Hi everyone. I was just thinking about some random things earlier today while listening to music. I was thinking about how similar El's and Prince's falsetto voices are similar to Marvin Gaye. If you listen closely to their ballads, you can hear Gaye's influence. The unique thing is that they both manage to channel the influence while creating their own style. I've heard music critics compare Debarge to Marvin but not Prince. Miles Davis is the only one that has in his autobiography. I know some will argue De Angelo and Maxwell. I disagree. De Angelo onlys in the sense that he channels Prince who channels Marvin. Maxwell is unique in that he combines a little of Prince and El who both again channel Marvin.

Sidenote:

In Marvin's autobioagraphy he accuses Prince of copying his style. It really seemed like Marvin didn't like Prince. I have never heard Prince credit Marvin publically. Was Prince mad about what Marvin said about him in his auto bioagraphy? Then there is the Prince and Nona relationship.

Well orgers agree or disagree? I'm open to all kinds of opinion. I just want a good discussion.

Marvin died in 84. Nona and Prince didn't hook up till the 90s. I also see no resemblance between Prince and Marvin, who I feel is overrated anyway. Marvin was probably just bitter towards Prince for I don't know what.I feel Donny Hathaway is a much better musician that Marvin, as is Curtis Mayfield.
[Edited 5/19/09 23:20pm]

scriptgirl said:

Marvin....overrated?

Not a fan of Marvin's. Never have been.

candy2277 said:

I don't know about all that, lol. I won't go into it because it's kinda dangerous. Anyway, yeah I feel El, Maxwell and D'Angelo do channel Marvin. D'Angelo and Maxwell also channel Prince in a way. Marvin was definitely an influence on them vocal-wise.

Timmy84 said:

Wow dude, I thought those Marvin bashing posts would've had you all fired up
. And I didn't know that Prince dated Nona, wow, Marvin, Rick James, and Prince, she just loves musicians I guess.

I remember when this forum had people who knew what the hell they were talking about.

mrpunkfunk said:

Prince was engaged to Nona Gaye in the early 90s,around the same time that Michael Jackson married the daughter of Elvis Presley.Go figure...

IAintTheOne said:

Those days are gone, bro. Now it is full of people who THINK they know what they are talking about!! Marvin Gaye overrated?? Now I have heard it all.... Marvin was one of the greatest story tellers and writers of our time, along with the people that you just mentioned. Just listen to "I want you" or "Baby I'm for real". What impressed me most about Marvin is the stuff that he did not write for himself, but for other people. "Baby I'm for real" or "Beachwood 45789". He had a way of not only putting lyrics together but also the feeling behind those lyrics. The only person that came close to that was Donny. As much as I like Curtis, he was nowhere near Marvin's level as a composer. Timmy I am surprised that you go off, bro.

scriptgirl said:

It's funny that you say that,because I hear ALOT of Marvin's influence in El DeBarge's work,particularly his 'In The Storm' album.

Marvin Gaye overrated? Oh, no,no.

Mr. Gaye has had such a profound influence on an entire generation (I suspect generations to come) of singers and producers male and female, you can't dismiss Gaye as being overrated. El has never,never ever made any bones about how profound and deep Marvin's music affected and influenced him. Case in point El's song "Heart, Mind, & Soul"and his third solo album "In The Storm"... has Gaye's "What's Going On" footprints ALL over it.

Look, El, D'Angelo, Prince, and Maxwell have all been influenced my Marvin Gaye. Those gentlemen have however been able to take Gaye's influences and carved out their on distinctive sound. Prince's has done and can do somethings Marvin could never do and vice versa. If you want to speak about falsetto voices...tone that's a separate discussion. I'll leave Mr. Gaye out of this because he stands alone: D'Angelo, Prince, nor Maxwell can touch El's falsetto voice but that's a matter of what God gave ya. (IMHO)



P.S. Soul...I was typing when you were posting. BINGO!
[Edited 5/20/09 7:02am]

They all borrow from Marvin. It's obvious. None of them can touch Marvin as a vocalist though.
[Edited 5/20/09 6:55am]

scriptgirl said:

I wasn't either until I got the "Let's Get It On" album. Then I fell in LOVE with his music.

shorttrini said:

I don't know how you could say that. They were 2 different types of composers. Curtis was not my favorite either, but songs like "Between You and Me Love", "Something He Can Feel", "It's Alright", "Choice of Color", "Freddie's Dead" etc. had a different feel and sound. His poetic style was different, etc.

