Nobody had a voice in Motown quite like Marvin Gaye. We lost him far too soon. Fortunately, we have a whole wealth of recorded work to enjoy from the soulful singer, and some of the isolated vocal tracks from Marvin Gaye’s biggest hits are hauntingly beautiful to hear. Let’s take a look at just three of those isolated vocal tracks! Prepare to get goosebumps.
Videos by American Songwriter
“Let’s Get It On”
“Let’s Get It On” is one of Marvin Gaye’s most famous songs, and it’s still a must-have on romantic playlists around the world. Gaye was a master at teetering the edge between sexy and vulgar, and this song is a particularly poetic example of that balance. Just as well, the way he sings on this song is exceptionally seductive. This is a famously difficult song to cover, as Gaye effortlessly swings between the low, monotone “let’s get it on” to a screeching, beautifully-pitched vocal run. That’s not easy to imitate, even if you study this isolated vocal track intensely.
“Sexual Healing”
Another particularly sexy song by Marvin Gaye, “Sexual Healing” is another essential entry found on many romantic playlists. It’s wild to think that this song came during a lul of sorts in Gaye’s career, but it’s not surprising that he managed to make an incredible comeback with this song alone. The whole of “Sexual Healing” is quite stunning, but the isolated vocal track is on a totally different level. The way he sings is captivating, and I truly can’t compare his voice to anyone else from his time.
“I Heard It Through The Grapevine”
This Marvin Gaye isolated vocal track is one of my personal favorites. And the whole of “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” almost never happened. Imagine that! Initially, this world-loved track about the horrors of discovering a loved one’s infidelity was rejected by Motown Records. However, when DJs started to play the song on the radio en masse, the executives figured that they simply had to release the song as a single. The instrumentals and melody of this song are gorgeous, but Gaye’s voice is the true highlight of the whole dang thing.
Photo by Paul Natkin/Getty Images
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