OK ladies, try to contain yourselves.

Robin Thicke, your favorite purveyor of blue-eyed soul, took to the stage at Chicago’s Paris Club last week for the official launch of the 2012 Songwriter’s Music Series presented by the VH1 Save the Music Foundation. The largely-female crowd was treated to a nearly pitch-perfect rendition of Marvin Gaye‘s timeless “Sexual Healing,” with Thicke intimately engaging the intimate crowd, most of whom probably wanted to get intimate with him (if the coos and catcalls were any indication, that is).

The event was a benefit for the Save the Music Foundation, which is dedicated to fostering and preserving music education for America’s children. There will be two more Songwriter’s Music Series events this year, with the next one planned for June in New York and the final one slated for September in Napa Valley, California.

For more info or to see how you can get involved, visit VH1SaveTheMusic.com.

Sourced From: http://www.soulculture.co.uk/blogs/robin-thicke-covers-marvin-gayes-sexual-healing-video/

Visitors to GFM should know how we feel about cover songs… we love them so much that we try to highlight at least one a week. As we’ve often stated a great song begs to be covered and this Marvin Gaye classic is no exception. So it was a no-brainer when the team that supports great friend to GFM Jayanti sent over some footage of her live performance from Holland Got Soul 2012 that we would post.

What can one say except that when you have the convergence of a great song, a great vocal performance and a great band you know that there’s going to be magic in the air. We are hoping that Jayanti will be a name that you will hear a lot more from in 2012 and in the years to come. Today, we just wanted to provide a little taste.

Originally posted June 1, 2010

The title of this post culled from the chorus of the 1981 song”Words” by Missing Persons. Check out the video for the impact of the chorus. (more…)

“I think every encounter with any human being is worth giving your full energy” – Jayanti

I believe I’m going to label 2011 the year of the “check this out” music discovery app. Hundreds of submissions hit the inbox every week, but when someone who you trust their musical sensibilities sends you something with the instructions to “check this out” everything else moves down a notch or two in the queue. Such is the case with Rotterdam based singer/songwriter Jayanti. I’m glad I followed instructions and I hope you will be spurred on to checkout her music, her total artistry from this very candid and thought provoking series of interviews. Make sure to check back for the conclusion that you don’t want to miss coming up this Friday Sept. 30th.

GFM: Tell us a little bit about your influences…

Jayanti: My mom and dad separated when I was a year old… but before that when my mom was pregnant my dad would play the drums, cause my dad was a drummer. He would be practicing all day and it would drive my mom nuts. But I liked it, because at a certain point they both told me that we would have sort of a game: He would do something on the drums kind of a rhythm, a simple rhythm on the drums and I would kick back. I would kick the same rhythm back to him. And then he would do it again and I would kick back. So I believe that would be the absolute start of everything. (more…)

*Cue Kriss Kross* The subject of this editorial has been on my mind for a minute… wrote a song about like to hear it? Here it go!!!

Add me, confirm me, follow me please
If you have a little time can you rate how I sing?

I had to stop after those two lines to write this. But seriously, what I’m ranting about today is the ever present (especially as it relates to music) “I’m about to do this or that” that you cannot escape from on any social network whether it is a “celebrity” or someone who aspires to be. I have certainly been guilty of using that phrase, I still probably use it from time to time but my problem is the incessant “I’m about to-ers”. You know the folks that out of the 24hours in each day that we’ve been allotted 18 of those hours they are on Twitter or Facebook talking about what they are going to do musically. Oh they are out there… some successful and some not so, some talented and some not so. (more…)

It would be a gross understatement to say that the music of Marvin Gaye is a gift to us all. But I just couldn’t find the words to adequately express how I felt when I heard this musical excerpt so masterfully orchestrated by David Van De Pitte.

We usually only are able to witness the sum of genius but when you have an opportunity to hear the parts that make up the sum it opens up an entirely new universe. If you love music this will be one of the best 30 sec. experiences of your life. I’m serious. This is why I often rant and say the things I do about keyboard string patches and keyboard horns and on and on and on. When you hear all of this color, these wonderful sonorities (culled from two chords mind you) it makes you just wanna throw rocks at anyone who has lied to you and said that a keyboard can do everything that living, breathing musicians can. I’m here to tell you that some people have been lying and the reason that they lie is because it benefits them. I don’t have anything but music, so I have no reason to lie to you. But don’t take my word for it just press play.

A Gift by iorr03

Here we go again… last week I made the statement that sometimes when the inspiration strikes you just have to go with it. This is another one of those moments. So many thoughts come to mind watching, listening to this clip.

1. You know I often give a lot of thought to the state of music education in this country. For those schools that are still fortunate enough to have music programs why isn’t music like this part of the core curriculum? And I don’t mean going out and buying one of those hackneyed, dumb-downed arrangements I mean teaching the students how to play this arrangement note for note and every nuance. (more…)

First this very powerful and intimate film by Richard Olivier that documents Marvin’s time in Belgium as he worked to rebuild his career.

Marvin and Marvin Sr. from 1977…