New Marvin Gaye music unearthed in Belgium

Marvin Gaye is an iconic figure in pop music and known for having a smooth, silky singing voice. He was also recognized for his strong sense of social responsibility. Even four decades after his tragic death, there is still a great demand for his music. It continues to be popular with listeners today. It's important to note that he was killed by his own father.

After many years, admirers of the soul icon might experience an unforeseen reappearance.

Recently, a batch of thirty tape recordings containing brand new tracks from Gaye that were never heard before were found in the Belgian fishing town of Ostend. This location was where the artist spent a year and a half during the start of the 1980s.

Gaye's friend and landlord's family stumbled upon some cassettes along with a bunch of clothing items and costumes, such as the iconic red suit that he wore during his tours.

Their goal is to negotiate with Gaye's relatives to approve the release of the recordings, which have never been made public before.

According to a legal representative for Charles Dumolin's relatives, some of the music tracks are comparable to the classics he created during his lifetime, including top hits like "I Heard It Through the Grapevine," "What's Going On?" and "Sexual Healing."

According to Alex Trappeniers, the legal representative for Dumolin, there was a particular tune that had such a profound effect on him. He claimed that after listening to it for a mere ten seconds, the melody and lyrics lingered in his mind all day long, as if a cosmic event had taken place.

Some of them are entirely finished and some are just as impressive as Sexual Healing, which was produced concurrently.

According to what Mr. Trappeniers shared with the BBC, they now have the opportunity to unveil a time capsule and make Marvin's music accessible to everyone around the world. He emphasized that it is obvious that Marvin's essence is still very much alive and present in this project.

After enjoying a luxurious lifestyle in London, Gaye relocated to Belgium. During his time in London, he became addicted to cocaine.

He met a concert promoter from Belgium while clubbing and took their contact information. Then, a week later, he made plans to relocate to the seaside town of Ostend.

While staying at Dumolin's house, who was another musician, he found himself again. By exercising and biking, he became healthier and returned to the recording studio to make Sexual Healing, which became one of his biggest successes.

After coming back to the United States, Gaye entrusted the material to Dumolin, who unfortunately passed away in 2019.

In addition to the audio recordings, there are many valuable items in Gaye's collection of memories. These include typed documents outlining the order of his live concert shows, strongly worded letters to his music label expressing his grievances, written verses for unreleased music and notebooks filled with his personal thoughts.

Mr. Trappeniers stated that the items have been in possession of the Dumolin family for 42 years since they were left behind in Belgium. The giver, Marvin, left the items and gave them the freedom to use or dispose of the items as they see fit. This is a significant piece of information.

Dealing With Gaye's Estate Negotiations

However, it is essential to seek permission from Gaye's estate before making the recordings available to the public in any format.

Although the Dumolin family is permitted by Belgian law to possess the cassettes and additional things left by Gaye, the authority to release the tracks persists with the singer's offspring, Marvin III, Nona, and Frankie, as well as the executors of his estate.

Mr. Trappeniers is interested in coming to an agreement that benefits both parties. The lawyers of two of Marvin Gaye's kids have been notified about the collection in Belgium, but discussions regarding what should be done with it have not started yet.

He expressed that both Marvin's family and Dumolin's heirs would be advantaged by working together to find talented individuals in the music industry, such as Mark Ronson or Bruno Mars, to create the next album. He made it clear that he wasn't suggesting anyone specific, but rather proposing that they collaborate and listen to new ideas.

One of the saddest endings in the history of pop music occurred when Gaye's father shot him twice while he was attempting to step in during a dispute between his parents.

On April 1, 1984, the day before he turned 45 years old, he was declared deceased upon his arrival at the California Hospital Medical Center.