DJ YRS Jerzy’s Wednesday Throwback: A Tribute to Marvin Gaye

By DJ YRS Jerzy
Hip Hop Vibe Staff Writer

The Wednesday Throwback this week comes a little later in the day than Hip Hop Vibe usually drops this piece. Yesterday marked the thirtieth anniversary of the death of one of hip hop’s forefathers in Marvin Gaye. So, the delay in the Wednesday Throwback feature was only to honor one of music’s biggest legends.

Marvin Gaye reigned as one of the biggest names in music from his 1961 debut, with his The Soulful Moods of Marvin Gaye to his 1982 album, Midnight Love. But, after his 1984 death, posthumous albums were dropped in his name. These titles included Dreams of a Lifetime and Vulnerable.

Born in Washington, DC, Marvin Gaye began singing in church and it led to him taking it up professionally. In 1961, Marvin Gaye released his debut album at a time when he was pursing being a Jazz star over R&B, The Soulful Moods of Marvin Gaye. This album included his first single, “Let Your Conscience Be Your Guide,” which started it all for him.

At the time of his debut, Marvin Gaye did not have much commercial success and his first two albums, The Souful Mood of Marvin Gaye and That Stubborn Kind of Fellow, released in 1963, never charted. However, Marvin Gaye’s singles did begin to make their impact on Billboard. Both “Hitch Hike” and “Pride and Joy” became the first charting singles Marvin Gaye had on Billboard, with the second of these two singles reaching the top ten.

By 1964, Marvin Gaye with Mary Wells and they would release their only joint album, properly titled Together. Meanwhile, a solo Marvin Gaye released two albums in 1964 in When I’m Alone, I Cry and Hello Broadway. The work with Marvin Gaye and Mary Wells brought his biggest commercial success, at the time, spawning the “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)” single, among others, but with that single peaking at number six on the Hot 100.

Marvin Gaye would borrow the title of his hit single with Mary Wells for his 1965 album, How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You), and shared the title single with Mary Wells. This album also produced the “Try It Baby” single with The Temptations, which went on to become a top fifteen single on Billboard Hot 100. Kim Weston would soon be partnered with Marvin Gaye and they did their classic single, “It Takes Two.”

Tammi Terrell, however, ended up being the go-to person to work with Marvin Gaye and they put out several classic singles and dominated throughout the late 1960s. They got together and dropped “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,” which Method Man famously remade. Meanwhile, Marvin Gaye had solo success off his “I’ll Be Doggone” single off Moods of Marvin Gaye.

Marvin Gaye established himself as a major solo star when he finally topped Billboard with “I Heard It Through The Grapevine,” which put him on a new level. Motown Records definitely had a star in Marvin Gaye and his M.P.G. album continued this success, becoming his first number one album. The death of Tammi Terrell provided emotional turmoil for Marvin Gaye and he took time away from the industry in 1970.

A semi-retired Marvin Gaye would still release That’s the Way Love Is in 1970, before flirting with the idea of joining the Detroit Lions in the NFL. Later in 1970, Marvin Gaye recorded “What’s Going On,” a controversial record for the time and another classic under his belt in current times. Marvin Gaye fought with Berry Gordy and Motown Records to release this single and it debuted in 1971, along with the album of the same name.

What’s Going On became Marvin Gaye’s first platinum-selling album and spawned other hits, including “Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)” and “Inner City Blues.” These efforts would not go unnoticed by the industry, as Marvin Gaye won NAACP Image Awards and received two Grammy nominations over the album. Marvin Gaye capitalized on his popularity with the release of the original Trouble Man album in 1972.

By 1973, Marvin Gaye released the “Let’s Get It On” single and album, once again taking over the charts. During this period, Marvin Gaye also scored hits in the “Come Get To This” single and also “You Sure Love To Ball,” which was considered sexually explicit, for the time. Marvin Gaye closed the year of 1973 off with reuniting with Diana Ross for his final duet album, Marvin & Diana.

After spending the next couple of years touring, Marvin Gaye returned in 1976 with I Want You. The title track was another top twenty hit for Marvin Gaye, but he had more success in 1977, with his live album, Live at the London Palladium, which spawned the chart-topping single, “Got To Give It Up.” Marvin Gaye earned double platinum success with this album and ended up reaching a new pinnacle of his career.

This pinnacle soon turned into a slump, as Marvin Gaye’s personal vices, such as a cocaine addiction and owed alimony to his ex-wife, Anna Gordy, began seeping into the surface. He recorded his Here, My Dear album as a tribute to his failed relationship with her and the album failed on the charts. Back taxes owed to the IRS also had Marvin Gaye in a tough situation and he ended up Maui, Hawaii, before going on a European tour and relocating to London.

Marvin Gaye had goals of recording a disco album called Love Man to follow up Here, My Dear, but struggles prevented this from happening and prompted relocations. Once he regained his footing, Marvin Gaye reworked the album and named it In Our Lifetime, which Gaye said was intentionally sabotaged by Motown Records. Ending his ties to Motown, Marvin Gaye relocated to Belgium and began working on his comeback, getting his personal life together in the process.

In 1982, Marvin Gaye returned with what would be his final album as a living person with Midnight Love. He managed to recapture his magic, dropping the album with Columbia Records. This album had the “Sexual Healing” single, which was an international number one hit and it ensured that Marvin Gaye went out on top, unfortunately this would be the end of his music career, as he was murdered by his father after interrupting an argument with his parents in 1984.

Yesterday marked thirty years since Marvin Gaye died and Hip Hop Vibe decided to use this week’s Wednesday Throwback as the tribute. But, to do this, meant it had to be done right and we hope that we lived up to the expectations and now we want to allow the readers to enjoy the music Marvin Gaye left with us to last a lifetime. Rest in peace to Marvin Gaye there are not enough words to express all that this man encompassed.

Watch Marvin Gaye performing “Hitch Hike” live below: