Home Jambase Happy Birthday Marvin Gaye: Performing ‘Live At The London Palladium’ In 1976

Happy Birthday Marvin Gaye: Performing ‘Live At The London Palladium’ In 1976

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Today marks what would have been Marvin Gaye’s 82nd birthday. Born on April 2, 1939 in Washington D.C., the legendary soul singer, songwriter and producer died tragically at the hands of his own father a day before his 45th birthday on April 1, 1984. Marvin possessed one of the most versatile and expressive voices in music, sometimes joyous and crooning, sometimes with a tinge of sadness, always instantly recognizable.

Marvin began his musical journey singing in church at an early age and later found moderate success with various vocal groups in the late 1950s in Chicago. A singing sextet he was in, Harvey and the New Moonglows, sang back up on the Chuck Berry songs “Back In The U.S.A.” and “Almost Grown.” But the group disbanded and Gaye relocated to Detroit where he impressed Motown founder Berry Gordy after performing at a holiday party Gordy hosted in 1960. Gordy later signed Gaye to the Motown subsidiary Tamla Records.

Gaye would go on to be a key figure in establishing the Motown Sound with hits like “Ain’t That Peculiar,” “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)” and “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” along with a slew of classic duets, most notably with Tami Terrel including “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” “Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing,” “You’re All I Need To Get By” and more.

But Gaye would record his masterpiece in 1970 — the politically charged concept album, 1971’s What’s Going On — mostly at the iconic Motown Hitsville U.S.A. studios in Detroit with the now renowned Funk Brothers session crew (the first time they were credited on an album). The groundbreaking record, largely composed and produced by Gaye, contained classics like the title track, “Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology),” “Save The Children” and “Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler).” What’s Going On was a critical and commercial success and is one of the greatest albums of all time.

Gaye would follow with another classic record in 1973, Let’s Get It On, with the title track scoring Marvin his second No. 1 single. The record also contained memorable tracks like “Come Get to This” and “You Sure Love To Ball.” In the mid-1970s Gaye worked on his final duet project with former Supremes frontwoman Dianna Ross. Gaye also released another solo album, I Want You, in 1976 just ahead of his landmark live release, 1977’s Live At The London Palladium.

Gaye recorded the live double LP over a series of concerts at the London Palladium in 1976. Side One begins with a number of the aforementioned Gaye classics like “Let’s Get It On” and “Come Get To This.” Side Two contains a pair of medleys, the first showcasing a variety of Marvin’s early solo hits like “Ain’t That Peculiar,” “I Heard It Through the Grapevine,” and “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You).” A second medley on Side Two focuses on Gaye’s What’s Going On period. Side Three features Gaye’s duet work including “Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing,” “It Takes Two,” “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” and more sung with Florence Lyles. Side Four contains the only non-live track, Gaye’s No. 1 groove opus, “Got To Give It Up,” stretching to nearly 12 minutes to close out Live At The London Palladium.

To celebrate Marvin Gaye’s birthday, listen to Live At The London Palladium below for this edition of Full Show Friday:

https://music.apple.com/us/album/live-at-the-london-palladium/1442948444

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