Midnight Love
Encyclopedia
Midnight Love is the final studio album recorded and issued by American
soul
singer Marvin Gaye
and was the singer's first release from Columbia
months after leaving his longtime label, Motown. It claimed the number one slot on NME Album of the Year
.
first settling in a bread truck in Hawaii
then settling in London
after agreeing with British-based music promoter Jeffrey Kruger to begin a European tour. After the tour ended, Gaye settled in London where he was trying to finish his last record with Motown titled In Our Lifetime. However, the album was leaked to Motown offices in Los Angeles by one of Gaye's bass players, which resulted in the singer finally cutting all ties with the label after they edited In Our Lifetime and released it in January 1981.
By that point, Gaye was advised by Belgian concert promoter Freddy Couseart to move away from London to his native country, Belgium
, to get his life in order. Settling in Ostend
, Belgium, Gaye was motivated by the beaches of the city's coastal port and was inspired to control his drug addictions cutting down on his use of marijuana and cocaine
until eventually gaining brief sobriety
. That late summer, the 42 year-old singer launched a comeback tour. Hearing of Gaye's tour inspired a number of record labels to visit him to sign with them. Gaye eventually decided to sign with CBS Records
becoming the fifth Motown-associated artist (after Michael Jackson
, Mary Wells
, The Miracles
, and Teena Marie
) to do so.
Before a deal could be set, however, Gaye had to finish negotiations to get out of his Motown contract settling with them in March 1982. That month, he signed a three-album contract with CBS' Columbia
division.
, presented Larkin an audio tape demo of a song Gaye, Ritz and musician Odell Brown had worked on titled, "Sexual Healing
". Arnold gave Gaye the OK on the song sensing it to be a hit. Other songs came with the help of Gaye's guitarist and brother-in-law, Gordon Banks. The album was recorded between April and August of 1982 in Ohain, Belgium. Gaye originally had intentions of recording a personal album depicting his emergence from drug addiction to celebrate his brief sobriety, but his longtime friend and original mentor, Harvey Fuqua
convinced him to make songs he had written to fit the landscape of the times in the music industry. Inspired by the success of rivals like former label-mates Lionel Richie
and Rick James
as well as emerging megastar Michael Jackson
, whom he felt was the greatest threat to his fan base, he decided to cut what he felt was "commercial enough" to grant him a comeback after years of chart inactivity. At the end of September 1982, Marvin was finally ready to release the album. That month, CBS released the first new Marvin Gaye single in over a year with "Sexual Healing".
becoming the fastest-rising R&B single in five years and Gaye's first major big hit since his disco smash, "Got to Give It Up". Upon his return to the United States
, Gaye cut his first physical music video for the song in Ostend. The song successfully crossed over to pop audiences and by January had risen to number-three on the Billboard Hot 100. Later on, Billboard commented that among only two other singers - Aretha Franklin
and Madonna
- Gaye became the only male artist to place a song on every position of the Hot 100's top ten listings. Eventually staying at number-one on the R&B chart for a total of ten consecutive weeks, the song would become the longest-running number-one single on that chart during the entire decade later selling over a million copies. The RIAA
would later certified "Sexual Healing" as a platinum single. Midnight Love was released in October of 1982 and peaked at number-seven on the Billboard 200
and number-one on the Black Albums chart becoming Gaye's eighth number-one album on that chart and his first number-one on that chart since 1977's Live at the London Palladium
. It eventually sold over three million US copies certifying the album as triple -platinum while selling a total of six million albums worldwide, it also became a worldwide hit peaking at number-four on the UK Albums chart. The album yielded a few R&B-charted singles - "Joy
", which peaked at number-thirty-one on the chart while the album's lone ballad, "'Til Tomorrow
", rose as high as number-seventy-eight. "My Love is Waiting
", the final track on the album, was issued initially as a b-side to "Sexual Healing" in the UK but the song received a positive response from UK fans that it was also issued as a single eventually peaking at number-thirty-four. The album was ranked #37 on Rolling Stone
's list of the 100 greatest albums of the 80's.
