Marvin Gaye bio at allmusic.com, by Jason Ankeny
The “new” Moonglows
The following singles are songs Gaye released when he was the member of doo-wop bands the Marquees and the Moonglows between 1957 and 1959.
- The Marquees
- 1957: “Baby You’re the Only One”
- 1958: “Wyatt Earp”
- The Moonglows
- 1958: “Twelve Months of the Year”
- 1959: “Mama Loocie” – the first lead vocal by Marvin Gaye (click title to listen to the track at youtube)
- 1959: “Blue Skies”
- 1959: “Beatnik”
Excerpt from wikipedia article on the Moonglows:
In 1958, shortly after the Moonglows recorded their final hit, “The Ten Commandments of Love”, [group leader and chief writer Harvey] Fuqua re-asserted himself as the group’s lead singer, putting Lester further in the background and causing friction among group members. The biggest blow came when Fuqua spotted a young vocal group, the Marquees from Washington, D.C., and took the talented quartet of Reese Palmer, Chester Simmons, James Knowland and nineteen-year-old lead singer Marvin Gaye under his wing. The group had recently recorded (unsuccessfully) on the Okeh record label after being discovered by rock icon Bo Diddley when Fuqua found them. Recording with fifth member Chuck Barksdale, who had been (and would again become) the bass singer of The Dells, Fuqua hired them as his new Moonglows. This group recorded songs such as “Twelve Months of the Year” (featuring a speaking part by Marvin Gaye), “Beatnik” and “Mama Loocie”, which (the first recorded lead by Gaye), released in 1959. The forming of the “New Moonglows” ended the affiliation of the original Moonglows. In 1959 and 1960, Fuqua also recorded several duets for the Chess label with the singer of “Roll with Me Henry” (and future blues superstar) Etta James. [1]The other four Moonglows recruited bass John Bowie to fill their commitments, and then disbanded.
Instrumentation by The Funk Brothers on all singles with the addition of Marvin Tarplin (guitars) on several of them.
1962
Hitch Hike (Marvin Gaye, William “Mickey” Stevenson, Clarence Paul)
The song sparked a brief dance craze when audience members from American Bandstand performed the “hitch hike” dance. Marvin performed the song on the show and also did the move onstage. The single was successful enough to land Gaye his first top forty pop single in 1963 with “Hitch Hike” reaching number thirty on the pop singles chart while reaching number twelve on the R&B singles chart. Again, like “Stubborn”, Martha and the Vandellas accompanied Gaye on this song. - wikipedia extract
a. the single, released Dec 62
b. On Shindig – 1964
1963
Pride and Joy (Norman Whitfield, Marvin Gaye, William “Mickey” Stevenson) is a 1963 single by Marvin Gaye, released on the Tamla label. The single, co-written by William “Mickey” Stevenson, Gaye and Norman Whitfield, and produced by Stevenson, was considered to be a tribute to Gaye’s then-girlfriend, Anna Gordy.
The song was also the third straight (and last) single to include Martha and the Vandellas in background vocals just weeks before “(Love is Like a) Heat Wave” made the girl group one of the high-tier Motown acts.
The song was also Gaye’s first top ten pop single peaking at number ten on the chart and just missed the top spot of the R&B singles chart peaking at number two. The song also helped continue Gaye’s successful hit streak as the singer would score another Top 40 pop hit at the end of that year with “Can I Get a Witness”.
The album version of the single featured on Gaye’s second album, That Stubborn Kinda Fellow is different in parts to the single version presenting a more jazz effect than the gospel-emulated version that became a single.
Can I Get a Witness (Holland-Dozier-Holland)
a. 1964 (?)
b. 1965
1964
You are a Wonderful One (Holland-Dozier-Holland) – This song, the first of six top 40 hits by Gaye in 1964, peaked at #15. Released in March (or April, disagreement on two sites) ‘64.
Instrumental version
Once Upon a Time (Clarence Paul, Barney Ales, Dave Hamilton, William “Mickey” Stevenson) – recorded with Mary Wells
What’s the Matter with You Baby (Stevenson, Paul, Ales) w/ Mary Wells
Try It Baby (Berry Gordy, Jr.) – released June 1964
Baby Don’t You Do It (Holland-Dozier-Holland)
How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You) (Holland-Dozier-Holland) – The song peaked at number six on the Billboard Hot 100 pop singles chart in January 1965, and number three on Billboard’s R&B Singles chart. It was Gaye’s most successful single to that point with record sales well over 900,000 copies. – adapted from wikipedia
a. the original single
b. on Shindig – 1964
c. A cappella version, 1965
1965
I’ll Be Doggone (William “Smokey” Robinson, Warren Moore, Marvin Tarplin)
It became his first million-selling record and his first number-one single on the R&B chart, staying there for two weeks. “I’ll Be Doggone” gave Marvin his third top-ten pop hit, where it peaked at number eight on the Billboard Hot 100, with that number matched by his follow-up record, “Ain’t That Peculiar”.[1]
The song was co-written by Smokey Robinson and two fellow members of The Miracles.
Musician Credits:
- Lead vocals by Marvin Gaye
- Background vocals by The Miracles (Claudette Rogers Robinson, Pete Moore, Ronnie White, and Bobby Rogers) & The Andantes (Marlene Barrow, Jackie Hicks and Louvain Demps)
- Instrumentation by The Funk Brothers and Marv Tarplin of The Miracles (guitars). - wikipedia extracts
a. the single – our provider at youtube give the release date as 20 Mar 65
b. live on Shindig with Tina Turner – 1965
Pretty Little Baby (Marvin Gaye, David Hamilton, Clarence Paul)
Ain’t That Peculiar (William “Smokey” Robinson, Marvin Tarplin, Ronald White) was Marvin Gaye’s second US million-selling record, and second to reach the top of Billboard’s R&B chart. I’ll Be Doggone had done both earlier in 1965.
A cappella
1966
One More Heartache (Warren Moore, Smokey Robinson, Bobby Rogers, Marv Tarplin)
It Takes Two (William “Mickey” Stevenson, Sylvia Maloy) with Kim Weston
