Midnight Love

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Midnight Love
Studio album by Marvin Gaye
Released	October 1982
Recorded	Studio Katy, Ohain, Belgium, 1982
Genre	Soul/Funk/R&B
Length	46:29
Label	Columbia Records
Producer	Marvin Gaye
Professional reviews
All Music Guide link Robert Christgau (A-) link Rolling Stone link RS Album Guide link
Marvin Gaye chronology
In Our Lifetime (1981) Midnight Love (1982) Dream Of A Lifetime (1985)

Midnight Love is the final studio album recorded by American soul singer Marvin Gaye and was the singer's first release from Columbia months after leaving his longtime label, Motown.

[edit] History

[edit] Background

By the winter of 1981, Marvin Gaye was in a personal and professional doldrums. Weakened by a debilitating drug problem, an increasing debt to the IRS, two failed marriages and losing his homes, cars and recording studio, Marvin had moved away from the continental United States by 1979 first settling in a bread van in Hawaii. In 1980, he settled in London and fortook on a European tour with British promoter Jeffrey Kruger.

Settling in Oostende, Belgium thanks to an offer by boxing promoter Freddy Couseart, the singer began sobering up from years of drug abuse cutting usage of marijuana and cocaine while working out in an ancient gym and jogging daily at the beaches in Ostend. By the summer of 1981, the 42-year-old Gaye decided to launch a tour of Europe again around areas of London - where he was received more favorably than the previous year's embarrassing no-show for Princess Margaret - and areas of Belgium. Afterwards, Marvin was inspired to get back in the studio to record his first album since 1981's commercially disappointing In Our Lifetime, his final album with Motown Records.

Still upset over the label's treatment of his last album, the singer's contract was bought out by CBS Urban president Larkin Arnold, who signed Gaye to Columbia making him the third former Motown artist to sign with CBS Records after Michael Jackson and Teena Marie, who also left in 1982.

[edit] Recording

Always a perfectionist, Marvin had difficulties coming up with an album. By early summer, Larkin Arnold was anxiously awaiting word on Marvin's album but with no responses coming in, he decided to visit Marvin again in Belgium to see what was up with the album. Marvin and Larkin butted heads during one conversation that ended peacefully after Marvin's friend and collaborator of an upcoming autobiography, David Ritz, presented him an audio tape demo of a song Marvin, David and musician Odell Brown had worked on called "Sexual Healing". Arnold gave Marvin the ok on the song and with that, other songs soon emerged. Recorded between April and August of 1982 in Ohain, Belgium, Marvin worked alongside his guitarist and brother-in-law Gordon Banks on the album that was to be titled Midnight Love. At first Marvin felt as if he wanted to produce an album of his own artistic merit but after the stale reception his last Motown albums received and inspired by the success of funk stars Rick James and Prince and R&B singers Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie, he decided to cut what he felt was "commercial enough" to grant him a comeback after years of chart inactivity. At the end of September 1982, Marvin was finally ready to release the album. That month, CBS released the first new Marvin Gaye single in over a year with "Sexual Healing".

[edit] Release and reaction

The response to "Sexual Healing" was immediate after its release. The song quickly rose to number-one on the Billboard Hot Soul Singles chart becoming the fastest-rising single on that chart in the last five years. It eventually reached the top five on the Billboard Hot 100 peaking at number three giving Marvin the rare distinction at having songs reach all spots of the top ten. Midnight Love was eventually released in October of 1982 and it too received an immediate response eventually reaching number-one on the R&B albums chart and peaking at number seven on the Billboard Top 200. Marvin felt apprehensive of returning to America but after receiving word of his mother's illness, the singer decided to return in spite of the warmth and relief he had enjoyed in Belgium. Back in America for good, Marvin promoted "Sexual Healing" and the Midnight Love tour throughout 1983 as he was welcomed back to open arms by the American pop music scene. Marvin released two more singles that were modest hits on the R&B chart including the lone ballad "'Til Tomorrow" and his tribute song to his estranged father with the funk-oriented "Joy". Another song, "My Love is Waiting", became a hit in the UK as did "Sexual Healing", which reached the top ten there reaching number seven. Eventually Midnight Love went on to sell more than three million copies in America and over six million worldwide receiving two Grammy Award wins for "Sexual Healing" in the Best Male R&B Vocal Performance and Best R&B Instrumental Performance categories and an album nomination. Marvin also won his first American Music Award and gave memorable performances on Motown 25 and the NBA All-Star Game where he gave a soulful rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner. Marvin then went on a months-long U.S. tour to support Midnight Love from April to August of the year. Despite regaining success, however, Marvin found himself back in a ravaging drug addiction and increased paranoia as the singer feared someone was going to kill him. Settling in his parents' Gramercy Place compound, Marvin struggled with his demons and his father until one nasty argument resulted in his shocking death on April 1, 1984 ending Marvin's brief life. In 1998, Columbia released a special edition of Midnight Love titled Midnight Love: The Sexual Healing Sessions featuring a second disc of alternate mixes, instrumentals and a demo version of "Sexual Healing". Three years later, rapper Erick Sermon sampled archival vocals from Marvin's outtake of the song "Turn On Some Music" from the album and put it in his hit song, "Music". The song brought Marvin a posthumous hit as the song reached the top thirty of the American pop charts.

In 1989, Midnight Love was ranked #37 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the The 100 Greatest Albums of the 80's.

[edit] Track listing

All tracks composed by Marvin Gaye; except where indicated

1. "Midnight Lady" – 5:17
2. "Sexual Healing" (Odell Brown, Gaye, David Ritz) – 3:59
3. "Rockin' After Midnight" – 6:04
4. "'Til Tomorrow" – 4:57
5. "Turn On Some Music" – 5:08
6. "Third World Girl" – 4:36
7. "Joy" – 4:22
8. "My Love Is Waiting" (Gordon Banks) – 5:07

[edit] Personnel

• Marvin Gaye - vocals, drums, Fender Rhodes piano, synthesizer, organ, bells, glockenspiel, vibraphone, finger cymbals, bongos, congas
• Gordon Banks - guitar, bass, drums, Fender Rhodes piano
• James Gadson - drums on "Midnight Lady"
• Bobby Stern - tenor saxophone, harmonica
• Joel Peskin - alto & tenor saxophone
• Harvey Fuqua - backing vocals on "Sexual Healing"
• David Stout And The L.A. Horn Section - horns
• McKinley T. Jackson - horn arrangement