Sexual Healing

"Sexual Healing" was a 1982 blockbuster hit single for American soul music legend Marvin Gaye on the Columbia Records label. It was his first single since his exit from his long-term record label Motown that year, following the release of the In Our Lifetime album the previous year before.

Related Topics:
1982 - American - Soul - Marvin Gaye - Columbia Records - Motown

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Released off his seminal 1980s album, "Midnight Love", the song not only became his biggest hit in five years, but also made Gaye a superstar again amid the rising popularities of singers he influenced including Prince, Lionel Richie, Michael Jackson and Luther Vandross.

Related Topics:
1980s - Prince - Lionel Richie - Michael Jackson - Luther Vandross

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A #1 smash on the Billboard R&B charts for 7 weeks, it eventually hit the Top 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop singles chart. It finally won Gaye the first Grammy's of his multi-dimensional career winning him Best Male R&B Vocal Performance of 1982 and Best R&B Instrumental of 1982.

Related Topics:
Billboard - Billboard Hot 100 - Best Male R&B Vocal Performance - Best R&B Instrumental

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The music and lyrics were composed by Gaye, David Ritz and Odell Brown. The song discussed a man's aching for "getting down tonight" with his woman - hence the title 'sexual healing'. According to Ritz, when he interviewed Gaye for an autobiography, he noticed a bunch of pornography in Marvin's room and mentioned to Gaye that he "needed a bit of sexual healing". Some saw the song as Marvin's harmonious plea to sex in the form of him preaching the word of gospel, marrying his divided soul.

Related Topics:
David Ritz - Pornography - Sex - Gospel

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Unfortunately for Gaye and for the music world, it would be the last hurrah of one of the most celebrated careers in American pop music. On April 1 1984, nearly two years after this last triumph, Gaye was shot and killed by his father, the Rev. Marvin Pentz Gay, Sr., following an argument that led to physical abuse on Gaye's part. Despite his passing, Gaye's "Healing" has become one of the most influential singles in pop music. It has also become a staple for hip-hop samples by artists such as Big Daddy Kane and Erick Sermon.

Related Topics:
April 1 - 1984 - Marvin Pentz Gay, Sr. - Hip-hop - Samples - Big Daddy Kane - Erick Sermon

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