The Soulful Moods of Marvin Gaye

Infobox Album | Name = The Soulful Moods of Marvin Gaye
Type = Album
Artist = Marvin Gaye


Released = June 8, 1961
Recorded = 1961
Genre = Soul
Length = 33:04
Label = Tamla
TM-221
Producer = Berry Gordy
This album = "The Soulful Moods of Marvin Gaye"
(1961)
Next album = "That Stubborn Kinda Fellow"
(1963) |

"The Soulful Moods of Marvin Gaye" was Marvin Gaye's 1961 debut album, and the first long-playing album ever released by Motown. At the time, the label and Gaye were trying to hit upon a successful approach: Motown and its president Berry Gordy wanted an R&B appeal, while Gaye wanted to record a jazz album. The label decided to check out the latter and within a few weeks, this album was released.

The jazzy album was a failure, and the next year Gaye decided to conform to R&B, where he would find his calling. Gaye's love for jazz would never go away though, he always longed to be a jazz crooner. He recorded several jazz albums through the 60's, but none were very successful and were overshadowed by his R&B hits. Though this album was, for the most part, a jazz recording, it did include three R&B singles, his first single "Let Your Conscience Be Your Guide" and his self-penned rock-styled ditties "Never Let You Go" and "You Don't Know What Love Is".

Track listing

#"The Masquerade is Over" (Magidson/Wrubel) – 5:08
#"My Funny Valentine" (Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart) – 3:26
#"Witchcraft" (Cy Coleman, Carolyn Leigh) – 2:22
#"Easy Living" (Rainger/Robin) – 3:05
#"How Deep is the Ocean?" (Irving Berlin) – 3:08
#"Love For Sale" (Cole Porter) – 2:54
#"Always" (Irving Berlin) – 2:58
#"How High the Moon" (Nancy Hamilton, Morgan Lewis) – 2:28
#"Let Your Conscience Be Your Guide" (Gordy) – 3:01
#"Never Let You Go" (Fuqua/Gaye) – 2:41
#"You Don't Know What Love Is" (DePaul/Gaye) – 3:53