SOUND PROJECTIONS
AN ONLINE QUARTERLY MUSIC MAGAZINE
EDITOR: KOFI NATAMBU
SUMMER/FALL, 2015
VOLUME ONE NUMBER FOUR
AN ONLINE QUARTERLY MUSIC MAGAZINE
EDITOR: KOFI NATAMBU
SUMMER/FALL, 2015
VOLUME ONE NUMBER FOUR
BILLIE HOLIDAY
Featuring the Musics and Aesthetic Visions of:
ERIC DOLPHY
July 18-24
MARVIN GAYE
July 25-31
ABBEY LINCOLN
August 1-7
RAY CHARLES
August 8-14
SADE
August 15-21
BETTY CARTER
August 22-28
CHARLIE PARKER
August 29-September 4
MICHAEL JACKSON
September 5-11
CHAKA KHAN
September 12-18
JOHN COLTRANE
September 19-25
SARAH VAUGHAN
September 26-October 2
THELONIOUS MONK
October 3-9
MARVIN GAYE
Biography
- Marvin Gaye was one of the most consistent and
enigmatic of the Motown hitmakers, with a career that exemplified the
maturation of black pop into a sophisticated form spanning social and
sexual politics. Blessed with a mellifluous tenor and a three-octave
vocal range, Gaye was among the most gifted composers and singers of his
era.
Gaye's moodiness contributed to his legend: He regularly avoided TV, rarely performing live, and sometimes not showing up for the few concerts he did schedule. But from "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)" to "Heard It Through the Grapevine," "What's Going On" to "Sexual Healing," Gaye sang some of the most memorable pop of all time. He was nominated for eight Grammys before winning one in 1983.
His life ended tragically one year later—and one day before his 45th birthday—when he was shot to death by his father, an Apostolic preacher, after a violent argument. In many respects, Gaye was, as his friend, the cowriter of "Sexual Healing," and author David Ritz titled his biography of him, a divided soul.
Gaye started singing at age three in church and was soon playing the organ as well. After a stint in the Air Force, he returned to DC and started singing in street-corner doo-wop groups, including a top local group, the Rainbows. He formed his own group, the Marquees, in 1957. Under the auspices of supporter Bo Diddley, they cut "Wyatt Earp" for the Okeh label. In 1958, Harvey Fuqua heard the group and enlisted them to become the latest version of his ever-changing backing ensemble, the Moonglows. As such, Gaye was heard on "Mama Loocie" and other songs for the Chess label in 1959.
By 1961, the group was touring widely. Detroit impresario Berry Gordy Jr. heard the group and quickly signed Gaye to his fledgling Motown organization later that year. Soon after, Gaye married Gordy's sister Anna. Gaye's first duties with the label were as a session drummer (he played on all the early hits by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles).
Gaye got his first hit with his fourth release, "Stubborn Kind of Fellow," in 1962. Over the next 10 years, working with nearly every producer at Motown (including Smokey Robinson, Norman Whitfield, and the Holland-Dozier-Holland team), he enjoyed over 20 big hits. He had dance hits: "Hitch Hike" (Number 30, 1963), the 12-bar blues "Can I Get a Witness" (Number 22, 1963), which became a virtual anthem among the British mods, and "Baby Don't You Do It" (Number 27, 1964). But by and large he favored romantic, sometimes sensual ballads. He felt that his desire to move into a more mainstream, sophisticated style was hindered by Motown's emphasis on hits. For a performer as unenthusiastic about some of his material as Gaye later claimed to be, he gave almost every song he ever recorded an inspired reading. His Top Ten hits included "Pride and Joy" (Number 10, 1963), "I'll Be Doggone" (Number Eight, 1965), "Ain't That Peculiar" (Number Eight, 1965), and "How Sweet It Is to Be Loved by You" (Number Six, 1965). Among his 39 Top Forty singles were also such unlikely hits as "Try It Baby" (Number 15, 1964, with background vocals by the Temptations), "You're a Wonderful One" (Number 15, 1964, with backing vocals by the Supremes), "One More Heartache" (Number 29, 1966), "Chained" (Number 32, 1968), and "You" (Number 34, 1968).
Beginning in 1964 Gaye was teamed with Mary Wells for "Once Upon a Time" (Number 19, 1964) and "What's the Matter With You" (Number 17, 1964), and with Kim Weston for "It Takes Two" (Number 17, 1967). But his greatest duets were with Tammi Terrell: "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" (Number 19, 1967), "Your Precious Love" (Number Five, 1967), "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing" (Number Eight, 1968), and "You're All I Need to Get By" (Number Seven, 1968), all penned and produced by Nicholas Ashford and Valerie Simpson.
During a 1967 concert, Terrell collapsed into Gaye's arms onstage, the first sign of the brain tumor that killed her three years later. Although, contrary to popular belief, Gaye and Terrell were not romantically involved (she was involved with Temptation David Ruffin), he was deeply affected by her illness and death. Shortly thereafter Gaye had his biggest solo hit of the Sixties with a dejected, paranoid reading of Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong's "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" (Number One, 1968), a song that had already been given a fiery treatment by another Motown act, Gladys Knight and the Pips.
The second, quite distinct phase of Gaye's career—and black popular music—began in 1971 with What's Going On. Along with Stevie Wonder, Gaye was one of the first Motown artists to gain complete artistic control of his records. What's Going On was a self-composed and produced concept album. Berry Gordy Jr., who still maintains that he didn't understand the record, was reluctant to release it. Gaye was vindicated when the album hit Number Six and spun off three Top 10 singles: "What's Going On" (Number Two, 1971), "Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)" (Number Nine, 1971), and "Mercy Mercy Me (the Ecology)" (Number Four, 1971) were impassioned, timeless statements on Vietnam, civil rights, and the state of the world. "What's Going On" has been covered many times in the ensuing years, including a Top 20 version by Cyndi Lauper in 1986. In 1972 Gaye scored the 20th Century–Fox film Trouble Man, and the dark, minimalist title track gave him yet another Top 10 hit (Number Seven, 1973). By 1973, he had shifted his attention to pure eroticism with Let's Get It On, with a title track that went to Number One. His late-1973 album with Diana Ross, Diana and Marvin, produced three fairly successful singles: "You're a Special Part of Me" (Number 12, 1973), "Don't Knock My Love" (Number 46, 1974), and "My Mistake (Was to Love You)" (Number 19, 1974), but this project was one of many things Gaye did with Motown that he felt were forced upon him.
Gaye's rocky marriage of 14 years to Anna Gordy Gaye was the subject of Here, My Dear. Gaye was left reeling from the divorce settlement; he filed for bankruptcy, and his ex-wife later considered suing him for invasion of privacy over the content of Here, My Dear. (The album had been precipitated by court hearings in 1976, when a judge instructed Gaye to make good on overdue alimony payments by recording an album and giving his wife $600,000 in royalties.) With Gordy he fathered a son, Marvin Gaye III. He married his second wife, Janice, in 1977 and that year had a Number One hit, "Got to Give It Up, Pt. 1." They had two children: Nona, who has since become a recording artist in her own right, and Frankie. Janice was Gaye's muse, but he became obsessed with her, and the relationship was tumultuous.
Under pressure from the Internal Revenue Service, Gaye moved to Europe to record his 1981 release, In Our Lifetime, which concentrated on his philosophies of love, art, and death. The next year, he left Motown for Columbia. His first album for the label, Midnight Love, sold 2 million copies and included the hit "Sexual Healing," which won a Grammy for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance. He sang live on the Grammy broadcast and, in 1983, in concert at Radio City Music Hall. During his Sexual Healing Tour, Gaye closed the show singing his hit in a silk robe, often stripping down to bikini underwear. Fan reaction was mixed. Also in 1983, he appeared in one of the more memorable segments of Motown's 25th-anniversary television special, obviously disoriented but riveting nonetheless. His a cappella version of "The Star-Spangled Banner," performed before the 1983 NBA All-Star game, became an instant classic and is included on The Marvin Gaye Collection. -
Gaye's comeback was one for the record books. But even with the recognition he longed for, Gaye was depressed, and his cocaine abuse was escalating, despite several attempts to clean up. He returned to the U.S. and moved into his parents' home—where he often quarreled with his father, with whom he'd been at odds since his teenage years. As Gaye later confessed to David Ritz, his internal life was marked by what Gaye viewed as an irreconcilable conflict between good (as represented by his strict religious upbringing) and evil (sex and drugs). In early 1984 Gaye reportedly threatened suicide several times and had become paranoid and irrational. Following a Sunday morning shouting match in his parents' home, Gaye's father shot him to death at point-blank range, he later claimed, in self-defense. Gaye's father was charged with and convicted of involuntary manslaughter. He was found to have a brain tumor, and was given a six-year suspended prison sentence.
After Gaye's death Motown and Columbia collaborated to produce Dream of a Lifetime and Romantically Yours, both based on unfinished recordings from the Sexual Healing sessions. Among the tracks on the first album were the ribald, "Savage in the Sack" and "Masochistic Beauty," and some questioned whether Gaye had intended to release them at all. Since then, Gaye's work has been repackaged in a steady stream of new compilations. In addition, his work has been the subject of several tribute projects. In 1987, Gaye was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Portions of this biography appeared in The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll (Simon & Schuster, 2001). Evan Serpick contributed to this article.
Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/artists/marvin-gaye/biography#ixzz3goSgLslO
http://rockhall.com/inductees/marvin-gaye/bio/
Marvin Gaye
Biography
Marvin Gaye made a huge contribution to soul music in general and the Motown sound in particular. As one of Motown’s renaissance men, Gaye could do it all. He wrote, produced and played a variety of instruments. Most of all, Gaye possessed a classic R&B voice that was edged with grit yet tempered with sweetness. A musical visionary, he conceived of albums as something more than individual songs, whether it be his early collections of show tunes and standards or later thematic masterworks about the state of the world (What’s Going On?), sexual politics (Let’s Get It On) and marriage (Here, My Dear).
In the early days of Motown, Gaye played drums and piano on tour and in the studio for the likes of the Miracles and the Marvelettes. He wrote or co-wrote songs for himself and others, including “Dancing in the Street,” a Sixties soul classic made famous by Martha and Vandellas. Gaye recorded in a variety of styles, from adult ballads to gritty uptempo soul to topical concept albums. At every stage in his career, Gaye projected an air soulful authority driven by fervid conviction and heartbroken vulnerability. He was a long-suffering soul who sought relief in music. As biographer David Ritz noted, “His music was cathartic. His songs were prayers, meditations, strategies for survival.”
