In Our Lifetime
Encyclopedia
In Our Lifetime is a studio album
by soul
musician Marvin Gaye
, released January 15, 1981 on Motown-subsidiary label Tamla Records. Recording sessions for the album took place at Marvin's Room in Los Angeles, California
, Seawest Recording Studio in Honolulu, Hawaii
, and at Odyssey Studios in London, England throughout 1979 and 1980. The album cover was designed by Neil Breeden. Gaye's final album for Motown before leaving for Columbia Records
, the album was the follow-up to the commercial failure of Here, My Dear
, a double album which chronicled the singer's divorce from Anna Gordy. Entirely written, produced, arranged, and mixed by Gaye, In Our Lifetime was a departure for Gaye from the disco
stylings of his previous two studio efforts and was seen as one of the best albums of the singer's late-Motown period.
". His 1978 album, Here, My Dear
, which was an autobiographical look at the singer's damaging relationship with his former wife, Anna Gordy
, had bombed due to problems between the artist and Motown and Marvin was determined to regain the audience he felt he had lost with the album. Recording initial demos to what was supposed to be a "party" record titled Love Man, Marvin fell into more problems after the IRS foreclosed on his properties after he failed to pay them back taxes.
Feeling unloved in his country, Marvin left Los Angeles
first settling in Hawaii
where he tried continuing work on Love Man, then after being brought to London by a British musical promoter for a European tour, he settled there to finish recording the album, which underwent a reinvention in the middle of sessions. Feeling that the original mix of Love Man was too limiting to his style, he redid the album where he talked about his personal problems and expose a religious and psychological view into his cathartic life while ironically keeping the funk
atmosphere of the original album. In the fall of 1980, having cut records that were going to be In Our Lifetime?, Marvin had felt confident that eventually he would finally be done with the album. However, as it turned out, when Marvin's bassist Frank Blair presented the rough draft of the album, Motown decided to mix the album differently than Marvin initially intended, include an unreleased cut (the lyrically-conscious "Far Cry") - in which a jazz vocal was mostly edited out, and deleted the question mark from the album's title, in which Marvin said he had included to ask if "Armageddon
would come in our lifetime?".
tribute/religious ode, "Praise
" and peaking at number thirty-two on the Billboard Top 200 album charts. After its release, Marvin asked to be let go from his contract.
It was finally granted after CBS Records
' urban division president Larkin Arnold bought Marvin out of his Motown contract, thus ending the singer's 21-year relationship with the company in 1982 (Gaye then eventually recorded his final album, Midnight Love
, in Belgium
).
Over the years, the album was forgotten until the album was re-released by Motown on compact disc
in 1994 to coincide with the tenth anniversary of Marvin's death, including the song "Ego Tripping Out
" as part of the track listing.
On June 19, 2007, twenty-six years after the album's release, Hip-O Records
re-released the album as an expanded edition which included not only the album as it was in its original release but also included alternate cuts from different studio recordings from London's Air and Odyssey Studios, featuring the original 1979 single of "Ego Tripping Out" including an alternate cut from the "In Our Lifetime" sessions.
The second disc released what was from the "Love Man" sessions with instrumental productions that were included in "Lifetime" under different lyrics and different titles. The reissue restored the question mark at the end of the title and was limited to 5,000 copies.
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
musician Marvin Gaye
Marvin Gaye
Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr. , better known by his stage name Marvin Gaye, was an American singer-songwriter and musician with a three-octave vocal range....
, released January 15, 1981 on Motown-subsidiary label Tamla Records. Recording sessions for the album took place at Marvin's Room in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, Seawest Recording Studio in Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii. Honolulu is the southernmost major U.S. city. Although the name "Honolulu" refers to the urban area on the southeastern shore of the island of Oahu, the city and county government are consolidated as the City and...
, and at Odyssey Studios in London, England throughout 1979 and 1980. The album cover was designed by Neil Breeden. Gaye's final album for Motown before leaving for Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
, the album was the follow-up to the commercial failure of Here, My Dear
Here, My Dear
Here, My Dear is a studio double album by soul musician Marvin Gaye, released December 15, 1978 on Tamla Records. Recording sessions for the album took place at Marvin's Room in Hollywood, California from 1976 to 1977. A deeply personal and controversial album, Here, My Dear is notable for...
