"Pride and Joy" is a 1963 single by Marvin Gaye,^[1] released on the Tamla label. The single, co-written by William "Mickey" Stevenson, Gaye and Norman Whitfield, and produced by Stevenson, was considered to be a tribute to Gaye's then-girlfriend, Anna Gordy.^[2] The album version of the single featured on Gaye's second album, That Stubborn Kinda Fellow is different in parts to the single version presenting a more jazz effect than the gospel-emulated version that became a single. The song was also Gaye's first top ten pop single peaking at number ten on the chart and just missed the top spot of the R&B singles chart peaking at number two. The song also helped continue Gaye's successful hit streak as the singer would score another Top 40 pop hit at the end of that year with "Can I Get a Witness".

Background

The song was also the third straight (and last) single to include Martha and the Vandellas in background vocals just weeks before "Heat Wave" made the girl group one of the high-tier Motown acts. When The Beatles first arrived in New York City in 1964, they requested Murray the K play the song on his radio station.^[3]

Track list

A. "Pride and Joy" – 2:07
B. "One of These Days" – 2:49

Personnel

Lead vocals by Marvin Gaye
Background vocals by Martha and the Vandellas: Martha Reeves, Rosalind Ashford and Annette Beard
Instrumentation by The Funk Brothers

Chart performance

Chart (1963)	Peak position
US Billboard Hot 100^[4]	10
US Billboard Hot R&B Singles^[5]	2

Cover versions

The Jackson 5 recorded the song for the G.I.T.: Get It Together album in 1973, but it was not released until 1976 on their compilation album Joyful Jukebox Music

References

^ ^a ^b Marvin Gaye interviewed on the Pop Chronicles (1969)
^ "Marvin Gaye – Pride and Joy". discogs.com. 18 April 1963. Retrieved 2014-02-15.
^ The Beatles: The First U.S. Visit (Motion picture).
^ Whitburn, Joel (2013). Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles, 14th Edition: 1955-2012. Record Research. p. 331.
^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 225.

v t e Marvin Gaye
Studio albums	The Soulful Moods of Marvin Gaye (1961) That Stubborn Kinda Fellow (1962) When I'm Alone I Cry (1964) Hello Broadway (1964) How Sweet It Is to Be Loved by You (1965) A Tribute to the Great Nat "King" Cole (1965) Moods of Marvin Gaye (1966) In the Groove (1968) M.P.G. (1969) That's the Way Love Is (1970) What's Going On (1971) Trouble Man (1972) Let's Get It On (1973) I Want You (1976) Here, My Dear (1978) In Our Lifetime (1981) Midnight Love (1982) Dream of a Lifetime (1985) Romantically Yours (1985) Vulnerable (1997) You're the Man (2019)
Duet albums	Together (with Mary Wells, 1964) Take Two (with Kim Weston, 1966) United (with Tammi Terrell, 1967) You're All I Need (with Tammi Terrell, 1968) Easy (with Tammi Terrell, 1969) Diana & Marvin (with Diana Ross, 1973)
Compilations	Greatest Hits (1964) Greatest Hits, Vol. 2 (1967) Marvin Gaye and His Girls (1969) Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell's Greatest Hits (1970) Super Hits (1970) Anthology (1974) Marvin Gaye's Greatest Hits (1976) Motown Remembers Marvin Gaye: Never Before Released Masters (1986) The Marvin Gaye Collection (1990) The Norman Whitfield Sessions (1994) Love Starved Heart: Rare and Unreleased (1994) The Very Best of Marvin Gaye (1994) The Master (1961–1984) (1995) Marvin Gaye: The Love Songs (2000) The Complete Duets (2001) The Very Best of Marvin Gaye (2001)
Live albums	Marvin Gaye Recorded Live on Stage (1963) Marvin Gaye Live! (1974) Live at the London Palladium (1977) Marvin Gaye at the Copa (2005) What's Going On Live (2019)
Video albums	The Real Thing: In Performance (1964–1981) (2006)
US/UK top ten singles	"Pride and Joy" "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)" "I'll Be Doggone" "Ain't That Peculiar" "Your Precious Love" "If I Could Build My Whole World Around You" "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing" "You're All I Need to Get By" "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" "Too Busy Thinking About My Baby" "That's the Way Love Is" "Abraham, Martin and John" "The Onion Song" "What's Going On" "Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)" "Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)" "Trouble Man" "Let's Get It On" "You Are Everything" "Got to Give It Up" "Sexual Healing"
Family	Marvin Gay Sr. (father) Alberta Gay (mother) Anna Gordy Gaye (first wife) Denise Gordy (son's birth mother) Nona Gaye (daughter) Frankie Gaye (brother) Gordon Banks (brother-in-law)
Related topics	Discography Songs Albums Songs by Marvin Gaye Albums produced by Marvin Gaye Songs produced by Marvin Gaye Personal life Death Tributes Songs in memory The Marquees Harvey Fuqua Tammi Terrell Leon Ware Marvin's Room Marvin Is 60: A Tribute Album Divided Soul Sexual Healing Tour
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v t e Marvin Gaye singles
1960s: (Tamla)	1961 "Let Your Conscience Be Your Guide" 1962 "Sandman" "Soldier's Plea" "Stubborn Kind of Fellow" "Hitch Hike" 1963 "Pride and Joy" "Can I Get a Witness" 1964 "You're a Wonderful One" "Once Upon a Time" "What's the Matter with You Baby" "Try It Baby" "Baby Don't You Do It" "What Good Am I Without You" "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)" 1965 "I'll Be Doggone" "Pretty Little Baby" "Ain't That Peculiar" 1966 "One More Heartache" "Take This Heart of Mine" "Little Darling (I Need You)" "It Takes Two" 1967 "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" "Your Unchanging Love" "Your Precious Love" "You" "If I Could Build My Whole World Around You"/"If This World Were Mine" 1968 "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing" "You're All I Need to Get By" "Chained" "Keep On Lovin' Me Honey" "You Ain't Livin' till You're Lovin'" "His Eye Is on the Sparrow" "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" 1969 "Good Lovin' Ain't Easy to Come By" "Too Busy Thinking About My Baby" "That's the Way Love Is" "Abraham, Martin and John" "What You Gave Me" "How Can I Forget"
1970s: (Tamla)	1970 "Gonna Give Her All the Love I've Got" "The Onion Song" "California Soul" "The End of Our Road" 1971 "What's Going On" "Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)" "Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)" "Save the Children" 1972 "You're the Man" "Trouble Man" "I Want to Come Home for Christmas" 1973 "Let's Get It On" "You're a Special Part of Me" "Stop, Look, Listen (To Your Heart)" "Come Get to This" 1974 "You Sure Love to Ball" "My Mistake (Was to Love You)" "Don't Knock My Love" "You Are Everything" "Distant Lover" 1976 "I Want You" "After the Dance" "Since I Had You" 1977 "Got to Give It Up" 1978 "Pops, We Love You (A Tribute to Father)" 1979 "A Funky Space Reincarnation" "Anger" "Ego Tripping Out"
1980s: (Tamla/ Columbia)	1981 "Praise" "Heavy Love Affair" 1982 "Sexual Healing" 1983 "My Love Is Waiting" "'Til Tomorrow" "Joy"
Posthumous	1985 "Sanctified Lady" "It's Madness" "Just Like" 1986 "The World Is Rated X" 1991 "My Last Chance" 1994 "Lucky, Lucky Me" 1995 "This Love Starved Heart Of Mine(It's Killing Me)" 2001 "Music" 2005 "Let's Get It On (The M.P.G. Groove Remix)" 2015 "Where Are We Going"
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