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Generally regarded as an iconic nightclub in the history of New York City, the Copa represented that and more to Motown owner Berry Gordy. For Gordy, the Copa was one of many benchmarks indicating that his little experiment called Motown was successful, and having his artists there was the ultimate symbol of how far he had come. The Supremes already had their shot at the Copa, and a live album was issued shortly thereafter. Next up was Gordy's rebellious but chart topping prodigy, Marvin Gaye. In many respects this was the ideal performance for Gaye, as many of the singers he grew to idolize shared the stage there at one point or another, with names like Sinatra and Cole. This was also Gaye's shot at branching out beyond the starched suit of formulaic (but highly successful and groundbreaking) songs that Gordy and Motown urged him to sing. In many instances, Gaye felt the material beneath him, and patiently waited for the day when he could croon his way to the top (a batch of unreleased recordings in this style would resurface in 1997's excellent Vulnerable compilation). The performances came and went, and everything was in place to release the results. However, this never came to pass (according to the outstanding liner notes, it was largely attributed to the tumultuous relationship between Gaye and Gordy; they had an ongoing feud that continued in one variation or another until the end of Gaye's life) and the project was ultimately shelved. Fast forward to 2005, and the folks at Motown Select had the good sense to remaster and release these recordings in a limited pressing. Marvin Gaye at the Copa is a survey of Gaye's finest performances during that two-night stint and the results are nothing short of striking. A balance of standards, ballads and Motown favorites in medley form comprise the 17 tracks on the disc, and with every performance Gaye's velvet-smooth delivery is more than evident; it's addicting. His longing to be out from under the contrived entertainment and choreography -- the juggernaut of the Motown formula -- bleeds through on tracks such as "The Shadow of Your Smile," "Strangers in the Night," and "The Song Is You." And if anything, the release of these tracks not only serve as a kind of vindication -- Gaye could not only capably sing in this fashion, he could do it better than Gordy would ever allow him credit for. It's somewhat liberating to have this collection readily available, but also somewhat sad that his career and his dreams never fully came to fruition. Of all Gaye's previously issued live works, this ranks with the best of them. For fans of Gaye's early years, this is musical manna from heaven.
© Rob Theakston /TiVo
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Marvin Gaye, MainArtist - Cole Porter, ComposerLyricist - Gregg Arthur, Arranger, Work Arranger - Craig Scott, Arranger, Work Arranger
℗ 2005 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Marvin Gaye, MainArtist - Jule Styne, ComposerLyricist - Adolph Green, ComposerLyricist - Betty Comden, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2005 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Marvin Gaye, MainArtist - Lamont Dozier, ComposerLyricist - Eddie Holland, ComposerLyricist - Brian Holland, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2005 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
George Gordy, ComposerLyricist - Berry Gordy Jr., ComposerLyricist - Marvin Tarplin, ComposerLyricist - Warren Moore, ComposerLyricist - Ronald White, ComposerLyricist - Edward Holland Jr., ComposerLyricist - Robert Rogers, ComposerLyricist - Marvin Gaye, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - SMOKEY ROBINSON, ComposerLyricist - Lamont Dozier, ComposerLyricist - Eddie Holland, ComposerLyricist - Brian Holland, ComposerLyricist - William Mickey Stevenson, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2005 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Marvin Gaye, MainArtist - Edu Lobo, ComposerLyricist - Coehlo Pereira Ruy Alex Guerra, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2005 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Marvin Gaye, MainArtist - Jimmy Fylnn, ComposerLyricist - Harry Rosenthal, ComposerLyricist - Alexander Sullivan, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2005 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Marvin Gaye, MainArtist - Jerome Kern, ComposerLyricist - Oscar Hammerstein II , ComposerLyricist
℗ 2005 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Marvin Tarplin, ComposerLyricist - Warren Moore, ComposerLyricist - Robert Rogers, ComposerLyricist - Marvin Gaye, MainArtist - SMOKEY ROBINSON, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2005 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Marvin Gaye, MainArtist - Harold J. Rome, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2005 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Marvin Gaye, MainArtist - JOHNNY MANDEL, ComposerLyricist - Paul Francis Webster, Author