, a double album which chronicled the singer's divorce from Anna Gordy. Entirely written, produced, arranged, and mixed by Gaye, In Our Lifetime was a departure for Gaye from the disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
stylings of his previous two studio efforts and was seen as one of the best albums of the singer's late-Motown period.
Conception
By 1979, Marvin Gaye was at a professional ebb in his career with mounting personal problems. He was two years without a hit after the release of "Got to Give It UpGot to Give It Up
"Got to Give It Up" is a funk/disco song by American recording artist Marvin Gaye. Written by the singer and produced by Art Stewart, it was recorded in three studio dates in 1976 with a final mixing in early 1977...
". His 1978 album, Here, My Dear
Here, My Dear
Here, My Dear is a studio double album by soul musician Marvin Gaye, released December 15, 1978 on Tamla Records. Recording sessions for the album took place at Marvin's Room in Hollywood, California from 1976 to 1977. A deeply personal and controversial album, Here, My Dear is notable for...
, which was an autobiographical look at the singer's damaging relationship with his former wife, Anna Gordy
Anna Gordy Gaye
Anna Gordy Gaye is an American songwriter and composer, known as the elder sister of Motown founder Berry Gordy and the first wife of soul legend Marvin Gaye, who used their troubled marriage as the focal point of his critically acclaimed 1978 effort, Here, My Dear, an album from which Gordy...
, had bombed due to problems between the artist and Motown and Marvin was determined to regain the audience he felt he had lost with the album. Recording initial demos to what was supposed to be a "party" record titled Love Man, Marvin fell into more problems after the IRS foreclosed on his properties after he failed to pay them back taxes.
Feeling unloved in his country, Marvin left Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
first settling in Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
where he tried continuing work on Love Man, then after being brought to London by a British musical promoter for a European tour, he settled there to finish recording the album, which underwent a reinvention in the middle of sessions. Feeling that the original mix of Love Man was too limiting to his style, he redid the album where he talked about his personal problems and expose a religious and psychological view into his cathartic life while ironically keeping the funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
atmosphere of the original album. In the fall of 1980, having cut records that were going to be In Our Lifetime?, Marvin had felt confident that eventually he would finally be done with the album. However, as it turned out, when Marvin's bassist Frank Blair presented the rough draft of the album, Motown decided to mix the album differently than Marvin initially intended, include an unreleased cut (the lyrically-conscious "Far Cry") - in which a jazz vocal was mostly edited out, and deleted the question mark from the album's title, in which Marvin said he had included to ask if "Armageddon
Armageddon
Armageddon is, according to the Bible, the site of a battle during the end times, variously interpreted as either a literal or symbolic location...
would come in our lifetime?".
Reception
When In Our Lifetime was finally issued in recording stores on January 15, 1981, Marvin was angry over its rush release. Upon hearing it, he said the label had reedited the album without his rightful permission in which Motown admitted to try to make the album commercially viable. However, sales for the album were low despite its critical success producing a sole R&B hit with the Stevie WonderStevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
tribute/religious ode, "Praise
Praise (song)
"Praise" is a 1981 gospel-inspired funk number released by American soul singer Marvin Gaye. The song, written by Gaye, is a tribute to not only his church upbringing but also to the sound of then-label mate Stevie Wonder, who is given a shout out on the song by Gaye.The song, equipped with horns,...
" and peaking at number thirty-two on the Billboard Top 200 album charts. After its release, Marvin asked to be let go from his contract.
It was finally granted after CBS Records
CBS Records
CBS Records is a record label founded by CBS Corporation in 2006 to take advantage of music from its entertainment properties owned by CBS Television Studios. The initial label roster consisted of only three artists; rock band Señor Happy and singer/songwriters Will Dailey and P.J...
' urban division president Larkin Arnold bought Marvin out of his Motown contract, thus ending the singer's 21-year relationship with the company in 1982 (Gaye then eventually recorded his final album, Midnight Love
Midnight Love
Midnight Love is the final studio album recorded and issued by American soul singer Marvin Gaye and was the singer's first release from Columbia months after leaving his longtime label, Motown. It claimed the number one slot on NME Album of the Year....
, in Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
).
Over the years, the album was forgotten until the album was re-released by Motown on compact disc
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
in 1994 to coincide with the tenth anniversary of Marvin's death, including the song "Ego Tripping Out
Ego Tripping Out
"Ego Tripping Out" is a 1979 funk-styled dance record released by American soul singer Marvin Gaye, released as a single on the Tamla label....
