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  1. #1
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    Which Marvin was your favorite?

    When I think about Marvin Gaye, I think of 2 distinct periods: Before What's Going On and What's Going On and after. Of the 2 periods, I'd have to say that before What's Going On is my favorite period. Of course, that's not to say that What's Going On and after didn't have any material that I liked.

    Which period would you say is your favorite?

  2. #2
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    For me, it’s What’s Going On and after. Marvin took so many risks stylistically, vocally and content-wise that paid off in a thrilling way. His social [[and sexual) commentary on his albums after WGO set a template and influenced generations and schools of music [[Prince and his acolytes being the ultimate examples). Not to take away from his earlier work, which was brilliant as well, but WGO, Let’s Get It On, [[especially) I Want You and even the cutting snark of Here, My Dear send me to heights - and depths - that the early stuff can’t hold a candle to.

  3. #3
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    For me, it's his time with The Marquees and The Moonglows, and his early Tamla cuts til about 1967. But, it's more about the fact that I didn't like the music being made, in general after 1967. Don't get me wrong. I was an environmental scientist. So, I was an environmentalist. Ever since I first came to USA I lived in mixed [[or mostly African-American) neighbourhoods, so I was for better "race relations", and human rights for all. So, I agree with the messages of "Mercy, Mercy, Me" and "What's Going On". And, I liked Marvin's voice, and appreciated his singing ability. I just didn't didn't like the music. Same with the new style The Temptations were singing, and Undisputed Truth, and the other new style. The only song I liked by Sly Stone was "Hot Fun In The Summertime", because it had an old style melody.

    I actually liked his earliest Tamla cuts better than even his monster hits from the mid '60s. I liked "Never Let You Go", "Stubborn Kind Of Fella", "Try It Baby" and Little Darling" much, much better than "I heard It Through The Grapevine" [[which I like much, much better by Gladys Knight & The Pips).

    I'm sure there is probably NO other member of this forum who agrees with me, or can even understand how I could think that way. I am more a creature of the late 1800s to the 1960s than a person from my time [[1940s to now). You know how people in their 90s start freaking out that The World has become too weird for them. That their time passed-The World has passed them by. I started feeling that way in the late 1960s. Imagine how I'll feel at 100+.
    Last edited by robb_k; 10-21-2018 at 11:55 PM.

  4. #4
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    For me this would be an absolute no-brainer. Marvin's 60s Motown material, including of course all the great duets with Mary, Kim, Tammi and Diana, were the epitome of the Motown Sound. But when he changed so drastically stylistically, he went away from the Marvin we had gotten to know.

    Now of course he did it for his own enjoyment and expression, which of course any artist has a right to do, and of course some of that material still "worked." But sometimes when one changes his or her style that drastically, it is a tough adjustment for the fans.

    I can think of very few artists over the years who made a drastic change in their style and I liked the second version better. It is all about comfort level.

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    Great thread. I have kind of a mixed reaction to the question posed. I know his What's Going On and later material is supposed to be his best; obviously, he broke through to all kinds of new ground and brought black music, along with Stevie Wonder and some others, to new heights. But I still love his earlier material best. It's so innocent and free and his voice was so great in those days. My favorite MPG album is "That's the Way Love Is," in which he sang several tunes in his beautiful falsetto, too. The man was a real artist.

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    As much as I love '60s Marvin, I prefer the Marvin post-'60s [[1971-84). The Marvin that changed pop music forever. Plus the beard, the ear piercings, the clothes, the total aesthetic, etc. so yeah.

    UPDATE: on second thought, I've reconsidered and my answer is Marvin from 1959 until 1983.

    In other words, EVERY ERA of Marvin.
    Last edited by midnightman; 10-22-2018 at 01:56 PM.

  7. #7
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    His best stuff was the underrated soul songs like LITTLE DARLING, I'LL BE DOGGONE, I GOT TO GET TO CALIFORNIA, IT'S A DESPERATE SITUATION ETC. Plus he looked the best then. The scruffy beard was a big no no.

