Rock Bottom: Dark Moments In Music Babylon (19 page)
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Authors: Pamela Des Barres
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Baffled and overwhelmed by his fame, Marvin admitted to being on a “star trip,” which was causing serious friction in his marriage. In an attempt to tighten their bond, the Gayes adopted a child in November 1965 and named him Marvin Pentz Gaye III. “I was torn,” Marvin said. “I liked the tradition of naming my son after me, but I also didn’t want to be reminded of my father. When Marvin arrived, I made the decision: Tradition had to be upheld. That’s what we learned from the Old Testament.”
Touring gradually became difficult for Marvin, his stage fright reaching paranoid proportions. Sold-out concerts were canceled at the last minute, establishing an erratic lifelong pattern. Falling in line with the Motown program caused Marvin to refer to himself as a “slave” and slowly eroded his fragile self-respect. Because his father was an alcoholic, Marvin stayed away from the evils of liquor but found he could appreciate life through a hazy filter of marijuana and the powerful rush of cocaine. “I’m passionate about good cocaine,” Marvin asserted. “No one will ever tell me it’s not a good feeling. A clean, fresh high, ’specially early in the morning, will set you free—at least for a minute.”
The murder of Malcolm X, followed by the Watts riots, caused Marvin to question the validity of his music. Gordy just wanted to sell records, and Marvin went along with him, but the seed of truth-telling had been planted and started brewing.
The Gayes had a volatile marriage and would often break into loud physical arguments at home and in public places. They took other lovers but still seemed to need each other even though the relationship had started to break down. Once Marvin found Anna at a motel in bed with another man and just went back home. The couple would stay together until 1977, but stagnation had set in. When Gordy moved into his mansion on Boston Boulevard and gave his old house to his sister and brother-in-law, Marvin couldn’t help feeling like a poor relation who had lucked out.
Despite the success of his duet records with Kim Weston and Tammi Terrell,
Marvin was frustrated by the even bigger success of the Supremes and the Four Tops, who were busy touring the world. He saw much grander things for himself.
Marvin was frustrated by the even bigger success of the Supremes and the Four Tops, who were busy touring the world. He saw much grander things for himself.
Young and spirited, Tammi Terrell was too independent to rouse Marvin’s passion, but as a singing partner she was perfection. “While we were singing,” Marvin said, “we were in love.” During the next two years Marvin and Tammi would record three albums and have nine singles on the charts, beginning with “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” early in 1967. When she collapsed in Marvin’s arms during a concert in Virginia, he carried her offstage and his world slowly began to disintegrate. She had six brain surgeries during the next three years, and Marvin spent a lot of time by her hospital bed. When Tammi died in March 1970 at age twenty-four, it was announced that she had a brain tumor, but it was rumored that she had been beaten in the head by a jealous boyfriend. At Tammi’s nighttime funeral, Marvin was disoriented, sobbing and speaking aloud to his former singing partner. He saw Tammi as a victim of love. “My heart was broken,” Marvin claimed. “My own marriage to Anna had proven to be a lie. In my heart I could no longer pretend to sing love songs for people. I couldn’t perform. When Tammi became ill, I refused to sing in public.”
Marvin threatened to kill himself for the first of many times. He would hole up with a gun, but could never bring himself to pull the trigger because he believed suicide was a mortal sin. Already in his own private hell, Marvin didn’t want to incur the wrath of his Lord.
In November 1968 Marvin finally hit number one with “I Heard It Through the Grapevine,” but joy eluded him. In 1969 the deeply personal album
M. P. G.
was released, an expose about his crumbling marriage and immeasurable loneliness. Though he hungered for huge success, he didn’t really feel he deserved it and still refused to tour with his hits. Spending more and more money on drugs, Marvin didn’t save any for Uncle Sam. He had learned to despise the government and was bitter about his money paying for the war in Vietnam. He had also come to hate the hustle and hypocrisy of show business. Marvin turned thirty and went into seclusion.
M. P. G.
was released, an expose about his crumbling marriage and immeasurable loneliness. Though he hungered for huge success, he didn’t really feel he deserved it and still refused to tour with his hits. Spending more and more money on drugs, Marvin didn’t save any for Uncle Sam. He had learned to despise the government and was bitter about his money paying for the war in Vietnam. He had also come to hate the hustle and hypocrisy of show business. Marvin turned thirty and went into seclusion.
