I Want You (Marvin Gaye album)
I Want You | ||||
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Arthur "T-Boy" Ross | ||||
Marvin Gaye chronology | ||||
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Singles from I Want You | ||||
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I Want You is the fourteenth
Gaye recorded the album during 1975 and 1976 at his studio
I Want You consisted of Gaye's first recorded studio material since his highly successful and well-received album Let's Get It On (1973). While it marked a change in musical direction for Gaye, departing from his trademark Motown and doo-wop-influenced sound for funky, light-disco soul, the album maintained and expanded on his previous work's sexual themes. Following a mixed response from critics at the time of its release, I Want You has earned retrospective recognition from writers and music critics as one of Gaye's most controversial works and influential to such musical styles as disco, quiet storm, R&B, and neo soul.
Background
By 1975, Marvin Gaye had come off of the commercial and critical success of his landmark studio album
While the majority of the album's songs were conceived by Ware, I Want You was transformed into a biographical centerpiece for Gaye, who was then in a volatile marriage with
"I Want You is unmistakably a work of romantic and erotic tribute to the woman he deeply loved and would shortly marry, Janis Hunter. Gaye's obsession with the woman in her late teens is nearly palpable in the sensual textures that are the album's aural and lyrical signature. Their relationship was relentlessly passionate and emotionally rough-hewn; they played up each other's strengths, and played off each other's weaknesses."[3]
Though it was often hinted that Let's Get It On was the album Gaye had dedicated to her, Marvin has stated that this album was dedicated to Hunter, who is believed to have been in the studio when he recorded it. According to music critics, her presence may have increased the emotion in Ware's and Gaye's conception of I Want You.[2] From Gaye's first recordings of I Want You to the album's release in 1976, Hunter and Gaye married and divorced in the span of three short years. Having gone mostly silent since the years of Gaye's death, Janis broke her silence in 2013 by releasing a book titled, After the Dance: My Life with Marvin Gaye where she recalls her turbulent and often violent relationship with Marvin.[4]
Recording and production
Gaye and Ware recorded and
Gaye's albums, and especially I Want You, have been influential on modern soul music and contemporary R&B.
With the opening, with the congas and the strings; it's like the sun is rising. It's a very cinematic approach to the whole thing. It shows a thing Quincy Jones called "ear candy." The voicings and the arrangements convey not only mood but time, place and image. He's talking about "dreamed of you this morning." It's crazy. The other thing about Marvin and the song is he always, no matter what he was doing, how many risks he would take, he was a radical traditionalist and always held onto his doo-wop upbringing. Those background harmonies ... no matter how increasingly percussive he got, how funky, the background vocals were always steeped in that tradition.[6]
Another significant feature of the recording sessions for I Want You was Gaye's use of the synthesizer in his music.[1] During the time of recording, the instrument had entered its modern period of use and had been included in the music of such popular acts as Stevie Wonder and Led Zeppelin. For the instrumental version of "After the Dance", Gaye implemented it for a more spacey sound than his previous recordings had featured. Other recordings from these sessions to feature Gaye's synthesizer were later featured on the deluxe edition re-release of I Want You.[1]
Artwork
The original The Sugar Shack painting, which was later used for the front album cover of I Want You, was painted and released by
The dances of ordinary people have been a standard subject of
Flemings.[10]
The Sugar Shack has been known to art critics for embodying the style of art composition known as "Black Romantic", which, according to Natalie Hopkinson of The Washington Post, is the "visual-art equivalent of the Chitlin' Circuit."[11] According to Barnes, he created the original version after reflecting upon his childhood, during which he was not "able to go to a dance."[12] In an interview with SoulMuseum.net, Barnes was asked whether there were any messages he was attempting to express through the painting. He stated "'Sugar Shack' is a recall of a childhood experience. It was the first time my innocence met with the sins of dance. The painting transmits rhythm so the experience is re-created in the person viewing it. To show that African-Americans utilize rhythm as a way of resolving physical tension"[7]
Gaye was introduced to Barnes by colleague Barbara Hunter, which led to him buying eight Barnes originals, including The Sugar Shack. After Gaye asked him for permission to use the painting as an album cover, Barnes then augmented the painting by adding references to Gaye's album, including banners hanging from the ceiling of the shack promoting the album's singles.
