Product Description

Culled from television showcases from 1964 to 1981 this release presents 16 full-length performances by Marvin Gaye as he sings early songs later great hits ("Let's Get It On") and a soulful duet of "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" with Tammi Terrell. In between songs the R&B and soul legend talks about his life and art in a series of archive interviews.Format: DVD AUDIO Genre: MUSIC DVD/CONCERTS Rating: NR UPC: 602498384060 Manufacturer No: B000645309

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #13815 in DVD
• Brand: UNIVERSAL MUSIC GROUP DISTRIBUTION
• Released on: 2006-04-04
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: AC-3, Color, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, DVD-Video, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .25 pounds

Amazon.com
The scarcity of any Marvin Gaye on DVD is reason enough to welcome The Real Thing: In Performance 1964-1981, but the fact that this 16-track compilation is superb in nearly every respect is cause for genuine celebration. What we get is not just a collection of songs but a career trajectory, tracing Gaye's evolution from a cog in the wheel that was Berry Gordy's Motown into a mature artist with his own matchless vision. The early (i.e., from the 1960s) stuff includes songs like "Hitch Hike," "Can I Get a Witness," and "Ain't That Peculiar"; watching Gaye mime these hits on American Bandstand and elsewhere in front of all-white studio audiences and perky go-go girls is sometimes a little silly, but the sound is terrific, thanks to the DVD producers' decision to replace the TV tracks with audio remastered from the original stereo recordings. It isn't until the eighth track, a version of "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" from 1969, that we get any actual live performances, but the wait proves well worth it. With "What's Going On," Gaye proved that he could defy Gordy's formulaic approach and prosper both financially and creatively while heeding the dual voices of his conscience and his muse, and the 1972 performance of that song is quite simply transcendent, with the great James Jamerson on bass and a middle section, featuring just Gaye's voice and piano with conga backing, that liner notes writer Rob Bowman rightly calls "perhaps the high point of this whole DVD." A steamy "Let's Get it On," recorded in Belgium in '81, is nearly as good. Those two clips alone justify buying this collection, but overall, despite a couple of minor missteps (the promo film for "A Funky Space Reincarnation" is pretty hokey), The Real Thing: In Performance 1964-1981, which also includes several interview segments between tunes and a section that features only the vocal tracks from the first seven numbers, is an invaluable confirmation of a truly great musician. --Sam Graham

From the Actor
The Performances:
Hitch Hike ( American Bandstand, 1964)
Pride & Joy ( Shivaree, 1965)
Can I Get A Witness ( Hollywood A Go-Go, 1965)
Pretty Little Baby ( Swingin’ Time, 1965)
Ain’t That Peculiar ( Swingin’ Time, 1965)
You’re A Wonderful One ( New Lloyd Thaxton Show, 1965)
Ain’t No Mountain High Enough – WITH TAMMI TERRELL ( Swingin’ Sounds Of Expo’67)
I Heard It Through The Grapevine ( Live @ Hollywood Palace, 1969)
What’s Going On ( Save The Children Show, Live, 1972)
What’s Happening Brother ( Save The Children Show, Live, 1972)
Distant Lover ( Dinah & Friends, 1979)
Come Get To This ( Zomerhappening, Live in Belgium, 1981)
Let’s Get It On ( Zomerhappening, Live in Belgium, 1981)
A Funky Space Reincarnation (Motown promotional music video, 1979)
Ego Tripping Out ( Dinah & Friends, 1979)
Heavy Love Affair ( Follies, 1981)
(All are original hit versions except live versions as noted)

Customer Reviews

Smooth As Silk
I learned about Marvin when I was a little girl and my Mother would have me keep starting the record over LOL so baby when I tell you I was hooked on Marvin from childhood I aint lying and as I grew Marvin became my 'man in my head' cause he was cool as ice and sexy as hell even though he did not dance LOL.I enjoy going back if only in my mind to the good old days when black people did not act like crabs in a barrel but reached out to help neighbors in the 'village'

Got a little older, waiting for it.
Don't get me wrong! Great DVD! Just took forever to get it. Compared to another DVD I got right away. Other than the time it took to get it, very happy with it.

Awesome
I am a die hard Marvin Gaye fan and this dvd is awesome. It shows clips of performances that I did not know existed. I have told so many of my friends and family about it that they are considering purchasing a copy for themselves. If you love Marvin, this is a must buy for you. Thanks.