Marvin Gaye's "I Want You" LP -- released 35 years ago this week!

[jdwheat]

[[Note: I'm not really the "anniversary" guy, but I noticed a few weeks ago that this one was coming up -- only I missed it by a day!)

Exactly 35 years ago yesterday [[March 16), Motown released one of Marvin Gaye's most intricately sensual albums, "I Want You" -- an album that's sometimes overshadowed by "What's Going On" and "Let's Get It On," but still holds an important place in Marvin Gaye's discography.

A very strong, in-depth review of the album is found on allmusic.com:

http://www.allmusic.com/album/i-want-you-r8085/review

"I Want You" was mostly recorded at Motown's Hitsville West recording studios and in Marvin's personal studio, both in Los Angeles. The album was produced by Leon Ware and Marvin, and both men co-wrote most of the songs on the album. Some regular contributors to SDF, including Mr. Coffey, played on this great album!

Released on the Tamla label, "I Want You" sold more than a million copies in 1976, and the title track went to #1 on Billboard's Soul Singles chart and Top 15 on the Hot 100. The follow-up "After the Dance" also went Top 15 on the Soul Singles chart.

The album was criticized by some at that time for just being a lighter [[less passionate), rehashed version of Let's Get It On. Since that time, however, many have revisited it and now say the album is a key part of the MG discography, with its blending of disco, jazz and classic Motown styles, setting the stage for the final years of Marvin's career, in particular the success of "Got to Give It Up" in 1977.

And, of course, the album is also well remembered for the amazing "Sugar Shack" painting by Ernie Barnes on the cover.

So give it a spin today, if you get the chance. "I Want You" is 35 years old, but it sounds timeless to me.

[daddyacey]

35 years and it still holds up as a "Classic LP" ,but in actuallity it's a sonic work of art.
A little history behind this album. It was Marvins release 2 years after "Lets Get It On". "What's Going On" ,turned out to be a masterpiece ,that Marvin was eventually doomed to commercially and artistically eithier equal or surpass. Something I don't think he expected to happen as intensely as it did. "Trouble Man" came after "WGO" and was a product of Marvins expanding his talent as a result of the windfall that WGO produced in the new attention to him as an artist ,the first project after Tammis passing and his building of his own studio and work space ,not attached to the Company ,as well as more creative control.
WGO was created from the title track ,which was expanded by Marvin ,from an idea by Benson of The Tops. From that Marvin with input from Stover and Nyx ,composed the rest of the album.
Let's Get It On ,resulted from the fact that Marvin being a sensual artist , head was in a different place . The same artistry was there and developing ,but the inception was different because of what was going on in Marvins life and lifestyle. It was a big change in direction from WGO and TM ,that paid off due to the artistry of Marvin. With the two massive hits of WGO and IWY ,Berry was chomping at the bit for another Marvin project. I believe that Marvin in this period was at a standstill due to the personal events with the company ,Anna and Jan. "I Want You" was originally a project presented to B.G. by Leon Ware. B.G. suggested that Leon work with Marvin on it ,because Marvin was not coming up with anything and B.G. wanted another M.G. project. Marvin put his mojo on the project and I.W.Y. was Marvinized. So ahead of its time that it has taken years to recognize how perfect it is. Something that would apply to all of his projects from that point on. We are just catching up to the genius exhibited in "Here My Dear' and "In Our Lifetime" some years later.

[juicefree20]

It's definitely a classic to me. And my favorite song one that LP is one of my favorite Marvin Gaye cuts period. I don't understand why but it seems to me as though "Come Live With Me, Angel" is one of the most underappreciated songs around. A sensual classic which is sexy as hell & I just believe that it deserves much more attention & acclaim than it seems to enjoy.

Simply a wonderful album!

[GeeTee(HPK)]

A great album by Marvin. I must purchase the deluxe edition CD of "I Want You", so I can hear the unreleased tracks.

[paladin]

Alaways a fave in my house, A true symphony of sound and vocals. Excellent companion piece to The Lets Get It On Deluxe Edition, I play these two often with The Trouble Man CD "shuffled" in between.......

