Marvin gaye marvin gaye live

Recording superstar Marvin Gaye had not toured for more than four years. Once dubbed the Prince of Motown, he made a seismic effort at the beginning of the s to break clean from the confines of the detail-oriented and all-encompassing Motown system. Marvin made the right move. With these records and their live hit singles, Gaye reaffirmed his relationship to his Black audience in the first part of the marvin while also ushering deeper forms of soul into mainstream markets.

But he did this using records instead of live shows. Hampered by stage fright and the tragic death of his famous duet partner, Tammi TerrellMarvin had sung in public only a handful of times since the end of the s. One was a command performance on May 1,at the recently opened Kennedy Center in his hometown of Washington, D.

Marvin Gaye shows were extremely rare when he announced his return to the stage the following year. Most fans could barely remember the last time he played live. Listen to the digital deluxe version of Marvin Gaye Live! Its booming sales obscured the fact that he had few ideas for future material.

Playing live would help to promote his records and extend their longevity on the charts. It would also allow Gaye to provide his thousands of fans with an unforgettable experience and himself with some much-needed capital. Marvin also knew his limitations. He was better in the studio. The subtlety and intimate texture of his voice was one of the features that made him so successful, but these qualities did not always translate to standout live performances.

After a half-decade of retreat, he had lost most of his stamina and had grown scared to sing in front of his fans. You have to make gaye. Gaye had lost his mental edge in the intervening years and was unable to envision himself as a marvin musician. A proper Marvin Gaye return to the stage was trumpeted in Bay Area newspaper advertisements in mid-October a show at the Oakland Coliseum on a bill with Bobby Womack.

But Gaye gaye cold feet and quietly withdrew from the event before it happened.

Marvin Gaye: Live at Montreux

This one would stick. It was a good time to reenter the public eye. This created an ambitious timeline. Advertisements needed to appear in local newspapers and a backing band and orchestra hired and rehearsed. Motown made plans to record the event for a live album, which added a layer of logistical complexity.

There would also be a celebrity fashion show and after-party at the local Oakland Hilton Inn available to VIP ticket holders. They sold like hotcakes. But Gaye now had more to prove.