He was born Marvin Pentz Gay (he would later add the “e” to his surname) on April 2, 1939, in Washington D.C. His father, Rev. Marvin Gay Sr., led a small, charismatic sect that combined elements of Orthodox Judaism and fundamentalist Christianity. His mother worked as a domestic and raised Marvin and his four siblings. Gaye sought to escape from his father’s stern hand and the harsh realities of ghetto life through music. His musical tastes were shaped by such R&B artists as Rudy West (of the Five Keys), Clyde McPhatter (of the Drifters), Ray Charles and Little Willie John. He cited “God Only Knows,” by the Capris, as critical to his musical awakening.
In 1958 Gaye’s first vocal group, the Marquees, were tapped by Harvey Fuqua to replace the departed members of his own, the Moonglows. Through Fuqua’s acquaintance with Berry Gordy, Gaye wound up at Motown. Both Gaye and Fuqua married sisters of Gordy’s (Anna and Gwen, respectively). For Gaye, life at Motown became a family affair in every way, and his affiliation with the label would last for two decades.
Although he initially envisioned himself a supper-club singer and dreamed of becoming “the black Frank Sinatra,” Gaye succeeded at Motown as a soul man who aimed his talent at a younger audience. Gaye’s first success under his name came in 1962 with “Stubborn Kind of Fellow.”
From that point on, Gaye placed 56 records on the pop singles charts, both as a solo act and with female duettists, including Wells, Kim Weston, Tammi Terrell and Diana Ross. He connected with uptempo dance tunes ("Hitch Hike,” “Can I Get a Witness,” “I’ll Be Doggone") and more romantic fare that spotlighted his midrange tenor ("How Sweet It Is to Be Loved by You,” "Too Busy Thinking About My Baby"). Gaye scored his greatest triumph with an edgy, sinuous version of “I Heard It Through the Grapevine,” produced and co-written by Motown staffer Norman Whitfield. Gaye’s version shot topped the charts for seven weeks, sold four million copies and became Motown’s biggest-selling single of the Sixties. For all this, Gaye earned the nickname “the Prince of Motown.”
From 1967 to 1969, Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell reigned as R&B’s hottest duo, cutting hits with the songwriting and production team of Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson. Their streak included “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” and “If I Could Build My Whole World Around You.” Tragically, Terrell collapsed in Gaye’s arms during a 1967 performance in Virginia. Three years and eight operations later, she died of a brain tumor, and Gaye remarked, “I felt that I had somehow died with her.” Gaye, who considered himself more of a recording than a performing artist in any case, didn’t take to the stage again for five years after her death.
Subsequently, he reinvented and asserted himself to the point where he and Stevie Wonder became Motown’s first truly autonomous artists. Gaye’s artistry reached its peak with 1971’s What’s Going On, an ambitious, nearly operatic concept album that mused deeply on such issues as Vietnam, drugs, inequality, the economy and the environment over a free-flowing musical backdrop that drew on jazz, pop and classical forms. Gaye referred to the album as a “gift from God,” and the album’s spiritual dimension found overt expression in his liner notes: “We’ve got to find the Lord. Allow him to influence us. I mean, what other weapons have we to fight the forces of hatred and evil?”
In 1994, Britain’s Q magazine noted that What’s Going On “did for soul what Blonde on Blonde and Sgt. Pepper had done for rock.” In 2000, fellow Motown icon Smokey Robinson commented, “What’s Going On is my favorite album of all time. More than that, it is the greatest album of all time.” Besides establishing a new credibility for Motown in a more album-oriented age, What’s Going On yielded three influential and politically potent hit singles: “Inner City Blues,” “Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)” and the title track. After this groundbreaking work, Gaye produced other masterpieces, including the unabashedly erotic Let’s Get It On and an idiosyncratic deconstruction of his failed marriage to Anna Gordy, Here, My Dear.
After 20 years at Motown, Gaye left the label for Columbia, where he staged a major comeback with Midnight Love (1982) and “Sexual Healing” (Number One R&B, Number Three pop). Like much of Gaye’s later work, it sought to unify the sensual and spiritual. Despite his rekindled popularity, both on the charts and as a live performer, Gaye remained troubled by drug problems and suicidal bouts of depression. He moved into his parents' home, where he frequently quarreled with his father, much as he had throughout his troubled teenage years.
On April 1, 1984 – a Sunday morning, and the day before his 45th birthday – Marvin Gaye was shot to death at point-blank range by his father after a violent argument. Following a star-studded funeral, his ashes were scattered in the Pacific Ocean.
http://rockhall.com/inductees/marvin-gaye/bio/
Marvin Gaye
Biography
Marvin Gaye made a huge contribution to soul music in general and the Motown sound in particular. As one of Motown’s renaissance men, Gaye could do it all. He wrote, produced and played a variety of instruments. Most of all, Gaye possessed a classic R&B voice that was edged with grit yet tempered with sweetness. A musical visionary, he conceived of albums as something more than individual songs, whether it be his early collections of show tunes and standards or later thematic masterworks about the state of the world (What’s Going On?), sexual politics (Let’s Get It On) and marriage (Here, My Dear).
In the early days of Motown, Gaye played drums and piano on tour and in the studio for the likes of the Miracles and the Marvelettes. He wrote or co-wrote songs for himself and others, including “Dancing in the Street,” a Sixties soul classic made famous by Martha and Vandellas. Gaye recorded in a variety of styles, from adult ballads to gritty uptempo soul to topical concept albums. At every stage in his career, Gaye projected an air soulful authority driven by fervid conviction and heartbroken vulnerability. He was a long-suffering soul who sought relief in music. As biographer David Ritz noted, “His music was cathartic. His songs were prayers, meditations, strategies for survival.”
He was born Marvin Pentz Gay (he would later add the “e” to his surname) on April 2, 1939, in Washington D.C. His father, Rev. Marvin Gay Sr., led a small, charismatic sect that combined elements of Orthodox Judaism and fundamentalist Christianity. His mother worked as a domestic and raised Marvin and his four siblings. Gaye sought to escape from his father’s stern hand and the harsh realities of ghetto life through music. His musical tastes were shaped by such R&B artists as Rudy West (of the Five Keys), Clyde McPhatter (of the Drifters), Ray Charles and Little Willie John. He cited “God Only Knows,” by the Capris, as critical to his musical awakening.
In 1958 Gaye’s first vocal group, the Marquees, were tapped by Harvey Fuqua to replace the departed members of his own, the Moonglows. Through Fuqua’s acquaintance with Berry Gordy, Gaye wound up at Motown. Both Gaye and Fuqua married sisters of Gordy’s (Anna and Gwen, respectively). For Gaye, life at Motown became a family affair in every way, and his affiliation with the label would last for two decades.
Although he initially envisioned himself a supper-club singer and dreamed of becoming “the black Frank Sinatra,” Gaye succeeded at Motown as a soul man who aimed his talent at a younger audience. Gaye’s first success under his name came in 1962 with “Stubborn Kind of Fellow.”
From that point on, Gaye placed 56 records on the pop singles charts, both as a solo act and with female duettists, including Wells, Kim Weston, Tammi Terrell and Diana Ross. He connected with uptempo dance tunes ("Hitch Hike,” “Can I Get a Witness,” “I’ll Be Doggone") and more romantic fare that spotlighted his midrange tenor ("How Sweet It Is to Be Loved by You,” "Too Busy Thinking About My Baby"). Gaye scored his greatest triumph with an edgy, sinuous version of “I Heard It Through the Grapevine,” produced and co-written by Motown staffer Norman Whitfield. Gaye’s version shot topped the charts for seven weeks, sold four million copies and became Motown’s biggest-selling single of the Sixties. For all this, Gaye earned the nickname “the Prince of Motown.”
From 1967 to 1969, Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell reigned as R&B’s hottest duo, cutting hits with the songwriting and production team of Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson. Their streak included “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” and “If I Could Build My Whole World Around You.” Tragically, Terrell collapsed in Gaye’s arms during a 1967 performance in Virginia. Three years and eight operations later, she died of a brain tumor, and Gaye remarked, “I felt that I had somehow died with her.” Gaye, who considered himself more of a recording than a performing artist in any case, didn’t take to the stage again for five years after her death.
Subsequently, he reinvented and asserted himself to the point where he and Stevie Wonder became Motown’s first truly autonomous artists. Gaye’s artistry reached its peak with 1971’s What’s Going On, an ambitious, nearly operatic concept album that mused deeply on such issues as Vietnam, drugs, inequality, the economy and the environment over a free-flowing musical backdrop that drew on jazz, pop and classical forms. Gaye referred to the album as a “gift from God,” and the album’s spiritual dimension found overt expression in his liner notes: “We’ve got to find the Lord. Allow him to influence us. I mean, what other weapons have we to fight the forces of hatred and evil?”
In 1994, Britain’s Q magazine noted that What’s Going On “did for soul what Blonde on Blonde and Sgt. Pepper had done for rock.” In 2000, fellow Motown icon Smokey Robinson commented, “What’s Going On is my favorite album of all time. More than that, it is the greatest album of all time.” Besides establishing a new credibility for Motown in a more album-oriented age, What’s Going On yielded three influential and politically potent hit singles: “Inner City Blues,” “Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)” and the title track. After this groundbreaking work, Gaye produced other masterpieces, including the unabashedly erotic Let’s Get It On and an idiosyncratic deconstruction of his failed marriage to Anna Gordy, Here, My Dear.
After 20 years at Motown, Gaye left the label for Columbia, where he staged a major comeback with Midnight Love (1982) and “Sexual Healing” (Number One R&B, Number Three pop). Like much of Gaye’s later work, it sought to unify the sensual and spiritual. Despite his rekindled popularity, both on the charts and as a live performer, Gaye remained troubled by drug problems and suicidal bouts of depression. He moved into his parents' home, where he frequently quarreled with his father, much as he had throughout his troubled teenage years.
On April 1, 1984 – a Sunday morning, and the day before his 45th birthday – Marvin Gaye was shot to death at point-blank range by his father after a violent argument. Following a star-studded funeral, his ashes were scattered in the Pacific Ocean.
http://mic.com/articles/114170/31-years-after-his-death-marvin-gaye-is-more-important-than-ever
31 Years After His Death, Marvin Gaye Is More Important Than Ever
When Motown founder Berry Gordy heard Marvin Gaye's song, "What's Going On," Gordy declared it to be the worst song he had ever heard. He fought tooth and nail to keep Gaye's first solo album, What's Going On, from hitting the radio waves on Motown's watch.
"They didn't like it, didn't understand it, and didn't trust it," Gaye said,
according to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. "For months they wouldn't
release it. My attitude had to be firm: 'Put it out or I'll never record
for you again!'"
Gaye's attitude worked: In 1971, Motown reluctantly released
the album, sure it would be a flop. But to Gordy's great surprise, the
album became Gaye's first to reach the Billboard Top LPs chart,
peaking at No. 6 and staying on the charts for almost a year. Now, it
stands as one of the most historic albums of all time. It is the record
that, better than anything else, reveals just how profound an impact
Gaye made on pop music.
