Marvin Gaye - Rockin' After Midnight

[midnightman]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Er5smRxWPSY

This song is a reason I don't listen to critics. I've seen people say after Sexual Healing, there was no other big hit to emerge from it. Uh, obviously they didn't hear this track enough!

Not only was this song a potential big hit [[which Columbia/CBS dropped the ball imho) but it showed how pioneering Marvin was. I don't think, prior to 1982 except for probably Zapp and Roger [[but their albums were out at the same time, I think), was anyone using drum machines in R&B music, it was all still live, but Marvin and Gordon Banks decided on creating an album that was visually almost a techno R&B experience [[or electro funk) and soon everyone was doing it in their own ways.

MG had to go to Europe [[in Belgium and Germany) to create the sound that came out of ML and this was one of Marvin's finest moments in the [[prematurely) autumn of his recording career. It's bittersweet though knowing how far MG would've take this sound. Some say the ML album itself predated the new jack swing movement and judging from what is here and elsewhere, they're not off.

I love the breakdowns to the song and the slow build up and Marvin's ad libs near the end [["when the night time comes, I'll be gettin' some! Get it get it get it get it..."). Genius. Pure genius, man!

[marv2]

I bought the album the week it was released in 1982. I can tell you I honestly tell you it took me a good long while before I liked "Rockin' After Midnight". It reminded me of when Marvin released "Ego Trippin' Out" a few years earlier. It sounded unfinished, and an attempt to sound contemporary with a bit of rappin' thrown in for good measure. Like when Blondie recorded their "rap" song.

[midnightman]

Ego Tripping Out came out on September 17, 1979. Rapper's Delight came out a day before that [[which is very ironic). Lol And Marvin's type of rap wasn't even popular then. He wasn't doing "clap your hands everybody!" Lol he was just "speaking" in lyrics. Kinda unique [[and unusual and bizarre for the time it came out). I love "Rapture" too.

Gordon Banks went on record saying Marvin was trying hard to escape the Motown Sound, which is why the album came off the way it did. He had to reestablish himself away from what he had known for over 20 years.

[rovereab]

I agree that RAM would, in edited, form have been a great single release.

For me 'Till Tomorrow is one of the album's and MG's finest songs. An edit of the song, missing out the lengthy intro, could have been a hit IMO.

[midnightman]

^ And the full version would've been a club hit. :)

But yeah, 'Til Tomorrow should've been a hit as well. I just feel Columbia dropped the ball though some songs seem more experimental [[Midnight Lady was almost a conceptual progressive funk song and Third World Girl had touches of reggae).

[marv2]

Ego Tripping Out came out on September 17, 1979. Rapper's Delight came out a day before that [[which is very ironic). Lol And Marvin's type of rap wasn't even popular then. He wasn't doing "clap your hands everybody!" Lol he was just "speaking" in lyrics. Kinda unique [[and unusual and bizarre for the time it came out). I love "Rapture" too.

Gordon Banks went on record saying Marvin was trying hard to escape the Motown Sound, which is why the album came off the way it did. He had to reestablish himself away from what he had known for over 20 years.

Marvin was doing the kind of rap DJ's like Jocko Henderson and them were doing starting back in the 50s.

[arr&bee]

Great song,i loved it first time i heard it.

[rovereab]

^ And the full version would've been a club hit. :)

But yeah, 'Til Tomorrow should've been a hit as well. I just feel Columbia dropped the ball though some songs seem more experimental [[Midnight Lady was almost a conceptual progressive funk song and Third World Girl had touches of reggae).

We need someone with good editing skills to try this out :)

[soulster]

This song is a reason I don't listen to critics. I've seen people say after Sexual Healing, there was no other big hit to emerge from it.

I don't listen to critics, either, but I have to tell you that they are right. "Rockin' After Midnight" wasn't even released as a single. "Sexual Healing" really was the only hit off that album. I checked Joel Whitburn's Billboard Top R&B Singles book, and, the other singles were "Till Tomorrow" and "Joy", and they didn't even hit the top 30.

"Rockin' After Midnight" may have been only a "turntable" hit. That is all. For my money, it was the only other good song on the album after "Sexual Healing".

[soulster]

But yeah, 'Til Tomorrow should've been a hit as well. I just feel Columbia dropped the ball ...

Like I just said, it was released as a single, but the label can't force the public to buy the 45. People bought the album, and that's enough. And, a lot of those copies sold only after his murder.

[soulster]

I agree that RAM would, in edited, form have been a great single release.

For me 'Till Tomorrow is one of the album's and MG's finest songs. An edit of the song, missing out the lengthy intro, could have been a hit IMO.

I have the 45. If I get a chance, i'll check to see if it was edited, as I don't recall if it was.

I could do an edited RAM myself, but I don't think you guys would like it.

[midnightman]

Like I just said, it was released as a single, but the label can't force the public to buy the 45. People bought the album, and that's enough. And, a lot of those copies sold only after his murder.

Interesting...

[soulster]

Hey, midnightman, I couldn't find my 45 of "Till Tomorrow", but I found a screenshot of the B-side, and, wouldn't you know it? It turns out that it is the edited version of "Rockin' Till Midnight"! Now I have to locate that 45 so I can do a needledrop of, or recreate that edit!

See, look:
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