℗ 2005 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Marvin Gaye, MainArtist - CHARLES STROUSE, ComposerLyricist - LEE ADAMS, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2005 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Marvin Gaye, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Norman Whitfield, ComposerLyricist - William Mickey Stevenson, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2005 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Marvin Gaye, MainArtist - Steve Allen, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2005 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Edward Snyder, Author - Marvin Gaye, MainArtist - Bert Kaempfert, Composer - Charles Singleton, Author
℗ 2005 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Marvin Gaye, MainArtist - Not Applicable, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2005 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Marvin Gaye, MainArtist - Anthony Newley, ComposerLyricist - Leslie Bricusse, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2005 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Henry Cosby, ComposerLyricist - Sylvia Moy, ComposerLyricist - Marvin Tarplin, ComposerLyricist - Warren Moore, ComposerLyricist - William Stevenson, ComposerLyricist - Marvin Gaye, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Stevie Wonder, ComposerLyricist - Clarence Paul, ComposerLyricist - SMOKEY ROBINSON, ComposerLyricist - Lamont Dozier, ComposerLyricist - Eddie Holland, ComposerLyricist - Brian Holland, ComposerLyricist
℗ 2005 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
Album review
Generally regarded as an iconic nightclub in the history of New York City, the Copa represented that and more to Motown owner Berry Gordy. For Gordy, the Copa was one of many benchmarks indicating that his little experiment called Motown was successful, and having his artists there was the ultimate symbol of how far he had come. The Supremes already had their shot at the Copa, and a live album was issued shortly thereafter. Next up was Gordy's rebellious but chart topping prodigy, Marvin Gaye. In many respects this was the ideal performance for Gaye, as many of the singers he grew to idolize shared the stage there at one point or another, with names like Sinatra and Cole. This was also Gaye's shot at branching out beyond the starched suit of formulaic (but highly successful and groundbreaking) songs that Gordy and Motown urged him to sing. In many instances, Gaye felt the material beneath him, and patiently waited for the day when he could croon his way to the top (a batch of unreleased recordings in this style would resurface in 1997's excellent Vulnerable compilation). The performances came and went, and everything was in place to release the results. However, this never came to pass (according to the outstanding liner notes, it was largely attributed to the tumultuous relationship between Gaye and Gordy; they had an ongoing feud that continued in one variation or another until the end of Gaye's life) and the project was ultimately shelved. Fast forward to 2005, and the folks at Motown Select had the good sense to remaster and release these recordings in a limited pressing. Marvin Gaye at the Copa is a survey of Gaye's finest performances during that two-night stint and the results are nothing short of striking. A balance of standards, ballads and Motown favorites in medley form comprise the 17 tracks on the disc, and with every performance Gaye's velvet-smooth delivery is more than evident; it's addicting. His longing to be out from under the contrived entertainment and choreography -- the juggernaut of the Motown formula -- bleeds through on tracks such as "The Shadow of Your Smile," "Strangers in the Night," and "The Song Is You." And if anything, the release of these tracks not only serve as a kind of vindication -- Gaye could not only capably sing in this fashion, he could do it better than Gordy would ever allow him credit for. It's somewhat liberating to have this collection readily available, but also somewhat sad that his career and his dreams never fully came to fruition. Of all Gaye's previously issued live works, this ranks with the best of them. For fans of Gaye's early years, this is musical manna from heaven.
© Rob Theakston /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 17 track(s)
- Total length: 01:06:03
- Main artists: Marvin Gaye
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Hip-O Select
- Genre: Soul/Funk/R&B Soul
© 2005 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc. ℗ 2005 Motown Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
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