Marvin Is 60: A Tribute Album

Track Listings

1. Your Precious Love - Erykah Badu, D'Angelo

2. Distant Lover - Brian McKnight

3. You Sure Love to Ball - Will Downing

4. Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology) - Jon B.

5. What's Going On - Profyle

6. Got to Give It Up - Zhané

7. I Want You - Montell Jordan

8. Let's Get It On - Gerald LeVert

9. Sexual Healing - El DeBarge

10. Soon I'll Be Loving You Again

11. 'Til Tomorrow - Chico DeBarge

12. Just to Keep Her Satisfied - Kenny Lattimore

13. If This World Were Mine - Grenique, Tony Rich

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
The second Marvin Gaye tribute album assembled by Motown within a five-year period, Marvin Is 60 brings little to the table but faithful renditions of its 13 selections. While many of the artists present owe obvious debts to the singer, only a couple are able to do more than hint at Gaye's greatness: for instance, Erykah Badu and D'Angelo do a charming if hardly earthshaking cover of the Gaye/Tammi Terrell duet "Your Precious Love." Jon B and new Motown-signed Profyle lay down note-for-note copies of What's Going On treasures, while dull-edged romancers such as Brian McKnight and Will Downing do the same for classics from Let's Get It On. Finally, Zhane's weak-voiced take on "Got to Give It Up" illuminates Gaye's own record by reminding us just how much he could do with a little falsetto breathiness. Anyone looking to understand Gaye's genius would do better with a copy of the box set The Master. --Rickey Wright

Marvin Is 60: A Tribute Album,Various Artists,Motown / Pgd,Adult Contemporary,Club/Dance,Contemporary R&B,Dance-Pop,Hip-Hop,Motown,Neo-Soul,Pop,Pop-Rap,Quiet Storm,R&B,Smooth Soul,Soul,Soul/Reggae/Rhythm & Blues,Urban

Tracks:

Your Precious Love - Erykah Badu/D'Angelo
Distant Lover - Brian McKnight
You Sure Love To Ball - Will Downing
Mercy Mercy Me - Jon B.
What's Going On - Profyle
Got To Give It Up - Zhane
I Want You - Montell Jordan
Let's Get It On - Gerald Levert
Sexual Healing - El Debarge
Soon I'll Be Loving You Again - Joe
Til Tomorrow - Chico Debarge
Just To Keep Her Satisfied - Kenny Lattimore
If This World Were Mine - Grenique/Tony Rich

Amazon.com

The second Marvin Gaye tribute album assembled by Motown within a five-year period, Marvin Is 60 brings little to the table but faithful renditions of its 13 selections. While many of the artists present owe obvious debts to the singer, only a couple are able to do more than hint at Gaye's greatness: for instance, Erykah Badu and D'Angelo do a charming if hardly earthshaking cover of the Gaye/Tammi Terrell duet "Your Precious Love." Jon B and new Motown-signed Profyle lay down note-for-note copies of What's Going On treasures, while dull-edged romancers such as Brian McKnight and Will Downing do the same for classics from Let's Get It On. Finally, Zhane's weak-voiced take on "Got to Give It Up" illuminates Gaye's own record by reminding us just how much he could do with a little falsetto breathiness. Anyone looking to understand Gaye's genius would do better with a copy of the box set The Master. --Rickey Wright

Customer Reviews:

Ain't nothin' like the real thing, baby.......2007-07-10

There's really nothing wrong with this collection. I suppose as long as it's got Marvin's name on it many will be just as happy as if the man were still alive. But covering tunes just to cover them doesn't appeal to me personally. And so it goes that "Marvin is 60" sounds like one of those compilations you buy at a truck stop on your way to Wherever, UT that has "not performed by the original artists" written in teeny-weeny type on the back of the CD.