in February 1984, Gaye was not able to shake the demons that caused him to move to Europe
. Back to abusing drugs, Gaye struggled with a relatively successful North American
tour, which ended in August 1983. During the tour, friends commented that during the performance of "Sexual Healing", Gaye felt as if he had to please his female fans' sexual desires of him. He came on stage wearing a robe and pajamas and at times stripped down to his underwear resulting in what David Ritz
later described as "a sad parody of himself". After the tour's end, Gaye, who still owed the IRS $4 million in back payments at the time, settled down at the Tudor-styled mansion he bought for his parents located at the Crenshaw
district of Los Angeles where he continued to abuse drugs and struggled to get out of the house becoming a recluse. Several musicians such as Barry White
and Jermaine Jackson
later commented that they were billed to work with Gaye on his follow-up to Midnight Love but never got a chance to. Friends and family members also tried to get Gaye to leave the house, a few including his brother Frankie
, also were attempting to take Gaye back to Belgium, where he reportedly told his mother he was going after repeated arguments with his father Marvin Gaye, Sr.
On April 1, 1984, the day before his 45th birthday, after one violent argument, Marvin Gaye, Sr. fatally shot his son in the heart. Marvin Gaye died from his gunshot wounds later that day. After Gaye's death, CBS Records and Motown issued two posthumous releases and later on in the next decade, Motown re-released several of Marvin's conceptual 1970s masterworks. In 1998, CBS reissued Midnight Love under the double-album, Midnight Love and the Sexual Healing Sessions, which included not only the original album but instrumentals of several of the album's dance tracks, an acappella of "Sexual Healing", an alternate vocal featuring a deleted verse from the song, and a homemade Belgian demo of the song recorded on tape. The album also featured two versions of the song, "Turn On Some Music", one of the outtakes, an a cappella version of the song titled "I've Got My Music", was later sampled by Erick Sermon
for his song, "Music
", adding another posthumous chart hit for Marvin in 2001. In 1989, Midnight Love was ranked #37 on Rolling Stone
magazine's list of the The 100 Greatest Albums of the 80's.
Deluxe bonus disc (The Sexual Healing Sessions)
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
singer Marvin Gaye
Marvin Gaye
Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr. , better known by his stage name Marvin Gaye, was an American singer-songwriter and musician with a three-octave vocal range....
and was the singer's first release from Columbia
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
months after leaving his longtime label, Motown. It claimed the number one slot on NME Album of the Year
NME album of the year
Every December, British music magazine NME compiles a list of what it considers the best albums of the year. It was started in 1974. The list is usually published in one of the issues sold before Christmas – in 2006 it was published in the issue for December the 9th...
.
Background
By the late winter of 1980, Marvin Gaye was in a personal and professional doldrums. Weakened by a debilitating drug problem, an increasing debt to the IRS which had now extended to $4 million, two failed marriages and losing all of his equipment, Gaye, who had filed for voluntary bankruptcy, had moved away from the continental United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
first settling in a bread truck in Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
then settling in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
after agreeing with British-based music promoter Jeffrey Kruger to begin a European tour. After the tour ended, Gaye settled in London where he was trying to finish his last record with Motown titled In Our Lifetime. However, the album was leaked to Motown offices in Los Angeles by one of Gaye's bass players, which resulted in the singer finally cutting all ties with the label after they edited In Our Lifetime and released it in January 1981.
By that point, Gaye was advised by Belgian concert promoter Freddy Couseart to move away from London to his native country, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, to get his life in order. Settling in Ostend
Ostend
Ostend is a Belgian city and municipality located in the Flemish province of West Flanders. It comprises the boroughs of Mariakerke , Stene and Zandvoorde, and the city of Ostend proper – the largest on the Belgian coast....
, Belgium, Gaye was motivated by the beaches of the city's coastal port and was inspired to control his drug addictions cutting down on his use of marijuana and cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
until eventually gaining brief sobriety
Sobriety
Sobriety is the condition of not having any measurable levels, or effects from, alcohol or other drugs that alter ones mood or behaviors. According to WHO "Lexicon of alcohol and drug terms..." sobriety is continued abstinence from alcohol and psychoactive drug use...
. That late summer, the 42 year-old singer launched a comeback tour. Hearing of Gaye's tour inspired a number of record labels to visit him to sign with them. Gaye eventually decided to sign with CBS Records
CBS Records
CBS Records is a record label founded by CBS Corporation in 2006 to take advantage of music from its entertainment properties owned by CBS Television Studios. The initial label roster consisted of only three artists; rock band Señor Happy and singer/songwriters Will Dailey and P.J...
becoming the fifth Motown-associated artist (after Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
, Mary Wells
Mary Wells
Mary Esther Wells was an American singer who helped to define the emerging sound of Motown in the early 1960s...
