Marvin Gaye: influences, peers and legacy

Every connection with its receipt

Marvin Gaye arrived at Motown as a doo-wop sideman who wanted to be Nat King Cole, and left behind the record that turned soul into social reportage. This mix traces the gospel church of his father's House of God, the vocal-group apprenticeship under Harvey Fuqua, the Detroit machine he fought and transformed, and the long tail of What's Going On in everything from neo-soul to hip-hop.

The Kynda mix for Marvin Gaye

• Key Influence · The Nat King Cole Story by Nat King Cole (1961). Gaye's stated ambition was to be a crooner in the Cole mold, not an R&B shouter — he fought Berry Gordy for years to record standards, and his debut LP The Soulful Moods of Marvin Gaye (1961) was a supper-club ballads record that flopped commercially. Cole's effortless, unforced phrasing and his position as a Black artist accepted by white mainstream audiences defined the career Gaye initially wanted before Motown pushed him toward dance sides.
• Influencia Obscura · Sincerely by The Moonglows (1954). Before Motown, Gaye was a member of Harvey and the Moonglows under Harvey Fuqua, who became his mentor, brother-in-law's business partner and later a Motown executive. The Moonglows' blow-harmony technique — a breathy, interlocking vocal blend Fuqua devised — trained Gaye's ear for stacked background parts, the method he later used to multitrack his own voice into choirs on What's Going On and Let's Get It On.
• Local Roots · The Original Soundtrack from Shaft by Isaac Hayes (1971). Not Detroit but the broader early-70s soul auteur moment Gaye helped open. Hayes's Hot Buttered Soul had already proven in 1969 that a soul singer could command long-form, orchestrated album statements rather than three-minute singles — the commercial precedent Gaye leaned on when he demanded Motown release What's Going On as a unified suite. Both men used strings, extended grooves and total studio control to redefine what a soul LP was.
• Beyond the Medium · Trouble Man by Various (1972). Gaye scored Ivan Dixon's blaxploitation feature Trouble Man, his only film soundtrack, which pushed him into instrumental writing, cue timing and moody jazz arranging far outside the Motown single. The commission crossed him into cinema at the moment Black film was defining its own musical language, and the score's noir saxophone and sparse funk directly informed the sensual, atmospheric production of Let's Get It On the following year.
• Peer · Innervisions by Stevie Wonder (1973). The other Motown artist who won creative autonomy from Berry Gordy, and whose run of self-produced early-70s albums parallels Gaye's almost year for year. What's Going On broke the door open in 1971; Wonder's renegotiated contract and the Music of My Mind–Innervisions sequence walked through it. The two were label-mates for two decades, shared the Funk Brothers and the Hitsville studio, and together redefined what a Motown album could be.
• From the Canon · What's Going On by Marvin Gaye (1971). The pivot of the career: Gaye produced it himself, co-wrote with Al Cleveland and Obie Benson, and delivered it to a Berry Gordy who thought it uncommercial and initially refused release. Its suite structure, Detroit Symphony strings, layered self-harmonies and party-chatter opening turned the Motown single factory inside out, and its subjects — Vietnam, ecology, police violence, poverty — made soul a vehicle for reportage.
• Key Collaborator · Standing in the Shadows of Motown by The Funk Brothers (2002). James Jamerson's bass on What's Going On — reportedly played lying on the studio floor — is arguably the most imitated electric bass performance ever recorded, and the Funk Brothers' uncredited rhythm section underpins nearly every Gaye hit from Hitch Hike to Inner City Blues. This documentary and its performances finally put names and faces to the Detroit players whose chemistry made Gaye's records possible.
• Legacy · Voodoo by D'Angelo (2000). D'Angelo has been explicit about Gaye as a touchstone, and Voodoo builds directly on the Here, My Dear and Let's Get It On method: multitracked self-harmony, loose behind-the-beat rhythm, eroticism braided with spiritual unease. The Untitled (How Does It Feel) video and arrangement were widely read as deliberate Gaye homage, and the album became the central text of neo-soul's reclamation of the 70s auteur-soul album.

