Court Mandated Album - Singer Marvin Gaye was so immensely talented that he was able to turn an album about divorce proceedings and the fallout of his marriage into a critically acclaimed album, that later made Rolling Stone Magazines' Top 500 albums of all time list.
Marvin Gaye was going through a personal crisis in the Summer of 1976. In November 1975, Gaye's estranged first wife, Anna Gordy Gaye, sued Gaye for divorce, claiming irreconcilable differences, and seeking child support for their adopted son. What complicated issues further is that Anna Gordy was the sister of Berry Gordy - Motown founder and executive. Since Gaye was falling behind in alimony payments (cocaine addiction was a contributing factor), his lawyer came up with the idea of offering Anna the advance made by Motown against Gaye's next album and half the percentage of album royalties.
When starting production, he said he figured he would do a "quickie record - nothing heavy, nothing even good" since his ex wife would be receiving a large portion of the money anyways. But as he began the project he became more fascinated with it, taking it as an opportunity to express himself with a deep passion and take jabs at his ex wife and embarrass Berry Gordy with a "poison pen." This culminated in Here, My Dear which was released in 1978.
Memorable lines like:
"Why do I have to pay attorney fees, attorney fees? This is a joke, I need a smoke."
"Is that enough to last you a lifetime"
"She was too possessive jealous"
"Judge says she gotta live the way she accustomed to"
Topical Music -
Here, My Dear - Marvin Gaye
Is That Enough? - Marvin Gaye
Anger - Marvin Gaye
Time to Get it Together - Marvin Gaye
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