, The Miracles
The Miracles
The Miracles are an American rhythm and blues group from Detroit, Michigan, notable as the first successful group act for Berry Gordy's Motown Record Corporation . Their single "Shop Around" was Motown's first million-selling hit record, and the group went on to become one of Motown's signature...
, and Teena Marie
Teena Marie
Mary Christine Brockert, better known by her stage name Teena Marie, was an American singer, songwriter and producer...
) to do so.
Before a deal could be set, however, Gaye had to finish negotiations to get out of his Motown contract settling with them in March 1982. That month, he signed a three-album contract with CBS' Columbia
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
division.
Recording
Always a perfectionist, Gaye struggled to record material for the album. In the early summer of 1982, Larkin Arnold was anxiously awaiting word on Gaye's album. When he received no responses to his inquiries, he visited Gaye again in Belgium to learn of progress with the album. Gaye and Larkin butted heads during the conversation until Gaye's friend and collaborator of an upcoming autobiography, David RitzDavid Ritz
David Ritz is an American author, most of whose books are biographies of soul music and R&B legends such as Ray Charles, Smokey Robinson, Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye, and Janet Jackson. On four occasions, his co-authored autobiographies of musicians have been awarded the Ralph J...
, presented Larkin an audio tape demo of a song Gaye, Ritz and musician Odell Brown had worked on titled, "Sexual Healing
Sexual Healing
"Sexual Healing" is a 1982 song recorded by American soul singer Marvin Gaye on the Columbia Records label. It was his first single since his exit from his long-term record label Motown earlier in the year, following the release of the In Our Lifetime album the previous year...
". Arnold gave Gaye the OK on the song sensing it to be a hit. Other songs came with the help of Gaye's guitarist and brother-in-law, Gordon Banks. The album was recorded between April and August of 1982 in Ohain, Belgium. Gaye originally had intentions of recording a personal album depicting his emergence from drug addiction to celebrate his brief sobriety, but his longtime friend and original mentor, Harvey Fuqua
Harvey Fuqua
Harvey Fuqua, was an African-American rhythm and blues singer, songwriter, record producer, and record label executive.Fuqua founded the seminal R&B/doo-wop group the Moonglows in the 1950s...
convinced him to make songs he had written to fit the landscape of the times in the music industry. Inspired by the success of rivals like former label-mates Lionel Richie
Lionel Richie
Lionel Brockman Richie, Jr. , is an American singer-songwriter, musician and record producer. Since 1968, he has been a member of the musical group Commodores signed to Motown Records...
and Rick James
Rick James
James Ambrose Johnson, Jr. , better known by his stage name Rick James, was an American singer, songwriter, musician and record producer. James was a popular performer in the late 1970s and 1980s, scoring four number-one hits on the U.S. R&B charts performing in the genres of funk and R&B...
as well as emerging megastar Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
, whom he felt was the greatest threat to his fan base, he decided to cut what he felt was "commercial enough" to grant him a comeback after years of chart inactivity. At the end of September 1982, Marvin was finally ready to release the album. That month, CBS released the first new Marvin Gaye single in over a year with "Sexual Healing".
Release and reaction
That September, CBS issued "Sexual Healing" as a single, which caught on to R&B radio listeners. Sales and airplay of the single reached a fever pitch by late October, when Midnight Love was released to record stores. The song then rose to number-one on the Hot Black Singles ChartHot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
becoming the fastest-rising R&B single in five years and Gaye's first major big hit since his disco smash, "Got to Give It Up". Upon his return to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Gaye cut his first physical music video for the song in Ostend. The song successfully crossed over to pop audiences and by January had risen to number-three on the Billboard Hot 100. Later on, Billboard commented that among only two other singers - Aretha Franklin
Aretha Franklin
Aretha Louise Franklin is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Although known for her soul recordings and referred to as The Queen of Soul, Franklin is also adept at jazz, blues, R&B, gospel music, and rock. Rolling Stone magazine ranked her atop its list of The Greatest Singers of All...
and Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
- Gaye became the only male artist to place a song on every position of the Hot 100's top ten listings. Eventually staying at number-one on the R&B chart for a total of ten consecutive weeks, the song would become the longest-running number-one single on that chart during the entire decade later selling over a million copies. The RIAA
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
would later certified "Sexual Healing" as a platinum single. Midnight Love was released in October of 1982 and peaked at number-seven on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
and number-one on the Black Albums chart becoming Gaye's eighth number-one album on that chart and his first number-one on that chart since 1977's Live at the London Palladium
Live at the London Palladium
Live at the London Palladium is a live double album by soul musician Marvin Gaye, released March 15, 1977 on Tamla Records. Recording sessions took place live at several concerts at the London Palladium in London, England in October of 1976, with the exception of the hit single "Got to Give It Up",...