Eager to prove that he could do something outside of the music industry, Marvin went through a strange few months when he decided to become a pro football player. Along with friends from the Lions football team, Mel Farr and Lem Barney, Marvin trained vigorously, running six miles a day, cutting out cigarettes and drugs, intent on becoming a superstar athlete. Motown, of course, killed the idea, but Marvin continued to pursue his passion for sports, later investing in several prizefighters.
He still wasn’t performing, but Marvin continued to expand musically and started producing. His first record for the Originals, “Baby, I’m for Real,” cowritten with Anna, went to number one on the soul charts. But Motown
wanted Marvin to play Vegas and wanted him to grind out another hit record of his own. Restless and edgy, he watched what was going on around him. The murders at Kent State incensed him, and when his brother Frankie returned from Vietnam and recounted the horror stories, Marvin said his “blood started to boil.” He demanded an answer to the nagging question “What’s going on?”
wanted Marvin to play Vegas and wanted him to grind out another hit record of his own. Restless and edgy, he watched what was going on around him. The murders at Kent State incensed him, and when his brother Frankie returned from Vietnam and recounted the horror stories, Marvin said his “blood started to boil.” He demanded an answer to the nagging question “What’s going on?”
Frankie recalls telling Marvin about his terrifying experiences in Vietnam: “There was so much pain over there, so much hurt. You hear about things that go on, but there’s nothing more terrible than war. Human life becomes cheap. You have to do something to yourself to keep from crying
all
the time, to keep from being afraid
all
the time. Every minute seemed like an eternity. We talked at length about Marvin knowing my feelings. Him being a part of me, it was devastating for him. We cried together. He could feel my pain. ‘What’s Going On’ was his way of fighting. It was his Vietnam.”
all
the time, to keep from being afraid
all
the time. Every minute seemed like an eternity. We talked at length about Marvin knowing my feelings. Him being a part of me, it was devastating for him. We cried together. He could feel my pain. ‘What’s Going On’ was his way of fighting. It was his Vietnam.”
Using his brother, Frankie, as an inspiration, Marvin came up with his musical centerpiece, an offering of peace and hope, the uplifting and demanding
What’s Going On,
the first Motown album to be produced by the artist himself. After the record was initially rejected by the company as “too long and formless,” Marvin threatened to never set foot inside a recording studio again unless the album was released. Marvin won this particular war, though his own personal battles continued to rage within. Seen by many as the first concept album,
What’s Going On
would be Marvin’s most successful record, revolutionizing soul music by revealing the inner workings of the artist’s own soul. By gently reminding us that “war is not the answer,” and pleading with us to “save the babies!” Marvin was able to tap into his divine nature and sell a whole lot of records in the process. “When would the war stop? That’s what I wanted to know … the war inside my soul.”
What’s Going On,
the first Motown album to be produced by the artist himself. After the record was initially rejected by the company as “too long and formless,” Marvin threatened to never set foot inside a recording studio again unless the album was released. Marvin won this particular war, though his own personal battles continued to rage within. Seen by many as the first concept album,
What’s Going On
would be Marvin’s most successful record, revolutionizing soul music by revealing the inner workings of the artist’s own soul. By gently reminding us that “war is not the answer,” and pleading with us to “save the babies!” Marvin was able to tap into his divine nature and sell a whole lot of records in the process. “When would the war stop? That’s what I wanted to know … the war inside my soul.”
Adoration beckoned, and Marvin crawled out of hibernation to receive accolades and awards for what was being hailed as his “masterpiece.” On May 1, 1972, he played a triumphant “coming out” concert in Washington, D.C., where he was given the key to the city and called “a hero” by the mayor. He made a little speech at his former high school about drug abuse, despite the fact that he was stoned out of his head. Nobody seemed to notice. His mother rode in a motorcade and waved to the crowds. Marvin later said that he felt like he made his father proud that day.
Due to the massive success of his socially conscious million-seller, Marvin believed his next politically incorrect single, “You’re the Man,” would also steam up the charts. He was wrong. If he couldn’t count on social issues to sell records, he would go to Hollywood and score a movie soundtrack.
Trouble Man
was a cheesy blaxploitation film, enhanced by Marvin’s bleak and moody score, which sold well. While he was in Hollywood, Marvin decided he would write screenplays and might even do some acting. His boss, Berry
Gordy, had relocated to Beverly Hills, so Marvin followed suit, moving his entire family to the West Coast in 1973.
Trouble Man
was a cheesy blaxploitation film, enhanced by Marvin’s bleak and moody score, which sold well. While he was in Hollywood, Marvin decided he would write screenplays and might even do some acting. His boss, Berry
Gordy, had relocated to Beverly Hills, so Marvin followed suit, moving his entire family to the West Coast in 1973.