Release and reception
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [14] |
Chicago Tribune | [15] |
Q | [16] |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [17] |
Sounds | [18] |
Tom Hull | B−[19] |
Uncut | [20] |
The Village Voice | C+[21] |
I Want You was released March 16, 1976 in the United States on the Motown-subsidiary label
The album's second single, the
Despite its chart success, I Want You received mixed reviews from music critics at the time of its release.[2] It has been noted by music writers that the critical reception of disco music in general had been poor and ill-considered, which may have caused the slightly disco-styled I Want You to suffer critically, in comparison to Gaye's previous albums.[2] Los Angeles Times writer Dennis Hunt called the album "disappointing" and "only partially commendable".[23] Rolling Stone's Vince Aletti criticized Leon Ware's production for being too low-key, and perceived that Gaye lacks the certain passion in his lyricism and singing from his previous records.[24] Aletti compared the album to Gaye's previous work, writing that "Gaye seems determined to take over as soul's master philosopher in the bedroom, a position that requires little but an affectation of constant, rather jaded horniness. The pose has already been established in Let's Get It On, on which Gaye was hot, tender, aggressive, soothing and casually raunchy—the modern lover with all his contradictions. I Want You continues in the same vein but with only the faintest traces of the robust passion that shot through and sustained the earlier album ... one expects something with a little more substance and spirit. But there's no fire here, only a well-concealed pilot light."[24]
Cliff White of
Legacy and influence
After critical re-examination of the album, I Want You has been recognized by writers and music writers as one of Marvin Gaye's most controversial and influential works and, much like its predecessor Let's Get It On, has served as a major influence on the quiet storm and contemporary R&B genres.[26] Its standing has also improved among critics following an expanded edition release of the album on July 29, 2003, which featured extensive liner notes and photography by Ryan Null. Following that release, AllMusic praised Gaye's different direction in music and the eroticism portrayed in Leon Ware's smooth-tempo production and Gaye's intimate lyricism. Reviewer Thom Jurek wrote:
Its subject matter is as close to explicit as pop records got in 1976 ... The feel of the album was one of late-night parties in basements and small clubs, and the intimacy of the music evokes the image of people getting closer as every hour of a steamy night wears on ... the most astonishing things about I Want You are its intimacy, silky elegance, and seamless textures ... I Want You and its companion, Ware's Musical Massage, are the pre-eminent early disco concept albums. They are adult albums about intimacy, sensuality, and commitment, and decades later they still reverberate with class, sincerity, grace, intense focus, and astonishingly good taste. I Want You is as necessary as anything Gaye ever recorded, and is as compelling in the 21st century as when it was first issued.[14]
Such musicians as
Following the release of I Want You, Ware released Musical Massage (1976), which received little mainstream notice.[2] Despite this, Musical Massage, Ware's second studio album, became a cult hit among soul music fans who were intrigued by I Want You and songs from that album's producer.[2] Critical recognition of Ware's album later improved, being cited by AllMusic as "the perfect mix of soul, light funk, jazz, and what was about to become the rhythmic foundation for disco."[29]
Track listing
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
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1. | " Arthur "T-Boy" Ross, Leon Ware | 4:35 | |
2. | "Come Live with Me Angel" | Jacqueline Hilliard, Ware | 6:28 |
3. | "After the Dance" (instrumental) | Marvin Gaye, Ware | 4:21 |
4. | "Feel All My Love Inside" | Gaye, Ware | 3:23 |
5. | "I Wanna Be Where You Are" | Ross, Ware | 1:17 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
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1. | "I Want You" (intro jam) | Ross, Ware | 0:20 |
2. | "All the Way Around" | Ross, Ware | 3:50 |
3. | "Since I Had You" | Gaye, Ware | 4:05 |
4. | "Soon I'll Be Loving You Again" | Gaye, Ross, Ware | 3:14 |
5. | "I Want You" (jam) | Ross, Ware | 1:41 |
6. | "After the Dance" (vocal) | Gaye, Ware | 4:40 |
- Sides one and two were combined as tracks 1–11 on digital reissues.
No. | Title | Length |
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12. | "I Want You" (vocal; single mix) | 3:28 |
13. | "I Want You" (instrumental; single mix) | 4:39 |
14. | "Strange Love (Feel All My Love Inside)" (instrumental; single mix) | 2:58 |
Deluxe edition
In 2003, I Want You was reissued by Motown as a two-
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Personnel
- Artwork: Ernie Barnes, Frank Mulvey
- String and horn arrangements: Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson
- Bass: Chuck Rainey, Henry Davis, Ron Brown, Wilton Felder
- Bobbye Hall Porter, Eddie "Bongo" Brown
- Drums: James Gadson
- Piano, Fender Rhodes: Jerry Peters, John Barnes, Sonny Burke, Marvin Gaye
- Engineer: Fred Ross, Art Stewart
- Executive Producer: Berry Gordy, Marvin Gaye
- Guitar: Melvin "Wah Wah" Watson, Ray Parker Jr.
