Marvin Gaye: Greatest Hits Live

PBS WESTERN RESERVE (WNEO 45.1 / WEAO 49.1):

Sunday, June 11, at 10 PM

Recorded on Marvin Gaye’s first European Tour in 1976, MARVIN GAYE: GREATEST HITS LIVE captures the legendary soul singer at his unparalleled best. Filmed at Edenhalle Concert Hall in Amsterdam before a sell-out audience, this show, preserved now for prosperity, was one of his rare live performances captured on film. The program features 23 classic songs, including “What’s Going On,” “Let’s Get It On,” “You’re a Wonderful One,” “It Takes Two,” and “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.” This music special is an overview of the prolific singer’s career, spanning from his early days in Motown to his time as the prince of soul.

The concert opens with Gaye dressed in a classic ’70s green and white pin-stripped tuxedo as he belts out the 1970s hit “All the Way Round” while dancers perform on stage alongside him. Other classics performed from this era include the passionate, No. 1 Billboard-topping hit “Let’s Get it On” and the smooth “Since I Had You.”

Act Two features many of Gaye’s Motown hits, including the catchy “How Sweet It Is (To be Loved by You),” the chart-topping beloved classic “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” and the Smokey Robinson-penned “Ain’t That Peculiar.” Highlights from the next segment include the playful and flirtatious duets “It Takes Two” with Kim Weston and “You're All I Need” with Tammi Terrell.

While the Grammy-winning Gaye died during the prime of his life (just shy of his 45th birthday), his remarkable musical work stands the test of time. He was inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame three years after his death and his soul-stirring music continues to inspire and delight new generations of fans.