White Nights

Growing up in Paris I used to listen to a lot of Marvin Gaye. What's Going On in particular. I must have been 10 or 12 when I came across the tape at a music store. I know I must have been that young because the movie White Nights came out in 1985. In the high-concept cold war movie - James Bond meets Nutcracker in Hollywood parlance - there was a passing allusion to What's Going On. In an establishing shot in Gregory Hines character's shabby apartment, one could catch a glimpse of the album's cover, pinned on the grey, dreary, wall. I noticed it right away. I remember thinking that perhaps Marvin Gaye was much more famous and significant than I originally suspected.

The music itself was very intriguing - I kept listening and listening late into the night on my walkman, trying to figure out what exactly was he singing about. Make me wanna holler - what could that mean? The deep bass, the vocal harmonies, the orchestra, the soulful horns, the layers of lyrics. Completely enthralling.