shorttrini said:

It might be fair to say that Marvin was influenced by Prince by the time "Til Tomorrow" came out. All of the book that I've read talk about how Marvin didn't really care for Prince because he was stealing his fire.

ernestsewell said:

I think she did "Mercy Mercy Me". Right?

shorttrini said:

I don't let that shit bother me.

daPrettyman said:

It was the same thing that had him pissed about Lou Rawls winning his Grammys, lol.

As for why I didn't "go off", why lose your cool when someone says a comment that's just not even in your jurisdiction?

I'll post some Marvin to ease the drama here.



From '83.

Here's CHICO's rendition ft. EL:



Yeah you can say Marvin's overrated but surely your favorite musical family would DISAGREE with you, filmnordaine.

----
And oh yeah I hear a lot of Marvin's original in Prince's "Insatiable".
[Edited 5/20/09 10:47am]

Timmy84 said:

That's some straight up "Insatiable" in that song!

As for composition for others, well let's just say Donny is the only other artist that makes me cry, Marvin's the other. Curtis' music only makes you think (and that's not necessarily a bad thing) but listen to this Originals song Marvin did and tell me you don't feel shit:

The Originals - Baby I'm for Real (1969):



Oh and who can forget this Originals ditty?

The Originals - The Bells (1970):



Both songs was covered by After 7 and Color Me Badd respectively.

Oh and how about the three different versions of JUST TO KEEP YOU SATISFIED:

The Monitors (1968):


(Notice the instrumentation, it's the same instrumentation Marvin used for the 45" single version of "God is Love", which was of course, used as the b-side for "What's Going On")

The Originals (1970):
http://www.imeem.com/rnbm...satisfied/
(The instrumentation is the same from Marvin's 1973 version)

Marvin's (1973):

(He somehow cleverly took the Originals' vocals from out the 1970 version and placed their vocals into his version, in the alternate version, it's just him singing lead and background with NO Originals members)

Graycap23 said:

I like that.

The things is, the more one is influenced, I believe the better off they will be. This of course provided that someone doesn't just walk around like a textbook, passing off carbon copies as if they were originals.

What's really arrogant to me is anyone who thinks that they truly invent anything without massive/majority contributions from the past.

Marvin's After the Dance is one of El's favorite tracks, FILMNORDAINE, lol:



Now here's your boy's:

http://www.imeem.com/hani...the-dance/



And "All This Love" was supposed to originally be a Marvin joint but Marvin was never approached to do it because by the time El had written it, Marvin left the label so he and the DeBarges ended up recording it themselves.

Here's one of the songs that influenced the final vamp of that song:



Maxwell ALSO could've easily done this song too. In fact JOE did it in the Marvin is 60 tribute album and D'Angelo interpolated it in his collaboration effort with Method Man, "Make Ups 2 Break Ups".

Brendan said:

And that's the beauty of it. Thing about artists like James, Ray, Marvin and Sly is that THEY ADMIT what influenced them. Doo-wop, blues, jazz and gospel was part of Marvin's psyche, he was influenced by doo-wop groups, by Sam Cooke, by jazz crooners, by the Pentecostal church; James had Louis Jordan, Little Richard and Little Willie John; Ray was influenced by gospel, jazz and country music and by musicians like Art Tatum, Nat "King" Cole (Marvin too) and Charles Brown; Sly learned from James, Sam, Motown and, some say, Jimi.

Thing about Prince that is interesting is he NEVER admits to WHO he is influenced by though you see it in all of his music. In his funk music, Sly, James, Shuggie and George creep in it, in his more soulful music, Marvin, Chaka, Smokey and 'em I can definitely hear in Prince's falsetto. In his guitar playing, you hear Jimi and Carlos, Ernie Isley and Eddie Hazel, in his overall instrumentation, Todd Rundgren is an influence.

And this is a man who claims he don't like men singing...yeah right Prince.

This song and Just to Keep You Satisfied are my all-time faves on the "Let's Get It On" album.

daPrettyman said:

I think she did a version of "Inner City Blues", for a tribute special for Marvin.

shorttrini said:

Yeah she did. Angela Winbush did a version that same year:

ernestsewell said:

Yes, it is. I remember when it first came out, I was like...Whoa!!

