Double espresso works: 
– Marvin Gaye – In concert from Nippon Budokan, Tokyo – November 13, 1979 – NHK-FM Japan –
Marvin Gaye this morning. Ironic that April marks the birth of Marvin Gaye, as well as his death. Born on April 1, 1939 and dead on April 2, 1984. One of the more shocking losses and senseless acts.
Marvin Gaye was one of the founding artists of Motown, and was one of the main ingredients who helped shape what became known as The Motown Sound. A prolific songwriter as well as Producer, his singing career would almost seem incidental, had he not made such an indelible impression on the Sound of American Soul music in the 1960s – and be such a potent force in the area of social comment through his music in the 1970s.
That his music crossed genres as well as a racial lines is testimony to how powerful his talent was. Remember, the 1960s mainstream American music was still segregated in some parts of the country. Fortunately, through Top-40 radio, much of that stigma eventually evaporated, but it was far from easy. Motown was the sound of Urban America and Marvin Gaye was one of its most prominent faces.
From his initial string of hits in the 1960s; such classics as Heard It Through The Grapevine and Ain’t That Peculiar to his social consciousness anthems of the 70s, including the iconic What’s Going On, Marvin Gaye never lost his ability to reach far and connect with an audience, no matter who. Evidence is clear with this performance from the legendary Nippon Budokan in Tokyo, recorded on November 13, 1979 and broadcast over the Japanese radio network NHK. You can hear for yourself the universal appeal Marvin Gaye had on Japanese audiences.
His appeal has never diminished – his music is not only the soundtrack of a generation, but his message is the touchstone for those who missed him the first time. It’s his timeless and universal appeal – his artistic talent and impeccable showmanship notwithstanding.
A Marvin Gaye concert was always an event – here is proof of that.
Crank it up. Relax, enjoy and remember.
If you’ve spent any time poking around social media and visiting websites the one thing that may hit you is how unique Past Daily actually is. It’s music you may not be familiar with or have forgotten about – it’s history without turning it into an “eat your vegetables” exercise – it’s people from the past; iconic and notorious who you may have read about or heard about but never actually heard what they had to say. It’s the occasional odd observation on life and living the day-to-day which may prompt you to nod or wince. One thing Past Daily is not is boring. The world is in a constant state of change and it’s good to be reminded that, very often, we’ve been on this road before and have experienced the same results. Sometimes we’ve learned from them, but a lot of times we haven’t -so the reminder that life is this gigantic adventure that very often has some good things attached to can be a comfort and a relief. That’s why Past Daily is here – we’re not here to hustle you for money for things you don’t want or need – we’re not here to trash anybody or anything or get you outraged – we’re here to turn you on to things that might, just possibly, add something to your life. That’s the deal and that’s why becoming a subscriber to Patreon – or even kicking in a few bucks via PayPal or Buy Me A Coffee is crucial and your way of keeping us up and running every day. It’s expensive to keep us going – but we’re committed to giving you the best and most unique. So, long story short – click on the “Become A Subscriber” box below, or click on the Buy Me A Coffee link on top and help become part of the solution – it’s easy and painless – honest.
