Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr. (April 2, 1939 – April 1, 1984), better known by his stage name Marvin Gaye (he added the 'e' as a young man), was an acclaimed American singer-songwriter and musician with a three-octave vocal range, who achieved major success in the 1960s and 1970s as an artist for the Motown Records label. He was shot dead by his father on April 1, 1984.
Starting his career as a member of the doo-wop group The Moonglows in the late 1950s, he ventured into a solo career after the group disbanded in 1960, signing with Motown Records subsidiary, Tamla. He started off as a session drummer, but later ranked as the label's top-selling solo artist during the 1960s. He was crowned "The Prince of Motown" and "The Prince of Soul" because of solo hits such as "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)", "Ain't That Peculiar", "I Heard It Through the Grapevine," and his duet singles with singers such as Mary Wells and Tammi Terrell. His work in the early- and mid-1970s included the albums, What's Going On, Let's Get It On, and I Want You, which helped influence the quiet storm, urban adult contemporary, and slow jam genres.
Gaye released the Midnight Love album in October 1982. The parent single, "Sexual Healing", was released to receptive audiences globally, reaching number-one in Canada, New Zealand and the US R&B singles chart, while becoming a top ten US pop hit and hitting the top ten in three other selected countries including the UK. The single became the fastest-selling and fastest-rising single in five years on the R&B chart staying at number-one for a record-setting ten weeks.
In 2008, the American music magazine Rolling Stone ranked Gaye at number 6 on its list of the Greatest Singers of All Time, and ranked at number 18 on 100 Greatest Artists of All Time, and he ranked number 20 on VH1's list of 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. Gaye was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987.
This remastered 2cd set, Midnight Love and the Sexual Healing Sessions, was released in 1998.
Tracklist:
All tracks composed by Marvin Gaye; except where indicated.
Disc 1- Midnight Love
1. "Midnight Lady" – 5:17
2. "Sexual Healing" (Odell Brown, Gaye, David Ritz) – 3:59
3. "Rockin' After Midnight" – 6:04
4. "'Til Tomorrow" – 4:57
5. "Turn On Some Music" – 5:08
6. "Third World Girl" – 4:36
7. "Joy" – 4:22
8. "My Love Is Waiting" (Gordon Banks) – 5:07
Disc 2- The Sexual Healing Sessions
1. Clique Games/Rick James (Original Version Of "Midnight Lady") - 5:38
2. Sexual Healing (Alternate 12-inch Instrumental) - 4:38
3. Sexual Healing (Original Vocal Version) - 4:39
4. Sexual Healing (Alternate Vocal/Mix) - 4:49
5. I Bet You Wonder (Original Version Of "Rockin' After Midnight") - 6:42
6. Rockin' After Midnight (Instrumental) - 7:00
7. Baby, Baby, Baby (Original Version Of "'Til Tomorrow") - 6:54
8. I've Got My Music (Original Version Of "Turn On Some Music") - 5:33
9. Turn On Some Music (Alternate Vocal/Mix) - 5:16
10. Third World Girl (Original Reggae Version) - 8:00
11. Third World Girl (Alternate Vocal/Mix) - 6:34
12. My Love Is Waiting (Alternate Vocal/Mix) - 5:15
13. Marvin's Message To The CBS Record Staff - 1:01
14. Sexual Healing (Rehearsal Tape Courtesy Of David Ritz) - 2:14
Personnel
• Marvin Gaye - vocals, drums, Fender Rhodes piano, synthesizer, organ, bells, glockenspiel, vibraphone, finger cymbals, bongos, congas
• Gordon Banks - guitar, bass, background vocals, drums, Fender Rhodes piano
• James Gadson - drums on "Midnight Lady"
• Bobby Stern - tenor saxophone, harmonica
• Joel Peskin - alto & tenor saxophone
• Harvey Fuqua - backing vocals on "Sexual Healing", editing, mixing, production advisor
• David Stout And The L.A. Horn Section - horns