[soulster]

I didn't even hear the album until about a year later in 1977. Aside from the title track, the interlude before and "After The Dance", I didn't think much of the album. Too much bedroom music for my taste. Obviously, I didn't care all that much for "Let's Get It On", either.

[marv2]

I bought this album in June, 1976 at K-Mart's on Manhattan Blvd. in Toledo, Ohio and played it almost daily all summer and into the Fall that year!

[Sotosound]

I bought this album on vinyl in the 70s and purchased the Deluxe Edition on CD in the noughties. The Deluxe Edition is definitely a very worthwhile purchase.

When I first heard the title track back in the 70s I was struck by how muddy and indistinct the mix sounded, with the lead vocals sometimes almost disappearing in the mix, and with some of the lyrics consequently hard to make out. Clarity and fidelity seemed to have taken a back seat to something else. All in all I really wasn’t that impressed by what I heard after the wonderful classical-style mix of WGO and the generally very clean but much harder mix of LGO.

It also took me a little while to buy the album since it had an instrumental filler track [[After The Dance) and more snippets of the instrumental jam version of the title track than seemed necessary. In this way it didn’t strike me as value for money at a time when I was young with not much available cash.

35 years on I now see it as an essential purchase for Marvin Gaye fans, if only to get hold of “Come Live With Me Angel”. Also, the muddy mix is less of an issue because the kit that I listen to it on is so much better these days and I can hear more of what they heard at the mixing desk in LA. [[This is a great advantage of being balding and greying and in my mid-50s!!!!!)

I still find myself regularly playing tracks from it, most notably “Come Live With Me Angel”, “All The Way Round” and “Soon I’ll Be Loving You”. The Deluxe Edition’s previously unreleased and much longer early mix of “Angel” is also very worthwhile. I can understand why the track was edited prior to release but the extended instrumental jam is a real bonus.

The previously unreleased single mix of the title track on the Deluxe Edition also gets a lot of listens because it’s different and actually quite good. You can even hear what Marvin is singing!

As for the style of the original album’s mix, in retrospect I can now see that it’s Leon Ware’s style, and that it’s more about feel than anything else – and that feel is classy, with James Gadson’s distinctive drumming style really driving things along.

I’m also not so worried about not hearing all of the lyrics clearly.

[[Check out “Since I Had You”. We get a barely audible spoken intro almost drowned by multiple Marvins on backing vocals. “This is the story [[YEEEAAAHH) of two lovers [[YEEEAAAHH) who did their thing [[YEEEAAAHH) then went their separate ways again [[YEEEAAAHH).” etc.)

I used to struggle with this but it’s actually a creative choice, and once I realised this I probably started to hear what Leon and Marvin had wanted me to hear.

All in all a great album. [[But WGO is still THE Marvin Gaye album for me.)

[splanky]

I loved this album when it was first issued and I love it today. After The Dance and Since I Had You especially I wore out
on vinyl!...

[paladin]

Just finished re-reading the liner notes and commentary on this set, it includes observations from Jan, Art Stewart, Harry Weinger and Leon Ware among others, simply fascinating, and a no holds barred look at the artist, his influences and moods.
Sotosound I understand your rationale, although I thought it was genius at the time it was released. Since I had You and All The Way Around were favorites of mine, the only track I wasn't that fond of was I Wanna Be Where You Are but it wasn't out of place, just a filler to my ears, in so much as I'd heard it before.......and I absolutely loved that""""yeah"""" yeah""" it was Marvin at his rebellious best, the background information on Marvin insisting that he use the word "head" as in giving Jan oral sex was quite revealing, when questioned about the word Marvin simply replied, "I can say whatever I want".....

[gary_james]

Was it well received and successful at the time?