Source: YouTube
Hard beginnings: Wednesday is the 31st anniversary of Gaye's untimely death, and while he might be best known today as the guy who got ripped off
by Robin Thicke, it's important to remember the profound impact he had
on music and society. "Rarely has a musician had as great an impact on
American culture as music legend Marvin Gaye," CBS noted. He was a trailblazer, leading the way as musicians became protestors and music became protest.
Gaye fought an uphill battle most of his life: As a child in Washington, D.C., his father beat
him nearly every day. The two fought constantly, and it was actually
his father who fatally shot a 44-year-old Gaye in 1984. As a respite
from the pain, Gaye sang and played the piano from a young age.
In 1961, while touring the Midwest with a group called the Moonglows, Gaye's silky tenor caught the ear of
none other than Berry Gordy, the founder of Motown. Gaye signed to
Gordy's fresh new Detroit label and recorded a number of songs and duets
that never quite caught. He hung around Motown nonetheless, and a
decade passed before Gaye's breakthrough entirely self-produced, "What's
Going On," hit the airwaves. The timing couldn't have been better, as
Americans dealt with social unrest surrounding the Kent State massacre
in 1970 — an event that deeply affected Gaye — his socially conscious music caught in a way most pop never does.
Source: YouTube
A powerful social consciousness. "In 1969 or 1970, I began to re-evaluate my whole concept of what I wanted my music to say," Gaye said, according to Rolling Stone.
"I was very much affected by letters my brother was sending me from
Vietnam, as well as the social situation here at home. I realized that I
had to put my own fantasies behind me if I wanted to write songs that
would reach the souls of people. I wanted them to take a look at what
was happening in the world."
"What's Going On" was just one piece in Gaye's puzzle of
social righteousness. The rest of the pieces were right there on the
album for the burgeoning protester. "To have Marvin Gaye come out with a
song that reinforced that necessity to be conscious, to be active, was a
wonderful thing," Audley Smith, CEO of Detroit's Motown Museum,
recently told NPR.
But every song on the record was politically incisive.
"What's Happening Brother" was an anti-Vietnam War protest song written
in the style of a letter to Gaye's brother, Frankie.
"Are things really getting better, like the newspaper said? / What else
is new my friend, besides what I read?" "Save the Children," meanwhile,
was a touchingly desperate plea for action in a world headed for
danger. "Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)" tackled structural
racism. And then there's "Mercy, Mercy Me," one of the most poignant
songs of a rare genre: environmental music. It's a hit song about
radiation, oil and overcrowding; a prophetic warning. It's the sort of
thing only a genius could pull off.
This is the record that made his legacy. Musically, What's Going On was
a resounding success that set a new precedent for popular political
music. "Gaye has designed his album as one many-faceted statement on
conditions in the world today, made nearly seamless by careful
transitions between the cuts," Rolling Stone wrote in
its original 1971 review. He showed that all these issues are related —
they're tied to one another, they're tied to each of us, and they're
tied to pop music.
This is Gaye's and his album's most important legacy: a
template for modern popular protest music. Some of the best protest
artists today — D'Angelo, Kendrick Lamar, Alicia Keys, John Legend,
Common, Lauryn Hill — owe enormous debt to Gaye. "It was more than just a
piece of music," Legend said when he performed the entire What's Going On album at the Hollywood Bowl in 2014. "It was a landmark of social commentary."
The protest song itself is making a resurgence in
recent music. After the tragic deaths of Michael Brown, Eric Garner,
Trayvon Martin and a number of young black men, movements like
#BlackLivesMatter and #HandsUpDontShoot have inspired a new generation
of activism-minded songwriters. It's more important now than ever to
remember the legacy of protest music that Gaye left to the world. Music
is equally as adept as a picket line in inspiring social change.
Kate is a staff writer for Mic's music
section. With an M.A. in journalism from NYU, she's written for Salon,
NewYorkMagazine.com, and RollingStone.com. Kate hails from Montana, but
eats pizza like a New Yorker—often and aggressively.
'Blurred Lines' Ruling Sliced to $5.3 Million, With a Catch
Judge adds T.I. to lawsuit, gives Marvin Gaye's family 50 percent of all future royalties
The judge presiding over the "Blurred Lines" trial agreed to cut the jury's March verdict of a $7.4 million award for the family of Marvin Gaye to $5.3 million from Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams.
However, for lessening the original verdict by $2 million, there is a
catch: The Gaye family will receive 50 percent of all future royalties
from "Blurred Lines," The Associated Press reports.
In a 56-page post-trial ruling, Judge John A. Kronstadt also blocked a
request for a new trial from Thicke and Williams' lawyers as well as an injunction from the Gaye family that
would have temporarily blocked all sales of "Blurred Lines" until the
royalties dispute was ironed out. The original verdict, which found that
"Blurred Lines" passed an infringement-worthy resemblance to Gaye's
"Got to Give it Up," only covered past sales of the 2013 hit single, and
the Gaye family's lawyer threatened to "re-litigate the infringement at
least every three years" if a fixed percentage on future royalties
wasn't settled upon.
However, the person who received the worst news from the judge's latest ruling was T.I.:
Although the rapper skirted any legal trouble during the initial
"Blurred Lines" trial – T.I. is credited as a co-songwriter and received
royalties, but the jury found the rapper did not commit copyright
infringement – the judge ruled Tuesday that T.I. must be included in the
judgment against Thicke and Williams. The trio's labels Universal,
Interscope, and Star Trak Entertainment were also found liable in the
new ruling. (Williams, however, saw the judge's decision slice his own
personal cut of the jury award from $1.6 million to $358,000.)
"Mr. Thicke and Williams, and their legal team, among others, went on
a public relations campaign after the jury's verdict criticizing the
verdict and saying the evidence did not support the finding of copyright
infringement, and did not believe the decision on liability would
therefore stand," the Gaye family's attorney, Richard Busch, said in a
statement. "The judge who actually heard all of the evidence disagreed. I
am thrilled for the Gaye family, and the thoughtful members of the
jury, who had to listen to all of that while remaining silent."
Busch added he was "thrilled with the decision by the Court not only
affirming the decision of the jury that Mr. Thicke and Mr. Williams
committed copyright infringement, but also the decision holding [T.I.]
and Universal liable as well."
Despite being denied a new trial, Williams' lawyer Howard King told The Hollywood Reporter, "While
we certainly respect the diligence and care devoted by the court
throughout these proceedings, we must agree to disagree on the
conclusions. We look forward to exercising our further remedies and
ultimately achieving clarity on the difference between inspiration and
copyright infringement."
King wrote in a statement that he will appeal the judge's ruling.
Marvin Gaye's Children: What Our Father Would Say About Lawsuit
"If he were alive today, he would embrace the technology available to artists," says family. "But we also know he would be vigilant about safeguarding the artist’s rights"
Marvin Gaye's children have penned an open letter in the hope of "set[ting] the record straight on a few misconceptions" in the media's coverage of their successful lawsuit against the writers of Robin Thicke's 2013 hit "Blurred Lines."
Nona Gaye, Frankie Gaye and Marvin Gaye III's joint letter mainly dives into the background and legacy of Marvin Gaye's "Got to Give It Up," the 1977 single the court found to have been copied by Thicke and co-writer Pharrell Williams.
In the letter, the siblings imagine how their father would have handled the situation. "If he were alive today, we feel he would embrace the technology available to artists and the diverse music choices and spaces accessible to fans who can stream a song at a moment's notice," the siblings wrote. "But we also know he would be vigilant about safeguarding the artist's rights. He also gave credit where credit is due."
Even though the outcome of the lawsuit favored the Gaye family, the children claim that all of this could have been avoided if Thicke and Williams had approached the family before releasing the single, especially since the similarities were deemed to be not coincidental. "Like most artists, they could have licensed and secured the song for appropriate usage," the family stated. "This did not happen. We would have welcomed a conversation with them before the release of their work. This also did not happen."
Thicke and Pharrell Williams lost the copyright suit on March 10th. Following the court's decision, the lawyer representing Marvin Gaye's family has sought to halt all sales of "Blurred Lines." Since the proceedings, the family had noted some similarities between Gaye's "Ain't That Peculiar" and Williams' "Happy," though the family has confirmed in the open letter that they "have absolutely no claim whatsoever concerning 'Happy.'"
Read the full open letter from Marvin Gaye's children below.
An Open Letter from the Children of Marvin Gaye 3/18/15
We want to extend our deepest appreciation and gratitude for the outpouring of love and support we have received from all of our father’s fans and friends, as well as artists and industry folks who contacted us surrounding the recent events concerning his song, “Got to Give It Up.” Your kindness and encouragement gave us incredible strength and perseverance. We are so incredibly grateful for your support as well as the hard work and dedication of our amazing legal team and experts. We thank you all.
We especially want to thank our mom Jan for her belief in what we were doing all along, and for her never ending support.
We will celebrate what would have been our dad’s 76th birthday next month, and though we miss him every day – just like the many thousands of well-wishers who have expressed their heartfelt goodwill - it is through his music that we find our compass and our paths moving forward. We are his children, but we too are his fans and we hold his music dear.
It is in that spirit and on behalf of all those who Dad always considered an extended family, his fans, we take this opportunity to set the record straight on a few misconceptions echoing through some news and social media platforms about our intentions, our plans, and the so-called ‘larger’ ramifications of this case within the music industry.
Originally released in 1977, “Got to Give It Up” became one of our dad’s most cherished hits, still a favorite at backyard barbecues, weddings, parties, on the radio, or on your iPod. As Oprah said, it is one of her “favorite party songs of all time.” The comments on social media, emails and calls we received after the verdict affirmed for us that the song continues to touch in even deeper ways, becoming part of the soundtrack to so many lives. “Got to Give It Up” is also recognized by Billboard Magazine as the fourth biggest single of the 30 charting hits our dad created during his extraordinary career.
It has been nearly 38 years since its initial release: tastes change, trends evolve, but we should all be able to agree that it’s a testament to the enduring power of “Got to Give It Up” that we have arrived at this juncture with Mr. Thicke and Mr. Williams, at all. The fact that they have openly acknowledged their respect and admiration for the song is public knowledge, and further proof of its resonance with an entirely new generation of music fans.
However, most songwriting begins with an organic approach; a songwriter brings his or her influences to the table and then works creatively from a blank slate in the crafting of their song to ensure originality and the integrity of their creation. If Mr. Thicke and Mr. Williams had tried to create a new song and coincidentally infused “Got to Give It Up” into their work, instead of deliberately undertaking to “write a song with the same groove," we would probably be having a different conversation.
Like most artists, they could have licensed and secured the song for appropriate usage; a simple procedure usually arranged in advance of the song’s release. This did not happen. We would have welcomed a conversation with them before the release of their work. This also did not happen.
