The average fan is better off with Anthology, which covers almost all of Marvin Gaye's true classics. But for those who want the hits and then some, and have the budget and interest to go further, this four-CD box set is an excellent retrospective of his career. The 89 tracks include all the chart hits (both on his own and with Mary Wells, Kim Weston, Tammi Terrell, and Diana Ross) and many interesting B-sides, album tracks, and misses. There are also over a dozen previously unreleased cuts, most dating from the early part of his career; they don't rank among his best work, but they're almost all good and interesting. With a long essay by his biographer, David Ritz, this is the best overview of Gaye's evolution and versatility, and a much-recommended alternative to the previous Gaye box, The Marvin Gaye Collection. ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide
Eugene BeeBee Moore (Saxophone), Richard "Pistol" Allen (Drums), Elmira Collins (Vibraphone), Ron Brown (Bass), Earl Vanduke (Keyboards), Harvey Fuqua (Producer), Paul Riser (Trombone), Marvin Gaye (Arranger), Nickolas Ashford (Producer), Mary Wells (Performer), Russell Conway (Trumpet), Virginia Halfmann (Violin), George McGregor (Drums), Bill Johnson (Trombone), Wild Bill Moore (Sax (Tenor)), William Perich (Flute), Ray Brown (Trumpet), T-Boy Ross (Producer), Maurice Davis (Trumpet), Johnny Griffith (Celeste), Dennis Coffey (Guitar), Marvin Gaye (Piano), Lem Barney (Vocals (Background)), William "Mickey" Stevenson (Producer), Wild Bill Moore (Saxophone), Carl Raetz (Trombone), Valerie Simpson (Producer), Paul Humphries (Drums), Angelo Carlisi (Saxophone), John Wilson (Trumpet), Eli Fountain (Sax (Alto)), Sonny Burke (Fender Rhodes), Joe Sample (Piano), Larry Nozero (Sax (Soprano)), Larry Veeder (Guitar), Jack Ashford (Vibraphone), Johnny Bristol (Producer), Herbie Williams (Trumpet), Wali Ali (Guitar), Paul Riser (Arranger), Charles Owen (Sax (Tenor)), Ted Buckner (Saxophone), Bob Gaudio (Arranger), Clarence Isabell (Bass), Ted Sheely (Keyboards), Marvin Gaye (Percussion), Berry Gordy, Jr. (Producer), Fernando Harkness (Sax (Tenor)), Nathan Gordon (Viola), Gloria Jones (Producer), James Gittens (Keyboards), Clarence Paul (Producer), Smokey Robinson (Producer), Bobbye Hall (Conga), David Ritz (Liner Notes), Tony Newton (Bass), Robert White (Guitar), Max Janowsky (Bass (Upright)), Pam Sawyer (Producer), Billy Horner (Trumpet), Eddie "Bongo" Brown (Conga), John Trudell (Trumpet), Gene Page (Conductor), Larry Nozero (Saxophone), Italo Babini (Cello), Kasuku Mafia (Saxophone), Jay Graydon (Guitar), Eddie "Bongo" Brown (Percussion), Andrew "Mike" Terry (Saxophone), Don Slaughter (Trumpet), James Gittens (Vibraphone), Rick Margitza (Violin), Henry Cosby (Producer), Jack Ashford (Tambourine), Chet Forest (Drums), Raymond Crossley (Keyboards), Ivy Hunter (Producer), David T. Walker (Guitar), Gary Coleman (Percussion), Jack Brokensha (Percussion), Ernie Rodgers (Saxophone), Fernando Harkness (Saxophone), Lewis Shelton (Guitar), Robert Walker (Producer), John Barnes (Piano), Frank Blair (Bass), Martha & the Vandellas (Vocals), Johnny Griffith (Keyboards), Lamont