I always thought this was one of Marvin's best compositions that he gave to others:

The Miracles - I Love You Secretly:



Marvin's 1972 demo of "I Love You Secretly" titled "My Last Chance":



Marvin basically fooled around with this song, lol. I think he really wanted Smokey (another of his influences in his later work) to sing it but when Smokey left, he retooled it for Billy Griffin, whose falsetto was higher than Smokey's.

Timmy84 said:

Exactly, when Prince said that he doesn't listen to male singers, I knew he was lying because you can hear marvin, smokey, sly, and the rest you mentioned. Prince is a trip, which is why I take a lot of what he says with a grain of salt. I would really like to know why he doesn't acknowledge his infuluences except for Larry. Timmy I really like your posts . I learn a lot. You're one of the few people on here who actually knows what they're talking about. Do you know if Shuggie's father Johnny Otis is still living? He used to host a radio program in the Bay Area. He was very old then and I haven't heard anything about him in years.

candy2277 said:

Thanks, Candy. But yeah, I wonder why too. And just Larry?
Yeah Johnny Otis is still living. Shuggie still plays in his dad's band last I heard.

Who the hell is "Shuggie"?
I have heard P say Sly was a huge influence.
Also, I don't like Marvin, but I would be pissed as hell if Lou Rawls was winning Grammys over me as well.

scriptgirl said:

Marvin Gaye may have been many things but he was NEVER overatted. Now Madonna, Elvis that's what I call overrated!

Timmy84 said:

I just want to add that I'm a big Marvin Gaye fan, as well. Him and Prince are the only two artist that I own a large collection of music. I got into Marvin first, though. He just moves me. Unlike a lot of people in my age group (earlier 30's), I didn't fall in love wiht Marvin because of his post "What Is Going On" work, but his earlier recordings. Songs like "Can I Get A Witness", "You're A Wonderful One", and "Stubborn Kind Of Fella". Also, the duets with Tammi Terrel and Kim Weston. I have to admit I don't know much about his 80s work, mostly because I ingnored it. I feel that Marvin had so much more to offer but was restricted in his earlier years by Motown and in later years by himself due to drug addiction. Most people don't know that he played the drums and piano. For instance, he played the drums on the song "Dancing In The Streets" by Martha and the Vandellas.

candy2277 said:

He didn't say he didn't listen to them. He said he loves the female voice.

In many ways, Marvin was UNDERRATED. I mean the only songs the mainstream ever TALKS about are the Tammi Terrell duets, "I Heard It Through the Grapevine", the "What's Going On" album, the "Let's Get It On" album, maybe a little talk of "I Want You" and "Here, My Dear", then skip to "Sexual Healing" and that's it. But there was more to him than that.

He was one of the greatest soulful pop crooners of the '60s, he was the alternative to the grittier Otis Redding of Stax really, he was one of the great songwriters and vocal masters of the '70s, and he was one of "contemporary R&B's" greatest forefathers of the '80s.

But you'll never hear that outside the R&B community. True he's regarded by the mainstream as a music legend (as he should) but I wouldn't go that far calling him overrated. But hey if that's what you think, hey, don't think I'm trying to change your mind. I like "Rhythm of the Night" and you don't. It's a free country.

ANYWAYS, more Marvin for the rest of us:

Here, My Dear/I Met a Little Girl:



When Did You Stop Loving Me, When Did I Stop Loving You:



Anger:

daPrettyman said:

Patti LaBelle influenced him, I'm convinced of it. In fact he sounds more like Patti when he begins shrieking.

scriptgirl said:

Please, stop posting. Now.

FuNkeNsteiN said:

lol...

Just because I don't like Marvin doesn't mean my posting rights should be revoked.

Is That Enough?





Everybody Needs Love:

Timmy, I agree with your statement of Marvin being one of the greatest soulful pop crooners of the '60s. The other would be Sam Cooke IMO. How do you think they compare?

This song (yeah y'all are not gonna like it but I know SOME will) sampled "Is That Enough":

Sippin' on Some Syrup - Three 6 Mafia (just listen to the intro of "Is That Enough"):



(RIP Pimp C)

candy2277 said:

They compare well. I think Sam would've had a slight edge over Marvin had he lived past 33.

He seemed to be on his way to blazing a bigger trail than he eventually left us with. Then again who really knows?

Marvin was probably the closest to Sam's heir apparent, he and Al Green.

But I love them both equally tho even though I prefer Marvin's overall music.
[Edited 5/20/09 12:42pm]