One of the Motown artists – along with the likes of Michael Jackson, Lionel Richie, Diana Ross and Stevie Wonder – whose fame has extended way beyond Hitsville itself, Marvin Gaye recorded some great tracks during his lifetime.
To the general public, one of his most well-known songs would be I Heard It Through The Grapevine. The 1968 classic is instantly recognisable the moment it begins.
It’s Marvin Gaye’s contribution to the Motown Gold album. The follow up LP saw his solo effort, Too Busy Thinking About My Baby, as the chosen song.
It’s the latter that edges it for me in terms of personal choice. However, my favourite track is Wherever I Lay My Hat (That’s My Home).
Although it was recorded in 1962, it eventually saw the light of day as the B-side to Too Busy Thinking About My Baby, which was released seven years later.
I can remember the first time I heard Wherever I Lay My Hat. I was a young teenager and it was at a school-type disco. It instantly hit the spot.
It’s probably more associated with Paul Young, though, who recorded a version some years later. It remains his only UK number one single. I once saw the singer with his band, Q-Tips, again when I was much younger myself.
Marvin Gaye , a soul divided. On the one hand, regarded by many fans as this sexual entity a super stud. Yet the sad reality was that Gaye was the product of a troubled upbringing, a man who had to battle mental health issues. Marvin Gaye recorded the album Sexual Healing in Belgium. It is said he found a sense of contentment in Europe away from the racism and other problems he encountered back home. Regarding favourite tracks, Let`s Get It On and What`s Going On are seminal cuts but in the end, I am going to plump for a fairly obscure B side Lonely Lover, it is the flop to the World Is Rated X
Sadly, lots of struggles away from what the public saw.
I didn’t know that song, just found it on Spotify. It’s good, very good. Like it.
A version of Lonely Lover by Jimmy Macfarland was played on the Northern scene. I prefer the Marvin Gaye version. The Macfarland cut is a lot faster which suits the gimme twenty feet of space dancefloor exhibitionists but Marvin Gaye is the better vocalist and he draws out the emotion and sadness of the song.
Just found the other version on YouTube. It’s ok and definitely had the northern touch, but Marvin edges for me.
I much prefer the earlier Marvin Gaye to the later songs.
I’ll go for the obvious one – ‘Let’s get it on’ is far and away my favourite Marvin Gaye track.
Yeah, his most successful single.
Yep, it is the equivalent of picking the swim nearest the car park, but sometimes the swim nearest the car park is a good un’.
It’s all that bait that goes in!