Okay,folks,I'm gonna start doing a regular feature in this forum where I will focus on unreleased albums.I have so much info on a ton of unreleased projects by many different artists.I think it's interesting to hear about albums that never came out,so we can ponder what could have been.Being Prince fans,I'm sure we're all familiar with unreleased projects that never saw the light of day...lol...this week,let's take a closer look at an unreleased Marvin Gaye album from 1979...



In 1979,Marvin Gaye recorded a "straight ahead make-out party album" called 'Love Man',but it was never released.It continues to collect dust in the Motown vaults.Here is the full tracklist...


Marvin Gaye 'Love Man' (1979,unreleased)---

SIDE 1---
"Ego Trippin Out"
"Life's A Game Of Give And Take"
"Life Is Now In Session"

SIDE 2---
"I Offer You Nothing But Love"
"Just Because You're So Pretty"
"Dance N' Be Happy"
"Funk Me,Funk Me,Funk Me"
"A Lover's Plea"


Because his previous album 'Here,My Dear' (1978) was a commercial failure,Gaye felt pressure to come up with a hit.The result was the unreleased album he called 'Love Man',featuring an abstract cover photo of Marvin in the midst of a sexy dance,decked out in a white suit and scarlet vest."I want to put out a party album",he said."I want to keep it simple".As his life fell into disarray---his troubled relationship with his former wives,his problems with the IRS---he forbade Motown to release the record,even though it's first single "Ego Trippin Out" was already in stores.

Marvin wanted to re-establish his commercial prowess.Rick James---with his highly erotic,fabulously orchestrated funk---had become Motown's biggest star and Gaye was jealous.Teddy Pendergrass was another star who worried Marvin."Then there's this new cat",Gaye said,"that people in the industry are talking about.Prince.Doesn't he know I'm supposed to be the only prince? They say he's sexy and has a high voice that sounds like mine.All these boys are romancing my fans,and I don't like it.I'm getting my fans back.I'm doing a straight-ahead make-out party album".

A couple of weeks later,Gaye had a change of heart."I don't want to put out a superficial record",he said."I'm not a superficial person.Motown may yell and scream,but I'm dumping 'Love Man'.The tracks are happening,but the lyrics are jive".

'Love Man' was slated for issue on Tamla in the fall of 1979.The first single "Ego Trippin Out" was released on September 28,1979.How many of you recall hearing that song on the radio,and then wondering why the album never came out?


(most of the text was written by David Ritz,who interviewed Marvin many times).
[This message was edited Fri May 23 1:42:51 PDT 2003 by DavidEye]

I can't remember the single (too young!) but I've read about this album. Ego Trippin' Out ended up on the CD edition of In Our Lifetime and it's a good song. Maybe Mowtown will release the Love Man album sometime.

Does Prince label Marvin as an influence?? Mr.Gaye left an obevious mark in Prince's music but I don't think I read an interview where Prince give him a credit!

Cloudbuster said:

Yes,the song "Ego Trippin Out" can be found on the 'In Our Lifetime' CD.It's a cool song,very funky.I have a feeling that Motown will eventually release the entire 'Love Man' album.They're gonna get tired of fans like me constantly pressuring them...lol...

DavidEye said:

Keep it up. They eventually released "Vulnerable" through fan pressure.

Doesn't Marvin have like 20 albums in the vault?

JohnnyTheFox said:

That's right,they sure did


I once read where Motown was always pissd at Marvin because he always took forever to finish a new album or he would record albums that were less than spectacular.While labelmates like Stevie Wonder and Smokey Robinson were putting out new albums every year,Marvin took his own sweet time.In 1973,he released 'Let's Get It On' but aside from a collection of duets with Diana Ross later that year,his next full-length album didn't come out until 1976 ('I Want You').A "Live" album in 1977 kept fans satisfied but then there was the spotty 'Here My Dear' album in 1978,which bombed.To make up for that fiasco,he records a funky,commercial album 'Love Man' but then pulls it from release,even though the first single had been sent to radio.Then,he spends another two years recording the uneven 'In our Lifetime' album which,to no one's surprise,also bombed on the charts.That was his final album for Motown.

okaypimpn said:

I don't know about 20 albums,but I do know there is alot of stuff from the 60s that hasn't been released.And on July 29,the 'I Want You' re-mastered CD will be released,containing an entire second disc of rarities,outtakes,alternate versions,etc.

DavidEye said:

Cool.

DavidEye said:

Do you know if Here, My Dear and In Our Lifetime are gonna get the deluxe treatment?

Cloudbuster said:

I would think so,sometime in the future.They've already given the the deluxe treatment to 'What's Going On'(1971),'Let's Get It On'(1973) and now 'I Want You'(1976).So,it's a safe bet that they will continue with the other albums.Even the duet album with Diana Ross was re-mastered with bonus tracks.

DavidEye said:

Cool.

He has still some tracks in the can.Marvin was always aware of Competition&that Business is Built on that.Berry Gordy always pitted Artists against one another.Marvin didn't want to Be seen as Yesterday's News&He let you know it&He is One of the Greatest Ever.He paid Barry White High Compliments among others.

mistermaxxx said:

No doubt about that.

Marvin spoke on Prince in his David Ritz autobio I seem to remember. He also jokes on a live disc from his final tour "Do you think I'm Prince or something?" when the women scream for him to take off his clothes.

Essence said:

Shelia E. was on that Final Tour with Marvin.the David Ritz Book is tight.

BlaqueKnight said:

Very good point.

BlaqueKnight said:

Right On as Always Blaque.