The Soulful Moods of Marvin Gaye
This article relies largely or entirely on a single source. (May 2020) |
The Soulful Moods of Marvin Gaye | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | June 8, 1961 | |||
Recorded | 1961 | |||
Genre | Jazz, traditional pop, R&B | |||
Length | 33:04 | |||
Label | Tamla | |||
Producer | Berry Gordy | |||
Marvin Gaye chronology | ||||
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Singles from The Soulful Moods of Marvin Gaye | ||||
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The Soulful Moods of Marvin Gaye is the debut
Background
Between his release from the
After living in Chicago for two years and following a tour in Detroit, Fuqua decided to split up the group and take Gaye with him to help get him work in the musically-developing city. Fuqua then signed Gaye to a contract with his Harvey and Tri-Phi Records and also assigned him to work with his then-girlfriend Gwen Gordy's Anna label. Gaye would do drumming work for acts on Tri-Phi and Harvey including, most notably, The Spinners, on their debut hit, "That's What Girls Are Made For".
In December 1960, Gaye introduced himself to Motown CEO Berry Gordy at Motown's annual Christmas party by playing piano and singing "Mr. Sandman". Gordy was impressed with Gaye and later began working out a negotiation deal with Fuqua to sign the young singer to Gordy's Motown empire. Fuqua agreed to sell 50% of his interest in Gaye to Gordy, which led to Gordy presenting Gaye with a lucrative deal, which he signed with the following month. Gaye was then assigned to Motown's Tamla label, for which he'd record with for the next 20 years. In the meantime, Gaye met and fell in love with one of Gordy's sisters, Anna Gordy and the couple would begin dating during the spring of 1961, marrying within a year.
Recording and release
Shortly after Gaye signed to Tamla, the label and the young singer soon clashed with musical direction. While the label was recording R&B music for teenagers, Marvin, who admired Nat King Cole and
The album was not given much attention upon its release. "Let Your Conscience Be Your Guide" failed to become a major hit, though it was a regional hit in the Midwest and on the West Coast. The label released two more singles from the album, which featured Gaye still singing in a smooth tenor. His style soon changed to include gospel inflections, which helped to bring him success after he released his first hit, "Stubborn Kind of Fellow", in 1962. Motown Records, at the time of this album's release, was still a fledgling operation, with only The Miracles, The Marvelettes, and Mary Wells as successful acts. Gaye's jazz ambitions continued after the album's release and throughout the 1960s. He recorded three more albums featuring jazz covers, none of which resonated well with audiences used to the singer's grittier R&B work during the sixties.
Track listing
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
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1. | "(I'm Afraid) The Masquerade Is Over" | Gene DePaul, Don Raye | 3:53 |
References
- ^ "The Soulful Moods of Marvin Gaye - Marvin Gaye | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 21 November 2016.
External links
- The Soulful Moods of Marvin Gaye at Discogs (list of releases)