Melodies & Masterpieces
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The place to be on X for all music lovers. Educational/Fan Account. Contact me at: [email protected]
Joined July 2020
What’s your favorite recent music discovery?
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The 2011 40th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition is also a treasure: packed with 28 bonus tracks, including unreleased funky jams and instrumental versions. Tracks like extended grooves show Gaye's experimental side. Perfect for deep dives!
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Don’t miss the “Detroit Mix”—the raw, original version without overdubs, released in 2001. It feels more intimate and conversational, like a totally different vibe from the final album. Hunt it down for a fresh listen!
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Why iconic? It shifted soul from love to activism, influencing progressive music amid civil rights and Vietnam. A narrative masterpiece with no filler—just urgent, cohesive passion...
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A landmark concept album: Songs segue seamlessly like a soul symphony, mixing gospel, jazz, funk, and classical. Themes tackle war, addiction, environment, and faith introspectively. R&B's first true "art" record.
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Gaye's multi-tracked vocals created a choral effect, like a one-man gospel choir. Backed by Detroit Symphony strings for cinematic feel. This ensemble made it timeless.
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Musicians shone: The Funk Brothers (Motown's house band) got rare credits—bassist James Jamerson played epic lines (even drunk on the floor!). Sax by Eli Fontaine and congas added groove. Their jazz-funk fusion elevated it.
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Motown rejected it initially, but exec Barney Ales shipped 100K copies secretly. It exploded, proving artistic risk pays off. A turning point for artist-led production in soul...
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Gaye struck for autonomy, finishing in 30 days. Sessions were loose—weed, Scotch, improvised layers that stuck. Arranger David Van De Pitte wove in orchestral strings for depth.
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Recorded 1970-71 in Detroit's Hitsville U.S.A. and LA studios. Gaye demanded full creative control from Motown, clashing with boss Berry Gordy who hated the jazz-infused title track as "the worst ever." It broke Motown's hit-factory mold.
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The album questions society's ills: Why war abroad when home is broken? It's a cohesive plea for unity, blending personal pain with global issues. A wake-up call that still resonates.
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Inspiration struck from real-world horrors. Four Tops' Obie Benson witnessed police brutality at Berkeley's 1969 "Bloody Thursday" protest. Gaye channeled Vietnam, Watts riots, and urban decay into a vet's homecoming narrative.
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Letters from his brother Frankie in Vietnam shook him deeply. Gaye stepped away from performing, grew a beard, and pivoted from romantic hits to raw social commentary. As he told Rolling Stone: "I had to reach people's souls, not just their ears."
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Marvin Gaye hit rock bottom in the late '60s. His duet partner Tammi Terrell died from a brain tumor in 1970, his marriage fell apart, and he struggled with depression and cocaine. He even tried pro football with the Detroit Lions amid his despair.
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Ever wondered how one album captured '70s chaos—war, poverty, ecology—and redefined soul music? "What's Going On" by Marvin Gaye captured an era's chaos like no other... But what personal storms drove him to pour his soul into it? A thread🧵
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Bill Evans and that unmistakable piano posture — jokes aside, the most beautiful video you’ll see today.
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Lou Reed — Walk On the Wild Side
On this day in 1972, Lou Reed released “Transformer”
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What’s a great song that talks about money?
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