest after he failed to pay alimony
March 1977 : Curtis Shaw, Marvin's attorney, suggests "Pay her off in music"
The Next Project is on !

December 15, 1978

Marvin releases his 15th studio album, the Groundbreaking "Here My Dear"

At first, he wanted to do a "quickie record - nothing heavy, nothing even good", but then felt "I owed the public my best effort".

In 1979, Marvin is at his lowest. Divorced, bankrupted, he had to shutdown his recording studio, which further depressed him.
But, once again, he found the strength for his Next Project : "Love Man".
He released the song "Ego Tripping Out" as an appetizer

Unfortunately, the album is quickly put on hold as Marvin, now facing a $4.5 million debt with the IRS, went on a world tour to pay off his debts.

He finally managed to resume the sessions in 1980 in London at the Odyssey and George Martin's AIR Studios.

Unissued "Love Man"

By late december 1980, Marvin finished the rough draft of the LP.
The project then became more ambitious as Marvin revised it in a new concept album : "In Our Lifetime?"
But things became messy as his bassist Frank Blair took the contents of the album's master tapes to Motown

January 15, 1981

Motown released "In Our Lifetime", Marvin's 16th LP.

Marvin, who's having his Paul McCartney's moment (remember "The Long & Winding Road"), is FURIOUS :

"How could they embarrass me like that? I was humiliated. They also added guitar licks and bass lines."

In the spring of 1981, Marvin, struggling with depression and cocaine addiction,is saved by an unlikely guardian angel, Freddy Cousaert,a club owner and concert promoter from Belgium, who had 1 goal: get the singer back on his feet by taking him to Ostend

Within the final months of 1981, Marvin is planning a big musical comeback and an exit from Motown.

He finally accepts CBS 3-album Deal.

Marvin is determined : "I'm worried that I'm getting so introspective, no one will listen. I can't afford to miss this time. I NEED A HIT."

October 1, 1982

Marvin released his 17th and final LP "Midnight Love"

His European Experience can be felt with deep Reggae and synthesizer work of new-wave and synth-pop influences.

He fulfilled his artistic vision with the help of Oddell Brown, Gordon Banks, Rick James and...

... his old friend Harvey Fuqua

The single "Sexual Healing" is a smash, reaching number one on Billboard's Hot R&B Singles chart, and staying at the top spot for 10 weeks.

February 13, 1983

At the 1983 NBA All-Star Game, Marvin performed what is probably one of the Greatest Rendition of the American National Anthem

February 23, 1983

"The only thing that i like : Sexual Healing by Marvin Gaye!"
(Rick James)

This is IT !!! Marvin FINALLY won his first Grammys (Best R&B Vocal Performance and Best R&B Instrumental Performance) for "Sexual Healing"

We all know the tragic ending of one of the Greatest, Most Passionate Singer, Producer, Performer, so you'll easily understand why i end my thread here.

If you had the courage to read the whole thing : THANK YOU

P.S. : As i re-check my thread, i wanna "thank" Twitter for not allowing us to edit some of our tweets.
I misspelled Janis name (i let the auto-corrector replace it by "Janice" without checking because i didn't have much time to write this thread with my work)
Sorry about that !

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