What influenced Marvin Gaye

• Roland TR-808 by Roland Corporation. The TR-808 appealed to Gaye as a way to make music alone. (also via Sexual Healing) “Gaye was drawn to the 808 because he could use it to create music in isolation, without other musicians or producers.” (Wikipedia)
• Frank Sinatra (1915). States Frank Sinatra as a major aspirational influence. (also via Sinatra at the Sands) “Gaye considered Frank Sinatra a major influence in what he wanted to be.” (Wikipedia)
• Nat King Cole. Identifies Nat King Cole's vocal style as an influence. (also via The Nat King Cole Story) “He also was influenced by the vocal styles of Billy Eckstine and Nat King Cole.” (Wikipedia)
• The Moonglows. Identifies The Moonglows as an early influence. (also via Sincerely) “His first major musical influences outside of gospel music were doo-wop groups such as The Moonglows and The Capris.” (Wikipedia)
• Ray Charles. Lists Ray Charles as a main musical influence. (also via Live at the Apollo) “Gaye's main musical influences were Rudy West of The Five Keys, Clyde McPhatter, Ray Charles, and Little Willie John.” (Wikipedia)
• Mahalia Jackson. States Mahalia Jackson as an early musical influence on Gaye. “His early musical influence as a child was gospel singer Mahalia Jackson.” (Wikipedia)
• The Capris. Identifies The Capris as an early influence. (also via God Only Knows) “His first major musical influences outside of gospel music were doo-wop groups such as The Moonglows and The Capris.” (Wikipedia)
• Rudy West. Lists Rudy West as a main musical influence. “Gaye's main musical influences were Rudy West of The Five Keys, Clyde McPhatter, Ray Charles, and Little Willie John.” (Wikipedia)
• Clyde McPhatter. Lists Clyde McPhatter as a main musical influence. “Gaye's main musical influences were Rudy West of The Five Keys, Clyde McPhatter, Ray Charles, and Little Willie John.” (Wikipedia)
• Little Willie John. Lists Little Willie John as a main musical influence. “Gaye's main musical influences were Rudy West of The Five Keys, Clyde McPhatter, Ray Charles, and Little Willie John.” (Wikipedia)
• Billy Eckstine. Identifies Billy Eckstine's vocal style as an influence. “He also was influenced by the vocal styles of Billy Eckstine and Nat King Cole.” (Wikipedia)
• David Ruffin. Identifies David Ruffin as a vocal influence. “Gaye took inspiration from fellow label mates such as David Ruffin of The Temptations and Levi Stubbs of the Four Tops, whose grittier voices led to Gaye and his producer to seek a similar sound” (Wikipedia)
• Levi Stubbs. Identifies Levi Stubbs as a vocal influence. “Gaye took inspiration from fellow label mates such as David Ruffin of The Temptations and Levi Stubbs of the Four Tops, whose grittier voices led to Gaye and his producer to seek a similar sound” (Wikipedia)
• The Nat King Cole Story by Nat King Cole (1961). The Nat King Cole Story (Nat King Cole) — titan for Marvin Gaye “Gaye's aspirations of being a pop crooner continued with the release of albums such as When I'm Alone I Cry, Hello Broadway and A Tribute to the Great Nat King Cole — all of which were released to little fanfare.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Sinatra at the Sands by Frank Sinatra. Sinatra at the Sands (Frank Sinatra) — titan for Marvin Gaye “Gaye considered Frank Sinatra a major influence in what he wanted to be.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Sam Cooke. The article names Marvin Gaye among the acts influenced by Cooke's vocals. “Cooke's vocal exploits would go on to influence many acts like Otis Redding , James Brown , Rod Stewart , Johnny Nash , Tina Turner , Wilson Pickett , Mick Jagger , Al Green , Paul McCartney , Diana Ross , Marvin Gaye , Steve Perry , and…” (Wikipedia)
• Live at the Apollo by Ray Charles (1964). Live at the Apollo (Ray Charles) — titan for Marvin Gaye “I related to the story, to the way that no one except the Lord really can read the heart of lonely kids in love." Gaye's main musical influences were Rudy West of The Five Keys, Clyde McPhatter, Ray Charles, and Little Willie John.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Sketches of Spain by Miles Davis (1960). Sketches of Spain (Miles Davis) — titan for Marvin Gaye (musicbrainz.org)
• Sincerely by The Moonglows (1954). Sincerely (The Moonglows) — ghost for Marvin Gaye “His first major musical influences outside of gospel music were doo-wop groups such as The Moonglows and The Capris.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Alex Haley (1965). The Autobiography of Malcolm X (Alex Haley) — culture for Marvin Gaye (wikidata.org)
• God Only Knows by The Capris. Specific song cited as critical influence on Gaye's musical awakening.
• Billie Holiday (1915). States Billie Holiday as an inspiration.
• Johnnie Ray. States Johnnie Ray as an inspiration.
• Peace in the Valley by The Rasberry Singers (1955). Peace in the Valley (The Rasberry Singers) — ghost for Marvin Gaye
• Trouble Man by Various (1972). Trouble Man (Various) — culture for Marvin Gaye