Instead of licensing our father’s song and giving him the appropriate songwriter credit, Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams released “Blurred Lines” and then filed a pre-emptive lawsuit against us, forcing us into court. They sought to quickly affirm that their song was “starkly different,” than “Got to Give It Up.” The Judge denied their motion for Summary Judgement, and a jury was charged with determining the “extrinsic and intrinsic similarities” of the songs. The jury has spoken.
We wanted to also make clear that the jury was not permitted to listen to the actual sound recording of “Got to Give It Up.” Our dad’s powerful vocal performance of his own song along with unique background sounds were eliminated from the trial, and the copyright infringement was based entirely on the similarity of the basic musical compositions, not on “style,” or “feel,” or “era,” or “genre.” His song is so iconic that its basic composition stood strong. We feel this further amplifies the soundness of the verdict.
Like all music fans, we have an added appreciation for songs that touch us in mysterious ways. Mr. Thicke and Mr. Williams certainly have a right to be inspired by “Got to Give It Up” but as the jury ruled, they did not have the right to use it without permission as a blueprint for a track they were constructing.
Great artists like our dad intentionally build their music to last, but we as the caretakers of such treasures, have an obligation to be vigilant about preserving the integrity of the music so that future generations understand its origins and feel its effect as the artist intended, and to assure that it retains its value.
We feel as many do that, our father, Marvin Gaye, is an artist for the ages. But whether we’re talking about a work created 50 years ago or a work created 50 years from now – protecting the legacy of original artistry is not a personal obligation, but a universal commitment in support of enduring creative achievement, encouraging future artists to also aim for new ground and their own legacies. That is what copyright laws help us do; they give people the incentive to write original songs and then help protect those songs.
Our dad spent his life writing music- that is his legacy to us all- he wrote from his heart and was a brilliant songwriter, arranger, producer and one-of-a-kind vocalist. If he were alive today, we feel he would embrace the technology available to artists and the diverse music choices and spaces accessible to fans who can stream a song at a moment’s notice. But we also know he would be vigilant about safeguarding the artist’s rights; a sacred devotion to not only the artist, but key in encouraging and supporting innovation. He also gave credit where credit is due.
Howard King, the attorney for Mr. Thicke and Mr. Williams stated after the verdict: “We owe it to songwriters around the world to make sure this verdict doesn’t stand. My clients know they wrote the song ‘Blurred Lines’ from their heart and souls and no other source.”
We never for a minute suggested that Mr. Thicke and Mr. Williams’ hearts weren’t in it. But a jury of eight men and women have ruled that the source for “Blurred Lines” was the song “Got to Give It Up,” a song our dad wrote from his heart, and delivered to the world with pure joy.
With the digital age upon us, the threat of greater infringement looms for every artist. It is our wish that our dad’s legacy, and all great music, past, present, and future, be enjoyed and protected, with the knowledge that adhering to copyright standards assures our musical treasures will always be valued.
And finally, we want to put to rest any rumors that we are contemplating claims against Pharrell Williams for his song, “Happy.” This is 100% false. We have absolutely no claim whatsoever concerning “Happy.”
Love and Respect,
Nona, Frankie, and Marvin III
Follow us: @rollingstone on Twitter | RollingStone on Facebook
THE PANOPTICON REVIEW
APRIL 10, 2009:
http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/universal/37342/
All,
Marvin was one of the greatest and most profound popular artists of the 20th century and his death in 1984 at the age of 45 remains one of the greatest losses in the history of world music. However his tremendous recorded legacy is being kept alive and well on the legendary Motown label and its invaluable releases of classic Motown recordings during this the 50th anniversary of the label's birth in Detroit in 1959. NO RECORD LABEL IN AMERICAN HISTORY HAS EVER HAD AS MANY CERTIFIED TOP TEN HITS OR NUMBER ONE RECORDS AS MOTOWN AND THE COMPANY CONTINUES TO SELL MILLIONS OF THESE CLASSIC RECORDINGS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD...
So let's hear it for the extraordinary genius of Marvin, Stevie, Smokey, the Temptations, The Marvelettes, Martha & the Vandellas, Mary Wells, The Supremes, The Miracles, Tammi Terrell, Junior Walker, Edwin Starr, Shorty Long, The Four Tops, Gladys Knight & the Pips, The Jackson Five, The Commodores, and so many others! Not to mention the creative and visionary leadership of the founder of the company Berry Gordy....
So celebrate and enjoy the stunning and joyous artistic legacy that our hometown gave the entire world (and continues to do so). Spread the word!
Kofi
MOTOWN CELEBRATES THE 70th BIRTHDAY OF MARVIN GAYE, ONE OF THE MOST ACCLAIMED ARTISTS IN MUSIC HISTORY
Santa Monica, CA (March 30, 2009) /PRNewswire/—In the 50th anniversary year of Motown, April 2, 2009 will mark the 70th birthday of the late great Marvin Gaye. Sadly, April 1 will also mark the 25th anniversary of his tragic death the day before his 45th birthday. Motown's top solo male artist of the '60s, led by his "I Heard It Through The Grapevine"—at one time the biggest selling single in Motown history—Gaye became the label's most revolutionary artist in the '70s, breaking down barriers whether singing about the body or the soul, social consciousness or sexual politics. From his '60s classic "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)," to his legendary rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner" at the 1983 NBA All-Star Game, he defined the soul in "soul music."
Marvin Gaye's popularity and influence continues. His 1971 album What's Going On forever changed the subject matter of popular music; it's one of Rolling Stone magazine's top 10 albums of all time. In 1973, Let's Get It On became perhaps the most passionate and sexual album ever recorded, led by its title track, which remains one of the most popular songs of all time, a certified Gold single back in the day, and in the digital music era it's a Gold digital download and a Platinum-selling ringtone as well. In 1987, three years after his death, Gaye was rightfully among only the second group of artists honored with induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. More recently, Marvin Gaye was No. 6 on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 Greatest Singers Of All Time.
Noting the milestones of his birth and passing, Motown/UMe will issue a special digital-only album on March 31, Marvin Gaye: Then & Now, a 14-track set of rarities highlighted by the previously unreleased "Soulie" (pronounced "sue-lee"), a 1966 recording recently unearthed by Motown's New York-based producer Mickey Gentile, and a hot funk 2009 remix of "I Want You," Marvin's No. 1 hit from 1976, by the renowned John Morales of M+M Productions. Other tracks making their online debut are: the deep vault track "It's Your Party," and his two super-rare late '50s Chess recordings with Harvey & The Moonglows ("Mama Loocie," "Twelve Months Of The Year"). Rounding out this special collection are Marvin's earliest, pre-hit Motown singles ("Witchcraft," "Let Your Conscience Be Your Guide" and more).
Motown/UMe is also issuing a vinyl-only edition of United (Motown/UMe), Gaye's classic duet album with Tammi Terrell, on April 14. The standard by which all R&B male-female duos are measured, Gaye and Terrell first teamed on the 1967 album that included "If I Could Build My World Around You," "Your Precious Love" and "Ain't No Mountain High Enough."
In addition, the ongoing, acclaimed "Motown 50" podcast series will feature special episodes on Marvin Gaye's life and music; Gaye is also well represented on the deluxe 10-CD box set Motown: The Complete No. 1's, which kicked off the year long celebration for Motown's 50th anniversary. Both The Real Thing, a DVD collection of his greatest television and concert appearances, and Gold, a 2-CD overview of his career, have recently been certified Gold. Gaye will also figure prominently in a two-hour documentary about Motown produced by the label's founder, Berry Gordy.
Press Contacts:
Sujata Murthy
UMe
THE PANOPTICON REVIEW
MAY 30, 2008:
http://panopticonreview.blogspot.com/2008/05/marvin-gaye-singer-songwriter-and.html
All,
In the summer of 1972 the late, great Marvin Gaye (1939-1984) composed an extraordinary song entitled "You're the Man". Gaye released this powerful and prophetic song in public support of the leftist Democratic Party candidate George McGovern against Richard Nixon in the presidential race of that year. In November Nixon won reelection in a landslide. Less than two years later Nixon was ousted from the Presidency when he “resigned” in disgrace facing certain impeachment as a result of the Watergate scandal.
Kofi
“You’re the Man”
(Lyrics and Music by Marvin Gaye. Motown Records, 1972)
Talking, talking to the People
Trying to get ‘em to go your way
Telling us not to worry and we won’t be led astray
So blind from signifying
Your opponents always lying
Think about the mistakes you make
I believe that America’s at stake…
Do you have a plan with you?
If, if you have a plan
If you have a Master Plan
I got to vote for you (Hey! Hey!)
Got to vote for you ‘cause
You’re the Man
We don’t want to hear no more lies
about how you plan to economize
We want our dollar value increased and employment to rise
NOTE: THIS SONG WAS EFFECTIVELY BANNED FROM THE NATIONAL RADIO AIRWAVES IN THE UNITED STATES FOLLOWING THE FIRST TWO DAYS OF ITS APPEARANCE ON RADIO PLAYLISTS. IT IS NOW CONSIDERED TO BE AN INTERNATIONAL CLASSIC AND THE SONG CONTINUES TO BE BOTH PLAYED AND SOLD THROUGHOUT THE GLOBE…
The nation’s taxation is causing all this inflation
Don’t give us no Peace signs
Turn around and rob the People blind
Economics is the issue
Do you have a plan with you?
‘Cause if you’ve got a Master Plan
I’ve got to vote for you
You’re the Man
(CHORUS—Multilayered voices singing and scatting various interlocking harmonies and rhythms are all sung via overdubbing by Marvin(!) with a hynoptically repetitive lyrical line weaving in and out of the complex musical and vocal tapestry. Amazing & Beautiful. An utterly innovative and seamless synthesis of Jazz, Blues, R & B, and classical forms also incredibly arranged by Gaye. His somber, ominous voice is foregrounded repeatedly intoning in a much slower incantatory tempo the following words):
Don’t you understand there’s misery in the land? [Repeat X 12]
People marching on Washington
Why not hear what they have to say
‘Cause the tables might just turn against you brother come
election day
Politics and Hypocrites are turning us all into Lunatics
Can you take the guns away from our sons?
Right all the wrongs this administration’s done?
Peace & Freedom is the issue
Do you have a plan with you?
