TGIF Oldies Memorial Edition: Marvin Gaye: What's Going On - 1971

Reaganite Republican ^ | April 1, 2011 | Reaganite Republican

[Reaganite Republican]

Marvin Gaye was tragically shot by his own father

on this day, April 1st, 1984... 

Twenty-seven years ago today gifted R-n-B singer, songwriter, musician, arranger, and record producer Marvin Gaye was killed in a family argument, shot with a gun he had given his father just four months previous.


The elder stood trail for the crime, but was sentenced only to probation once the fact that his son had beat him up prior to the shooting came to light.

The DC native -born Marvin Pentz Gay Jr.- had great difficulties with the ups and  downs of show business, suffering from depression and succumbing to drug abuse. A move to his parents' house on the tail of an early 80s comeback was to give him a fresh start, away from dangerous influences... to say the least, things didn't go to plan.

This all went down when I was in college, so of course there were some pretty bad Marvin Gaye  jokes floating around, i.e. "What did Marvin Gaye do for his birthday? Went over his old man's house for a few shots!" and "What did Marvin Gaye's dad say to him before he popped him? 'This is the last 45 you'll ever hear!' "...classy, huh? -sorry

Anyhoo, when he came on the scene as a member of doo-wop group The Moonglows in the late 1950s, Marvin Gaye was known for an astounding four-octave vocal range. Later moving on as a solo act, and the hits came quickly, with early ones "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)", "Ain't That Peculiar", and "I Heard It Through the Grapevine".

He also became known for duets with females such as Mary Wells and Tammi Terrell, and was crowned "The Prince of Motown" and "The Prince of Soul". Marvin Gaye was very influential on the "quiet storm," urban adult contemporary, and slow jam radio genres. 

Other 1970s hits from Marvin Gaye include such radio standards "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing", "Let's Get It On", "That's the Way Love Is", "Mercy Mercy Me", and "What's Going On" (featured below).

After a self-imposed European exile in the early eighties, Gaye returned on the 1982 Grammy-Award winning hit, "Sexual Healing" as well as "Sanctified Lady" right before his death. Gaye was posthumously inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987, and Rolling Stone placed Gaye at a lofty # 6 on its list of Greatest Singers of All Time and #18 of 100 on Greatest Artists of All Time.

And yeah, he sounds like an antiwar environmentalist/socialist and a complete and total liberal- and a fairly unstable one at that (or is that redundant?).  

But that's OK... I'm just here for the music, and Marvin Gaye sounds real, real good to me- call me a fan:

Marvin Gaye: What's Going On - 1971


[video clip]


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Soulwalking.UK   Wikipedia   LastFM


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Previous RR Oldies features -here-

[ZirconEncrustedTweezers]

I’m primarily a fan of hard/heavy rock and progressive rock, but Marvin Gaye is one of my favorite singers.

[Reaganite Republican]

I am coming from the exact same place... when somebody’s good, they’re good. Same reason I listen to Woodie Guthrie, Billy Holiday, Robert Johnson, and Sinatra- none my favorite genre but you’re definitely missing something if you don’t check ‘em out.

[southernsunshine]

I’m coming from the same place, too.

Let’s throw a little Barry White in this thread:)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVESzTCqc50&feature=related
You’re the first, my last, my everything

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0I6mhZ5wMw&feature=related
Can’t Get Enough Of Your Love Baby

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hXzKnVgMdU&feature=related
You Sexy Thang

[popdonnelly]

I like Marvin Gaye, but with the passage of time, I see this song as “radiclib” crap.

[Boogieman]

“I like Marvin Gaye, but with the passage of time, I see this song as “radiclib” crap.”

Yes, that’s true, but musically it’s top-notch. The whole album is really worth a listen, it’s quite symphonic.

[Boogieman]

One of my favorite songs by Marvin, makes me wish he recorded more Gospel:

Marvin Gaye - His Eye Is On The Sparrow

[mstar]

Oh Lordy Ms Lady Sunshine. . . Barry White, some good music.

Well Folks, really sorry about Marvin and all the lib influence, but its R&B Time

How bout some The Temps with "Shout"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a51ROAU0Tes

Jackie Wilson "Baby Work Out"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KzRWE59Ktsc

Tina "Fool In Love"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6DN11Q4Kao

[dfwgator]

Here’s a good debate topic: Marvin Gaye vs Sam Cooke. Personally, I think Sam Cooke was better.

[Boogieman]

“Marvin Gaye vs Sam Cooke.”

Sam Cooke for me too. Though, I’ll give Marvin credit for being a great producer, though with Sam’s career cut short, we can’t really say if he would have branched out into that or not.

[dfwgator]

I know a lot of people liked his rendition of the National Anthem for the NBA All-Star Game, I thought it was crass, so he loses points.

[Talisker]

The elder stood trail for the crime, but was sentenced only to probation once the fact that his son had beat him up prior to the shooting came to light.

Interesting, I never read this before. It puts a whole different spin on things. It seems druggie Marvin was physically violent and abusive, and tried one attack too many.

But that description isn't good for record sales, is it?

[Boogieman]

I joke about that with a buddy that likes that version. I say it sounds like his band split when he spent they pay on cocaine, so he stole the Casio Stevie Wonder wrote “I Just Called To Say I Love You” on and just set it to Beat #3.

[Reaganite Republican]

I love it, add this to a bottle of wine with the wife tonite and we’re set lol

[Reaganite Republican]

Gotta be careful with that one- just ask Christina Aguilera

[Boogieman]

This is probably my favorite Sam Cooke tune (with Lou Rawls doing the backup vocals):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAQE-tHjPAc