Marvin Gaye
'The Real Thing' (In Performance)1964-1981
2DVD & Audio CD set.
Released worldwide on 3rd April 2006.
Billed as the greatest ever Motown package to hit the world as of
tomorrow morning as we see the global release of Marvin Gaye's 'The
Real Thing' DVD and audio set which is split into four amazing
chapters!. It's not the actual songs that will excite, but the rare
video footage taken from US TV shows both in black and white and colour
with enhanced sound making this a real must have. I had already
distributed brief details of this release via my mailing list over a
month ago and my expectations have been well and truly exceeded as I
excitedly flicked through my promo copy received the other day.
First of all the digi-pak cover was amazing to look at and a quick
look inside found a superb 24 page booklet which makes essential
reading. The two discs themselves were pressed up on the 1960's yellow
Tamla/Tamla World labels to give it that extra touch of authenticity.
Remove the two discs from the packaging and there's some fabulous press
clippings to enjoy. Featuring 5.1 DTS Surround Sound prepare to be
mezmoroised.
Opening with a full black and white clip of Marvin's 1964 appearance on
American Bandstand performing 'Hitchhike' and his classic
'Pride & Joy' from the popular 60's show 'Shivaree', followed by
'Can I Get A Witness' from Holywood A Go-Go all of which feature Marvin
lip synching in the studio surrounded by the usual go go girls and an
enthusiastic live audience. Two more classics follow taken from
'Swingin' Time' in 1965 with the glorious 'Pretty Little Baby' and
'Ain't That
Peculiar' and the pace really does start to hot up.
In November 1965 Marvin was captured on the New Lloyd Thaxton Show
singing 'Your A Wonderful One' in fabulous COLOUR and the quality is
amazing and would appear to the earliest known colour footage of Marvin
in
action. Next up is a real treat and one that could well sell this
package on its own - together with the late Tammi Terrell Marvin
delivers the Ashford & Simpson composition 'Ain't No Mountain High
Enough' in glorious colour shot at the theme park in 1967. This clip
has been on my web site for nearly two years now and the link to view
it can be found at the foot of this page.
Marvin's biggest hit for Motown in 1969 a reworking of the Gladys
Knight song 'I Heard It Through The Grapevine' can be experienced in a
live setting from the Hollywood Palace that same year. This is a piece
of pure magic as Marvin performs this great song effortlessly albeit in
front
of a stone dead studio audience??. Gaye was at his peak during this
recording with the release of his legendary LP 'MPG'. The next two song
clips beggar belief. OK I already have short snippets of 'What's Going
On' and 'What's Happening Brother' in my collection and indeed on this
site, but what we have here is the full length versions, live, and,
featuring the legendary Funk Brothers backing Marvin. A real chance to
see Jamerson, Earl Van Dyke and Eddie 'Bongo' Brown in action and in in
full colour!
That's the main full length video appearances but there's more. Next up
is a full DVD concert from 1981 whilst performing in Ostend Belgium on
the 4th July featuring ten classic Marvin Gaye songs from his
spectacular career as
well as a bonus audio CD of a concert recorded live in Holland in 1976.
Last but not least is something very unusual indeed and a very clever
marketing tool for Universal Music. Take all of the full length video
performances again and replay them without any backing music as
acapella's
whilst you watch Marvin sing them
again - amazing!!! One other thing about this clever move. On these
acapellas Marvin's
live performance mentioned above of 'Grapevine' from Hollywood Palace
is not used - but another US TV lip synched performance of this great
song in colour. If you want to hear your Motown from a different angle
then this part of the package is the one for you.
You will absolutely LOVE this DVD package which has been compiled and
produced with lots of TLC but I would point out that this is by no
means a complete production of Marvin's TV output as there are
noticeable omissions such a 'Little Darling' 'Your Unchanging Love'
'You' 'Chained' 'Take This Heart Of Mine', his other duets with Tammi,
Kim, Mary, and Diana Ross but to name a few. Add to these all his other
work during the 1980's and his many appearances on Soul Train
then as you can appreciate there is plenty more material to
be had.
Buy it, play it, treasure it, but most of all please DON'T pirate it,
and between us all let's make this sell like hot cakes because if it
does, can you imagine what a volume 2 would be like? plus I am sure it
would open the flood gates to other Motown artists having their video
appearances issued on DVD.
Rating 10/10.
Links to
Marvin Gaye streaming video on this site.
Finally, I wish to point out that streaming clips of Marvin featured on
this site have NOT been lifted from this DVD, and have
been featured for over a year now.
MARVIN
GAYE – THE REAL THING IN PERFORMANCE 1964 – 1981 DVD (Track List)
1) Hitch Hike (Filmed In 1964)
2) Pride And Joy (Filmed In 1965)
3) Can I Get A Witness (Filmed In 1965)
4) Pretty Little Baby (Filmed In 1965)
5) Ain’t That Peculiar (Filmed In 1965)
6) You’re A Wonderful One (Filmed In 1965)
7) Ain’t No Mountain High Enough (with Tammi
Terrell) (Filmed In 1967)
8) I Heard It Through The Grapevine (1969)
(Filmed In 1969)
9) What’s Going On (Filmed In 1972)
10) What’s Happening Brother (Filmed In 1972)
11) Come Get To This (Filmed In 1981)
12) Let’s Get It On (Filmed In 1981)
13) Distant Lover (Filmed In 1979)
14) A Funky Space Reincarnation (Filmed In 1979)
15) Ego Tripping Out (Filmed In 1979)
16) Heavy Love Affair (Filmed In 1981)
BONUS FEATURES
1981 Concert from
Belgium
1) Got To Give It Up
2) Come Get To This
3) Let’s Get It On
4) After The Dance
5) If This World Were Mine
6) Ain’t Nothing Like The Real Thing
7) Ain’t No Mountain High Enough
8) How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)
9) I Want You
10) Inner City Blues (Make Me Want To Holler)
11) 1981 Belgium Television performance of “I Heard It
Through The Grapevine”
BONUS AUDIO ONLY CD – Live In Holland
1976
1) All The Way ‘Round
2) Since I Had You
3) Come Get To This
4) Let’s Get It On
5) Trouble Man
6) 60s Medley
7) Ain’t That Peculiar
8) You’re A Wonderful One
9) Stubborn Kind Of Fellow
10) Pride & Joy
11) Little Darlin’
12) I Heard It Through The Grapevine
13) Hitch Hike
14) You
15) Too Busy Thinking About My Baby
16) How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)
17) What’s Going On Medley…..
18) Inner City Blues (Makes Me Wanna Holler)
19) God Is Love
20) What’s Going On
21) Save The Children
22) Duet Medley
23) You’re All I Need To Get By
24) Ain’t Nothing Like The Real Thing
25) Your Precious Love
26) It Takes Two
27) Ain’t No Mountain High Enough
28) Distant Lover