‘Cause if you have a plan
If you have a Master Plan
I got to vote for you (‘cause)
You’re the Man…
THE MUSIC OF MARVIN GAYE: AN EXTENSIVE VIDEO OVERVIEW, A CROSS SECTION OF RECORDINGS, MUSICAL ANALYSIS AND COMMENTARY, PLUS VARIOUS INTERVIEWS WITH MR. GAYE:
Marvin Gaye - "Inner City Blues" (Make Me Wanna Holler), 1971:
Music video by Marvin Gaye performing Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler). (C) 1971 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Marvin Gaye Greatest Hits Full Album - Marvin Gaye's 35 Biggest Songs:
01. Marvin Gaye - What's Goin' On
02. Marvin Gaye - Sexual Healing
03. Marvin Gaye - I Want You
04. Marvin Gaye - Too Busy Thinking About My Baby
05. Marvin Gaye - Your Precious Love
06. Marvin Gaye - Mercy Mercy Me
07. Marvin Gaye - How Sweet It Is To Be Loved By You
08. Marvin Gaye - Trouble Man
09. Marvin Gaye - Ain't That Peculiar
10. Marvin Gaye - You're All I Need To Get By
11. Marvin Gaye - Ain't Nothin' Like The Real Thing
12. Marvin Gaye - If I Could Build My Whole World Around You
13. Marvin Gaye - That's the Way Love Is
14. Marvin Gaye - Pride And Joy
15. Marvin Gaye - I'll Be Doggone
16. Marvin Gaye - You're A Special Part Of Me
17. Marvin Gaye - Inner City Blues
18. Marvin Gaye - My Mistake
19. Marvin Gaye - Can I Get A Witness
20. Marvin Gaye - You're Wonderful
21. Marvin Gaye - Ain't No Mountain High Enough
22. Marvin Gaye - Come Get To This
23. Marvin Gaye - It Takes Two
24. Marvin Gaye - Once Upon A Time
25. Marvin Gaye - Come Live With Me Angel
26. Marvin Gaye - What's The Matter With You Baby
27. Marvin Gaye - Just Because You're So Pretty
28. Marvin Gaye - Love Me Now Or Love Me Later
29. Marvin Gaye - Just To Keep You Satisfied
30. Marvin Gaye - Try It Baby
31. Marvin Gaye - It's Got To Be A Miracle
32. Marvin Gaye - Falling In Love Again
33. Marvin Gaye - My Love Is Growing
34. Marvin Gaye - You're The Man
35.Baby, Baby, Baby
"What's Going On”—by Marvin Gaye--full album:
What's Going On 3:51
What's Happening Brother 2:57
Flyin' High (In The Friendly Sky) 3:40
Save The Children 3:04
God Is Love 2:31
Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology) 3:05
Right On 7:20
Wholy Holy 3:20
Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler) 5:16
MARVIN GAYE-- "I Want You” album:
All The Way 'Round 00:00:00
After The Dance 00:03:50
Feel All My Love Inside 00:12:05
I Wanna Be Where You Are 00:15:24
I Want You 00:21:28
Come Live With Me Angel 00:26:00
Soon I'll Be Loving You Again 00:33:31
I Want You (Remix) 00:36:40
Since I Had You 00:46:11
Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell - ‘United' LP 1967
01. Ain't No Mountain High Enough 0:00
02. You Got What It Takes 2:31
03. If I Could Build My Whole World Around You 5:30
04. Somethin' Stupid 7:56
05. Your Precious Love 10:41
06. Hold Me Oh My Darling 13:52
07. Two Can Have A Party 16:42
08. Little Boy, Little Ole Girl 19:01
09. If This World Were Mine 21:48
10. Sad Wedding 24:34
11. Give A Little Love 28:01
12. Oh How I'd Miss You 31:00
Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell - "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing”--1967
AMERICAN MASTERS | Marvin Gaye | Preview | PBS:
His standing among the most enduring 20th century American musical artists is without question, yet his story is rarely told beyond the tragic circumstances of his death. Enormously talented and equally complicated, Gaye created an intimate style -- full of honesty, integrity, vulnerability -- and, essentially, gave the world his autobiography in lyrics and melody.
The Wonderful One, The Trouble Man, The Prince Of Soul -- he was the Motown star who challenged and changed the face of black music, embodying its evolution from gritty roots in gospel, jazz and rhythm and blues, to sophisticated pop and sexually, politically charged soul. Extensive performance footage and insight from Mary Wilson, Smokey Robinson, Gladys Knight, Mos Def, among many others, captures the tone and texture of a career that still leaves an indelible mark on our musical landscape.
AMERICAN MASTERS "Marvin Gaye: What's Going On" premieres Wednesday, May 7, 2008 at 9 p.m. (ET) on PBS (check your local listings for details).
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmaste...
AMERICAN MASTERS | Marvin Gaye | Preview | PBS:
Marvin Gaye: "What's Going On”-- (PBS Documentary):
Marvin Gaye is one of the great and enduring figures of soul music, but his life was one of sexual confusion, bittersweet success and ultimately death by the hand of his own father. Through Marvin's own words and intimate memories gathered from rare film and recordings, director Jeremy Marre tells the story of a 'life of outer grace and inner torment'.
When Marvin Gaye died in 1984, he left behind one of the great legacies in American music. More than a superb vocalist and subtle composer, he was a visionary who expressed the tenor of his times. Both radical and romantic, a self-taught singer with a flair for autobiographical revelation, he thrived on confession and loved candor. Marvin had the unique talent of turning the listener into a confidante, of making you feel his immediate presence. His aura combined spiritual and sensual essences. In his music, the combination worked wonders; in his personal life, the two strains clashed. He succeeded in translating his contradictions into complex and beautiful music.
Marvin Gaye - "Rockin' after midnight":
From the album "Midnight love" (1982)
"GOT TO GIVE IT UP" - MARVIN GAYE
"IF THIS WORLD WERE MINE”--MARVIN GAYE AND TAMMI TERRELL:
"Distant Lover" - Marvin Gaye
Marvin Gaye Sings Star Spangled Banner - 1983 All ... - Vimeo:
https://vimeo.com/34606761
Marvin Gaye sings American National Anthem at NBA All Star Game, Los Angeles, 1983:
Marvin Gaye
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Marvin Gaye | |
|---|---|
Gaye in 1973
|
|
| Born | Marvin Pentz Gay Jr.[1] April 2, 1939 Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Died | April 1, 1984 (aged 44) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Murder by gunshot |
| Occupation |
|
| Religion | Pentecostal |
| Spouse(s) | Anna Gordy (m. 1963–1977; divorced) Janis Hunter (m. 1977–1981; divorced) |
| Children | 3; including Nona Gaye |
| Parent(s) | Marvin Gay Sr. Alberta Gay |
| Relatives | Frankie Gaye (brother) |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | |
| Instruments |
|
| Years active | 1959–1984 |
| Labels | |
| Associated acts | |
During the 1970s, he recorded the concept albums What's Going On and Let's Get It On and became one of the first artists in Motown to break away from the reins of its production company.
Gaye's later recordings influenced several contemporary R&B subgenres, such as quiet storm and neo-soul.[3] Following a period in Europe as a tax exile in the early 1980s, Gaye released the 1982 Grammy Award-winning hit "Sexual Healing" and its parent album Midnight Love.
On April 1, 1984, Gaye's father, Marvin Gay Sr., fatally shot him at their house in the West Adams district of Los Angeles.[4][5] Since his death, many institutions have posthumously bestowed Gaye with awards and other honors—including the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, the Rhythm and Blues Music Hall of Fame, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.[6]
Contents
Early life
Washington, D.C.'s Columbia Heights where Marvin Gaye attended Cardozo High School, not far from Deanwood, where he grew up
Marvin Gaye was born as Marvin Pentz Gay Jr. on April 2, 1939, in Washington, D.C., to church minister Marvin Gay Sr. and domestic worker Alberta Gay (née Cooper). His first home was 1617 First Street SW, a few blocks from the Anacostia River. The First Street neighborhood was nicknamed Simple City, owing to its being "half-city, half country."[7][8][9] When Gaye was in his teens, the family relocated to the Deanwood section of northeastern D.C. Gaye was the second eldest of Marvin Gay Sr.'s children and the third overall of six. He had two sisters: Jeanne and Zeola, and three brothers: Michael Cooper, Frankie Gaye, and Antwaun Gaye.[10] Michael Cooper was from his mother's previous relationship while Antwaun was born as a result of his father's extramarital affairs.[10]
Gaye started singing in church when he was four years old; his father often accompanied him on piano.[11][12][13] Gaye and his family were part of a Pentecostal church known as the House of God. The House of God took its teachings from Hebrew Pentecostalism, advocated strict conduct, and adhered to both the Old and New Testaments.[14][15]
Gaye developed a love of singing at an early age and was encouraged to
pursue a professional music career after a performance at a school play.[13] His home life consisted of "brutal whippings" by his father, who struck him for any shortcoming.[16]
The young Gaye described living in his father's house as similar to
"...living with a king, a very peculiar, changeable, cruel, and all
powerful king."[8] He felt that had his mother not consoled him and encouraged his singing, he would have killed himself.[17] His sister later explained that Gaye was beaten often, from age seven well into his teenage years.[18]
Gaye attended Cardozo High School and joined several doo-wop vocal groups, including the Dippers and the D.C. Tones.[19] Gaye's relationship with his father worsened during his teenage years, as his father would kick him out of the house often.[20] In 1956, 17-year-old Gaye dropped out of high school and enlisted in the United States Air Force as a basic airman.[21][22] Disappointed in having to perform menial tasks, he faked mental illness and was discharged shortly afterwards.[23] Gaye's sergeant stated that he refused to follow orders.[23][24]
Career
Early career
A 1959 promotional picture of Harvey and the New Moonglows. Gaye is fourth from the left behind a seated Fuqua.
Following his return, Gaye and good friend Reese Palmer formed the vocal quartet The Marquees.[25][26] The group performed in the D.C. area and soon began working with Bo Diddley, who assigned the group to Columbia subsidiary OKeh Records after failure to get the group signed to his own label, Chess.[26] The group's sole single, Wyatt Earp, failed to chart and the group was soon dropped from the label.[27] Gaye began composing music during this period.[27]
Moonglows co-founder Harvey Fuqua later hired The Marquees as employees.[28] Under Fuqua's direction, the group changed its name to Harvey and the New Moonglows, and relocated to Chicago.[29] The group recorded several sides for Chess in 1959, including the song Mama Loocie, which was Gaye's first lead vocal recording. The group found work as session singers for established acts such as Chuck Berry, singing on the hits Back in the U.S.A. and Almost Grown.
In 1960, the group disbanded. Gaye relocated to Detroit with Fuqua where he signed with Tri-Phi Records as a session musician, playing drums on several Tri-Phi releases. Gaye performed at Motown president Berry Gordy's
house during the holiday season in 1960. Impressed by the singer, Gordy
sought Fuqua on his contract with Gaye. Fuqua agreed to sell part of
his interest in his contract with Gaye.[30] Shortly afterwards, Gaye signed with Motown subsidiary Tamla.
When Gaye signed with Tamla, he pursued a career as a performer of jazz music and standards, having no desire to become an R&B performer.[20] Before the release of his first single, Gaye was teased about his surname, with some jokingly asking, "Is Marvin Gay?"[31] Gaye changed his surname by adding an e, in the same way as did Sam Cooke. Author David Ritz wrote that Gaye did this to silence rumours of his sexuality, and to put more distance between Gaye and his father.[31]
Gaye released his first single, “Let Your Conscience Be Your Guide,” in May 1961, with the album The Soulful Moods of Marvin Gaye,
following a month later. Gaye's initial recordings failed commercially.
