Song of the Week #2: A double shot of Marvin - SPTO's Blog

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Song of the Week #2: A double shot of Marvin

Posted on November 18, 2008 at 04:38 PM.

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I originally had a totally different song and singer lined up for this week but someone made a comment on my first song and brought up Marvin Gaye's Here My Dearalbum from 1978. This prompted me to decide to play for your pleasure a song from that album.

As background this was an album Marvin was ordered by the courts to produce in which the proceeds would go to his first wife Anna Gordy. At first Marvin decided to produce crap but his thirst for perfection and honesty as an artist turned it around. This album chronicled the entire marriage of Marvin and Anna from his perspective. It has now laid claim as the ultimate "get back at her" type of album ever produced. It is indeed one of the greatest breakup albums ever.

This song i'm providing to you is called "Anger". It's a song that goes back to Marvin's Pentecostal upbringing as it's a sermon against anger and rage. First is the original release:

Pretty good song eh?

Now here's the version from 2008. This was a project commissioned by Motown to have famous RnB and hip hop producers to work with the original material from the album. This would include alternate vocal/mixes and arrangements. This version of "anger" was done by Marcus Miller. I gotta say that with Marvin's expanded lyrics and the different instrumentation and mix that this version is actually "gasp" superior to the original. If this mix was released back in '78 it would've undoubtedly be a hit.

Comments

# 1 Tomba @ Nov 18

I originally had a totally different song and singer lined up for this week but someone made a comment on my first song and brought up Marvin Gaye's Here My Dearalbum from 1978. This prompted me to decide to play for your pleasure a song from that album.

That was me my friend LOVE this album...

There wouldn't be a D'Angelo(not that there is now but check out the album Brown Sugar for pur R&B bliss) without this guy...

# 2 Tomba @ Nov 18

Ohh and another thing. the remix or redoing/retelling of the song by Miller is good, but for me I'm a purist and dig the original more