Peers and kindred spirits

• Diana Ross (1944). Documents Gaye's duet album with Diana Ross. “Later in the year, a highly anticipated duet album with label mate Marvin Gaye , Diana & Marvin , found international success.” (Wikipedia)
• Frankie Beverly. Documents Gaye's mentorship/collaboration with Frankie Beverly and Maze. “Gaye took them on his tours, featured them as the opening acts of his concerts, and persuaded Beverly to change the band's name from Raw Soul to Maze.” (Wikipedia)
• Miguel (1985). Critic compares Miguel's voice to Marvin Gaye. (also via What's Going On) “Marvin Gaye , Prince, and (his comparison) Van Morrison all linger in his voice.” (Wikipedia)
• Harvey Fuqua. Establishes Fuqua's role in connecting Gaye to Motown. (also via Nothing but a Party) “Soon, Fuqua got in touch with Motown president Berry Gordy and offered Gaye to Gordy to sign with the label's Tamla subsidiary selling half of his interest in Gaye.” (Wikipedia)
• Harvey and the Moonglows. Establishes Gaye's membership in Harvey and the Moonglows. “Gaye began his career being guided by Harvey Fuqua, who put him in his group, Harvey and the Moonglows” (Wikipedia)
• The Marquees. Establishes Gaye co-founded The Marquees. “After Gaye left the Air Force, he formed a vocal quartet, the Marquees, with his good friend Reese Palmer.” (Wikipedia)
• Mary Wells. Documents Gaye's collaborative album with Mary Wells. “Gaye's first chart album was with Mary Wells on their 1964 collaborative album, Together” (Wikipedia)
• Cloud Nine by The Temptations (1969). Cloud Nine (The Temptations) — geography for Marvin Gaye “As his Motown career developed, Gaye took inspiration from fellow label mates such as David Ruffin of The Temptations and Levi Stubbs of the Four Tops, whose grittier voices led to Gaye and his producer to seek a similar sound in recordi…” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Innervisions by Stevie Wonder (1973). Innervisions (Stevie Wonder) — peer for Marvin Gaye “On April 5, 1984, more than 10,000 mourners lined up to pay respects to the singer at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale, which was then followed by a private funeral that was attended by over 500, including former Motown colleagues suc…” (en.wikipedia.org)