  8. #8
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    Marvin's 1960's image and sound gets my vote. Without doubt, he was in every way the Prince of Motown. Whether he used his soulful voice, his sweet, balladeer voice, or his angry voice, he was lookin' dapper and sounding classy. From "How Sweet It Is" through and including "What's Going On", Marvin could do no wrong. After that, he started losing me. I like "Come Get To This" and "Got To Give It Up" but that's about it. I bought all of Marvin's later '70s albums to remain faithful to Motown, but I played them once and rarely ever again. By then, it was a far cry from the once-phenomenol and addicting Motown Sound.

  9. #9
    IMO, my favorite is 60´s Marvin, with all his work with the ladies Mary, Oma, Kim and finally Tammi. I love his underrated duets with Oma Page. There are only a few tracks from his post-60´s time, "It´s in a desperate situation", "Inner City blues" and his version of "Hope I don´t get my heart broke"

  10. #10
    70's and onwards... Not a bad album, more appreciated over time.... changed from a singer to an artist - Even In Our Lifetime? :-) All of these releases have massively benefitted as deluxe or expanded editions. I Want You is a masterpiece [[overlooked because of What's Going On and Let's Get It On)....

  11. #11
    60's for me... "Little Darling", "Your Unchanging Love", "Ain't That Peculiar", and not forgetting some of the unreleased classics like "Love Starved Heart", "When I Feel The Need", "My Love For You" etc...

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    Quote Originally Posted by kenneth View Post
    Great thread. I have kind of a mixed reaction to the question posed. I know his What's Going On and later material is supposed to be his best; obviously, he broke through to all kinds of new ground and brought black music, along with Stevie Wonder and some others, to new heights. But I still love his earlier material best. It's so innocent and free and his voice was so great in those days. My favorite MPG album is "That's the Way Love Is," in which he sang several tunes in his beautiful falsetto, too. The man was a real artist.
    I agree with everything​ in this post!

  13. #13
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    Good question. For me it's Marvin's post What's Going On period. I still love '60s Marvin [[with too many great songs to name here) but in the '70s, he was part of a movement which I love [[along with Isaac Hayes, Stevie Wonder, Donny Hathaway & others) that successfully expanded both the musical and lyrical pallet of Soul Music.
    Last edited by Motown Eddie; 10-22-2018 at 04:15 PM.

  14. #14
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    Marvin is without question my absolute favorite male vocalist of all time. I may have to have a debate with myself about who would fall in line from numbers 2 thru one million, but never for number one. So my answer to the question of which Marvin is my favorite would have to be: BOTH. I can't make a distinction. Surely Marvin's personal growth as an all around artist was front and center with the release of What's Going On and the albums after it, but vocally he was still who he had always been. He always found the right mark, going hard when the song called for it, or smoothing it out. Sometimes he went hard and smooth in the same song. Marvin was a vocal beast. The ability he possessed in his vocal chords attack me in a way that no other male singer has been able to do. I love the doowopish stuff, the MOR stuff, the classic Motown, the artistic Marvin of the 70s, and the experimental Marvin of the 80s, although I will admit that some of his experiments fall flat for me. "Sexual Healing" is as good as anything he ever did, IMO. "Night Life" kills me. He even makes the corny "Abraham, Martin and John" sound great! The entire WGO, LGIO, IWY and HMD are album masterpieces. But for me it's always just Marvin, no distinctions. I love Marvin Gaye...period.

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by RanRan79 View Post
    Marvin is without question my absolute favorite male vocalist of all time. I may have to have a debate with myself about who would fall in line from numbers 2 thru one million, but never for number one. So my answer to the question of which Marvin is my favorite would have to be: BOTH. I can't make a distinction. Surely Marvin's personal growth as an all around artist was front and center with the release of What's Going On and the albums after it, but vocally he was still who he had always been. He always found the right mark, going hard when the song called for it, or smoothing it out. Sometimes he went hard and smooth in the same song. Marvin was a vocal beast. The ability he possessed in his vocal chords attack me in a way that no other male singer has been able to do. I love the doowopish stuff, the MOR stuff, the classic Motown, the artistic Marvin of the 70s, and the experimental Marvin of the 80s, although I will admit that some of his experiments fall flat for me. "Sexual Healing" is as good as anything he ever did, IMO. "Night Life" kills me. He even makes the corny "Abraham, Martin and John" sound great! The entire WGO, LGIO, IWY and HMD are album masterpieces. But for me it's always just Marvin, no distinctions. I love Marvin Gaye...period.
    Haha yeah I'm actually in that same boat. I'm changing my vote to both too.

