gayemarvin:

gayemarvin:

Marvin Gaye - Got to Give It Up (1977, Tamla Records)

40 years ago today (March 15), Marvin released the disco-funk classic, “Got to Give It Up”. Originally a response to Johnnie Taylor’s “Disco Lady”, Gaye wrote it in response to Motown demanding Gaye go disco like fellow label mate Diana Ross. The song lyrically was about a shy guy who just stands on the wall at a disco but the music and a particular lady he’s seeking gets him out of his inhibitions and he lets them go and loses himself in the dance (i.e., got to give it up). This song was his third and final song to reach the top of the Billboard Hot 100 and was his twelfth No. 1 hit on the R&B charts. It also topped the dance chart and became an international hit in at least six other countries. It helped Gaye’s Live at the London Palladium peak at the top five of the Billboard 200 and sell over a million copies.