It's tough to lay down tracks that Marvin's already cannonized. So I acknowledge that these artists had their work cut out for them, but...I always enjoy cover tunes that branch out and take the material to a new place. I'd have to disagree with one reviewer who said that someone like me would be the first to complain about changing the arrangements. Far from it. I prefer cover tunes to be different arrangements from the original. Leaving the arrangement the same is so...unimaginative. Why not just listen to the original? You know you'll like it better anyway. I would've expected that plundering the Marvin Gaye songbook would've been rich with possibilities. But apparently not for these artists -- there really is nothing "new" about these "interpretations" and that's sad. Once I got the notion that these tracks were going to be banal carbon copies of the originals I thought that maybe the artists voices and spirits would bring out something interesting in the music. That isn't the case. If anything it shows how indebted so many of these artists are to the vocal stylings of Marvin; so much, in fact, that they can't think to do anything but echo his voice. It's almost like Marvin Gaye karoake with professional singers. They even remain faithful to his improvisational yelps and moans. That's just...well...unimaginative.

There were only two songs on this CD where the artists tried to do something interesting. Montell Jordan's "I Want You" has a nice minimalist arrangement with only an essential percussive track but he managed to leave in in the lush strings reminiscent of the original. Tasteful...but certainly not worth more than a couple of listens. Then there was the closing track, "If This World Were Mine" (the original is an underrated classic duet with Tammi Terrell), by Grenique and Tony Rich. The gentle tempo and beautiful acoustic guitar really bring out something special. And the interplay between the singers is wonderful (compare this to the opening track where Erykah Badu and D'Angelo do a paint-by-numbers approach and mimic the exact vocal lines that Tammi and Marvin made classic). It's simply too bad more of the tracks didn't take on this kind of inventiveness.

If you want to hear some nifty takes on Marvin's songs, go find Toots Hibbert's cover of "Grapevine" (done up as if it was always intended as a Reggae tune) or Ben Harper's distinctive take on "Sexual Healing" (which strips the song down to it's grittiest sensuality) or Neneh Cherry doing "Trouble Man" (with a very hip bluesy sound). It's not impossible to shoot for the moon and come up with something great. Still, you wonder how nearly all of the artists on "Marvin is 60" couldn't even manage to fall among the stars.

Worth the purchase!.......2005-01-20

This is a good CD! Of course, it's not like listening to the original, one and only, ... but it is an admirable effort from some of the artists we are used to hearing today.

Only a few of these artist can channel Marvin's soul..........2002-09-30

The name Marvin Gaye is synonymous with soul, romance and passion. He's one of the greatest soul singers in history. It's a shame that only a few out of the crop of new soul singers were able to do him justice on this release. The sublime Kenny Lattimore presents an incandescent reading of "Just To Keep Her Satisfied" from Marvin's "Here, My Dear" album. This song gives chills as Kenny's voice glides and lilts over the track with his smooth falsetto. Also noteworthy is Brian McKnight's rendition of "Distant Lover". If his voice can't make you feel something, you must have a hole in your soul. Also praise worthy are remakes of "Your Precious Love" with D'Angelo and Erykah Badu, and Will Downing's track. But unfortunately, that's where the fire burns out. While these performances radiate with Marvin's own intensity, the rest of the cuts fall short. They seem uninspired and rushed.

In all, this cd had the potential to be one of the best tribute albums. With marvin Gaye as your inspiration and his music as your muse, one could create a beautiful album. It's just disappointing that they didn't do better with the material that they had.

Marvin would have been pleased...........2001-09-21

I was going through my cd's and put this one back in my car. I won't say that I enjoyed all the interpretations but I will say it was a nice collaboration. As another reviewer before me stated, Joe definitely stepped up to the plate and hit a homerun. It is one of my favorites. I knew he was talented, but everybody can't sing Marvin. Joe certainly can! I also enjoyed Profyle, (where are they now?), Jon B., Brian McKnight on Distant Lover is a very pleasurable surprise. I certainly disagree with the reviewer who stated that Brian and Will Downing had lackluster performances. You Sure Love To Ball was a sexy and seductive as when Marvin Gaye layed the original track back in the 70's. All in all if you're a Marvin Gaye fan, you're bound to find something here to enjoy. Definitely worth a listen!