I'm not going to say that one was better than the other, but Curtis was more of a songwriter that sang, while Marvin was a singer that wrote. There is a difference.

Just curious. Is there anybody who did not influence Prince?

daPrettyman said:

This is just my opinion, no right or wrong to it. I just preferred Marvin, that's all.

shorttrini said:

Well, I prefer Marvin as a singer for sure.

There are distinct similarities between Marvin gaye and Prince's Vocal layering and harmony techniques

Somebody on these boards wrote about it a long time ago and made some valid points. It may have been user 'funkmistress'. Don't quote me on that, though.

I fail to see Marvin's influence on Prince. I see more of James Brown and Sly in Prince than Marvin.




Someone explain the whole Curtis was a songwriter that sang, Marvin a singer who wrote thing. Never heard that one before.

Yes, I know that Marvin was a huge El influence, but I like El's interpretation of Marvin, I guess.

scriptgirl said:

Curtis is more known as a songwriter than a singer. When you hear Curtis' music, most times, you aren't enamored by his vocals (though he was a great singer), you are more compelled by the song and the lyric.

Marvin, on the other hand, is more known for his vocal ability, but not so much for his songwriting ability. Not to say that Marvin's songs weren't great (because they were), but Marvin didn't concentrate on writing as much as someone like Curtis did.

scriptgirl said:

I'm sorry, maybe I still have cobwebs in my head, but how can you like the interpretation of somebody, but not the original? Or at least give the original major props? El Debarge over Marvin Gaye? Never in my lifetime. To each its own, but yeah that's a stretch imo.

funkyslsistah said:

That is definitely a stretch.

I'm kind of the same way with Sly and James. I'm not huge fans of theirs, but I admire them for what they did and marvel in the great music they released. If it weren't for them, there would be no Prince, MJ or Janet WHOM I LOVE!!! I have a lot of Sly and a lot of James' music. Sure, I don't listen to it as much as I do P, but those guys were true pioneers.

I think a lot of it has to do with the generation you come from.

scriptgirl said:

Listen again. It's there. Sly and James wouldn't have sang something like "Adore".

The title of this thread alone beings to mind "Me and Marvin Gaye and the kid(s)".

Prince isn't that original because he took from MANY sources, and many sources have taken from Prince. It's the nature of business. You often sound like who influenced you.

ernestsewell said:

Amen. That's why the music of James Brown has a gospel feel as well as borrows from jazz and big band greats. It's all what he grew up listening to .

ernestsewell said:

but Marvin would have...Just listen to "Til Tomorrow", the last track on "Midnight Love", it sounds some much like "Insatiable". I forget which came out first, but I bet they were obviously influenced by each other.

shorttrini said:

Til Tomorrow (mid 80's)

Insatiable (early 90's)

shorttrini said:

I do loves me some Marvin as do others here. These comparison threads are just so redundant sometimes I guess. Do people forget that Prince played MOSTLY Sly and James and Santana music during the Gold tour and those times? There was more "Sing A Song" takes (although with some -named related material, and NO "Prince" material) than anything he recorded pre-1993. He carried his career for a couple of years be playing a heavy amount of covers from these people. And not only is there the Nona connection (which happened after Marvin passed) but wasn't Nona singing her papa's song ON A PRINCE SPECIAL ? ? ? (The Beautiful Experience or Love 4 One Another, no?)

funkpill said:

Do you see what I am saying about those two songs? Seems like Prince was listening to that song allot when he came up with Insatiable...