''The Master (1961–1984)'' is a chronological box set album looking back at American R&B/

soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun '' soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest atte ...

Marvin Gaye's 23-year recording career. Spanning four discs, the box set goes over all portions of Gaye's career with a repertoire that spanned doo-wop, R&B,

psychedelic soul Psychedelic soul (originally called black rock or conflated with psychedelic funk) is a music genre that emerged in the late 1960s and saw Black soul musicians embrace elements of psychedelic rock, including its production techniques, instrument ...

and funk with a mixture of themes including dance songs, love ballads, duets, socially conscious material, sensual material and autobiographical revelations. The set includes rarities such as a recorded 1981 live track of Gaye and

Gladys Knight & the Pips Gladys Knight & the Pips were an American R&B, soul and funk family music group from Atlanta, Georgia, that remained active on the music charts and performing circuit for over three decades starting from the early 1950s. Starting out as simply ...

each singing their seminal hit "

I Heard It Through the Grapevine "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" is a song written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong for Motown Records in 1966. The first recording of the song to be released was produced by Whitfield for Gladys Knight & the Pips and released as a ...

", Gaye's famed 1983 performance of "The Star-Spangled Banner" at an NBA All-Star game and an a cappella performance of "The Lord's Prayer" taped during Gaye's exile in

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...

. In 2006, Universal re-released the boxset as part of its ''Universal Earbook'' series, issuing it as an LP-sized hardback coffee table book. The Master (Earbook) > OverviewAllmusic.com

Track listing

Disc one

Stubborn Kind of Fellow "Stubborn Kind of Fellow" is a 1962 song recorded by Marvin Gaye for the Tamla label. Co-written by Gaye and produced by William "Mickey" Stevenson, "Stubborn Kind of Fellow" became Gaye's first hit single, reaching the top 10 of the R&B chart ...

" #" Pride and Joy" #"

Hitch Hike Hitchhiking (also known as thumbing, autostop or hitching) is a means of transportation that is gained by asking individuals, usually strangers, for a ride in their car or other vehicle. The ride is usually, but not always, free. Nomads hav ...

" #"

Wherever I Lay My Hat (That's My Home) "Wherever I Lay My Hat (That's My Home)" is a song written by Marvin Gaye, Barrett Strong and Norman Whitfield, and first recorded by Gaye in 1962. It was the B-side to his 1969 hit "Too Busy Thinking 'Bout My Baby". Paul Young's version of the son ...

" #"What Do You Want With Him" (Previously unreleased) #"

Once Upon a Time "Once upon a time" is a stock phrase used to introduce a narrative of past events, typically in fairy tales and folk tales. It has been used in some form since at least 1380 (according to the ''Oxford English Dictionary'') in storytelling in t ...

" #" What's the Matter with You Baby" (with

Mary Wells Mary Esther Wells (May 13, 1943 – July 26, 1992) was an American singer, who helped to define the emerging sound of Motown in the early 1960s. Along with The Supremes, The Miracles, The Temptations, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, and the F ...

) #" Can I Get a Witness" #"Couldn't Ask for More" (Previously unreleased) #"You're Wonderful" (Previously unreleased) #"I Wonder" #" You're a Wonderful One" #"It's Got to Be Love" (previously unreleased) #" Try It Baby" #"Leavin (Previously unreleased) #"My Love for You" (Previously unreleased) #"

How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You) "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)" is a song recorded by American soul singer Marvin Gaye from his fifth studio album of the same name (1965). It was written in 1964 by the Motown songwriting team of Holland–Dozier–Holland, and produce ...

" #"

Baby Don't You Do It "Baby Don't You Do It" is a 1964 single by American singer Marvin Gaye. Released on the Tamla label, this song discusses a man who is at a standstill with his girlfriend, who he feels is neglecting his love stating "Don't break my heart/...I'v ...

" #"Just Like a Man" (Previously unreleased alternative mix) #"

Pretty Little Baby "Pretty Little Baby" is a 1965 single released by soul singer Marvin Gaye on the Tamla label.The Complete Motown Singles Vol 4: 1964 D liner notes New York: Hip-O Select/Motown/Universal Records. Co-written by Gaye, Clarence Paul and David Hami ...

" #"Talk About a Good Feeling" (Previously unreleased) #"

I'll Be Doggone "I'll Be Doggone" is a 1965 song recorded by American soul singer Marvin Gaye and released on the Tamla label. The song talks about how a man tells his woman that he'll be "doggone" about simple things but if she did him wrong that he'd be "long ...

