My Dad never had the heart to tell me the truth about Marvin Gaye Sr. Instead he’d turn up the song and say, “Close your eyes, listen close …”Whoah…Mercy Mercy Me…Ohhhh things ain’t what they used to be now”…Can you hear that? It’s his heartbeat. He’s sitting right here in this car, right next to you, can you see him?”

My Dad taught me how to make music materialize, how to carry it around like a blanket, it’s because of him that Marvin Gaye exists for me. Thanks Pop.

To celebrate Marvin Gaye’s indelible legacy, and the 26 year anniversary of his passing , I put together this little podcast that begins with Marvin himself introducing a few of his favorite tunes (“Stubborn Kind of Fellow”, “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough”, and “Can I Get A Witness”) and continues with Maxwell (the modern day Marvin) taking you through a few of his all-time favorite Marvin Gaye songs (“Time To Get it Together”, “After the Dance”, “T Plays it Cool”). Dig it.

Marvin & Maxwell

Special thanks to Clark and Antoine for the help.

As a rule, I’ll believe anything an employee of Amoeba Music tells me, music related or otherwise. So when several Amoebites listed “anything from Mississippi Records” atop their “music we like” lists, I went running, headphones in hand.

Turns out Mississippi Records was started in 2003 by two guys, Warren Hill and Eric Isaacson, who share a passion for digging up rare 78′s and re-releasing them on vinyl for a price most folks can afford, 10 bucks.

Today, their output consists of over 40 vinyl pressings; with titles ranging from a 1968 concept album about the life of Malcom X, to the very first recordings of original blues man, Skip James, originally from 1928.

“A Little Bit of Hurt” is 12th in the label’s cassette-only compilation series, and it’s reel-to-real sin-soaked confessions, unanswered prayers and lonesome cries for forgiveness.

Side B (is a good place to start)

Side A (features rare recordings of Sam Cooke & Marvin Gaye)