Marvin Gaye - Head Title (AKA Distant Lover)

[bauslady115]

Marvin was soooooo ahead of his time. Yes he was a genius. Marvin said "Come Here, housecoat and all"

[bauslady115]

Marvin was soooooo ahead of his time. Yes he was a genius.

[Cxrusha]

He is the TRUTH

[confusedwithyourlie]

air time

[timmy841212]

You know I have to make some corrections here: this is definitely a 1970 recording. He recorded it in late November. Elgie Stover (one of his confidants and collaborators) was the one doing the screaming voices while Marvin sang.

[mjjcng8958]

@timmy841212 so it was recorded in detroit.

[timmy841212]

@mjjcng8958 Yep. In Hitsville.

[mjjcng8958]

@timmy841212 i told someone that and i was like are you sure christina? i remeber reading about this awhile back when they reissued what's goin on deluxe edition.

[timmy841212]

@mjjcng8958 Yeah. I'll tell you this, don't trust Wikipedia, people edit there constantly lol

[mjjcng8958]

@timmy841212 soul patrol.net is a great source. i lve researching about artist that i love  and that is how i found out

[khalidbahrain]

marvin gaye improvising > any artist today with as much time as they need to write lyrics

[HaliB75]

Lot of people thought that this was about Tammi....his distant lover...

[timmy841212]

@HaliB75 It wasn't. I actually think Marvin was dating someone else - prior to Janis - while separated from his wife. It sounds like it.

[HaliB75]

@timmy841212 That was speculation via Wikipedia and sources at Motown that had speculated Tammi as the inspiration because Distant Lover was originally Head Title, which was written right around Tammi's passing which was at this time. (What's Going On)was part of Marvin's grieving process over Tammi as we all know. Head Title was a lost WGO track which did not make the album. So the timing would be appropriate for speculation.

[SupermanLoverist]

@timmy841212 Correct!

[SupermanLoverist]

@SupermanLoverist A entire Album was issue for her in a Divorce settlement also..

[moebetta37]

i love it

[lanny69x]

HEY THIS IS LANNY I LIKE IT AND THAT COULD HAVE BEEN ON LIKE A BEGGIN SOUNDTRACK BECAUSE SOME OF THE MUSIC YOU TRY FOR THE FIRST TIME SOUND GOOD THAT SOME THE ORIGINAL THANKS LOVE MARVIN

[ns0710]

I have a question, i hope someone knows: is this merely a melody WITHOUT the actual lyrics to distant lover present? Because hte background is already there. Or, is it that he had merely create the melody, background but not the main lyrics? I'm inclined to believe that he took the previous song, Distant Lover's melody as an outlet to create a new song.

[timmy841212]

@ns0710 No it was possible he was trying to find the right lyrics. He was basically improvising here. This version could've been recorded at the same time as the "Let's Get It On" album was made. Some dates said he had been working on this record since 1970 or 1971 so it's possible what we hear now may have been overdubbed. Who knows?

[HaliB75]

@ns0710 This came first, then Distant Lover.

[TheReturnOfStephan1]

I'm rediscovering my love for this great artist's work, thanks to posts like yours!

BTW, does anyone know the kinds of scales Mr. Gaye used in his music?

Whole tone?

[timmy841212]

Thanks. It ain't too late to rediscover a genius. :) As for scales I don't know but I know they're extraordinary. =)