" #"

Little Darling (I Need You) "Little Darling (I Need You)" is a 1966 single written and produced by Holland-Dozier-Holland and recorded and released by Marvin Gaye on the Tamla label. Background This song was released after the modest success of the Miracles-produced sin ...

" #"

One More Heartache "One More Heartache" is a 1966 single recorded by Marvin Gaye for Motown Records' Tamla label. The single was written by the team of The Miracles members Bobby Rogers, Marv Tarplin, Pete Moore, Ronnie White and Smokey Robinson and produced by ...

" #"

Ain't That Peculiar "Ain't That Peculiar" is a 1965 song recorded by American soul musician Marvin Gaye for the Tamla (Motown) label. Background The single was produced by Smokey Robinson, and written by Robinson, and fellow Miracles members Bobby Rogers, Pete Mo ...

" #"You're the One for Me" #" Take This Heart of Mine" #"

Your Unchanging Love "Your Unchanging Love" is a 1967 single released by American soul singer Marvin Gaye on the Tamla label. Overview Written by Holland–Dozier–Holland, the song was featured on Marvin's '' Moods of Marvin Gaye'' album. Released during a time wh ...

Disc two

#" It Takes Two" (with

Kim Weston Kim Weston (born December 20, 1939) is an American soul singer, and Motown alumna. In the 1960s, Weston scored hits with the songs "Love Me All the Way" and "Take Me in Your Arms (Rock Me a Little While)", and with her duet with Marvin Gaye ...

) #"I Couldn't Help Falling for You" (Previously unreleased) #"Lonely Lover" (Previously unreleased) #"Without Your Sweet Lovin (Previously unreleased) #"

Ain't No Mountain High Enough "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" is a song written by Nickolas Ashford & Valerie Simpson in 1966 for the Tamla label, a division of Motown. The composition was first successful as a 1967 hit single recorded by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, and ...

" (with

Tammi Terrell Tammi Terrell (born Thomasina Winifred Montgomery; April 29, 1945 – March 16, 1970) was an American singer-songwriter, widely known as a star singer for Motown Records during the 1960s, notably for a series of duets with singer Marvin Gaye. ...

) #"

If I Could Build My Whole World Around You "If I Could Build My Whole World Around You" is a popular song recorded by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell in 1967 and released in November 14, 1967. Written by Harvey Fuqua, Johnny Bristol, and Vernon Bullock, the single was Gaye & Terrell's thi ...

" (with Tammi Terrell) #"

Your Precious Love "Your Precious Love" is a popular song that was a 1967 hit for Motown singers Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell. The song was written by Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson, and produced by Harvey Fuqua and Johnny Bristol. The doo-wop styled recor ...

" (with Tammi Terrell) #"

If This World Were Mine "If This World Were Mine" is a 1967 song by soul music duo Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell from their album '' United''. Written solely by Gaye, it was one of the few songs they recorded without Ashford & Simpson writing or producing. When it was r ...

" (with Tammi Terrell) #"Without You (My World Is Lonely)" (Previously unreleased) #"Together We Stand (Divided We Fall)" (Previously unreleased) #"

You In Modern English, ''you'' is the second-person pronoun. It is grammatically plural, and was historically used only for the dative case, but in most modern dialects is used for all cases and numbers. History ''You'' comes from the Proto- ...

" #" Chained" #"

" #"You're What's Happening (In the World Today)" #"This Love Starved Heart of Mine (It's Killing Me)" #"

Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing" is a 1968 single released by American R&B/soul duo Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, on the Tamla label in 1968. The B-side of the single is "Little Ole Boy, Little Ole Girl" from the duo's ''United'' LP. The ...

" (with Tammi Terrell) #"

Keep On Lovin' Me Honey "Keep On Lovin' Me Honey" is a 1968 hit written and produced by Nickolas Ashford & Valerie Simpson, and issued as a single on Motown Records' Tamla label by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell. It was the third release from the duo's '' You're All I Ne ...

" (with Tammi Terrell) #"

You're All I Need to Get By "You're All I Need to Get By" is a song recorded by the American R&B/soul duo Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell and released on Motown Records' Tamla label in 1968. It was the basis for the 1995 single "I'll Be There for You/You're All I Need to Ge ...

" (with Tammi Terrell) #"

Too Busy Thinking About My Baby "Too Busy Thinking About My Baby" is a Motown song written by Norman Whitfield, Barrett Strong, and Janie Bradford. The song was first recorded by The Temptations as a track on their 1966 album '' Gettin' Ready''. Eddie Kendricks sings lead on th ...