Dozier (Producer), Chuck Rainey (Bass), Marvin Gaye (Producer), Jack Brokensha (Vibraphone), Brian Holland (Producer), Sunship (Percussion), Zinovi Bistritzky (Trombone), Marvin Gaye (Drums), Rene Hall (Arranger), Gary Jones (Percussion), Bobby Scott (Producer), Don White (Trombone), Jimmy Wilkins (Trombone), James Gadson (Drums), Preston Wilcox (Drums), Bobby Rodgers (Vocals (Background)), Eli Fontaine (Saxophone), Bobbye Hall (Bongos), John Arnold (Percussion), David Blumberg (Arranger), Sonny Burke (Piano), Gladys Knight & the Pips (Performer), Jerry Peters (Fender Rhodes), Emil Richards (Mallets), Kim Weston (Performer), Elmira Collins (Percussion), Nolan Andrew Smith (Trumpet), Eddie Willis (Guitar), Patrick Lanier (Trombone), Eddie Jones (Trumpet), Kenny Mason (Trumpet), Benny Benjamin (Drums), Gary Jones (Conga), Marcus Belgrave (Trumpet), George Benson (Sax (Tenor)), Wilton Felder (Bass), The Vandellas (Performer), Henry E. Davis (Bass), George Gordy (Producer), Ronnie Wakefield (Saxophone), Bernie Peacock (Saxophone), Gordon Staples (Strings), Sidney Muldrew (French Horn), Marvin Jenkins (Piano), Ed Townsend (Producer), Lanny Austin (Saxophone), Jerry Peters (Piano), Bob Babbitt (Bass), John Barnes (Fender Rhodes), Danya Hartwick (Flute), Felix Resnick (Violin), Bob Gaudio (Producer), Carole Crosby (Harp), Angelo Carlisi (Sax (Alto)), Victor Feldman (Vibraphone), Robert Staunton (Producer), Art Stewart (Producer), Thaddeus Markiewicz (Cello), Andrew Smith (Drums), The Andantes (Vocals (Background)), Eddie "Bongo" Brown (Drums), William Bryant (Keyboards), Joe Messina (Guitar), Dave Hamilton (Guitar), Tammi Terrell (Performer), James Jamerson (Bass), George Bohannon (Trombone), Bugsy Wilcox (Drums), Dale Oehler (Arranger), Jan Hunter (Vocals (Background)), Henry Cosby (Saxophone), Popcorn Wylie (Keyboards), Leon Ware (Producer), Eddie "Bongo" Brown (Bongos), Joel Peskin (Saxophone), Floyd Jones (Trumpet), Lefty Edwards (Saxophone), Danny Turner (Saxophone), Son Ship (Percussion), Tate Houston (Sax (Baritone)), Earl DeRouen (Conga), Gordon Staples (Concert Master), Frederick Waits (Drums), David Van De Pitte (Arranger), Clifford Mack (Drums), Alvin Score (Violin), Beatriz Budinszky (Violin), Hal Davis (Producer), Edouard Kesner (Viola), Marvin Gaye (Keyboards), Norman J. Whitfield (Producer), Sidney Muldrow (French Horn), Gene Page (Arranger), Frank Wilson (Producer), Johnny McGhee (Guitar), Ivy Hunter (Keyboards), Curtis Anthony Nolen (Guitar), Melvin "Wah Wah" Ragin (Guitar), Elgie Stover (Vocals (Background)), Emil Richards (?), Frankie Gaye (Vocals (Background)), Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson (Arranger), Gordon Banks (Guitar), Ray Parker, Jr. (Guitar), Uriel Jones (Drums), Eddie Watkins (Bass), George Shaw (Trumpet), Thomas "Beans" Bowles (Saxophone), Jack Ashford (Percussion), Diana Ross (Performer), Earl DeRouen (Bongos), Dave Hamilton (Vibraphone), Warren "Pete" Moore (Producer), Gordon Staples (Violin), James Waring (Violin), Emil Richards (Vibraphone), Bob Cousar (Trombone), The Detroit Symphony (Strings), Meyer Shapiro (Viola), David Ireland (Viola), Ernie Fields Jr. (Sax (Alto))
