Marvin Gaye - 2 Classic albums on 1 CD
‘Moods of Marvin Gaye’
‘In the Groove’
http://www.motown.com

‘Moods’

This is a throwback to 1987 when RCA who were distributing Motown in the UK decided to issue a number of 2 on 1’s which have gone on to become extremely collectable ever since. The problem was, that just as the record buying public became aware of their existence, RCA dropped the idea (presumably due to poor sales) and thus the demand for them ever since.

Thankfully we again have the opportunity to pick up original sixties Motown albums in CD format and in this case two of Marvin Gaye’s most collectables are up for grabs in the form of ‘Moods’ and ‘In the Groove’ which were both issued in the UK during 1966-67.

‘Moods’ is nothing short of a gem. This is Marvin Gaye at his very best and many a Motown fan would argue that it was his best period, with songs such as the in demand dancer ‘I’ll Be Doggone’ and his ‘66’ tambourine led single ‘Little Darling I Need You’ which still fills dancefloor’s to this day where both songs rate amongst the most collectable singles of all.

There are three more songs on this album which saw single releases in the form of ‘Your Unchanging Love’ (1967) the hand clapping ‘Ain’t That Peculiar’ (1966) and ‘One More Heartache’ (1967) which is the weakest of the three, yet nevertheless grows on you with each play. The flip side to that single ‘Take This Heart of Mine’ was a much stronger side and can be found at track three.

The rest of the album is made up of the ‘b’ sides of the released singles, for example ‘Hey Diddle Diddle’ a song featured on the flip of ‘Little Darling’ and two superb cabaret styled songs in ‘I Worry ‘Bout You’ and ‘One For My Baby’ which showcase Marvin’s vocal dexterity in dealing with a style that Nat Cole had championed throughout the fifties. It is no secret that Gaye enjoyed this style of singing. All in all, a unique opportunity to pick up a mint copy of this album for evermore.
 

‘In the Groove’

It was 1968 when the UK record buying public saw this LP in their record browsers, and one that had been eagerly awaited as at this point Gaye was on a roll, not only with his solo career, but he had also enjoyed two hits with Tammi Terrell, (that collaboration can be read on other pages on this site). EMI were quick to spot the potential of the market at that time in the UK where the mod movement was in full swing and had taken the Motown Sound under their wing as ‘their’ music as it were.

The Motown Sound we had all enjoyed of the early-mid sixties was changing to a more gentler feel and prime examples are evident with ‘You’ and ‘Chained’ both achieving UK chart success alongside his duet with Tammi on ‘Ain’t Nothing Like The Real Thing’ all of which kept Marvin in the public eye and furthered his following across the globe.

Early in ‘69’ saw Motown’s biggest selling single of all time (at that time) with the release of ‘I Heard It Through The Grapevine’ (a song that had failed miserably in the UK for fellow Motown artist Gladys Knight & The Pips), and the song stormed to the top of the charts around the world. The rest they say is history. Ironically, other Motown acts had recorded this song prior to Marvin and Gladys (Temptations) only to find their version relegated to LP filler material.

It is always difficult to pinpoint exactly who recorded certain songs first with so many acts at Motown who have sung their own versions on LP tracks. Marvin performs a great version of ‘Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever’ a standard that saw a UK release in 1965 for the Four Tops, as well as a cover version of the Drifters favourite ‘There Goes My Baby’ all of which are given the personal touch in a way that only Marvin could do.

The killer track on this album has to be ‘Tear It On Down’ a classic piece of Motown magic that has Marvin reaching for some high notes that you wouldn’t have though possible and this track alone has made this album as collectable as it is. As with the other album on this disc their are a number of other sides that saw light of day as flip sides with ‘Change What You Can’ and ‘At Last’

As with all the CD’s in this series there are a couple of very special photo’s in the jewel case sleeves which are great for collecting too. One thing is for certain, is that once you have bought one of these discs, you will not be able to resist picking up the rest in this series. Magic!!!

Personal rating 10/10
Expect to pay around £14.99 per title in the UK
US imports available in the UK
http://www.umusic.com

UK Tracklisting;

'Moods'

I'll Be Doggone/Little Darling I Need You/Take This Heart Of Mine/Hey Diddle Diddle/One More Heartache/Ain't That Peculiar/
Night Life/You've Been A Long Time Coming/Your Unchanging Love/You're The One For Me/I Worry 'Bout You/One For The Road.

'In The Groove'

You/Tear It On Down/Chained/I Heard It Through The Grapevine/At Last (I Found A Love)/Some Kind Of Wonderful/
Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever/Change What You Can/It's Love You Need/Every Now And Then/
Your What's Happening In The World Today/There Goes My Baby.