" #"More Than a Heart Can Stand" #"

How Can I Forget "How Can I Forget" was originally recorded as a love ballad by Motown group The Temptations in 1968 and was re-recorded in a psychedelic soul/ funk styling by fellow Motown artist, Marvin Gaye in 1969. His version, released on Motown's first s ...

" #" That's the Way Love Is" #" Yesterday" #" The End of Our Road" #"

Good Lovin' Ain't Easy to Come By "Good Lovin' Ain't Easy to Come By" is a duet released in 1969 on the Tamla label by singers Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell. The first release off the duo's third album, '' Easy'', it has been hugely debated whether or not an ailing Terrell, who ...

" (with Valerie Simpson, credited to Tammi Terrell) #" What You Gave Me"

Disc three

#" What's Going On" #"

Save the Children The Save the Children Fund, commonly known as Save the Children, is an international non-governmental organization established in the United Kingdom in 1919 to improve the lives of children through better education, health care, and economic ...

" #" Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)" #" Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)" #"I'm Going Home" (Previously unreleased alternative mix) #"Piece of Clay" (Previously unreleased) #" You're the Man (Pt. I & II)" #"Checking Out (Double Clutch)" (Previously unreleased) #" Trouble Man" #"

Let's Get It On ''Let's Get It On'' is the thirteenth studio album by American soul singer, songwriter, and producer Marvin Gaye. It was released on August 28, 1973, by the Motown subsidiary label Tamla Records on LP. Recording sessions for the album took pla ...

" #" Come Get to This" #" Just to Keep You Satisfied" #"

Pledging My Love "Pledging My Love" is a blues ballad. It was written by Ferdinand Washington and Don Robey and published in 1954. Background The song's theme is captured in the title and the opening lines: :Forever my darling, my love will be true, :Always an ...

" #" My Mistake (Was to Love You)" (with Diana Ross) #"

Distant Lover "Distant Lover" is the sixth song issued on singer Marvin Gaye's 1973 album, ''Let's Get It On'' and the B-side of the second single from that album, " Come Get to This". A live recording was issued as a single in 1974. The live version of t ...

(Live)" #" I Want You" #" After the Dance"

Disc four

#" Got to Give It Up, Pt. I" #"Here, My Dear" #"When Did You Stop Loving Me, When Did I Stop Loving You" #"

Anger Anger, also known as wrath or rage, is an intense emotional state involving a strong uncomfortable and non-cooperative response to a perceived provocation, hurt or threat. A person experiencing anger will often experience physical effects, su ...

" #"Anna's Song" #" A Funky Space Reincarnation" #"When Did You Stop Loving Me, When Did I Stop Loving You (Reprise)" #"She Needs Me" (Previously unreleased) #"Why Did I Choose You" (Previously unreleased) #"Life Is for Learning" #"Funk Me" #"Love Me Now or Love Me Later" #" Ego Tripping Out" #"

The Star-Spangled Banner "The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States. The lyrics come from the "Defence of Fort M'Henry", a poem written on September 14, 1814, by 35-year-old lawyer and amateur poet Francis Scott Key after witnessing the b ...

" (Live) #"I Heard It Through the Grapevine" (Live) (with

Gladys Knight & The Pips Gladys Knight & the Pips were an American R&B, soul and funk family music group from Atlanta, Georgia, that remained active on the music charts and performing circuit for over three decades starting from the early 1950s. Starting out as simply ...

) #"Rockin' After Midnight" #"

Sexual Healing "Sexual Healing" is a song recorded by American singer Marvin Gaye from his seventeenth and final studio album, '' Midnight Love'' (1982). It was his first single since his exit from his long-term record label Motown earlier in the year, followi ...

" #"

The Lord's Prayer The Lord's Prayer, also called the Our Father or Pater Noster, is a central Christian prayer which Jesus taught as the way to pray. Two versions of this prayer are recorded in the gospels: a longer form within the Sermon on the Mount in the Gosp ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Master (1961-1984), The 1995 greatest hits albums Albums produced by Norman Whitfield Albums produced by Hal Davis Albums produced by Harvey Fuqua Albums produced by Smokey Robinson Albums produced by Marvin Gaye Albums produced by Leon Ware Marvin Gaye compilation albums Albums produced by Frank Wilson (musician) Motown compilation albums 1995 albums Albums produced by William "Mickey" Stevenson Albums produced by Ashford & Simpson