. It eventually sold over three million US copies certifying the album as triple -platinum while selling a total of six million albums worldwide, it also became a worldwide hit peaking at number-four on the UK Albums chart. The album yielded a few R&B-charted singles - "Joy
Joy (Marvin Gaye song)
"Joy" is a 1983 single released by Marvin Gaye, the final single issued from his Midnight Love album. The song, which was built around a funk vibe, was inspired by Gaye's religious background, which had also inspired songs such as "God is Love", "Everybody Needs Love" and "Praise"...
", which peaked at number-thirty-one on the chart while the album's lone ballad, "'Til Tomorrow
'Til Tomorrow
"'Til Tomorrow" is a quiet storm-styled song recorded by Marvin Gaye. The song was the second song to be promoted off Midnight Love but wasn't released as a physical single, but more of a promotional song as Gaye prepped for a U.S...
", rose as high as number-seventy-eight. "My Love is Waiting
My Love Is Waiting
"My Love is Waiting" is a song written by musician Gordon Banks and recorded and released by American singer Marvin Gaye, as a European-only single in early 1983, it was also the last track on Gaye's final album in his lifetime, Midnight Love.-Background:...
", the final track on the album, was issued initially as a b-side to "Sexual Healing" in the UK but the song received a positive response from UK fans that it was also issued as a single eventually peaking at number-thirty-four. The album was ranked #37 on Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
's list of the 100 greatest albums of the 80's.
Aftermath
Despite the international success of Midnight Love, which earned a Grammy nomination for Best R&B Male Vocal PerformanceGrammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance was awarded between 1968 and 2011. The award has had several minor name changes:*In 1968 it was awarded as Best R&B Solo Vocal Performance, Male...
in February 1984, Gaye was not able to shake the demons that caused him to move to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. Back to abusing drugs, Gaye struggled with a relatively successful North American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
tour, which ended in August 1983. During the tour, friends commented that during the performance of "Sexual Healing", Gaye felt as if he had to please his female fans' sexual desires of him. He came on stage wearing a robe and pajamas and at times stripped down to his underwear resulting in what David Ritz
David Ritz
David Ritz is an American author, most of whose books are biographies of soul music and R&B legends such as Ray Charles, Smokey Robinson, Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye, and Janet Jackson. On four occasions, his co-authored autobiographies of musicians have been awarded the Ralph J...
later described as "a sad parody of himself". After the tour's end, Gaye, who still owed the IRS $4 million in back payments at the time, settled down at the Tudor-styled mansion he bought for his parents located at the Crenshaw
Crenshaw
-People:*Ander Crenshaw , American politician*Ben Crenshaw , American professional golfer*John Crenshaw , American landowner and slave trader*Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw , law professor...
district of Los Angeles where he continued to abuse drugs and struggled to get out of the house becoming a recluse. Several musicians such as Barry White
Barry White
Barry White, born Barry Eugene Carter , was an American composer and singer-songwriter.A five-time Grammy Award-winner known for his distinctive bass voice and romantic image, White's greatest success came in the 1970s as a solo singer and with the Love Unlimited Orchestra, crafting many enduring...
and Jermaine Jackson
Jermaine Jackson
Jermaine La Jaune Jackson is an American singer, bassist, composer, a member of The Jackson 5, older brother of American pop stars Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson and occasional film director...
later commented that they were billed to work with Gaye on his follow-up to Midnight Love but never got a chance to. Friends and family members also tried to get Gaye to leave the house, a few including his brother Frankie
Frankie Gaye
Frankie Gaye was a singer and the younger brother of the more famous singer Marvin Gaye. Born the son of minister Marvin Pentz Gay, Sr. and domestic Alberta Cooper in Washington, D.C., Frances watched as Marvin became a superstar...