  16. #16
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    Great thread. For starters, Marvin Gaye was without peer as a soul singer in his era in my opinion. Till this day, no singer has moved me with the possible exception of maybe David Ruffin like "The Master". Nobody sang like that before nor since and like his admirer the great Michael Jackson,his shoes are still empty. Unbelievably talented.

    To answer the question directly, I love both parts of his career. However I do believe that he was a much better singer in the 70's than in the previous decade. The only thing missing was the vast selection of material to appreciate it due to Marvin being his own man. Had he allowed himself to be produced we would have much more material than we actually do.
    The growth of his vocal talents are so critical that I can't listen to both era's simultaneously. I have to consume one,create an intermission and slide into the next no matter what the order may be.

    1960-1963: Marvin doesn't understand how to use what he has fully. He borrows a lot from his influences and struggles to fully express what the songs want to relate.

    1964-1966: The building blocks are laid in developing a style. He's learned to how to make the public feel where he's coming from by making vocal adjustments. His tones are sweet and pure. He can't sing ballads and standards at all, but gives life to anything original. Great tricks and acrobatics are in his bag too.

    1967-1970: He's uniquely himself. The style is there along with an unmatched understanding of lyrical content. Still can't grasp ahold to standards. He's developed his " tough man" voice due to current changes in music,which he overuses occasionally, but he's notorious. He realizes he sings too loud and lays the groundwork for his landmark album.

    1971-1984: The Master has arrived. He knows the rulebook inside out and has created his own in the process. His genius really shines here and had he not used drugs would've shone considerably more. He's the authority of his talent and inspires nearly all his contemporaries in the industry of both genders until his untimely death.

    My condensed version of Marvin's growth as a vocalist.

  17. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by quinn View Post
    great thread. For starters, marvin gaye was without peer as a soul singer in his era in my opinion. Till this day, no singer has moved me with the possible exception of maybe david ruffin like "the master". Nobody sang like that before nor since and like his admirer the great michael jackson,his shoes are still empty. Unbelievably talented.

    To answer the question directly, i love both parts of his career. However i do believe that he was a much better singer in the 70's than in the previous decade. The only thing missing was the vast selection of material to appreciate it due to marvin being his own man. Had he allowed himself to be produced we would have much more material than we actually do.
    The growth of his vocal talents are so critical that i can't listen to both era's simultaneously. I have to consume one,create an intermission and slide into the next no matter what the order may be.

    1960-1963: Marvin doesn't understand how to use what he has fully. He borrows a lot from his influences and struggles to fully express what the songs want to relate.

    1964-1966: The building blocks are laid in developing a style. He's learned to how to make the public feel where he's coming from by making vocal adjustments. His tones are sweet and pure. He can't sing ballads and standards at all, but gives life to anything original. Great tricks and acrobatics are in his bag too.

    1967-1970: He's uniquely himself. The style is there along with an unmatched understanding of lyrical content. Still can't grasp ahold to standards. He's developed his " tough man" voice due to current changes in music,which he overuses occasionally, but he's notorious. He realizes he sings too loud and lays the groundwork for his landmark album.

    1971-1984: The master has arrived. He knows the rulebook inside out and has created his own in the process. His genius really shines here and had he not used drugs would've shone considerably more. He's the authority of his talent and inspires nearly all his contemporaries in the industry of both genders until his untimely death.

    My condensed version of marvin's growth as a vocalist.
    excellent summary quinn,excellent!!

  18. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by Quinn View Post
    Great thread. For starters, Marvin Gaye was without peer as a soul singer in his era in my opinion. Till this day, no singer has moved me with the possible exception of maybe David Ruffin like "The Master". Nobody sang like that before nor since and like his admirer the great Michael Jackson,his shoes are still empty. Unbelievably talented.

    To answer the question directly, I love both parts of his career. However I do believe that he was a much better singer in the 70's than in the previous decade. The only thing missing was the vast selection of material to appreciate it due to Marvin being his own man. Had he allowed himself to be produced we would have much more material than we actually do.
    The growth of his vocal talents are so critical that I can't listen to both era's simultaneously. I have to consume one,create an intermission and slide into the next no matter what the order may be.

    1960-1963: Marvin doesn't understand how to use what he has fully. He borrows a lot from his influences and struggles to fully express what the songs want to relate.

