The Master (1961–1984) is a chronological box set album looking back at American R&B/soul singer Marvin Gaye's 23-year recording career. Spanning four discs, the box set goes over all portions of Gaye's career with a repertoire of themes including dance songs, love ballads, duets, socially conscious material, sensual material, spirituals, and autobiographical revelations. The set includes rarities such as a 1983 live recording of Gaye and Gladys Knight & the Pips each singing their seminal hit "I Heard It Through the Grapevine", Gaye's famed 1983 performance of "The Star-Spangled Banner" at an NBA All-Star game, and an a cappella performance of "The Lord's Prayer" taped during Gaye's exile in Belgium.
In 2006, Universal re-released the boxset as part of its Universal Earbook series, issuing it as an LP-sized hardback coffee table book.[ The Master (Earbook) > Overview] AllMusic.com
Track listing
Disc one "Stubborn Kind of Fellow" – 2:45 "Pride and Joy" – 2:07 "Hitch Hike" – 2:33 "Wherever I Lay My Hat (That's My Home)" – 2:13 "What Do You Want With Him" (Previously unreleased) – 2:37 "Once Upon a Time" (with Mary Wells) – 2:32 "What's the Matter with You Baby" (with Mary Wells) – 2:23 "Can I Get a Witness" – 2:48 "Couldn't Ask for More" (Previously unreleased) – 2:42 "You're Wonderful" (Previously unreleased) – 2:45 "I Wonder" – 3:44 "You're a Wonderful One" – 2:45 "It's Got to Be Love" (Previously unreleased) – 2:39 "Try It Baby" – 3:00 "Leavin (Previously unreleased) – 2:22 "My Love for You" (Previously unreleased) – 3:00 "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)" – 2:59 "Baby Don't You Do It" – 2:33 "Just Like a Man" (Previously unreleased alternative mix) – 2:50 "Pretty Little Baby" – 2:36 "Talk About a Good Feeling" (Previously unreleased) – 2:24 "I'll Be Doggone" – 2:51 "Little Darling (I Need You)" – 2:46 "One More Heartache" – 2:34 "Ain't That Peculiar" – 2:59 "You're the One for Me" – 3:42 "Take This Heart of Mine" – 2:44 "Your Unchanging Love" – 3:03
Disc two "It Takes Two" (with Kim Weston) – 2:58 "I Couldn't Help Falling for You" (with Kim Weston) (Previously unreleased) – 2:55 "Lonely Lover" (Previously unreleased) – 2:25 "Without Your Sweet Lovin (Previously unreleased) – 2:30 "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" (with Tammi Terrell) – 2:28 "If I Could Build My Whole World Around You" (with Tammi Terrell) – 2:22 "Your Precious Love" (with Tammi Terrell) – 3:00 "If This World Were Mine" (with Tammi Terrell) – 2:43 "Without You (My World Is Lonely)" (Previously unreleased) – 2:41 "Together We Stand (Divided We Fall)" (Previously unreleased) – 2:52 "You" – 2:26 "Chained" – 2:36 "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" – 3:14 "You're What's Happening (In the World Today)" – 2:20 "This Love Starved Heart of Mine (It's Killing Me)" – 2:42 "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing" (with Tammi Terrell) – 2:17 "Keep On Lovin' Me Honey" (with Tammi Terrell) – 2:30 "You're All I Need to Get By" (with Tammi Terrell) – 2:40 "Too Busy Thinking About My Baby" – 2:57 "More Than a Heart Can Stand" – 2:56 "How Can I Forget" – 2:04 "That's the Way Love Is" – 3:37 "Yesterday" – 3:25 "The End of Our Road" – 2:46 "Good Lovin' Ain't Easy to Come By" (with Valerie Simpson, credited to Tammi Terrell) – 2:19 "What You Gave Me" (with Valerie Simpson, credited to Tammi Terrell) – 2:37
Disc three "What's Going On" – 3:53 "Save the Children" – 4:02 "Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)" – 3:16 "Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)" – 5:29 "I'm Going Home" (Previously unreleased alternative mix) – 4:39 "Piece of Clay" (Previously unreleased) – 5:11 "You're the Man (Pt. I & II)" – 5:46 "Checking Out (Double Clutch)" (Previously unreleased) – 4:53 "Trouble Man" – 4:55 "Let's Get It On" – 4:53 "Come Get to This" – 2:41 "Just to Keep You Satisfied" – 4:27 "Pledging My Love" (with Diana Ross) – 3:35 "My Mistake (Was to Love You)" (with Diana Ross) – 2:55 "Distant Lover (Live)" – 6:22 "I Want You" – 4:34 "After the Dance" – 5:11
Disc four "Got to Give It Up, Pt. I" – 4:14 "Here, My Dear" – 2:49 "When Did You Stop Loving Me, When Did I Stop Loving You" – 6:16 "Anger" – 4:02 "Anna's Song" – 5:55 "A Funky Space Reincarnation" – 8:18 "When Did You Stop Loving Me, When Did I Stop Loving You (Reprise)" – 0:45 "She Needs Me" (Previously unreleased) – 3:31 "Why Did I Choose You" (Previously unreleased) – 2:37 "Life Is for Learning" – 3:40 "Funk Me" – 5:35 "Love Me Now or Love Me Later" – 5:00 "Ego Tripping Out" – 5:13 "The Star-Spangled Banner" (Live) – 3:14 "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" (Live) (with Gladys Knight & The Pips) – 3:48 "Rockin' After Midnight" – 6:05 "Sexual Healing" – 4:04 "The Lord's Prayer" – 1:55
References