, also were attempting to take Gaye back to Belgium, where he reportedly told his mother he was going after repeated arguments with his father Marvin Gaye, Sr.
On April 1, 1984, the day before his 45th birthday, after one violent argument, Marvin Gaye, Sr. fatally shot his son in the heart. Marvin Gaye died from his gunshot wounds later that day. After Gaye's death, CBS Records and Motown issued two posthumous releases and later on in the next decade, Motown re-released several of Marvin's conceptual 1970s masterworks. In 1998, CBS reissued Midnight Love under the double-album, Midnight Love and the Sexual Healing Sessions, which included not only the original album but instrumentals of several of the album's dance tracks, an acappella of "Sexual Healing", an alternate vocal featuring a deleted verse from the song, and a homemade Belgian demo of the song recorded on tape. The album also featured two versions of the song, "Turn On Some Music", one of the outtakes, an a cappella version of the song titled "I've Got My Music", was later sampled by Erick Sermon
Erick Sermon
Erick Sermon , in Bay Shore, New York is an American rapper, musician, and producer.Sermon is best known as half of late-1980s/1990s hip hop group EPMD and for production work. He currently resides in Islandia, New York.- Career :...
for his song, "Music
Music (Erick Sermon and Marvin Gaye song)
"Music" is a 2001 hit single by Erick Sermon featuring archived vocals from Marvin Gaye.The song was thought of by Sermon after buying a copy of Gaye's Midnight Love and the Sexual Healing Sessions album, which overlook some of the original album's earlier mixes...
", adding another posthumous chart hit for Marvin in 2001. In 1989, Midnight Love was ranked #37 on Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
magazine's list of the The 100 Greatest Albums of the 80's.
Track listing
All tracks composed by Marvin Gaye; except where indicated.- "Midnight LadyMidnight Lady (1982 song)"Midnight Lady" is the beginning track of Marvin Gaye's 1982 album, Midnight Love. It wasn't released as a single off the album but is notable for its sly references to Rick James and his hit, "Superfreak".-Song information:...
" – 5:17 - "Sexual HealingSexual Healing"Sexual Healing" is a 1982 song recorded by American soul singer Marvin Gaye on the Columbia Records label. It was his first single since his exit from his long-term record label Motown earlier in the year, following the release of the In Our Lifetime album the previous year...
" (Odell Brown, Gaye, David RitzDavid RitzDavid Ritz is an American author, most of whose books are biographies of soul music and R&B legends such as Ray Charles, Smokey Robinson, Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye, and Janet Jackson. On four occasions, his co-authored autobiographies of musicians have been awarded the Ralph J...
) – 3:59 - "Rockin' After Midnight" – 6:04
- "'Til Tomorrow'Til Tomorrow"'Til Tomorrow" is a quiet storm-styled song recorded by Marvin Gaye. The song was the second song to be promoted off Midnight Love but wasn't released as a physical single, but more of a promotional song as Gaye prepped for a U.S...
" – 4:57 - "Turn On Some Music" – 5:08
- "Third World Girl" – 4:36
- "JoyJoy (Marvin Gaye song)"Joy" is a 1983 single released by Marvin Gaye, the final single issued from his Midnight Love album. The song, which was built around a funk vibe, was inspired by Gaye's religious background, which had also inspired songs such as "God is Love", "Everybody Needs Love" and "Praise"...
" – 4:22 - "My Love Is WaitingMy Love Is Waiting"My Love is Waiting" is a song written by musician Gordon Banks and recorded and released by American singer Marvin Gaye, as a European-only single in early 1983, it was also the last track on Gaye's final album in his lifetime, Midnight Love.-Background:...
" (Gordon BanksGordon Banks (musician)Gordon Banks , aka Gordon 'Guitar' Banks, is an American guitarist, producer, writer and musical director. He was voted one of the top 100 guitarists in America in 1985.Banks played an important part in Marvin Gaye's later years...
