How do you think the last 26 years would've went for him?

Yeah this hypothetical's prolly been done to death but what topic on this website HASN'T been done to death?(only have to go to prince and more for that answer)

So let's get into it. How do you think his career would've went?
*Note: There's a distinction between how you think it would've went and how you would've LIKED to see his career go. Hell if it were up to me Stevie Wonder would be a jazz legend, but unfortunately that never panned out.

I think today Marvin Gaye, would be another retired soul singer. I think post Sexual Healing he would've resurged, and would've ultimately had to face the choice of either becoming another R&B crooner to find success in the 80's ala Luther & em, or keep doing music his way, making heartfelt introspective R&B. I'm not entirely sure what his financial status was prior to his death but I believe that would've weighed heavily when taking into consideration his next big direction in his musical career. With hindsight, would he have looked back at his commercial mistakes in the 70's asa maverick and adjusted himself to be another R&B love singer the way Gordy wanted to mold him? or would he have stubbornly kept on the way he was, a musical auteur. I think it would've been the latter.
Maybe a few mre big hits in the 80's, critically panned albums that were probably commercially successful to a degree but always inevitably had to be measured up to his magnum opus standards. It would've been ineresting to see if he would've collaborated with Teddy Riley and hip hop producers or would've kept going into that Europop influence he seemed to be delving in. I'd like to think like with all others of the soul generation, that he would've ditched the live band along time ago, songs lke sexual healing already hinted at this. computer programmed, static beats I felt would've conflicted with his soulful versatile voice, and although it would've made him more contemporary it would ultimately date his music like it does everyone elses. This would've been the part of his career I wouldn't have enjoyed.
In the 90's I can see someone of the hip hoppers giving his career yet another resurrection, particularly maybe the Method & Mary cover of "You're all I need". I could seriously see piffy dada trying to get a duet between him and his latest soul singer "Queen of Hip hop soul" herself(the thought of them two at the Source Awards covering the song live whilst Piddy is behind them jiggin makes me wanna puke). Again I'm not sure if Marvin would've allowed it, afterall Tammi was near and dear to his heart, would he have allowed it? I think so, he'd want to reach out to the new generation and he'd probably understand tammi would've liked it as well.
After this it's just a string of problems for him, I can see the IRS being a consistent problem, and him having an inconsistent workrate like the others of his generation today. Him making an album every five years would probably be the best we could hope for, and God I would pray his voice was still as lovely as it was when he passed.

That's my thoughts, what's yours?

I think Marvin, first of all, would've decided to stay in Europe, at least in Belgium. Second, he probably would've decided to do music his own way, people who became fans during the "Sexual Healing" period may take the music he did afterwards as a little left base but I think he would've continued to be, as you said, a musical auteur. I think as a live performer, two things could've happened had he lived: he could've either retired for good from the stage, or find a way to have fun onstage.

Lots of things really could've happened. If he had stayed in Europe, he would've remained drug-free and at least normal in the sense of how he saw normalcy (since his life was very erratic and abnormal).

What his death did was it made him a myth: he went out the same way Billie Holiday went: as a troubled genius that was defeated by life's adversities. (Both Marvin and Billie died at 44)

Do you guys think that he would have gone the same route that Ronald Isley and Charlie Wilson have gone? Working with rappers and "modernizing" his sound?

Timmy84 said:

It would have been Interesting!

44 ... Only the Good die Young.

this is an interesting topic, very interesting!

I think he would have followed up the Midnight Love album with another album sounding similar because of the commercial success and cause of his record label. I wonder if he would have had songs sounding like the Commodores Night Shift or have done a duet with Lionel Richie if not a musical collaboration. I wonder if he would have been on We Are The World, wow Michael, Stevie and Marvin on the same track would have been awesome

If he did anything close to new jack swing, it would have sounded like blues more than r&b/pop, something tells me that

In the 90's, he could have worked with R.Kelly or Ronald Isley, or just released dance tracks overseas like some of you are saying.

I wonder if Max a Million's Sexual Healing would have been allowed to be remade. I loved that song so much in 7th grade and that's when my mom told me it's a remake by this guy Marvin Gaye

If Marvin had lived,would he have approved of this guy dating his daughter?

Had Marvin live.

1. We would have heard Debarge's "All This Love", the way it was intended.
2. Maxwell would not have released "Embrya". Why? Because Marvin would have challenged him more.

3. He would have worked with Prince.

4. Michael would have been more inspired to write and release more coherent music.

5. The entire state of R&B would not be in the mess that it is in today.

He'd have hooked up with LA and Babyface, to "modernize" his sound.

Put out a couple of albums that didn't do well.

Arrested on coke charges, possibly battery.

Gone on a "Old School Tour" with someone of the likes of Barry White, or Al Green.