• I'm Still in Love with You by Al Green (1972). I'm Still in Love with You (Al Green) — peer for Marvin Gaye “During an interview for promotion of the album, Green admitted that he would have liked to duet with Marvin Gaye: "In those days, people didn't sing together like they do now." In 2009, Green recorded "People Get Ready" with Heather Head…” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Superfly by Curtis Mayfield (1972). Superfly (Curtis Mayfield) — peer for Marvin Gaye “It pre-dated Marvin Gaye's album, What's Going On, to which it has been compared in addressing social change.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Standing in the Shadows of Motown by The Funk Brothers (2002). Standing in the Shadows of Motown (The Funk Brothers) — collaborator for Marvin Gaye “Studio musicians were not credited by Motown until Marvin Gaye's What's Going On in 1971, although Motown released a handful of singles and LPs by Earl Van Dyke.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Amy Winehouse. Winehouse covered Marvin Gaye's song live. “Winehouse appeared on Jools Holland 's Annual Hootenanny and performed a cover of Marvin Gaye 's " I Heard It Through the Grapevine "” (Wikipedia)
• John Mayer (1977). Mayer covered Marvin Gaye's 'Inner City Blues'. (via Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)) “a previously unreleased cover of Marvin Gaye 's song " Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler) ", featuring a solo from Mayer's supporting act—jazz and blues turntablist DJ Logic” (Wikipedia)
• Ashford and Simpson. Credits songwriting duo Ashford and Simpson for the Diana & Marvin album material. (via Diana & Marvin) “Much of the material was crafted especially for the duo by Ashford and Simpson.” (Wikipedia)
• Nothing but a Party by Harvey Fuqua (1963). Nothing but a Party (Harvey Fuqua) — collaborator for Marvin Gaye “Born and raised in Washington, D.C., Gaye began his career being guided by Harvey Fuqua, who put him in his group, Harvey and the Moonglows, before Gaye ventured into a solo career at the beginning of the 1960s.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Tammi Terrell. Documents Gaye's duet collaboration with Tammi Terrell.
• Kim Weston. Documents Gaye's duet collaboration with Kim Weston.
• The Originals. Documents Gaye's production/writing work for The Originals.
• Abraham, Martin & John by Dion. Documents Gaye's cover of this song.
• The Original Soundtrack from Shaft by Isaac Hayes (1971). The Original Soundtrack from Shaft (Isaac Hayes) — geography for Marvin Gaye
• Super Bad by Dionne Warwick (1971). Super Bad (Dionne Warwick) — geography for Marvin Gaye
• Holland-Dozier-Holland. Credits Holland-Dozier-Holland as songwriters for Gaye's hits. (via How Sweet It Is (to Be Loved by You))
• Smokey Robinson. Credits Smokey Robinson as songwriter of Gaye's hits. (via Ain't That Peculiar)
• Paul Young. Documents Paul Young's cover of Gaye's composition. (via Wherever I Lay My Hat (That's My Home))