Gaye spent most of 1961 performing session work as a drummer for
artists such as The Miracles and The Marvelettes, and was paid $5 (US$39 in 2015 dollars[32]) a week to play drums for the Miracles and blues artist Jimmy Reed.[33][34]
While Gaye took some advice on performing with his eyes open (having
been accused of appearing as though he were sleeping), he refused to
attend grooming school courses at the John Roberts Powers School for
Social Grace in Detroit because of his unwillingness to comply with its
orders, something he later regretted.[35][36]
Initial success
In 1962, Gaye found success as co-writer of the Marvelettes hit, Beechwood 4-5789. His first solo hit, Stubborn Kind of Fellow, was later released that September, reaching number 8 on the R&B chart and number 46 on the Billboard Hot 100. Gaye reached the top 50 with the dance song, Hitch Hike,[37] peaking at number 30 on the Hot 100. Pride and Joy became Gaye's first top ten single after its release in 1963.
The three singles and songs from the 1962 sessions were included on Gaye's second album, That Stubborn Kinda Fellow. Starting in October of the year, Gaye performed as part of the Motortown Revue, a series of concert tours headlined at the north and south eastern coasts of the United States as part of the chitlin' circuit. A filmed performance of Gaye at the Apollo Theater took place in June 1963. Later that October, Tamla issued the live album, Marvin Gaye Recorded Live on Stage. Can I Get a Witness became one of Gaye's early international hits.
In 1964, Gaye recorded a successful duet album with singer Mary Wells titled Together, which reached 42 on the pop album chart. The album's two-sided single, including Once Upon a Time and What's the Matter With You Baby, each reach the top 20. Gaye's next solo hit, How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You), which Holland-Dozier-Holland
wrote for him, reached number 6 on the Hot 100 and reached the top 50
in the UK. Gaye started getting TV exposure around this time, on shows
such as American Bandstand. Also in 1964, he appeared in the concert film, The T.A.M.I. Show. Gaye had two number one R&B singles in 1965 with the Miracles-composed I'll Be Doggone and Ain't That Peculiar. Both songs became million-sellers.
A screenshot of a 1967 performance by Gaye and Terrell during taping of the Today Show.
After scoring a hit duet, It Takes Two with Kim Weston, Gaye began working with Tammi Terrell on a series of duets, mostly composed by Ashford & Simpson, including Ain't No Mountain High Enough, Your Precious Love, Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing, and You're All I Need to Get By.
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"I Heard It through the Grapevine" was recorded by Gaye in April 1967, several months before Gladys Knight and the Pips recorded it. The song features a horror-based Wurlitzer piano solo, percussion, and horns. Gaye's recording of it paved the way for what later became "psychedelic soul".
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In October 1967, Terrell collapsed in Gaye's arms during a performance in Farmville, Virginia.[38] Terrell was subsequently rushed to Farmville's Southside Community Hospital, where doctors discovered she had a malignant tumour in her brain.[38] The diagnosis ended Terrell's career as a live performer, though she continued to record music under careful supervision. Despite the presence of hit singles such as Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing and You're All I Need to Get By,
Terrell's illness caused problems with recording, and led to multiple
operations to remove the tumor. Gaye was reportedly devastated by
Terrell's sickness and became disillusioned with the record business.
In late 1968, Gaye's recording of I Heard It Through the Grapevine
became Gaye's first to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100. It
also reached the top of the charts in other countries, selling over four
million copies.[39] However, Gaye felt the success was something he "didn't deserve" and that he "felt like a puppet—Berry's puppet, Anna's puppet...."[40][41][42] Gaye followed it up with Too Busy Thinking About My Baby and That's the Way Love Is, which reached the top ten on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1969. That year, his album M.P.G. became his first number one R&B album. Gaye produced and co-wrote two hits for The Originals during this period, including Baby I'm For Real and The Bells.
On March 16, 1970, Tammi Terrell died from brain cancer, and Gaye attended her funeral.[43] Following this, he went into prolonged seclusion from the music business. After a period of depression, Gaye sought out a position on a professional football team, the Detroit Lions, where he later befriended Mel Farr and Lem Barney.[44]
It was eventually decided that Gaye would not be allowed to try out
owing to fears of possible injuries that could have affected his music
career.[45][46]
What's Going On and subsequent success
Main articles: What's Going On (Marvin Gaye album) and Let's Get It On
On June 1, 1970, Gaye returned to Hitsville U.S.A., where he recorded his new composition What's Going On, inspired by an idea from Renaldo "Obie" Benson of the Four Tops after he witnessed an act of police brutality at an anti-war rally in Berkeley.[47] Upon hearing the song, Berry Gordy refused its release due to his feelings of the song being "too political" for radio.[48] Gaye responded by going on strike from recording until the label released the song.[48] Released in 1971, it reached number one on the R&B charts within a month, staying there for five weeks. It also reached the top spot on Cashbox's pop chart for a week and reached number two on the Hot 100 and the Record World chart, selling over two million copies.[49][50]
After giving an ultimatum to record a full album to win creative control from Motown, Gaye spent ten days recording the What's Going On album that March.[51] Motown issued the album that May after Gaye remixed portions of the album in Hollywood.[48] The album became Gaye's first million-selling album launching two more top ten singles, Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology) and Inner City Blues. One of Motown's first autonomous works, its theme and segue flow brought the concept album format to rhythm and blues. An AllMusic writer later cited it as "...the most important and passionate record to come out of soul music, delivered by one of its finest voices."[52] For the album, Gaye received two Grammy Award nominations and several NAACP Image Awards.[53] The album also topped Rolling Stone's year-end list as its album of the year. Billboard magazine named Gaye Trendsetter of the Year following the album's success.
In 1971, Gaye signed a new deal with Motown worth $1 million (US$5,823,336 in 2015 dollars[32]), making it the most lucrative deal by a black recording artist at the time.[54] Gaye first responded to the new contract with the soundtrack and subsequent score, Trouble Man, released in late 1972.
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"Let's Get It On" was written by Gaye and producer Ed Townsend, originally as a gospel song, and later as a protest song before eventually turning into a funk-oriented love anthem. It became Gaye's second number-one hit in 1973.
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In 1973, Gaye released the Let's Get It On album. Its title track became Gaye's second number one single on the Hot 100. The album subsequently stayed on the charts for two years and sold over three million copies. The album was later hailed as "a record unparalleled in its sheer sensuality and carnal energy."[55] Other singles from the album included Come Get to This, which recalled Gaye's early Motown soul sound of the previous decade, while the suggestive You Sure Love to Ball reached modest success but received tepid promotion due to the song's sexually explicit content.[56]
Marvin's final duet project, Diana & Marvin, with Diana Ross, garnered international success. Responding to demand from fans and Motown, Gaye started his first tour in four years at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on January 4, 1974.[57] The performance received critical acclaim and resulted in the release of the live album, Marvin Gaye Live! and its single, a live version of Distant Lover, an album track from Let's Get It On.
The tour helped to increase Gaye's reputation as a live performer.[57] For a time, he was earning $10,000 a night (US$47,821 in 2015 dollars[32]) for performances.[58] Gaye toured throughout 1974 and 1975. A renewed contract with Motown allowed Gaye to build his own custom-made recording studio.
In October 1975, Gaye gave a performance at a UNESCO benefit concert at New York's Radio City Music Hall to support UNESCO's African literacy drive, resulting in him being commended at the United Nations by then-Ambassador to Ghana Shirley Temple Black and Kurt Waldheim.[59][60] Gaye's next studio album, I Want You, followed in 1976 with the title track becoming a number-one R&B hit. That summer, Gaye embarked on his first European tour in a decade, starting off in England. In early 1977, Gaye issued the live album, Live at the London Palladium, which sold over two million copies thanks to the success of its studio song, Got to Give It Up, which became a number one hit.
Last Motown recordings and European exile
Main articles: Here, My Dear and In Our Lifetime (Marvin Gaye album)
In December 1978, Gaye issued Here, My Dear, inspired by the fallout of his first marriage to Anna Gordy. Recorded as an intent for Gaye to remit a portion of its royalties to her to receive alimony payments, it flopped on the charts.[61] During that period, Gaye developed a serious dependence and addiction to cocaine and was dealing with several financial issues with the IRS. These issues led him to move to Maui, where he struggled to record a disco album.[62] In 1980, Gaye went on a European tour.[63] By the time the tour stopped, the singer relocated to London where he feared imprisonment for failure to pay back taxes, which had now reached upwards of $4.5 million.(US$12,880,250 in 2015 dollars[32])[63][64]
Gaye then reworked Love Man from its original disco concept to another personal album invoking religion and the possible end time from a chapter in the Book of Revelation.[65] Titling the album, In Our Lifetime?, Gaye worked on the album for much of 1980 in London studios such as Air and Odyssey Studios.[66]
In the fall of that year, someone stole a master tape of a rough
draft of the album from one of Gaye's traveling musicians, Frank Blair,
taking the master tape to Motown's Hollywood headquarters.[67] Motown remixed the album and issued it on January 15, 1981.[68] When Gaye learned of its release, Gaye accused Motown of editing and remixing the album without his consent, allowing the issue of an unfinished production (Far Cry), altering the album art of his request and removing the album title's question mark, muting its irony.[69] He also accused the label of rush-releasing the album, comparing his unfinished album to an unfinished Picasso painting.[69] Gaye then vowed not to record any more music for Motown.[70]
Marvin Gaye by the Belgian artist Willy Bosschem
On February 14, 1981, under the advice of music promoter Freddy Cousaert, Gaye relocated to Cousaert's apartment in Ostend, Belgium.[71] While there, Gaye shied away from heavy drug use and began exercising and attending a local Ostend church, regaining personal confidence.[72][73] Following several months of recovery, Gaye sought a comeback onstage, starting the short-lived Heavy Love Affair tour in England and Ostend between June and July 1981.[74] Gaye's personal attorney Curtis Shaw would later describe Gaye's Ostend period as "the best thing that ever happened to Marvin". When word got around that Gaye was planning a musical comeback and an exit from Motown, CBS Urban president Larkin Arnold eventually was able to convince Gaye to sign with CBS. On March 23, 1982, Motown and CBS Records negotiated Gaye's release from Motown. The details of the contract were not revealed due to a possible negative effect on the singer's settlement to creditors from the IRS.[75]
Midnight Love
Main articles: Midnight Love and Sexual Healing
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"Sexual Healing" was written by Gaye alongside Odell Brown and David Ritz.