) – 5:07
Deluxe bonus disc (The Sexual Healing Sessions)
- Clique Games/Rick James (Original Version Of "Midnight Lady") - 5:38
- Sexual Healing (Alternate 12-inch Instrumental) - 4:38
- Sexual Healing (Original Vocal Version) - 4:39
- Sexual Healing (Alternate Vocal/Mix) - 4:49
- I Bet You Wonder (Original Version Of "Rockin' After Midnight") - 6:42
- Rockin' After Midnight (Instrumental) - 7:00
- Baby, Baby, Baby (Original Version Of "'Til Tomorrow") - 6:54
- I've Got My Music (Original Version Of "Turn On Some Music") - 5:33
- Turn On Some Music (Alternate Vocal/Mix) - 5:16
- Third World Girl (Original Reggae Version) - 8:00
- Third World Girl (Alternate Vocal/Mix) - 6:34
- My Love Is Waiting (Alternate Vocal/Mix) - 5:15
- Marvin's Message To The CBS Record Staff - 1:01
- Sexual Healing (Rehearsal Tape Courtesy Of David Ritz) - 2:14
Personnel
- Marvin Gaye - vocals, drums, Fender Rhodes piano, synthesizer, organ, bells, glockenspiel, vibraphone, finger cymbals, bongos, congas
- Gordon BanksGordon Banks (musician)Gordon Banks , aka Gordon 'Guitar' Banks, is an American guitarist, producer, writer and musical director. He was voted one of the top 100 guitarists in America in 1985.Banks played an important part in Marvin Gaye's later years...
- guitar, bass, background vocals, drums, Fender Rhodes piano - James GadsonJames GadsonJames Gadson is an American drummer and session musician. Beginning his career in the late 1960s, Gadson has since become one of the most-recorded drummers in the history of R&B music....
- drums on "Midnight Lady" - Bobby Stern - tenor saxophone, harmonica
- Joel Peskin - alto & tenor saxophone
- Harvey FuquaHarvey FuquaHarvey Fuqua, was an African-American rhythm and blues singer, songwriter, record producer, and record label executive.Fuqua founded the seminal R&B/doo-wop group the Moonglows in the 1950s...
- backing vocals on "Sexual Healing", editing, mixing, production advisor - David Stout And The L.A. Horn Section - horns
- McKinley T. Jackson - horn arrangement
- Larkin Arnold - executive producer
- Mike Butcher - engineer, mixing
- Brian Gardner, Alan Zentz - mastering
- John Kovarek - engineer
- Henri Van Durme - engineer
Album
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Pop Albums Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
7 |
| 1982 | Black Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999... |
1 |
| 1984 (with bonus tracks) |
The Billboard 200 | 103 |
| 1984 (with bonus tracks) |
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums | 52 |
Singles
| Year | Title | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | "Sexual Healing Sexual Healing "Sexual Healing" is a 1982 song recorded by American soul singer Marvin Gaye on the Columbia Records label. It was his first single since his exit from his long-term record label Motown earlier in the year, following the release of the In Our Lifetime album the previous year... " |
Adult Contemporary Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks The Adult Contemporary chart is a weekly chart published in Billboard magazine that lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary and "lite-pop" radio stations in the United States... |
34 |
| 1982 | "Sexual Healing Sexual Healing "Sexual Healing" is a 1982 song recorded by American soul singer Marvin Gaye on the Columbia Records label. It was his first single since his exit from his long-term record label Motown earlier in the year, following the release of the In Our Lifetime album the previous year... " |
Black Singles Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,... |
1 |
| 1982 | "Sexual Healing Sexual Healing "Sexual Healing" is a 1982 song recorded by American soul singer Marvin Gaye on the Columbia Records label. It was his first single since his exit from his long-term record label Motown earlier in the year, following the release of the In Our Lifetime album the previous year... " |
Club Play Singles | 12 |
| 1983 | "'Til Tomorrow 'Til Tomorrow "'Til Tomorrow" is a quiet storm-styled song recorded by Marvin Gaye. The song was the second song to be promoted off Midnight Love but wasn't released as a physical single, but more of a promotional song as Gaye prepped for a U.S... " |
Black Singles | 78 |
| 1983 | "Joy Joy (Marvin Gaye song) "Joy" is a 1983 single released by Marvin Gaye, the final single issued from his Midnight Love album. The song, which was built around a funk vibe, was inspired by Gaye's religious background, which had also inspired songs such as "God is Love", "Everybody Needs Love" and "Praise"... " |
Black Singles | 31 |
| 1983 | "Sexual Healing Sexual Healing "Sexual Healing" is a 1982 song recorded by American soul singer Marvin Gaye on the Columbia Records label. It was his first single since his exit from his long-term record label Motown earlier in the year, following the release of the In Our Lifetime album the previous year... " |
Pop Singles | 3 |