Diana Ross was fast becoming a polished actress, and Marvin saw the same for himself. He signed with the William Morris Agency but only got a couple of bit parts in low-budget movies. The screenplays never materialized. He tried to hustle a place in the Hollywood scene but was hustled himself by people who talked him into shady investments. He was soon back in the studio, recording another duet album, this time with Diana Ross, but there was zero chemistry between the two top Motown stars and the pairing failed to live up to expectations.
Ego and soul continued their intense warfare. In an interview with
Crawdaddy
magazine Marvin said, “I don’t compare myself to Beethoven. I must make that clear. I just think that I’m capable of all he was capable of.” In the same article he announced, “We’ll just have to become gods. The world’ll be like it started. Maybe God will know Himself. Perhaps He’s using us to help Him learn who He is.”
Crawdaddy
magazine Marvin said, “I don’t compare myself to Beethoven. I must make that clear. I just think that I’m capable of all he was capable of.” In the same article he announced, “We’ll just have to become gods. The world’ll be like it started. Maybe God will know Himself. Perhaps He’s using us to help Him learn who He is.”
During the recording of
Let’s Get It On,
the long-planned follow-up to
What’s Going On,
Marvin met sixteen-year-old Janis Hunter and fell in crazy, obsessive love. She was seventeen years younger than Marvin. Marvin sang the entire album to Jan, usually coming up with lyrics on the spot, likening the process to the way a flower grows. Jan was placed on the Madonna pedestal that Anna had occupied, being alternately worshipped and scorned, depending on Marvin’s quixotic, chemically induced mood swings. He wouldn’t divorce Anna until 1977, further complicating his life. Marvin took his new lover to a Topanga Canyon paradise, hiding her from the prying eyes of the public, his mortified wife, and his ever-demanding family.
Let’s Get It On,
the long-planned follow-up to
What’s Going On,
Marvin met sixteen-year-old Janis Hunter and fell in crazy, obsessive love. She was seventeen years younger than Marvin. Marvin sang the entire album to Jan, usually coming up with lyrics on the spot, likening the process to the way a flower grows. Jan was placed on the Madonna pedestal that Anna had occupied, being alternately worshipped and scorned, depending on Marvin’s quixotic, chemically induced mood swings. He wouldn’t divorce Anna until 1977, further complicating his life. Marvin took his new lover to a Topanga Canyon paradise, hiding her from the prying eyes of the public, his mortified wife, and his ever-demanding family.
Meanwhile, the new album’s title track, “Let’s Get It On,” was an instant smash, going straight to number one, and Marvin held out for huge tour dollars. He was worried about Anna getting all of his money and still had a loathsome fear of performing live. After canceling one concert in November, he finally agreed to appear at the Oakland Coliseum on January 4, 1974. As usual, he drove the women wild.
“To know that women love me is gratifying,” Marvin told
Rolling Stone.
“Dudes love me too; I can feel it. I sing to everybody. But the first ten rows are always women.” Marvin reclaimed his major sex symbol status on his first tour in five years, traveling with four female backup singers, a twenty-piece orchestra, his pregnant girlfriend, his mother, and Frankie—grossing over $1.5 million in August alone. “I was sort of a personal manager,” Frankie tells me. “I know what he liked. I knew how to get it right for him, how he liked the stage set up, what should be there for him—the lemon and honey, when to have it there. It had to be the perfect temperature. It couldn’t be too hot or too cold. If it’s too cold it closes the throat muscles. We had to time it between
songs, so that when he’d go to sip it, it wouldn’t be too hot, ’cause then he’d burn himself. It was an art.” Despite Frankie’s brotherly concern, touring made Marvin jumpy, and he tried to snort and smoke his jitters away but could never get enough. It seemed he couldn’t get enough of Jan, either. He felt she held him in the palm of her hand. When she gave birth to his daughter, Nona (nicknamed “Pie”), Marvin tried to cancel the rest of the tour but was threatened with lawsuits. He traveled using fake names. Sometimes he wore disguises. When he got back home, he moved his new family into a high-rise in Brentwood, determined to start his life anew. Early in 1975 Anna filed for divorce and Jan became pregnant again.
Rolling Stone.