Ritz said Gaye advised him to write a poem after telling the singer he
needed "sexual healing" while living in Europe. The song became an
international hit after its release in 1982.
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Assigned to CBS' Columbia subsidiary, Gaye worked on his first post-Motown album titled Midnight Love. The first single, Sexual Healing, was released on September 30, 1982, and became Marvin's biggest career hit, spending a record ten weeks at number one on the Hot Black Singles chart, becoming the biggest R&B hit of the 1980s according to Billboard stats. The success later translated to the Billboard Hot 100 chart in January 1983 where it peaked at number three, while the record reached international success, reaching the top spot in New Zealand and Canada and reaching the top ten on the United Kingdom's OCC singles chart, later selling over two million copies in the US alone, becoming Gaye's most successful single to date. The video for the song was shot at Ostend's Casino-Kursaal.[76]
Sexual Healing won Gaye his first two Grammy Awards including Best Male R&B Vocal Performance, in February 1983, and also won Gaye an American Music Award in the R&B-soul category. People magazine called it "America's hottest musical turn-on since Olivia Newton John demanded we get Physical. Midnight Love was released to stores a day after the single's release, and was equally successful, peaking at the top ten of the Billboard 200 and becoming Gaye's eighth number-one album on the Top Black Albums chart, eventually selling over six million copies worldwide, three million alone in the United States.
NME – December 1982[77]
“ I don't make records for pleasure. I did when I was a younger artist, but I don't today. I record so that I can feed people what they need, what they feel. Hopefully, I record so that I can help someone overcome a bad time. ”
On February 13, 1983, Gaye sang The Star-Spangled Banner at the NBA All-Star Game at The Forum in Inglewood, California—accompanied by Gordon Banks, who played the studio tape from the stands.[78] The following month, Gaye performed at the Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever special. This and a May appearance on Soul Train,
his third appearance overall on the show, became Gaye's final
television performances. Gaye embarked on his final concert tour, titled
the Sexual Healing Tour, on April 18, 1983, in San Diego.[79] The tour ended on August 14, 1983 at the Pacific Amphitheatre in Costa Mesa, California but was plagued by cocaine-triggered paranoia and illness. Following the concert's end, he retreated to his parents' house in Los Angeles. In early 1984, Midnight Love was nominated for a Grammy in the Best Male R&B Vocal Performance category, his twelfth and final nomination.
Death
Main article: Death of Marvin Gaye
People gathering outside the home where Marvin Gaye was fatally shot, April 1, 1984.
At around 12:38 pm on April 1, 1984, while Gaye was talking with his mother, his father Marvin Gaye Sr. shot Gaye twice: in the heart and on his left shoulder respectively, the latter shot taken at point-blank range.[80][81] The first shot proved to be fatal. Gaye was pronounced dead at 1:01 pm after his body arrived at California Hospital Medical Center.[82] Minutes earlier, the two men were involved in a physical altercation after Gaye intervened in an argument between his parents.[81]
After Gaye's funeral, his body was cremated at Forest Lawn Memorial Park at the Hollywood Hills, his ashes were later scattered at the Pacific Ocean.[83]
Initially charged with first-degree murder, Marvin Gaye Sr.'s charges
dropped to voluntary manslaughter after examining a benign brain tumor
in Gaye Sr. and discovering Gaye had drugs in his system at his autopsy.[84] Marvin Gaye Sr. was later sentenced to a suspended six-year sentence and probation. He later died at a nursing home in 1998.[85]
Personal life
Main article: Personal life of Marvin Gaye
Marvin is the father of three children, Marvin III, Nona, and Frankie, and the grandfather of three boys, Marvin IV, Nolan, and Dylan.[86][87] At the time of his death, he was survived by his three children, parents, and five siblings.
Musicianship
Marvin Gaye in 1973
Influences
As a child, Gaye's main influence was his minister father, something he later acknowledged to biographer David Ritz,
and also in interviews, often mentioning that his father's sermons
greatly impressed him. His first major musical influences were doo-wop groups such as The Moonglows and The Capris. Gaye's Rock & Roll Hall of Fame page lists the Capris' song, God Only Knows as "critical to his musical awakening."[88]
Of the Capris' song, Gaye said, "It fell from the heavens and hit me
between the eyes. So much soul, so much hurt. I related to the story, to
the way that no one except the Lord really can read the heart of lonely
kids in love."[89] Gaye's main musical influences were Rudy West of The Five Keys, Clyde McPhatter, Ray Charles and Little Willie John.[90][91] Gaye considered Frank Sinatra a major influence in what he wanted to be.[91] He also was influenced by the vocal styles of Billy Eckstine and Nat King Cole.[92]
Later on as his Motown career developed, Gaye would seek inspiration in fellow label mates such as David Ruffin of The Temptations and Levi Stubbs of the Four Tops as their grittier voices led to Gaye and his producer seeking a similar sound in recordings such as "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" and "That's the Way Love Is".
Later in his life, Gaye reflected on the influence of Ruffin and Stubbs
stating, "I had heard something in their voices something my own voice
lacked".[93][94] He further explained, "the Tempts and Tops' music made me remember that when a lot of women listen to music, they want to feel the power of a real man."[93][94]
Vocal style
Gaye had a three-octave vocal range.[95]
From his earlier recordings as member of the Marquees and Harvey and
the New Moonglows, and in his first several recordings with Motown, Gaye
recorded mainly in the baritone and tenor ranges. He changed his tone to a rasp for his gospel-inspired early hits such as Stubborn Kind of Fellow and Hitch Hike. As writer Eddie Holland
explained, "He was the only singer I have ever heard known to take a
song of that nature, that was so far removed from his natural voice
where he liked singing, and do whatever it took to sell that song."[96]
In songs such as Pride & Joy, Gaye used three different
vocal ranges—singing in his baritone range at the beginning, bringing a
lighter tenor in the verses before reaching a gospel mode in the chorus.
Holland further stated of Gaye's voice that it was "...one of the
sweetest and prettiest voices you ever wanted to hear."[97]
And while he noted that ballads and jazz was "his basic soul", he
stated Gaye "...had the ability to take a roughhouse, rock and roll,
blues, R&B, any kind of song and make it his own," later saying that
Gaye was the most versatile vocalist he had ever worked with.[97]
Gaye changed his vocal style in the late 1960s, when he was advised
to use a sharper, raspy voice—especially in Norman Whitfield's
recordings. Gaye initially disliked the new style, considering it out of
his range, but said he was "into being produce-able."[93]
After listening to David Ruffin and Levi Stubbs, Gaye said he started
to develop what he called his "tough man voice"—saying, "I developed a
growl."[93][94] In the liner notes of his DVD set, Marvin Gaye: The Real Thing in Performance 1964–1981,
Rob Bowman said that by the early 1970s, Gaye had developed "three
distinct voices: his smooth, sweet tenor; a growling rasp; and an unreal
falsetto."[98] Bowman further wrote that the recording of the What's Going On
single was "...the first single to utilize all three as Marvin
developed a radical approach to constructing his recordings by layering a
series of contrapuntal background vocal lines on different tracks, each
one conceived and sung in isolation by Marvin himself."[98]
Bowman cites Gaye's multi-tracking of his tenor voice and other vocal
styles "summon[ed] up what might be termed the ancient art of weaving".[98]
Social commentary and concept albums
Prior to recording the What's Going On album, Gaye recorded a cover of the song, "Abraham, Martin & John",
which became a UK hit in 1970. Only a handful of artists of various
genres had recorded albums that focused on social commentary, including Curtis Mayfield. Despite some politically conscious material recorded by The Temptations
in the late 1960s, Motown artists were often told to not delve into
political and social commentary, fearing alienation from pop audiences.
Early in his career, Gaye was affected by social events such as the 1965
Watts riots and once asked himself, "with the world exploding around me, how am I supposed to keep singing love songs?"[99] When the singer called Gordy in the Bahamas about wanting to do protest music, Gordy cautioned him, "Marvin, don't be ridiculous. That's taking things too far."[51]
Once Gaye presented Gordy with the What's Going On album, Gordy feared Gaye was risking the ruination of his image as a sex symbol.[48] Following the album's success, Gaye tried a follow-up album that he would label You're the Man. The title track
only produced modest success, however, and Gaye and Motown shelved the
album. Later on, several of Gaye's unreleased songs of social
commentary, including "The World Is Rated X", would be issued on posthumous compilation albums. What's Going On would later be described by an AllMusic
writer as an album that "not only redefined soul music as a creative
force but also expanded its impact as an agent for social change".[100]
The album also provided another first in both Motown and R&B music: Gaye and his engineers had composed the album in a song cycle,
segueing previous songs into other songs giving the album a more
cohesive feel as opposed to R&B albums that traditionally included filler tracks to complete the album. This style of music would influence recordings by artists such as Stevie Wonder and Barry White
making the concept album format a part of 1970s R&B music. Concept
albums are usually based on either one theme or a series of themes in
connection to the original thesis of the album's concept. Let's Get It On repeated the suite-form arrangement of What's Going On, as would Gaye's later albums such as I Want You, Here, My Dear and In Our Lifetime.
Legacy
Marvin Gaye has been called, "The number-one purveyor of soul music."[11] In his book, Mercy Mercy Me: The Art, Loves and Demons of Marvin Gaye, Michael Eric Dyson described Gaye as someone "...who transcended the boundaries of rhythm and blues as no other performer had done before."[101] Following his death, the New York Times
described Gaye as someone who "blended the soul music of the urban
scene with the beat of the old-time gospel singer and became an
influential force in pop music".[102]
Further in the article, Gaye was also credited with combining "the
soulful directness of gospel music, the sweetness of soft-soul and pop,
and the vocal musicianship of a jazz singer."[102] His recordings for Motown in the 1960s and 1970s shaped that label's signature sound. His work with Motown gave him the titles Prince of Soul and Prince of Motown.[103][104]
Critics stated that Gaye's music "...signified the development of black
music from raw rhythm and blues, through sophisticated soul to the
political awareness of the 1970s and increased concentration on personal
and sexual politics thereafter."[105] As a Motown artist, Gaye was among the first to break from the reins of its production system, paving the way for Stevie Wonder.[11][106][107][108] Gaye's late 1970s and early 1980s recordings influenced contemporary forms of R&B predating the subgenres quiet storm and neo-soul.[3]
Artists from many genres have covered Gaye's music, including James Taylor, Brian McKnight, Kate Bush, Chico DeBarge, Michael McDonald, Aretha Franklin, Diana Ross, Aaliyah, A Perfect Circle, The Strokes and Gil Scott-Heron. Other artists such as D'Angelo, Common, Nas and Maxwell interpolated parts of Gaye's clothing from the singer's mid-1970s period. Gaye's clothing style was later was appropriated by Eddie Murphy in his role as James "Thunder" Early in Dreamgirls. Gaye's military-styled clothing attire in his final tour influenced Michael Jackson.[109]
According to David Ritz, "Since 1983, Marvin's name has been
mentioned—in reverential tones—on no less than seven top-ten hit
records."[104] Later performers such as Kanye West and Mary J. Blige sampled Gaye's work for their recordings.
