THIS WEEK 50 YEARS AGO: THE HOTTEST HIT IN THE USA!



 

NUMBER 1 IN AMERICA ’68 * Marvin Gaye * 12/14/68 – 01/25/1969

 

 


 

BILLBOARD HOT 100 TOP FIVE: WEEK-ENDING December 14, 1968

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NUMBER ONE FOR 1968!

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FIFTEEN WEEKS on the singles chart, “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” by Marvin Gaye peaked this week at No. 01 (7 weeks) on the Billboard Hot 100. December 8 through January 25, 1969(Source: Billboard)

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MCRFB Link: For the previous No. 1 record in the U.S.A. 1968 GO HERE.



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MOTOWN MONDAYS: A 1960s ‘MOTOWN’ NEWS PRINT


Detroit Free Press February 21, 1965

Sunday, February 21, 1965

A MOTOWN MONDAY NEWS PRINT BACK-PAGE

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Above article is courtesy freep.com newspaper archive. Copyright 2018. Newspapers.com.

The above featured ‘Motown’ article was clipped, saved, and imaged from the credited source by Motor City Radio Flashbacks


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MOTOWN MONDAYS: A ‘MOTOWN’ 1980s NEWS PRINT


Detroit Free Press April 2 1984

Detroit Free Press April 2 1984

Monday, April 02, 1984

A MOTOWN MONDAY NEWS PRINT BACK-PAGE

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(Above article is courtesy freep.com newspaper archive. Copyright 2018. Newspapers.com.

The above featured ‘Motown’ article was clipped, saved, and imaged from the credited source by Motor City Radio Flashbacks


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MARVIN GAYE (Press Photo) 1983


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MOTOWN ’72 ALBUM: MARVIN GAYE’S ‘TROUBLE MAN’



TROUBLE MAN (SOUNDTRACK SCORE; COMPLETE LP) * TAMLA * 1972

ABOUT THIS ALBUM

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Trouble Man is a soundtrack and twelfth studio album by Motown soul singer Marvin Gaye, released on December 8, 1972, on Motown-subsidiary label Tamla Records. As the soundtrack to the 1972 Blaxploitation film of the same name, the Trouble Man soundtrack was a more contemporary move for Gaye, following his landmark politically charged album What’s Going On. This was the first album to be written and produced solely by Gaye. The only other album recorded under Gaye’s full creative control was In Our Lifetime, released in 1981.

Signing the contract in early 1972, Gaye sought to take advantage of his opportunities. Bolstered by the successes of film soundtracks such as Shaft and Superfly, Motown offered the musician a chance to compose his own film soundtrack after winning rights to produce the crime thriller,Trouble Man.

Following the closing of Detroit’s Hitsville USA studios in 1972, Motown had primarily moved its location to Los Angeles, where Gaye also relocated where he recorded the Trouble Man album. Gaye invited several musicians, including some from the Funk Brothers and musicians from Hamilton Bohannon‘s band.

Gaye would compose five different versions of the title track, including an alternate vocal version, which was used primarily for the film’s intro. The alternate version featured Gaye double-tracking two lead vocal parts into one, bringing his falsetto vocals with his tenor on top of the falsetto. The single version, which was also featured on the soundtrack, would feature a single lead vocal take. The other three versions were put on the album as instrumentals with Gaye providing synthesizer keyboards while saxophone solos (and occasionally guitar) accompany him.

The only other songs in which Gaye vocalized harmonies or performed lead vocals included “Poor Abbey Walsh”, “Cleo’s Apartment”, “Life is a Gamble”, “Don’t Mess with Mister T” and “There Goes Mister T”. (Source: WiKipedia and AllMusic)


A MCRFB Note: For the complete track listing on this album GO HERE.



TROUBLE MAN starring Robert Hooks 1972


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MOTOWN SNAPSHOT FLASHBACKS: MARVIN GAYE, ’76



I WANT YOU (COMPLETE LP) * TAMLA * 1976

ABOUT THIS ALBUM

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I WANT YOU is the fourteenth studio album by Motown artist and musician Marvin Gaye, released March 16, 1976, on Motown-subsidiary label Tamla Records. Recording sessions for the album took place throughout 1975 and 1976 at Motown Recording Studios, also known as Hitsville West, and Gaye’s personal studio Marvin’s Room in Los Angeles, California.

Gaye and album co-producer Leon Ware recorded and mixed the album at Gaye’s newly christenedMarvin’s Room Studio“, located on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles, and at Motown Recording Studios. Much like Gaye’s previous studio effort Let’s Get It On, I Want You featured Gaye’s contribution of background vocals and heavy multi-tracking. Gaye’s vocalizing style was in classic doo-wop tradition accompanied by the low tempo of string arrangements and other instrumentation was provided by The Funk Brothers.

“I Want You,” the song (also noted title of the album), was written by songwriters Leon Ware and Arthur “T-Boy” Ross and performed Marvin Gaye. It was released as a single on October 2, 1995 on the Tamla label. The song introduced a change in musical styles for Gaye, who before then had recorded songs with a funk edge. Songs such as this gave him a disco audience thanks to Ware, who produced the song alongside Gaye.

The single topped the Billboard Soul Singles chart, quickly becoming Marvin Gaye’s eleventh number-one hit on that chart, while peaking at number fifteen on the Billboard Pop Singles chart. (Sources: WiKipedia; AllMusic)

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A MCRFB Note: Click on (COMPLETE LP) for track listing on this album.



Marvin Gaye circa 1976


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