Here, my dear

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Here, my dear
Studio album by Marvin Gaye

Publication
(s)

December 15, 1978

Label (s) Tamla

Format (s)

Double LP

Title (number)

14th

running time

73 min 10 s

occupation

production

Marvin Gaye
Delta Ashby (Co-Producer Anger )
Ed Townsend (Co-Producer Anger )

Studio (s)

Marvine Gaye Studio, Hollywood, California

chronology
Live at the London Palladium
(1977) 		Here, my dear In Our Lifetime
(1981)

Here, my dear is the 15th studio album by Marvin Gaye . The album was released on December 15, 1978 as a double album on the Motown sub-label Tamla Records .

History of origin

In 1975, Anna Gordy Gaye filed for divorce from Marvin Gaye. Since he could not pay alimony to their daughter at the time for financial reasons, she should receive the advance payment for Marvin's next album ($ 305,000) and the first $ 295,000 in income.

Marvin's first reaction was to quickly record an album that he wasn't going to put a lot of work into. But eventually he decided to dedicate the entire album to his divorced wife and the failed marriage.

At the time of its release, the album was neither a huge commercial success nor received particularly good reviews. In addition, Marvin Gaye held the album, most of which had already been recorded in 1976 and 1977, back for a long time because it seemed too private to him. It didn't appear like that until December 1978.

Track list

A side

  1. Here, My Dear - 2:48
  2. I Met A Little Girl - 5:03
  3. When Did You Stop Loving Me, When Did I Stop Loving You - 6:17
  4. Anger - 4:04

B side

  1. Is That Enough - 7:48
  2. Everybody Needs Love - 5:48
  3. Time To Get It Together - 3:55

C side

  1. Sparrow - 6:12
  2. Anna's Song - 5:56
  3. When Did You Stop Loving Me, When Did I Stop Loving You (Instrumental) - 6:03

D side

  1. A Funky Space Reincarnation - 8:18
  2. You Can Leave, But It's Going to Cost You - 5:32
  3. Falling in Love Again - 4:39
  4. When Did You Stop Loving Me, When Did I Stop Loving You (Reprise) - 0:47

All songs were written by Marvin Gaye, except 6th and 8th (Marvin Gaye / Ed Townsend) and 4th (Marvin Gaye / Delta Ashby / Ed Townsend).

Republication

The album was reissued in 2008 in an expanded edition by Hip-O Select. The album contained a bonus Ain't It Funny (How Things Turn Around) (alternate mix) (4:04), a remix by Bootsy Collins . A number of other mixes were collected on a second CD. The re-release was ironically for Valentine's Day .

  1. Here, My Dear (Alternate mix) - 2:50
    • Mix by Mocean Walker
  2. I Met a Little Girl (Alternate Version) - 5:04
  3. When Did You Stop Loving Me, When Did I Stop Loving You (Alternate Version) - 6:57
  4. Anger (Alternate Extended Mix) - 5:53
  5. Is That Enough? (Instrumental) (Alternate Version) - 4:06
    • Mix by Montez Payton
  6. Everybody Needs Love (Alternate Version) - 6:09
  7. Time to Get It Together (Alternate Extended Mix) - 6:20
    • Remix by Wayne "DJ Smash" Hunter
  8. Sparrow (Alternate version) - 6:08
    • Mix by Randy Watson Experience
  9. Anna's Song (Instrumental) (Alternate version) - 6:08
    • Mix by John Rhone (The Whole 9)
  10. A Funky Space Reincarnation (Alternate Extended Mix) - 9:10
    • Mix by John Morales and Paul Simpson
  11. You Can Leave, But It's Going to Cost You (Alternate Extended Mix) - 6:43
    • Mix by John Rhone (The Whole 9)
  12. Falling in Love Again (Alternate Version) - 6:26
    • ReMix from SALAAMREMI.COM
  13. A Funky Space Reincarnation (Instrumental) (Original 12-Inch) - 8:19

Music style and lyrics

The album is a single reckoning with his ex-wife. It begins with an address to her ("Here, My Dear"), then he reviews the time together and expresses his feelings about the failure of the marriage. Gaye is very direct. You can see the album as an attempt to fight your personal demons. Some of the songs are also introspective and also describe his shortcomings, such as excessive cocaine consumption and an extravagant nightlife.

Musically, the album is in the typical Gaye style of the 1970s, Motown-influenced soul with a soulful voice, which, however, sounds bitter and accusatory in some places on the album according to the circumstances. But the album also has dry humor and some soulful songs.

Cover artwork

The cover art shows Marvin Gaye wearing a toga in the style of a Roman politician . In the background you can see the statue The Kiss by Auguste Rodin . On the back cover, the entire backdrop is on fire. The inner sleeve is in the style of the board game Monopoly , which was christened "Judgment". Here you can see Gaye handing a record to a woman. The recording equipment can be seen on one side, jewels and other luxury items on the other.

reception

At the time of release, the album was anything but a flop, but it would take several years for the critics to appreciate the album. Today the album is viewed differently than it was then and is considered to be one of the highlights of Marvin Gaye's musical output, especially since it is his only double album. The Rolling Stone Magazine about taking here, my dear in its list of " 500 Greatest Albums of All Time " (number 456) on.

The album peaked at number 26 on the US Billboard 200 and stayed in the charts for 29 weeks. In the R&B charts it even reached number 4. The only single A Funky Space Reincarnation reached number # 23 on the R&B charts.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d e f Here, My Dear at Allmusic (English). Retrieved March 9, 2018.
  2. ↑ a b c d Marvin Gaye: Here, My Dear . In: PopMatters . April 10, 2008 ( popmatters.com [accessed March 9, 2018]).
  3. ↑ a b Marvin Gaye: Here, My Dear Album Review | Pitchfork. Accessed March 9, 2018 .
  4. ↑ a b Dave Simpson: CD: Marvin Gaye, Here, My Dear. February 8, 2008, accessed March 9, 2018 .
  5. ↑ 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. In: Rolling Stone. Retrieved March 9, 2018 .
  6. ↑ Chart sources: US1 . Retrieved March 9, 2018