In the Groove (Marvin Gaye album)
Marvin Gaye's 1968 album later reissued after a hit single.
In the Groove is the eighth studio album by American soul musician Marvin Gaye, released on August 26, 1968, on the Motown-subsidiary label Tamla Records. It was Gaye's first solo studio album in two years, following a period in which he had focused on duets with Kim Weston and Tammi Terrell. The album was later reissued and retitled as I Heard It Through the Grapevine after the unexpected success of Gaye's recording of that song.
Quick Facts
- Artist
- Marvin Gaye
- Released
- August 26, 1968
- Recorded
- 1967–68
- Genre
- Soul
- Length
- 31:55
- Label
- Tamla
- Producer
- Norman Whitfield
- Ivy Jo Hunter
- Frank Wilson
Facts from the source article.
Track listing
Side one
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | You | Jeffrey Bowen, Jack Coga (Goga), Ivy Jo Hunter | 2:25 |
| 2 | Tear It on Down | Nickolas Ashford, Valerie Simpson | 2:35 |
| 3 | Chained | Frank Wilson | 2:38 |
| 4 | I Heard It Through the Grapevine | Barrett Strong, Norman Whitfield | 3:14 |
| 5 | At Last (I Found a Love) | Marvin Gaye, Anna Gordy Gaye, Elgie Stover | 2:37 |
| 6 | Some Kind of Wonderful | Gerry Goffin, Carole King | 2:19 |
Side two
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever | Ivy Jo Hunter, Stevie Wonder | 2:43 |
| 2 | Change What You Can | Marvin Gaye, Anna Gordy Gaye, Elgie Stover | 2:37 |
| 3 | It's Love I Need | Stephen Bowden, Ivy Jo Hunter | 2:54 |
| 4 | Every Now And Then | Eddie Holland, Frank Wilson | 3:06 |
| 5 | You're What's Happening (In The World Today) | George Gordy, Robert Gordy, Allen Story | 2:19 |
| 6 | There Goes My Baby | Benjamin Nelson, Lover Patterson, George Treadwell | 2:24 |
Track listing from the source article.
Background
By the end of 1967, Marvin Gaye had released only one solo single in 18 months. His duets with Kim Weston and Tammi Terrell included "It Takes Two", "Ain't No Mountain High Enough", and "Your Precious Love", while his solo single "Your Unchanging Love" peaked at number 33 on the Billboard Hot 100. Motown brought Gaye back to the studio in early 1967 to record a solo album. During this period, Gaye's vocals underwent a transition. Collaborator Norman Whitfield and his pupil Frank Wilson began writing songs they felt suited Gaye's chaotic personal life, which included a turbulent marriage to Anna Gordy and growing dislike of live performances. Disagreements with Motown CEO Berry Gordy also strained Gaye's relationship with the label. In October 1967, during a performance with Tammi Terrell at Hampden-Sydney College, Terrell collapsed from exhaustion into Gaye's arms; she was later diagnosed with a brain tumor, which depressed Gaye. Some speculate that Terrell's illness and later death affected Gaye's vocal style, shifting him toward a more gospel-influenced sound. During the recording of "I Heard It Through the Grapevine", Whitfield forced Gaye to raise his vocal register higher than usual, a technique Whitfield had used on David Ruffin for "Ain't Too Proud to Beg". Gaye and Whitfield reportedly argued over the sessions.
Release and reception
Instead of releasing "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" as a single, Motown issued the Ivy Jo Hunter-produced "You", recorded after "Grapevine", in December 1967. The song featured Gaye hollering in falsetto for the first time and peaked at number 34 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 7 on the Hot-Selling Soul Singles chart. In the Groove was released in August 1968 with a second single, "Chained", which peaked at number 32 on the pop chart and number 8 on the R&B chart. While "Chained" was still climbing, radio deejays began playing "I Heard It Through the Grapevine". Berry Gordy eventually allowed its release in October 1968, and the song reached number one on both the Hot 100 and the Hot-Selling Soul Singles charts by year's end. In 1969 it hit number one on the UK Singles chart, becoming Gaye's first international smash and outselling the Gladys Knight & The Pips version, making it the most successful Motown single to date. Gaye reacted coldly to the success due to his depressed state over Tammi Terrell, later telling a biographer he felt the song's success was "undeserved". After the single's success, Motown re-released the album as I Heard It Through the Grapevine, and it rose to number 2 on the R&B albums chart and number 63 on the pop albums chart, Gaye's biggest-selling album to date. The album also marked Gaye's first attempts at self-production with his own songs, including "At Last I Found a Love" and "Change What You Can". Whitfield produced only one track on the album; other producers included Ivy Jo Hunter, Ashford & Simpson, and Frank Wilson. Gaye and Whitfield would later collaborate on two albums.
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