Marvin Gaye - 2 on 1 CD's
‘MPG’
‘That’s The Way Love Is’
Motown Records
www.motown.com

‘MPG’

This batch of Motown’s 2 on 1 CD’s brings us up to 1969-1970 at a time when his duet recordings with Tammi Terrell were becoming less and less presumably due to her illness which would see her eventual death on stage with Marvin during 1971.

The year is 1969 and Motown issue a 45 in the UK in the form of ‘Too Busy Thinking About My Baby’ a song that numerous artists had already recorded as album filler material (most notably the Temptations) and the result was a top 5 chart placing no doubt due to the fact that Marvin’s version was clearly the best of them all in terms of commercial appeal, coupled with the inclusion on the ‘b’ side of his 1963 recording of ‘Wherever I Lay My Hat’ a song that had some dancefloor appeal and demand had been building for a number of years from DJ’s and collectors alike who owned copies of the original album.

This particular song would be the only single in the UK that would see a single release from this album and at a time when the Motown sound was changing dramatically from it’s days of uptempo dance styled songs, to a more psychedelic downtempo pace (no doubt due the songwriting and producing influence of Norman Whitfield) the company appeared at a loss as to what to follow up with. This meant that ‘MPG’ remained a ‘one hit single’ LP and whilst record sales were reasonable, they were not what Motown expected and the heat was on for a much stronger follow-up set.
 
 

‘That’s The Way Love Is’

Late 1969 and the likes of the Temptations and the Undisputed Truth were having major success via Norman Whitfield’s new sound and it was clear that Berry Gordy was looking for some of that success to give Marvin a much needed boost to what appeared as a flagging career. At the turn of the decade this album was released and appeared not to have any songs on it that would make a serious impression on the charts.

This new set had versions galore with his interpretations of the Young Rascals’ ‘Groovin’ and a host of other Motown filler material such as ‘I Wish It Would Rain’ ‘Gonna Giver Her All The Love I Got’ and ‘Gonna Keep On Tryin’ Till I Win Your Love’ all of which had seen single releases via the Temps, Jimmy Ruffin, and Edwin Starr. These versions whilst credible clearly lacked the spark and commercial appeal that the above named artists had had.

Motown took a chance with the issue of the title track from the album a piece of psychedelic styled Motown running at the same tempo as ‘Grapevine’ and a hit followed soon afterwards. At this point die-hard Motown fans/collectors were clearly beginning to worry at the direction in which the label was going with their beloved ‘sound’ starting to fade away quickly in favour of Norman Whitfields new direction. The next single was the mediocre ‘How Can I Forget’ which didn’t get further than # 41 in the US and interestingly enough was re-issued as the ‘b’ side to his next single.

Just when you thought Marvin and Motown were out for the count the label pulled a masterstroke in March 1971 and took a chance on issuing ‘Abraham, Martin and John’ as a single release. The result was a world-wide hit and suddenly Gaye was back in vogue. A perfect marketing move by Motown who at that time saw a perfect opportunity to market this song about the loss of three of America’s great names in Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, and John F Kennedy. Coming at a time around the end of the Vietnam war when America had lost so many lives in that conflict it appeared to have paid off.

A very moving song and a perfect production thanks to arranger Paul Riser.

His next album in 1972 transpired to be his best ever, and is rated by many as the greatest soul album ever released. The album was ‘What’s Going On’ and you can read the review and sample some audio clips of the alternative recordings and out-takes on a review on this web site currently being prepared.

Released in the UK in April 2001
Expect to pay around £14.99 in the UK
Rating 6/10
www.motown.com

UK Tracklisting;

MPG

Too Busy Thinking About My Baby/This Magic Moment/The End Of Our Road/Seek And You Shall Find/Memories/
Only A Lonely Man Would Know/It's A Bitter Pill To Swallow/More Than A Heart Can Stand/Try My True Love/
I Got To Get To California/It Don't Take Much To Keep Me

That's The Way Love Is

Gonna Give Her All The Love I Got/Yesterday/Groovin'/I Wish It Would Rain/That's The Way Love Is/How Can I Forget/
Abraham, Martin And John/Gonna Keep On Tryin' Till I Win Your Love/No Time For Tears/Cloud Nine/So Long/
Don't You Miss Me A Little Bit Baby