Marvin Gaye, I Want You | Throwback Vibez

In the 76^th edition of Throwback Vibez (2024), we recollect and reflect on “I Want You” by the late, great, soul icon, Marvin Gaye. 

The vibes, the vibes, those Throwback Vibez ! Throwback Vibez is a column that celebrates awesome songs from the past.  The records that grace this column are older, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re ancient – no fossils ! All genres of music are welcome. In the 76^th edition of Throwback Vibez (2024), we recollect and reflect on “I Want You” performed by Marvin Gaye. 

“I want you (And I want you), the right way / I want you / But I want you to want me too.” “I Want You” is the opener on the album, I Want You, released in 1976.  This buttery smooth, ultra-soulful Marvin Gaye gem was written and produced by Arthur “T-Boy” Ross and Leon Ware. A success on the pop charts, it reached no. 15 on the Billboard Hot 100.  “I Want You” has been covered and sampled many times.  You can’t blame the artists for copping it – the source material is lit!

“I Want You” features an infectious groove from the onset. Marvin Gaye’s songs tend to thrive on groove and “I Want You” is among the best. Set in a minor key, this exuberant soul cut has a dark side – or, at least, darker tonality. Contributing to its brilliance is radiant orchestration with soaring strings and articulated brass.  The prolonged instrumental introduction is a vibe, slowly but surely establishing “I Want You.” The chorus, the first section of the song with lyrics, is one of the biggest selling points.  It’s tuneful melodically and memorable lyrically.  The verses are light on lyrics but contribute to the aesthetic – the vibe. “Ooh, it’s too bad, it’s just too sad, you don’t want me now,” Gaye sings in the first verse, concluding, “But I’m going to change your mind, someway, somehow, oh baby.” Indeed! At the end of the second, he sings, “Don’t’ play with something you should cherish for life, oh baby / Don’t you want to care? Ain’t it lonely out there?” Word.  Of course, the biggest reason “I Want You” is a spectacular song is because of Gaye.  He sounds utterly sensational from a vocal perspective.  He’s super smooth and firmly invested, easily selling this love-longing gem.

Marvin Gaye // I Want You // Motown // 1976

Marvin Gaye, I Want You: Throwback Vibez No. 76 (2024) [: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; Motown; OpenClipart-Vectors, Speedy McVroom via  Pixabay]