[phil]

Yes Gary, this is from Wikipedia :

Released a day before Marvin's 37th birthday in 1976, the single was released a month after its similarly-titled parent album was released, the single gained success on both the Billboard Hot 100 and Hot Soul Singles chart, eventually peaking at number-fifteen on the Hot 100 and number-one on the R&B chart. The single's light-disco/soul approach helped the song gained a club audience after it was combined with the album's second single, "After the Dance" and peaked at number-ten on the Billboard Hot Dance/Club Play chart, Marvin's first single on that chart. Eventually the song would help its self-titled album sell over a million copies. Marvin would also be nominated with a Grammy Award for Best R&B Male Vocal Performance, losing out the second time to Lou Rawls, whom he had a competitive rivalry with, for his single, "You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine".

And I agree with the comments about the Deluxe Edition, it's a must have !

[paladin]

2768
I knew something was bugging me about this I Want YOU LP and it turned out to be not this LP at all but Marvin's Live at The Palladium, where he had used the intro of I Want You and several of the songs from the I Want You album were showcased but not "I Want You per se, nor After The Dance. Since Marvin probably performed them at some point during his overseas tour, I would love to hear them.

I listened to this cd in its entirety while I was on a extended ride through the city yesterday and was reintroduced into why I really appreciate Mr. Gaye. This album, his performance and that of his band and background singers is simply remarkable. If I could only hear the rest. Overall I think the album is superb, yes his voice cracks near the end of Distant Lover and I've heard Lets Get It On enough to last a while but his Old Fossil medley of songs are great, plus when he goes back he sings as only Marvin could, not utilizing as much of his falsetto as contained on I Want You.

The only drawback is that his duet medley of songs by Kim Weston, Tammi, & Mary Wells was not very good at all, its as though he was having trouble getting through it and Florence Lyles who has a great voice was often lagging behind or almost singing over Marvin at certain junctures of the songs. It was as I remembered and certainly not my favorite portion of the album. But it was great listening and of course his falsetto funk masterpiece "Got To Give It Up" was bumpin all the way home.

2769


PS: whenever we have discussed Live LP's on the Forum, this one is rarely mentioned ?????????

[phil]

The only drawback is that his duet medley of songs by Kim Weston, Tammi, & Mary Wells was not very good at all, its as though he was having trouble getting through it and Florence Lyles who has a great voice was often lagging behind or almost singing over Marvin at certain junctures of the songs. It was as I remembered and certainly not my favorite portion of the album. But it was great listening and of course his falsetto funk masterpiece "Got To Give It Up" was bumpin all the way home.



Paladin, there is a video of his concert in Amsterdam from that period [[1976) : http://www.amazon.com/Marvin-Gaye-Greatest-Hits-Live/dp/6305835225/ref=sr_1_14?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1301386449&sr=1-14

Personnally I enjoyed the duets with Florence Lyles, she was so gracious !

http://drpimpslab.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/MARVIN-GAYE-FLORENCE-LYLES-Live-1976.jpg

[paladin]

its as though he was having trouble getting through it and Florence Lyles who has a great voice was often lagging behind or almost singing over Marvin at certain junctures of the songs.


Ok Phil, did you enjoy the concert video or the performance that I was referring to on the Live LP ? I aint mad at ya, just want to be sure I understand your reference point.

My observation was based upon Marvin's emotional ties to Tammi, and he was telling the audience that Tammi would appreciate their response and so on, it was eerie to me because all of a sudden the continuity and flow of the performance stalled and to my ear Marvin appeared withdrawn.

[phil]

Ok Phil, did you enjoy the concert video or the performance that I was referring to on the Live LP ? I aint mad at ya, just want to be sure I understand your reference point.


Paladin, I'm talking about the video though it must be pretty similar to the LP [[I haven't heard it since a long time).

Marvin and Florence look very "together" on this show and I love Florence's voice. But maybe I'm too much a romantic soul ? :)

[paladin]

I've seen the video and the performance was better imo than the one on record and maybe thats because you had a visual as well . But if I recall the audio was kinda funky on this one. Always hated that suit of Marvins though...lol...

[GeeTee(HPK)]

I have to revisit the "Live @ the London Palladium" album,and give it a good listen.