Favorite Lesser Known Songs By: Marvin Gaye

What are some of your favorite lesser known songs by Marvin?

Lesser known is the key - so no Grapevine, What's Going on, Ain't No Mountain or Let's Get It On

What are some of your fave Marvin songs that you rarely [[or never) hear on the radio?

I'm sure I have dozens but here are the two that immediately come to mind:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twj_pVbUHUM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdGuqTpSLkw

I absolutely love the multitracking that starts at 1:35. Plenty of times I listened to just that part of the song


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hc-V4NTOn5s

"I'm Crazy "Bout My Baby" with the Vandellas on BG, it was getting heavy air-play in S. Florida before it was flipped to "Can I Get A Witness".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BzuxNCdMTug

"Do You Want To Go With Me", "Lucky Lucky Me", "You`ve Been A Long Time Coming" and Marvin & Mary "Let`s Talk It Over"
Motony you beat me to "I`m Crazy `Bout My Baby" - great song.

"Tear It On Down", "It's Love I Need" - both from "In The Groove", my favorite SIXTIES Marvin album. "You're The One For Me", from the "Moods Of..." LP. And "Right On" from my all-time favorite Marvin LP "What's Going On".

My favorites among Marvin Gaye's lesser known songs are:

1. "It's A Desparate Situation"
2. "Lonely Lover"
3. "Lucky Lucky Me"
4. "I'll Take Care Of You"
5. "You're The One"
6. "This Love Starved Heart [It's Killing Me]"
7. "Court Of The Common Plea"
8. "When I Had Your Love"
9. "Hey Diddle Diddle"
10. "I Found Something"
11. "You Ain't Living Until You're Loving" [with Tammi Terrell]
12. "No Good Without You"

"You"
"That's the Way Love Is"
"One More Heartache"

This gem appeared on an episode of the 90s family drama And Life Goes On from 1966's Moods Marvin Gaye. I didn't think anyone but me was into this song.https://youtu.be/vDdwXe8Mp2E?si=T29ZSlBqcUYPrsyX

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Motown Eddie

My favorites among Marvin Gaye's lesser known songs are:

1. "It's A Desparate Situation"
2. "Lonely Lover"
3. "Lucky Lucky Me"
4. "I'll Take Care Of You"
5. "You're The One"
6. "This Love Starved Heart [It's Killing Me]"
7. "Court Of The Common Plea"
8. "When I Had Your Love"
9. "Hey Diddle Diddle"
10. "I Found Something"
11. "You Ain't Living Until You're Loving" [with Tammi Terrell]
12. "No Good Without You"

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when I first heard lonely lover, desperate situation and love starved heart I thought “how in the hell were these not released??!!”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j77UUA5HR5M

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGX08c9d0iY

If "That's The Way Love Is" is considered a lesser song, then it would be on my list. But my real choice for this question would be "Seek and You Shall Find." Great song!!!

Agree about "Seek And You Shall Find", absolute belter and my all time favourite.
Also "Chained" and "Ain't That Peculiar".

These days his later "social and political" style seems to be more in vogue but much prefer his earlier more melodic work. Suppose it's an age thing.

My initial thoughts:
Dark Side Of The World
Sparrow
The World Is Rated X
So Long
Piece Of Clay
Sweet Thing [[what a great duet with Tammi this would have made)
This Poor Heat Of Mine [[with Tammi)
That'll Be The Day [[with Kim)
When We're Together [[with Kim)
Pledging My Love [[with Diana)

This R&B top 20 hit doesn't get enough shine alongside the rest of his catalog:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A360wOzu1Io

What's Happening Brother

Here are my favorites:

Everybody Needs Love, Anna's Song [[from Here My Dear)
Praise [[from In Our Lifetime)
Please Stay [[Once You Go Away), If I Should Die Tonight [[from Let's Get It On)
Every Now and Then [[from In the Groove)
My Last Chance
All The Way Around, Since I Had You and Soon I'll Be Loving You Again [[from I Want You)
Hello There Angel, Taking My Time [[from That Stubborn Kinda Fellow)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Optimal Saint

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdGuqTpSLkw

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somebody's been listening to Michael.

We'll Be Satisfied w/ Tammi
Seek And You Shall Find
I've Found Something [[second version)
Oh, Lover w/ Mary Wells
Was It A Dream w/ Oma Heard
Rilleh w/ Oma Heard
So Good To Be Loved By You w/ Oma Heard
You Can Dance w/ Mary Wells

Quote:

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Originally Posted by sansradio

This R&B top 20 hit doesn't get enough shine alongside the rest of his catalog:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A360wOzu1Io

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I love this song. I think the album it's from is a great return to form [[much better than "Here My Dear") but it gets little recognition.

Other lesser known songs which I constantly return to are "Where Are We Going," [[I like the version from the Gold compilation) and "Symphony," from "Dream of a Lifetime," which I think almost anticipates the drum n' bass music of the late 90s.

More lesser known favorites by Marvin Gaye:

1. "God Is Love" [Single Version]
2. "Gotta to Say It, Gonna Tell It Like It Is"
3. "Hanging On"
4. "'T' Plays It Cool"
5. "Just To Keep You Satisfied"
6. "Let's Talk It Over" [with Mary Wells]
7. "You're The One For Me"
8. "That's How It Is [Since You've Been Gone]" [with Tammi Terrell]
9. "At Last [I Found A Love]"
10. "Love Party"
11. "Dark Side Of The World"
12. "Love Me Now Of Love Me Later"

Favorites of Marvin's lesser known tracks:

1) You
2) Chained
3) You've Been A Long Time Coming
4) You're The One For Me
5) I'll Take Care Of You
6) Unforgettable
7) Once Upon A Time [[w/Mary Wells)
8) What Good Am I Without You [[w/Kim Weston)
9) I Love You, Yes I Do [[w/Kim Weston)
10) Heaven Sent You, I Know [[w/Kim Weston)
11) His Eye Is On The Sparrow

Of the previously unreleased stuff not yet mentioned, "Gotta Say It, Gonna Tell It Like It Is" and "The World Is Rated X" immediately spring to mind.

not heard so much these days...

Wherever I Lay My Hat
Take This Heart Of Mine
Baby. Don't Do it
Little Darling [[I Need You)
I'll Be Doggone

I dug out a few more:

"Soldiers Plea" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aa-BU6Ij05M
"Teen Beat Song" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4JbuxZDYQk
"It Hurt Me Too" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLYPeAqZhJg
"Save The Children" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSuqBkYNVL8
"Sunny" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YuSXfGHvQhc

In addition to my entry above:

DIANA & MARVIN - "You Are Everything"
DIANA & MARVIN - "Just Say, Just Say"

All great choices here. There’s so many. This one is borderline having ranked just outside the Top 40 …

https://youtu.be/Mu2oKAuPa3Y?si=DUC2l90yrVlpeCXd

And this one is a bit more obscure. It was the B side to Stubborn Kind of Fellow …

https://youtu.be/K0CGLFzkiC4?si=6xQ2oLCvENQVovGl

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Philles/Motown Gary

In addition to my entry above:

DIANA & MARVIN - "You Are Everything"

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I love this song but I don't think of it as 'lesser known' because it was a top ten hit in the U.K. Not issued in the U.S. though （which seems a poor decision).

Somewhere in a vault is a version of 'You Are Everything' by heavy metal titans Judas Priest that's never been released. I'd really like to hear it. Even more bizarrely, it was produced by Stock, Aitken and Waterman.