Stubborn Kind of Fellow

"Stubborn Kind of Fellow" is a 1962 single by Marvin Gaye, released on the Motown subsidiary Tamla. The single was historic in many ways for the Washington, D.C.-bred singer and former Moonglows member, for it was the first major hit record for the singer on Motown after three failed singles and an album that had Gaye performing jazz standards.

The song was conceived after Gaye reluctantly agreed to perform in the same R&B-rooted productions of his fellow Motown label mates rather than try to be "the Black Frank Sinatra". Based on an autobiographical account of Gaye's moody behavior, it was also penned (alongside William "Mickey" Stevenson) during the time Gaye had just married Anna Gordy, the sister of Motown head Berry Gordy.

Released in September of that year, the song gave Gaye his first taste of fame that would make him Motown's leading hit maker peaking at number eight on the Billboard Black Singles chart and number forty-six on the Billboard Pop Singles chart and was the leading single off Gaye's second album, the aptly-titled That Stubborn Kinda Fellow. This was also the first single to include recently signed girl group Martha and the Vandellas, who would accompany Gaye on his first three hit singles before finding fame on their own.

When Phil Spector first heard Stubborn Kind of Fellow he was so excited he lost control of his car while driving down Sunset Boulevard with Jack Nitzsche

Credits

• Lead vocals by Marvin Gaye
• Drums by Marvin Gaye
• Background vocals by The Del-Phis: Martha Reeves, Rosalind Ashford, Gloria Williams and Annette Beard
• Instrumentation by The Funk Brothers

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