Pause Archives - Marvin Gaye

Pause Archives

MARVIN GAYE

1962-1989


MOTOWN ARCHIVE COLLECTION

Marvin Pentz Gaye Jr. (April 2, 1939 – April 1, 1984) was an American R&B and soul singer, musician, songwriter, and record producer. He helped shape the sound of Motown in the 1960s, first as an in-house session player and later as a solo artist with a string of successes.

‘How sweet it is’

These unseen prints are a small dip into the vast UMG archive. Follow now for future drops. Always limited. Always official. Never reproduced.



3 print sizes available: 8” 16” 40”

Hand-stamped mounts

Custom hand-made frame

Archive Giclee prints

“Taken during Marvin Gaye’s first visit to Britain in 1964, these photographs capture the 25-year-old Motown star at the beginning of his career, as his music began to reach audiences far beyond America.”

Above: EMI Reception


A 25-year-old Marvin receives a warm welcome at EMI House in Manchester Square, London, during his first visit to Britain in November 1964. Already making his mark, the young Marvin was still on the cusp of the breakthrough that would make him an international star.

EMI, Motown’s UK licensee, hosted the reception as Marvin arrived to promote his latest single, ‘How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)’.

Photographed by EMI staff photographer John Dove, the reception marked the beginning of Marvin’s relationship with British audiences, who would embrace his music for decades to come.

Below: London, c. 1980


By 1980, he was spending a lot of time in London. Now in his early forties, Marvin was performing in the UK and working on music that would become ‘In Our Lifetime’, his final album for Motown.


Photographed by EMI staff photographer Pete Vernon, these photos capture Marvin during a time of change. Sixteen years after his first visit to the UK, he was now an established international artist, entering a new chapter in his career.

‘Prince of Motown’

Below: Pete Vernon, London Portraits, 1981


A 25-year-old Marvin receives a warm welcome at EMI House in Manchester Square, London, during his first visit to Britain in November 1964. Already making his mark, the young Marvin was still on the cusp of the breakthrough that would make him an international star.

EMI, Motown’s UK licensee, hosted the reception as Marvin arrived to promote his latest single, ‘How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)’.

Photographed by EMI staff photographer John Dove, the reception marked the beginning of Marvin’s relationship with British audiences, who would embrace his music for decades to come.

“London offered Marvin Gaye a new creative setting as he shaped the sound and ideas for his album ‘In Our Lifetime’ - released in January 1981.”