Let's Get It On
Marvin Gaye's landmark soul album exploring sex and spirituality.
Let's Get It On is the eleventh studio album by American soul singer and songwriter Marvin Gaye, released on August 28, 1973, by Motown subsidiary Tamla Records. It marked Gaye's first venture into funk, incorporating smooth soul and doo-wop styles with sexually suggestive lyrics, and has been described as one of the most sexually charged albums ever recorded. The album helped establish Gaye as a sex icon and broadened his mainstream appeal, becoming the most commercially successful album of his career at Motown.
Quick Facts
- Artist
- Marvin Gaye
- Released
- 1973-08-28
- Recorded
- June 1, 1970April 11, 1972 / February 1July 26, 1973
- Studio
- Hitsville U.S.A. and Golden World, Detroit / Hitsville West, Los Angeles
- Genre
- Soul · R&B · funk
- Length
- 31:36
- Label
- Tamla
- Producer
- Marvin Gaye · Ed Townsend
- Prev Title
- Trouble Man
- Prev Year
- 1972
- Next Title
- Diana & Marvin
- Next Year
- 1973
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Following the breakthrough success of his socially conscious album What's Going On (1971), Gaye struggled with writer's block in spring 1972. Motown had renegotiated a $1 million contract giving him more creative control, making him the highest-earning soul artist at the time. He was also dealing with relocation to Los Angeles, separation from wife Anna Gordy, and childhood abuse from his father Marvin Gay Sr., which had stunted his sexuality. Gaye infused ideas of spiritual healing into songs about sex and romance as a way to cope with these issues.
Reader's Guide
Let's Get It On is regarded as a landmark recording in soul music. It increased the popularity of funk during the 1970s and marked a change from Motown's earlier 'Motown Sound' formula. The album frequently appears on professional rankings of the greatest albums and has been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame as a historically important recording. Its success gave Gaye more creative control from Motown. In 2001, it was reissued as a two-CD deluxe edition, and in 2023, it was reissued with added material for its 50th anniversary. The album's exploration of sex and spirituality, combined with its smooth-soul sound, influenced generations of R&B recording artists and producers.
Did You Know?
- The album's title track was originally written by Gaye as a religious ode to life before being reworked with sexual overtones.
- Gaye's intimate relationship with Janis Hunter, whom he met during the album's recording, became the basis for his 1976 album I Want You.
- The song 'Just to Keep You Satisfied' was re-recorded by Gaye to address the demise of his marriage to Anna Gordy Gaye, who co-wrote the original version.
- The album was recorded at three different studios: Hitsville U.S.A., Golden World Studio in Detroit, and Hitsville West in Los Angeles.
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