“Dudes love me too; I can feel it. I sing to everybody. But the first ten rows are always women.” Marvin reclaimed his major sex symbol status on his first tour in five years, traveling with four female backup singers, a twenty-piece orchestra, his pregnant girlfriend, his mother, and Frankie—grossing over $1.5 million in August alone. “I was sort of a personal manager,” Frankie tells me. “I know what he liked. I knew how to get it right for him, how he liked the stage set up, what should be there for him—the lemon and honey, when to have it there. It had to be the perfect temperature. It couldn’t be too hot or too cold. If it’s too cold it closes the throat muscles. We had to time it between
songs, so that when he’d go to sip it, it wouldn’t be too hot, ’cause then he’d burn himself. It was an art.” Despite Frankie’s brotherly concern, touring made Marvin jumpy, and he tried to snort and smoke his jitters away but could never get enough. It seemed he couldn’t get enough of Jan, either. He felt she held him in the palm of her hand. When she gave birth to his daughter, Nona (nicknamed “Pie”), Marvin tried to cancel the rest of the tour but was threatened with lawsuits. He traveled using fake names. Sometimes he wore disguises. When he got back home, he moved his new family into a high-rise in Brentwood, determined to start his life anew. Early in 1975 Anna filed for divorce and Jan became pregnant again.
Marvin saw the divorce action as a personal attack and stopped sending Anna money. He built himself a state-of-the-art recording studio on Sunset Boulevard, complete with a custom-made king-size waterbed and featuring numerous Messiah-like oil paintings of Marvin himself. As a seeming snub to Anna, he bought a five-acre estate for his new family, adding stables, spas, a pool, hot tubs, and a regulation-size basketball court. He already owned fourteen cars, including a vintage Mercedes and a Rolls-Royce. His wife and Uncle Sam be damned.
Even before Marvin proposed to Jan on his next album,
I Want You,
he had already begun the process of tearing the relationship to shreds, turning Jan on to cocaine and insisting that she take lovers. Somewhere inside his double soul, he dreamed of the white picket fence but didn’t believe he deserved that kind of happiness. His behavior became more and more erratic as his drug taking increased. He saw himself as an outlaw.
I Want You,
he had already begun the process of tearing the relationship to shreds, turning Jan on to cocaine and insisting that she take lovers. Somewhere inside his double soul, he dreamed of the white picket fence but didn’t believe he deserved that kind of happiness. His behavior became more and more erratic as his drug taking increased. He saw himself as an outlaw.
Living outside the law suited Marvin, and his battle with Anna became ferocious. An article in
Variety
stated: “Marvin Gaye faces two consecutive five-day terms in L.A. County jail for contempt of court in an alimony and child support case if authorities catch up with him.” But Marvin was back out on the road with Jan and his two babies, seducing and taunting the ladies in the audience with an even sexier stage show. He returned to threats, hearings, and depositions, and the dispute was ultimately solved with music. Anna would receive her $600,000 settlement from Marvin’s advance and earnings for his next album, a two-record set succinctly titled
Here, My Dear,
dedicated to his ex-wife. “I had to free myself from Anna,” Marvin said, “and I saw this as the way.” From start to finish the album recounts the intimate horror of Marvin’s failed marriage. When Anna told
People
magazine that she might sue Marvin for invasion of privacy, he responded, “All’s fair in love and war.”
Variety
stated: “Marvin Gaye faces two consecutive five-day terms in L.A. County jail for contempt of court in an alimony and child support case if authorities catch up with him.” But Marvin was back out on the road with Jan and his two babies, seducing and taunting the ladies in the audience with an even sexier stage show. He returned to threats, hearings, and depositions, and the dispute was ultimately solved with music. Anna would receive her $600,000 settlement from Marvin’s advance and earnings for his next album, a two-record set succinctly titled
Here, My Dear,
dedicated to his ex-wife. “I had to free myself from Anna,” Marvin said, “and I saw this as the way.” From start to finish the album recounts the intimate horror of Marvin’s failed marriage. When Anna told
People
magazine that she might sue Marvin for invasion of privacy, he responded, “All’s fair in love and war.”
After four years and two children together, Marvin and Jan got married in October 1977. He was full of remorse for pulling Jan into his private, hellish shame, but he couldn’t live without her. Before his first divorce was completely settled, Janis also filed for divorce. “I can’t blame Janis for anything,” he told
Rolling Stone.
“I fell in love with her, and yet I myself was unable to reform.
I continued my wild and reckless ways. I had lost myself, just as I had before Tammi died.”
Rolling Stone.
“I fell in love with her, and yet I myself was unable to reform.
I continued my wild and reckless ways. I had lost myself, just as I had before Tammi died.”
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