Bad mouthed many people at Motown, both artist and staff members.

Had another scandalous affair with a younger woman, spawning a couple of kids.

Let's not pretend all would've turned out fantastic for the R&B world, and Marvin's personal life, had he lived. He was a downward spiral back in the mid-70s.
[Edited 5/4/10 7:51am]

That's just the thing, we don't know. Many around his circle claimed the move back to the U.S. had him signing his death certificate right then and there. Fate's a funny bitch.

modern production would have ruined him, just as it did every classic artist.

Timmy84 said:

"Fate's a funny bitch"

No truer words have ever been spoken, Timmy!!

thats the cool thing , we dont know.
we can discuss this to death .
i personally think he would have worked with R kelly in some point.
Quincy wanted to work with him , and that would have been a smash.

Timmy84 said:

OH wow interesting Timmy.

SoulAlive said:

Had Marvin lived, there wouldn't had been a reason for Nona to date Prince.

If,if,if,if,if..

Just let him R.I.P.

those are all interesting to think about

I wonder if he would have complained about teen pop ruining music

alphastreet said:

Al Green, Eddie Levert, Kenny Gamble, Stevie Wonder, or even Chaka aren't complaining about teen pop "ruining" music. It just isn't, and the legends in the buisness know this. It's the industry itself that's killing music. Marvin being alive today wouldn't change a damn thing about the current issues in music.

MotorBootyAffair said:

Their not complaining because they have made their money allready. But, they know how bad it is. if Marvin was alive, I think it would have motivated the folks that you mentioned to make better quality music. Some of their current material is just as bad as the teen "pop".

Timmy84 said:

i have had the same thought about michael. he should never have come back here.

SoulAlive said:

He might have done that in the 80's. Listenin to "Sanctified Lady" gives us a hint that he was listenin to what Roger Troutman and a few others were doin with synths and vocorders. I wonder if he would have did an unofficial sequel to "Trouble Man" where it sounds like he's in a dark room talkin to himself baring his soul....

Honestly? I think we would have gotten a lot of mediocre music had he lived. In general the '80s were not kind to a lot of his peers, artistically speaking, and I see no reason why it would have been different for him. He may have eked out a few more big hits but I don't think they would be fondly remembered today. He probably would have released a series of so-so albums and by the '90s he would have been relegated to a nostalgia act. Of course it's possible that he would have released some fantastic music but I think when he died he was past his peak and creatively he was in decline. I'm not trying to be mean but I'm just offering my honest opinion. Obviously it was tragic they way he died but as far as his musical legacy goes it may have been for the best.

SoulAlive said:

Wow,,,she looks really sad in that picture

Timmy84 said:

Very well put, Tim

Intersting take on the mythology. I think Marvin though had two advantages that worked for him. One, he already TOLD his story(so there was no chance of folks living off the lies that they might've spread about him) Lady who came from a different time, lived by the "if people ask you where've you been, tell them where are you going" saying, so you know she added alot of fuel to the fire with her silent treatment, plus the fact that there aren't no offspring to fight for her legacy, she signed her life away on her death bed to that pimp husband of hers.

Two; Marvin is considered a genius, whereas Lady is considered a gifted vocalist/stylist, which is not really abnormal considering that its a "boys club" anyway,,,,RARELY have I heard people refer to Bessie, Sarah, Dinah, Ella, Billie and Aretha as geniuses(ALL who raised the bar and created new standards musically).

Harlepolis said:

People overlook the roles women play in music, I do think the women you mentioned were all geniuses in what they did but you're right of what you said of Marvin. He wasn't afraid to tell you of his low points.

Timmy84 said:

Divided Souls is hands down the MOST honest account by a recording artists I ever read IMO. Its really an emotional roller coaster.

I don't know if its true, but I heard somewhere that the book that we already have is abridged supposedly, the unabridged version was edited out of respect for Marvin's legacy and his family. You heard anything about that?

I seriously hope that David will republish the book with the missing chapters if its true.

Harlepolis said:

No I haven't. I doubt David would even do that even if that was true, his love for Marvin never wavered even after he sued his label for rights to "Sexual Healing" because they didn't include him in the credits initially. I think their friendship mended before Marvin's death.

He probably would have gone the same type route that Smokey Robinson did in the late 1980s and fizzled out in the 1990s.

It's quite interesting considering Marvin's situation at the time. He could've either went a more graphic funk route or he could've went to adult contemporary R&B. It's no telling. Maybe that's why he kinda knew he was gonna live to see past 45, he actually told Ebony magazine in 1981 that he planned to retire after his 50th birthday. He couldn't see himself lasting to the '90s.

Timmy84 said:

It's just hard to tell. I just miss him though.

abigail05 said:

Pretty much all major artists always update their sounds to some degree. Even Marvin did with "Sexual healing" etc..