A Nice Effort.......2001-02-18

Not one of these performer (with the exception of D'Angelo and Erykah Badu) could really capture the same magic as Marvin could. Sure it's a nice try but none of these remakes stay true to the spirit of Marvin Gaye and can't even come close to the impact that Marvin had when he did these songs. Though D' and Erykah did a really great remake of "Your Precious Love", that song is the only song worth having on this album.

Average customer rating:

The Marvin CD is sweet
Marvin would be proud!!!
Got to Give it up!
Finally...
WOW

Marvin Is 60: The Tribute Album
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Motown
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Contemporary Blues | Blues | Styles | Music

General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

General | Dance Pop | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

Classic R&B | R&B | Styles | Music

Contemporary R&B | R&B | Styles | Music

General | R&B | Styles | Music

Motown | R&B | Styles | Music

General | Soul | R&B | Styles | Music

General | Compilations | R&B | Styles | Music

Soul | Compilations | R&B | Styles | Music

Quiet Storm | R&B | Styles | Music

General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music

Pop Rap | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music

General | Adult Contemporary | Pop | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00000JBG4
Release Date: 1999-06-22

Tracks:

Your Precious Love - Erykah Badu/D'Angelo
Distant Lover - Brian McKnight
You Sure Love To Ball - Will Downing
Mercy Mercy Me - Jon B.
What's Going On - Profyle
Got To Give It Up - Zhane
I Want You - Montell Jordan
Let's Get It On - Gerald Levert
Sexual Healing - El Debarge
Soon I'll Be Loving You Again - Joe
Til Tomorrow - Chico Debarge
Just To Keep Her Satisfied - Kenny Lattimore
If This World Were Mine - Grenique/Tony Rich

Tracks:

Your Precious Love
Distant Lover
You Sure Love To Ball
Mercy Mercy Me
What's Going On
Got To Give It Up
I Want You
Let's Get It On
Sexual Healing
Soon I'll Be Loving You Again
TIl Tomorrow
Just To Keep Her Satisfieid
If This World Were Mine

Customer Reviews:

The Marvin CD is sweet.......2003-09-12

The covers are watery, paper thin, modern R&B fluff in my opinion. I'm not a fan of modern R&B to start with but I thought that, being a real fan of 70's Marvin, the overall favourable 5 star reviews of this album needed to be balanced by another view of it. The covers are awful elevator music. Admittedly covering Marvin Gaye has to be a supremely difficult task, but I think this album should have had more artists from a variety of styles. Listen first before buying!

Marvin would be proud!!!.......2003-08-25

VERY high points were Kenny Lattimore doing Just to keep you satisfied. its like butter. and listening to Joe almost perfect on 'soon i'll be loving you'. i dont think anbody else could pull off lyrics like "i never gave up no head before" and "i'm gonna give you some head baby". this CD is made for lovin. just look at the artisst, Will Downing, sure love to ball, fagetaboutit!! the only thing better is the real Marvin on these selections!!!

Got to Give it up!.......2002-10-09

For anyone who is serious about soul music this double CD is a must have item. The cover of "Let's get it on" by Gerald Levert as well as "just to keep you satisfied" by Kenny Latimore are the high points on the album. After listening to the covers, hearing Marvin sing the original versions gives you a greater appreciation of what a great talent he truly was. The tributes are heartfelt, but No One could ever do it like Marvin. Put the CD on, pull your honey close to you and enjoy!

Finally..........2000-08-18

Fianlly there is a greatest hits collection that hits you with the best, most soulful Marvin Gaye hits. I loved the way they reproduced the originals with todays R&B stars in such a way that the person singing it is characterized by the same attitude in which the song conveys. I loved the remakes of "Your Precious Love" "Let's Get It On" "Distant Lover" and Montell Jordan's version of "I Want You". You definitely need to pick up the double CD though because it falls nowhere close to being complete without hearing the songs sung by Marvin himself.

WOW.......2000-05-01

I didn't know that there was a limited edition with the original versions of the songs. I guess I got gipped out. But this is a great CD. Gerald Levert does "Let's Get It On" just all I have to say is WOW. Erykah Badu and D'Angelo were meant to sing with each other on "Percious Love". This is just a great Tribute album. A must have in any CD collection.

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