" as part of the track listing.
On June 19, 2007, twenty-six years after the album's release, Hip-O Records
Hip-O Records
Hip-O Records is a record label, currently part of Universal Music Group, which specializes in reissues and compilations. Their Hip-O Select label is currently in the midst of releasing the Complete Motown Singles, a series of fourteen box sets which include both sides of every 45 from Motown...
re-released the album as an expanded edition which included not only the album as it was in its original release but also included alternate cuts from different studio recordings from London's Air and Odyssey Studios, featuring the original 1979 single of "Ego Tripping Out" including an alternate cut from the "In Our Lifetime" sessions.
The second disc released what was from the "Love Man" sessions with instrumental productions that were included in "Lifetime" under different lyrics and different titles. The reissue restored the question mark at the end of the title and was limited to 5,000 copies.
Original 1981 release
- "PraisePraise (song)"Praise" is a 1981 gospel-inspired funk number released by American soul singer Marvin Gaye. The song, written by Gaye, is a tribute to not only his church upbringing but also to the sound of then-label mate Stevie Wonder, who is given a shout out on the song by Gaye.The song, equipped with horns,...
" - 4:51 - "Life is for LearningLife is for Learning"Life is for Learning" is a song recorded by singer Marvin Gaye for his In Our Lifetime album in 1981. Recorded in 1980, the singer gave out the differences between songs that preached or talked about love, forgiveness and other positive matters and songs that talked about pain, lust and songs that...
" - 3:39 - "Love PartyLove Party"Love Party" is a 1980 song recorded by singer Marvin Gaye, issued on his 1981 album, In Our Lifetime. The song brought back the religious-themed atmosphere of the previous song, "Praise" in which Marvin mentions about the chapter of Revelations in the Bible and mentions how prayer and meditation...
" - 4:58 - "Funk MeFunk Me"Funk Me" is a funk song recorded in 1980 by soul singer Marvin Gaye and issued on the singer's final Tamla release, In Our Lifetime. The single found Marvin again emulating the style of funk, which had been creeping into his sound for the last several years. The song's final groovy vamp emulated...
" - 5:34 - "Far CryFar Cry (Marvin Gaye song)"Far Cry" is the infamous unfinished recording that was included on singer Marvin Gaye's 1981 final Motown album, In Our Lifetime. The song, essentially a funk-styled instrumental, featured a vocally conscious Gaye mouthing words while playing multiple instruments, including the drums and...
" - 4:28 - "Love Me Now or Love Me LaterLove Me Now or Love Me Later"Love Me Now or Love Me Later" is a 1980 song recorded by singer Marvin Gaye, who issued it on his final Motown release, In Our Lifetime, in 1981. The song talked of a conversation between two Lords: "The Good Lord" and "The Evil Lord" in which after creating Earth brings upon man and have a heated...
" - 4:59 - "Heavy Love AffairHeavy Love Affair"Heavy Love Affair" is a funk song recorded by American soul singer Marvin Gaye. Released as the second and last single off Gaye's last Motown album, In Our Lifetime, in 1981, the song was based on Gaye's real-life emotional crisis after being separated from his wife at the time...
" - 3:45 - "In Our LifetimeIn Our Lifetime (song)"In Our Lifetime" is a funk song recorded by singer Marvin Gaye, issued on his final Motown album, 1981's In Our Lifetime. The title track's rhythm admittedly was taken from Rick James while the song parlayed a different message of partying with Marvin predicting the world's end as he had believed...
" - 6:57
1994 re-release
- "Ego Tripping OutEgo Tripping Out"Ego Tripping Out" is a 1979 funk-styled dance record released by American soul singer Marvin Gaye, released as a single on the Tamla label....