- Percussion: Gary Coleman, Jack Arnold
- Synthesizer: Marvin Gaye
- Vocals: Marvin Gaye
- Producer: Arthur "T-Boy" Ross(co-produced tracks: A1, A3, B1, B2, B4-B6)
Charts
Weekly charts
Chart (1976) | Peak position |
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US Billboard 200[30] | 4 |
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[31] | 1 |
Year-end charts
Chart (1976) | Peak
positions |
---|---|
U.S. Billboard Pop Albums[32] | 53 |
U.S. Billboard Top Soul Albums[33] | 13 |
See also
- List of number-one R&B albums of 1976 (U.S.)
References
- ^ a b c d e f g Ritz (2003), pp. 2–3.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Ritz (2003), pp. 8–10.
- ^ Dyson (2005), p. 164.
- ISBN 9780062135520.
- ^ a b c Ritz (2003)
- ^ a b c d Dyson (2005), p. 171.
- ^ a b Ernie Barnes Interview ( 英語 ) Archived 2010-11-09 at the Wayback Machine. Soul Museum: Ernie Barnes. Retrieved on 2008-08-29.
- ^ "BIOGRAPHY | ARTIST ERNIE BARNES Official Website".
- ^ The Collection Shop - Ernie Barnes Sugar Shack. The Collection Shop Inc. Retrieved on 2008-08-29.
- ^ a b c Ernie Barnes Limited Edition Prints Archived 2008-12-02 at the Wayback Machine. The Collection Shop Inc. Retrieved on 2008-08-29.
- ^ a b Neal, Mark Anthony. Review: I Want You. PopMatters. Retrieved on 2009-08-01.
- ^ a b Oakland Tribune - Top Black Painter Exhibits in Oakland - August 14, 2002 Archived July 10, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. oaklandtribune.com. Retrieved on 2008-08-29.
- ^ "Eddie Murphy Speaks: The Rolling Stone Interview". Rolling Stone. 9 November 2011. Archived from the original on 9 June 2018. Retrieved September 10, 2016.
- ^ a b Jurek, Thom. Review: I Want You. AllMusic.
- ^ Kot, Greg. "Review: I Want You[permanent dead link]". Chicago Tribune: 4. July 22, 1994. (Transcription of original review at talk page)
- ^ Columnist. "Review: I Want You". Q: 132. November 2003.
- ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
- ^ Columnist. "Review: I Want You". Sounds: May 1, 1976.
- ^ Hull, Tom (November 2013). "Recycled Goods (#114)". A Consumer Guide to the Trailing Edge. Tom Hull. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
- ^ Columnist. Review: I Want You Archived 2011-05-19 at the Wayback Machine. Uncut. Retrieved on 2009-10-24.
- ^ a b c Christgau, Robert (April 26, 1976). "Consumer Guide" The Village Voice. Retrieved on 2009-08-01.
- ^ I Want You > Overview . All Media Guide, LLC. Retrieved on 2008-08-29.
- ^ Hunt, Dennis. "Review: I Want You". Los Angeles Times: E22. April 9, 1976.
- ^ a b Aletti, Vince. Review: I Want You. Rolling Stone. Retrieved on 2009-08-01.
- ^ a b White, Cliff. "Review: I Want You". NME: May 8, 1976.
- ^ OCLC 32508105. Retrieved 2008-09-22.
- ^ TheBreaks.com album samples - Search results: I Want You. TheBreaks.com. Retrieved on 2008-08-29.
- ^ a b Musical Massage: Review. PopMatters. Retrieved on 2009-03-31.
- ^ allmusic ((( Musical Massage > Overview ))). All Media Guide, LLC. Retrieved on 2008-08-29.
- ^ "Marvin Gaye Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved December 18, 2018.
- ^ "Marvin Gaye Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved December 18, 2018.
- ^ "Billboard 200 Albums - Year-End". Billboard. Retrieved 2021-06-01.
- ^ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums - Year-End". Billboard. Retrieved 2021-06-01.
Bibliography
- David Ritz (2003). I Want You. Deluxe edition liner notes. UMG Recordings, Inc.
- ISBN 0-465-01770-3.
- Nathan Brackett, Christian Hoard (2004). ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.