    1964-1966: The building blocks are laid in developing a style. He's learned to how to make the public feel where he's coming from by making vocal adjustments. His tones are sweet and pure. He can't sing ballads and standards at all, but gives life to anything original. Great tricks and acrobatics are in his bag too.

    1967-1970: He's uniquely himself. The style is there along with an unmatched understanding of lyrical content. Still can't grasp ahold to standards. He's developed his " tough man" voice due to current changes in music,which he overuses occasionally, but he's notorious. He realizes he sings too loud and lays the groundwork for his landmark album.

    1971-1984: The Master has arrived. He knows the rulebook inside out and has created his own in the process. His genius really shines here and had he not used drugs would've shone considerably more. He's the authority of his talent and inspires nearly all his contemporaries in the industry of both genders until his untimely death.

    My condensed version of Marvin's growth as a vocalist.


    And I agree with you 110%. Greatest male vocalist of all time!!!

  19. #19
    Like 60s Marvin the best Late '63 to '68...But I like "Got To Give It Up" but can't stand
    "Sexual Healing"

  20. #20
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    Here is a similar thread we did some years ago that has some great info. on this subject:

    https://soulfuldetroit.com/showthrea...in+Gaye+period

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    Quote Originally Posted by nevertoolate View Post
    Like 60s Marvin the best Late '63 to '68...But I like "Got To Give It Up" but can't stand
    "Sexual Healing"

  22. #22
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    Quote Originally Posted by simon.millar View Post
    70's and onwards... Not a bad album, more appreciated over time.... changed from a singer to an artist - Even In Our Lifetime? :-) All of these releases have massively benefitted as deluxe or expanded editions. I Want You is a masterpiece [[overlooked because of What's Going On and Let's Get It On)....
    This. Great summary of my thoughts. Very much enjoy I Want You and of course What’s Going On.

  23. #23
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    A little bit of the early years and a little bit of the later years - but not Grapevine or Sexual Healing; yes to I’ll Be Doggone, One More Heartache and I Want You

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    @jobeterob, okay, to each his own, but "no" to Grapevine...? Gasp!

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    Recently someone else on another thread said a similar thing

    Probably a result of saturation!

  26. #26
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    Quote Originally Posted by jobeterob View Post
    A little bit of the early years and a little bit of the later years - but not Grapevine or Sexual Healing; yes to I’ll Be Doggone, One More Heartache and I Want You

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    Nothing comes close for me to the wonderful songs written by HDH and Smokey for Marvin in the 60s.

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    IMHO, saying one side is better than the other takes away from the artist. That's why you have to put things in retrospect. You can't have one without the other and I love all the eras of Marvin:

    The doo-wop/jazzy blues Marvin [[1959-61)
    The pioneer of soul Marvin [[1962-64)
    The crossover prince of soul Marvin [[1965-67)
    The romantic crooner duel Marvin [[1967-69)
    The earthy gritty Marvin [[1967-70)
    The socially conscious Marvin [[1970-72)
    The controversial but subtle Marvin [[1973-81)
    The controversial and sexually explicit Marvin [[1982-his death)

    He had something for EVERYONE. You can't stay that about a lot of artists in his era. Sam Cooke and Otis Redding never had a chance to evolve because of early death but Marvin shows you how evolution and reinvention works in your favor. I look at him as an R&B Bowie in a way, not in the way Bowie expressed himself, but i the way that these two never stayed the same. Always changing.

    That's why Marvin's albums never stayed the same in the '70s and '80s. His last album basically predated the new jack swing era before people even heard of the term. They didn't call Marvin a trailblazer and trendsetter for nothing.

  29. #29
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    To be clear, I was asking from a perspective of personal preference. My intention was not to say that one "era" was better than another.

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    Quote Originally Posted by lockhartgary View Post
    To be clear, I was asking from a perspective of personal preference. My intention was not to say that one "era" was better than another.
    I know.

  31. #31
    Simple answer is pre 'What's Going On' which is good but not as good as it's supposed to be. A little pretentious for my liking!

  32. #32
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    I like all Marvin from '62 to '82. It is hard to pick a favourite era, because they're each quite different. I like Moods Of Marvin Gaye, United with Tammi, and In The Groove, but I also like What's Going On and Let's Get It On, ya know.

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