Awards and honors
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
inducted him in 1987, declaring that Gaye "...made a huge contribution
to soul music in general and the Motown Sound in particular." The page
stated that Gaye "...possessed a classic R&B
voice that was edged with grit yet tempered with sweetness." The page
further states that Gaye "...projected an air of soulful authority
driven by fervid conviction and heartbroken vulnerability."[88] A year after his death, then-mayor of D.C., Marion Barry declared April 2 as "Marvin Gaye Jr. Memorial Scholarship Fund Day" in the city.[110] Since then, a non-profit organization has helped to organize annual Marvin Gaye Day Celebrations in the city of Washington.[111]
A year later, Gaye's mother founded the Marvin P. Gaye Jr. Memorial
Foundation in dedication to her son to help those suffering from drug abuse and alcoholism; however she died a day before the memorial was set to open in 1987.[112] Gaye's sister Jeanne once served as the foundation's chairperson.[113] In 1990, Gaye received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.[114][115] In 1996, Gaye posthumously received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame listed three Gaye recordings, I Heard It Through the Grapevine, What's Going On and Sexual Healing, among its list of the 500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll.[116] American music magazine Rolling Stone ranked Gaye number 18 on their list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time"[117] and sixth on their list of "100 Greatest Singers of All Time".[118] Q magazine ranked Gaye sixth on their list of the "100 Greatest Singers".[119]
Three of Gaye's albums, What's Going On, Let's Get It On and Here, My Dear, were ranked by Rolling Stone on their list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. What's Going On remains his largest-ranked album, reaching No. 6 on the Rolling Stone list and topped the NME list of the Top 100 Albums of All Time in 1985[120] and was later chosen in 2003 for inclusion by the Library of Congress to its National Recording Registry.[121] In addition, four of his songs, I Heard It Through the Grapevine, What's Going On, Let's Get It On and Sexual Healing made it on the Rolling Stone list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
In 2006, an old park that Gaye frequented as a teenager called Watts Branch Park in Washington was renamed Marvin Gaye Park.[122] Three years later, the 5200 block of Foote Street NE in Deanwood, Washington, DC, was renamed Marvin Gaye Way.[123] In August 2014, Gaye was inducted to the official Rhythm and Blues Music Hall of Fame in its second class.[124]
Use of his music and documentaries
His 1983 NBA All-Star performance[125] of the national anthem was used in a Nike commercial featuring the 2008 US Olympic basketball team. Also, on CBS Sports' final NBA telecast to date (before the contract moved to NBC) at the conclusion of Game 5 of the 1990 Finals, they used Gaye's 1983 All-Star Game performance over the closing credits. When VH1
launched on January 1, 1985, Gaye's 1983 rendition of the national
anthem was the very first video they aired. Most recently, it was used
in the intro to Ken Burns' Tenth Inning documentary on the game of baseball.
I Heard It Through the Grapevine was played in a Levi's ad in 1985.[126][127] The result of the commercial's success led to the original song finding renewed success in Europe after Tamla-Motown re-released it in the United Kingdom, Germany and the Netherlands.[127] In 1986, the song was covered by Buddy Miles as part of a California Raisins ad campaign.[128] The song was later used for chewing gum commercials in Finland and to promote a brand of Lucky Strike cigarettes in Germany.[129][130]
Gaye's music has also been used in numerous film soundtracks including Four Brothers and Captain America: The Winter Soldier, both of which featured Gaye's music from his Trouble Man soundtrack. I Heard It Through the Grapevine was used in the opening credits of the film, The Big Chill.[131][132][133] Gaye's music has also become a source for samples in hip-hop recordings.
In 2007, his song, A Funky Space Reincarnation, was used in the Charlize Theron-starred ad for Dior J'Adore perfume. A documentary about Gaye—What's Going On: The Marvin Gaye Story—was a UK/PBS co-production, directed by Jeremy Marre
and was first broadcast in 2006. Two years later, the special re-aired
with a different production and newer interviews after it was
re-broadcast as an American Masters special. Another documentary, focusing on his 1981 documentary, Transit Ostend, titled Remember Marvin, aired in 2006.
Earnings
In 2008, Gaye's estate earned $3.5 million (US$3,833,771 in 2015 dollars[32]). As a result, Gaye took 13th place in 'Top-Earning Dead Celebrities' in Forbes magazine.[134]
On 11 March 2015, Gaye's family was awarded $7.3 million in damages
following a decision by an eight-member jury in Los Angeles that Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams had breached copyright by incorporating part of Gaye's song "Got To Give It Up" into their hit "Blurred Lines".[135]
Tributes
Main article: List of tributes to Marvin Gaye
Discography
Main article: Marvin Gaye discography
- Studio albums
- The Soulful Moods of Marvin Gaye (1961)
- That Stubborn Kinda Fellow (1963)
- 'When I'm Alone I Cry (1964)
- Hello Broadway (1964)
- Now Sweet It Is to Be Loved by You (1965)
- A Tribute to the Great Nat "King Cole (1965)
- Moods of Marvin Gaye (1966)
- I Heard It Through the Grapvine (1968)
- M.P.G (1969)
- That's the Way Love Is (1970)
- What's Going On (1971)
- Trouble Man (1972)
- Let's Get It On (1973)
- I Want You (1976)
- Here, My Dear (1978)
- In Our Lifetime (1981)
- Midnight Love (1982)
Filmography
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- 1965: T.A.M.I. Show (documentary)
- 1969: The Ballad of Andy Crocker (television movie)
- 1971: Chrome and Hot Leather (television movie)
- 1973: Save the Children (documentary)
Videography
References
- "Marvin Gaye – Live in Montreux 1980: Marvin Gaye: Movies & TV". Amazon.com. Retrieved July 8, 2011.
Sources
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- Brooks-Bertram, Peggy (2009). Uncrowned Queens: African American Women Community Builders of Western New York, Volume 2 (Google eBook). SUNY Press. ISBN 978-0-97229-771-4.
- Browne, Ray B. (2001). The Guide to United States Popular Culture. Popular Press. ISBN 978-0-87972-821-2.
- Collier, Aldore (April 16, 1984). "Marvin Gaye: His Tragic Death and Troubled Life". Jet.
- Collier, Aldore (June 25, 1984). "Marvin Gaye's White Live-In Mate Suffers Miscarriage". Jet.
- Collier, Aldore (April 8, 1985). "A Year Later: What Happened to Marvin Gaye's Family, Fortune?". Jet.
- Collier, Aldore (May 6, 1985). "Book Reveals Marvin Gaye Feared He Would Turn Gay". Jet.
- Collier, Aldore (May 25, 1987). "Marvin Gaye's Mother Dies on Eve of Opening Drug Center She Founded As His Memorial". Jet.
- Collier, Aldore (October 15, 1990). "Gala Celebration Marks Marvin Gaye's Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame". Jet.
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- Des Barres, Pamela (1996). Rock Bottom: Dark Moments in Music Babylon. Macmillan. ISBN 0-312-14853-4.
- Dyson, Eric Michael (2004). Mercy Mercy Me: The Art, Loves and Demons of Marvin Gaye. New York/Philadelphia: Basic Civitas. ISBN 0-465-01769-X.
- Edmonds, Ben (2001). What's Going On?: Marvin Gaye and the Last Days of the Motown Sound. Canongate U.S. ISBN 1-84195-314-8.
- Edmonds, Ben (2001). Let's Get It On (Deluxe edition). Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc. MOTD 4757.
- Gaye, Frankie (2003). Marvin Gaye, My Brother. Backbeat Books. ISBN 0-87930-742-0.
- Gates, Henry Louis (2004). African American Lives. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19516-024-6.
- Gilmore, Mikal (1998). Night beat: a shadow history of rock & roll. Doubleday. ISBN 978-0-38548-435-0.
- Gulla, Bob (2008). Icons of R&B and Soul: An Encyclopedia of the Artists Who Revolutionized Rhythm. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 978-0-313-34044-4.
- "Thousands Attend Last Rites For Tammi Terrell". Jet. April 9, 1970.
- "For Reading: Marvin Gaye receives special plaque from Ms. Shirley Temple Black". Jet. November 13, 1975.
- "Landing Marvin Gaye Was a Task For CBS Records". Jet. March 29, 1982.
- Jones, Regina (March 2002). "Unbreakable: Michael Jackson". Vibe.
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- Ritz, David (1991). Divided Soul: The Life of Marvin Gaye. Cambridge, Mass: Da Capo Press. ISBN 0-306-81191-X.
- Ritz, David (July 1985). "The Last Days of Marvin Gaye". Ebony.
- Simmonds, Jeremy (2008). The Encyclopedia of Dead Rock Stars: Heroin, Handguns, and Ham Sandwiches. Chicago Review Press. ISBN 1-55652-754-3.
- Vincent, Rickey (1996). Funk: The Music, the People, and the Rhythm of the One. Macmillan. ISBN 0-312-13499-1.
- Weinger, Harry (November 5, 1994). "Jobete: Publishing Is The Highly Polished Jewel In The Gordy Co.'s Crown". Billboard.
- Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits: Complete Chart Information About America's Most Popular Songs and Artists, 1955–2003. Billboard Books. ISBN 0-8230-7499-4.
- Davis, Sharon (1991). Marvin Gaye: I Heard It Through The Grapevine. Croydon, Surrey: Book marque Ltd. ISBN 1-84018-320-9
- Gambaccini, Paul (1987). The Top 100 Rock 'n' Roll Albums of All Time. New York: Harmony Books.
- Garofalo, Reebee (1997). Rockin' Out: Popular Music in the USA. Allyn & Bacon. ISBN 0-205-13703-2.
- Heron, W. Kim (April 8, 1984). Marvin Gaye: A Life Marked by Complexity. Detroit Free Press.
- Turner, Steve (1998). Trouble Man: The Life and Death of Marvin Gaye. London: Michael Joseph. ISBN 0-7181-4112-1
- Ward, Ed, Geoffrey Stokes and Ken Tucker (1986). Rock of Ages: The Rolling Stone History of Rock and Roll. Rolling Stone Press. ISBN 0-671-54438-1.
- White, Adam (1985). The Motown Story. London: Orbis. ISBN 0-85613-626-3
External links
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Marvin Gaye
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Database entry Q189758 on Wikidata |
- Marvin Gaye at AllMovie
- Marvin Gaye at AllMusic
- Marvin Gaye at the Internet Broadway Database
- Marvin Gaye at the Internet Movie Database
- Marvin Gaye interviewed on the Pop Chronicles (1969)
- Marvin Gaye Biography
- Additional archives