"1 – 7:18 - "Praise" – 4:54
- "Life Is For Learning" – 3:41
- "Love Party" – 5:01
- "Funk Me" – 5:30
- "Far Cry" – 4:34
- "Love Me Now or Love Me Later" – 5:00
- "Heavy Love Affair" – 3:49
- "In Our Lifetime" – 7:00
Disc one
- "Praise" (Air Studios Mix) - 4:51
- "Life Is For Learning" (Air Studios Mix) - 3:39
- "Love Party" (Air Studios Mix) - 4:58
- "Funk Me" (Air Studios Mix) - 5:34
- "Far Cry" (Air Studios Mix) - 4:28
- "Love Me Now or Love Me Later" (Air Studios Mix) - 4:59
- "Heavy Love Affair" (Air Studios Mix) - 3:45
- "In Our Lifetime" (Air Studios Mix) - 6:57
- "Nuclear Juice" (Air Studios Mix Outtakes) - 5:46
- "Ego Tripping Out" (Air Studios Mix Outtakes) - 4:55
- "Far Cry" (Air Studios Mix Outtakes) - 6:21
- "Ego Tripping Out" (Love Man: The Single) - 5:13
- "Ego Tripping Out - Instrumental" (Love Man: The Single) - 3:43
Disc two
- "Praise" (Odyssey Studios Mix) - 5:09
- "Life Is For Learning" (Odyssey Studios Mix) - 3:53
- "Heavy Love Affair" (Odyssey Studios Mix) - 4:40
- "Love Me Now or Love Me Later" (Odyssey Studios Mix) - 5:43
- "Ego Tripping Out" (Odyssey Studios Mix) - 4:37
- "Funk Me" (Odyssey Studios Mix) - 5:13
- "In Our Lifetime" (Odyssey Studios Mix) - 5:51
- "Love Party" (Odyssey Studios Mix) - 5:18
- "Life's a Game of Give and Take" (The Love Man Sessions) - 4:57
- "Life Is Now in Session" (The Love Man Sessions) - 4:04
- "I Offer You Nothing But Love" (The Love Man Sessions) - 6:03
- "Just Because You're So Pretty" (The Love Man Sessions) - 5:06
- "Dance 'N' Be Happy" (The Love Man Sessions) - 6:49
- "Funk Me, Funk Me, Funk Me" (The Love Man Sessions) - 5:49
- "A Lover's Plea" (The Love Man Sessions) - 6:10
Personnel
- Marvin Gaye - vocals, keyboards, drums
- Robert Ahwry - guitar
- Gordon BanksGordon Banks (musician)Gordon Banks , aka Gordon 'Guitar' Banks, is an American guitarist, producer, writer and musical director. He was voted one of the top 100 guitarists in America in 1985.Banks played an important part in Marvin Gaye's later years...
- guitar - Frank Bates - bass, background vocals
- Frank Blair - bass, drums
- Candace Bond - Executive Producer
- Ray Brown - trumpet
- William Bryant - drums, keyboards
- Elmira Collins - vibraphone, background vocals
- Raymond Crossley - keyboards
- Fernando Harkness - saxophone
- Joe James - percussion
- Gary Jones - percussion, conga
- Lee Kentle - drums, background vocals
- Nigel Martinez - drums
- Kenny Mason - trumpet
- Joe Mayo - percussion
- Sidney Muldrew - French horn
- Curtis Anthony Nolen - guitar
- Raphael RavenscroftRaphael RavenscroftRaphael Ravenscroft is a Scottish saxophonist and author on saxophone play. He now resides in Exeter, Devon, England.He is best known for his work with Gerry Rafferty, performing the saxophone solo on "Baker Street". Ravenscroft was paid £27 for the session, with a cheque that bounced...
- alto saxophone - Dr. George Shaw - trumpet
- Nolan Andrew Smith - trumpet
- Bugsy Wilcox - drums
- David RitzDavid RitzDavid Ritz is an American author, most of whose books are biographies of soul music and R&B legends such as Ray Charles, Smokey Robinson, Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye, and Janet Jackson. On four occasions, his co-authored autobiographies of musicians have been awarded the Ralph J...
- liner notes - Preston "Bugsy" Wilcox - drums
- Ron Slenzak - photography
Album
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Pop Albums Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
32 |
| 1981 | Black Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999... |
6 |
Singles
| Year | Title | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | "Heavy Love Affair Heavy Love Affair "Heavy Love Affair" is a funk song recorded by American soul singer Marvin Gaye. Released as the second and last single off Gaye's last Motown album, In Our Lifetime, in 1981, the song was based on Gaye's real-life emotional crisis after being separated from his wife at the time... " |
Black Singles | 61 |
| 1981 | "Praise Praise (song) "Praise" is a 1981 gospel-inspired funk number released by American soul singer Marvin Gaye. The song, written by Gaye, is a tribute to not only his church upbringing but also to the sound of then-label mate Stevie Wonder, who is given a shout out on the song by Gaye.The song, equipped with horns,... " |
Black Singles | 18 |