Marvin Gaye

Marvin Gaye is an American singer who delivered two timeless soul classics with the albums What's Going On and Let's Get It On.

The American singer and songwriter became one of the figureheads of the Motown soul label in the 1960s, alongside successful artists like The Four Tops, The Supremes (with Diana Ross), The Jackson 5 (with Michael Jackson), Stevie Wonder, The Miracles (with Smokey Robinson), and The Temptations. He scored hits under his own name, such as "Ain't That Peculiar, " "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)," and "I Heard It Through the Grapevine." His supple voice also proved to be a perfect complement to the vocals of his female colleagues Mary Wells, Kim Weston, Diana Ross, and Tammi Terrell, as he demonstrated on various albums and singles.

In the late 1960s, the musical climate shifted, and America, in particular, was gripped by social unrest. Motown preferred to keep its artists as far away as possible from political themes, but by the end of the decade, they loosened the reins. This allowed groups like The Temptations and artists like Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye to flourish artistically by making the most of their freedom. Marvin Gaye contributed to Motown's new heyday with "What's Going On" (1971), an album on which the singer looked around with concern, inspired by the Vietnam War and the riots in major American cities. On "Let's Get It On" (1973), he revealed a very sensual side of himself.

A painful divorce was the subject of Here, My Dear (1978), which the singer delivered as part of his business settlement. The double album wasn't exactly appreciated at the time, but was later discovered as Marvin Gaye's most personal album ever. After a period of silence, he returned with the immensely successful Midnight Love, featuring the global hit "Sexual Healing." However, the comeback was temporary. The singer fell back into old, bad habits. On April 1, 1984, he was shot and killed by his own father after a domestic dispute.

His albums have been reissued regularly since then, and in 2019, You're the Man, an album featuring partially unreleased material from the early 1970s, was released. The fact that his work has been covered over the years by bands and artists like James Taylor, Kate Bush, Cyndi Lauper, Michael McDonald, Aretha Franklin, Diana Ross, Aaliyah, Christina Aguilera, Phish, A Perfect Circle, The Strokes, and Gil Scott-Heron demonstrates that decades after his death, he is far from forgotten. Marvin Gaye remains one of the greatest composers and singers of American soul.

At Platenzaak.nl we have many CDs and LPs by Marvin Gaye, including exclusive albums.