Who Marvin Gaye influenced

• Lucky Daye (1985). Brown explains his stage name was inspired by Marvin Gaye. (also via Let's Get It On, Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)) “Brown said he derived his stage name from Marvin Gaye , adding an extra " e " to "Daye" after taking notice of the spelling of Gaye's surname” (Wikipedia)
• Stevie Wonder. States Stevie Wonder cited Gaye as an influence. (also via What's Going On, Innervisions) “Wonder performed the ballad "Lighting Up the Candles", which he wrote for the occasion.” (Wikipedia)
• D’Angelo. What's Going On (Marvin Gaye) — titan for D’Angelo (via What's Going On, Your Precious Love, Voodoo) “a cover of the Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell duet song " Your Precious Love " with Erykah Badu for the soundtrack to High School High (1996).” (Wikipedia)
• Barry White. States Barry White cited Gaye as an influence. (also via What's Going On) “Barry White, Stevie Wonder, Frankie Beverly and many others have said they were influenced by Gaye's music.” (Wikipedia)
• Voodoo by D'Angelo (2000). Voodoo (D'Angelo) — legacy for Marvin Gaye (also via What's Going On) “George Clinton compared Voodoo to Marvin Gaye 's landmark 1971 album What's Going On .” (Wikipedia)
• Aretha Franklin. Gaye is named among Franklin's youthful influences. (also via Ain’t No Mountain High Enough) “Other influences in her youth included Marvin Gaye , as well as Ray Charles and Cooke, "two of Franklin's greatest influences".” (Wikipedia)
• Usher. The article lists Marvin Gaye among Usher's musical influences. (also via What's Going On) “Other musical influences are Marvin Gaye , Stevie Wonder , Luther Vandross , Janet Jackson , Maze featuring Frankie Beverly , Al Green , and Boyz II Men .” (Wikipedia)
• Lauryn Hill (1975). The article says Hill repeatedly listened to Gaye's album. (via What's Going On, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill) “years later she recalled playing Marvin Gaye 's What's Going On repeatedly until she fell asleep to it.” (Wikipedia)
• Kendrick Lamar (1987). Lists Marvin Gaye among influences. (also via To Pimp a Butterfly)
• Richard Pryor (1940). Pryor names Marvin Gaye among the music he most enjoys listening to. “I like listening to the Gypsy Kings and some Miles Davis, some Marvin Gaye and sometimes Mozart.” (Fresh Air (NPR/WHYY))
• Eddie Murphy (1961). Documents cross-medium influence of Gaye's style on Murphy's film role. “For his Oscar-nominated role as James "Thunder" Ealy in the film Dreamgirls, Eddie Murphy replicated Gaye's 1970s clothing style.” (Wikipedia)
• To Pimp a Butterfly by Kendrick Lamar. To Pimp a Butterfly (Kendrick Lamar) — legacy for Marvin Gaye “Various R&B and soul artists, including Marvin Gaye, the Isley Brothers, Michael Jackson, Teddy Pendergrass, Sade, and Anita Baker, have influenced Lamar.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Dirty Mind by Prince. Dirty Mind (Prince) — legacy for Marvin Gaye “Commonly referred to as the "Prince of Motown" and "Prince of Soul", he helped to shape the sound of Motown and soul music in the 1960s and 1970s.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Jay-Z. Jay-Z names Gaye among the artists in the records he heard growing up. “Jay-Z says his earliest exposure to music was through his parents' record collection, which was mostly of soul artists such as Marvin Gaye and Donny Hathaway .” (Wikipedia)
• Frank Ocean. Ocean cites Marvin Gaye as a main musical inspiration. “Ocean cites Marvin Gaye and R. Kelly among his main musical inspirations.” (Wikipedia)
• 8701. The article identifies Marvin Gaye as an influence on 8701. “Usher's third album 8701 would be inspired by love and heartache, containing influences from Donny Hathaway , Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and Michael Jackson.” (Wikipedia)
• Where I'm Coming From. The text explicitly compares the two albums' themes; it does not establish a directional influence. (via What's Going On) “The album was released at around the same time as Marvin Gaye 's What's Going On . As both albums had similar ambitions and themes, they have been compared” (Wikipedia)
• The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill by Lauryn Hill (1998). What's Going On (Marvin Gaye) — titan for The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (via What's Going On) (musicbrainz.org)
• Dave Chappelle (1973). What's Going On (Marvin Gaye) — culture for Dave Chappelle (via What's Going On) (musicbrainz.org)
• Spoon. What's Going On (Marvin Gaye) — culture for Spoon (via What's Going On) (musicbrainz.org)
• Big Sean. Documents Gaye's name used in Big Sean song title.
• Charlie Puth. Documents Gaye's name used in Charlie Puth song title.
• Spandau Ballet. Documents reference to Gaye in Spandau Ballet's song.
• Renaldo "Obie" Benson. Credits Obie Benson's idea as the inspiration for the song. (via What's Going On)
• The Velvet Underground by The Velvet Underground. Documents influence of Gaye's song on Velvet Underground track. (via Hitch Hike)