Interscope-Capitol Records releases a dazzling vinyl upgrade of a landmark Marvin Gaye album.
Marvin Gaye – Let’s Get It On – Interscope-Capitol Records [7/17/2026] Definitive Sound Series DSS 11: One Step 180-gram stereo numbered vinyl, 31:37 *****:
(Marvin Gaye – piano, vocals; complete artist listing below)
Motown Records was renowned for the mass commercial appeal of its meticulously produced r & b music. Groups like Smoky Robinson & The Miracles, The Temptations, The Supremes, Gladys Knight & The Pips, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Mary Wells and The Jackson 5, to name a few became part of the cultural landscape. Founder Berry Gordy Jr. maintained strict control over every aspect of his artists. But as civil unrest and The Vietnam War raged on, Marvin Gaye changed the Motown dynamic. His 1971 album, What’s Goin’ On electrified the counterculture with anthems like “Inner City Blues”, “Mercy Mercy Me” and the magnetic title cut. Taking advantage of this newly found creative freedom, other acts on the label (most notably Stevie Wonder) began to assume artistic control.
As the latest entry in the Definitive Sound Series, Interscope-Capitol Records has released a 180-gram numbered pressing of the 1973 Marvin Gaye album, Let’s Get It On. This marked a third foray (What’s Goin’ On, Trouble Man soundtrack) into risqué material for the singer. Lush instrumentation, high-profiled guest musicians and tracking vocals created a tapestry of sound that articulated the visceral sensuality and spiritual undertones of this project. It featured all original compositions.. Side A opens with the sultry title track (a huge single) which begins with a saucy wah-wah guitar (Don Peake). Gaye’s masterful seductive vocals (lead and backup) are both soulful and aspirational. His articulation and harmonious inflection are framed by strings, flute, saxophone and hypnotic pulse. It is an earthy gospel sermon. His falsetto, vocalese and sultry delivery infuse “Please Don’t Stay (Once You Go Away)”. Gaye’s command of tender yearning and pleading are a natural fit for 70’s era soul on “If I Should Die Tonight”. This is a complex arrangement with the singer providing lead and counterpoint. He reprises the basic elements of the title cut (“Keep Gettin’ It On”) and it is equally captivating.
While this is a departure from the Motown formula, Gaye remained one of the label’s most enduring performers. “Come Get To This” adopts the tightly constructed funk parameters of his label. It is accessible and upbeat. With slow-burning intensity, “Distant Lover” is sumptuous with emotive late 50’s early 60’s vocals, and different instrumental accents (trumpet, vibraphone). All of the music on Let’s Get It On is layered and atmospheric. “You Sure Love to Ball” has a swaying gritty ambiance amid a direct context. In a change of pace, the finale (”Just To Keep You Satisfied”) explores melancholic loss in a ballad interpretation. Gaye’s plaintive vocals (including talking) are deeply moving.
This numbered audiophile vinyl of Let’s Get It On is another exceptional release in Interscope-Capitol’s Definitive Sound Series. The re-mastered sound (Chris Bellman/Bernie Grundman Mastering) captures Gaye’s silken voice, centered with nuanced clarity, Also, instrumental separation is superior. It was cut from the original analog master tapes. Additional details (bass lines, percussion instruments, backup vocals, strings) are expansive, but never overwhelm Gaye. The One-Step processing (Neotech VR900-D2 High-definition 180-gram vinyl: Dorin Sauerbier/Record Technology, Inc.) provides an intimate quieter soundscape with reduced surface noise. Superior packaging includes a custom slipcase, heavyweight tip-on gatefold and a certificate of authenticity detailing the technical details of the re-mastered album.
Highest recommendation!
—Robbie Gerson
Marvin Gaye – Let’s Get It On
TrackList:
Side A: Let’s Get It On; Please Don’t Stay (Once You Go Away); If I Should Die Tonight; Keep Gettin’ It Own
Side B: Come Get To This; Distant Lover; You Sure Love To Ball; Just To Keep You Satisfied.
Performing Artists:
Marvin Gaye – piano, vocals;
Orchestral arrangements: David Van De Pitte;Gene Page; René Hall; David Blumberg;
Bass – James Jameson; Wilton Felder;
Drums, Bongos, Percussion – Bobbye Hall Porter; Eddie “Bongo” Brown; Paul Humphrey\; Uriel Jones
Guitar – David T. Walker; Eddie Willis; Louis Shelton; Melvin Ragin; Robert White; Don Peake;
Vibraphone, Mallet Percussion – Victor Feldman; Emil Richards;
Saxophone – Ernie Watts – saxophone; Plas Jphnson – saxophone;
Piano – Joe Sample – piano; Marvin Jenkins – piano;
