Marvin Gaye’s Dream Of A Lifetime was the first posthumous release after his death in 1984. “Sanctified Lady” was recorded during the sessions for his Midnight Love album. It was originally titled “Sanctified Pussy” and was never finished because of he passed. Gaye had plans for the song to be the follow-up to his comeback hit “Sexual Healing.” Gordon Banks, who was Gaye’s longtime collaborator, completed “Sanctified Lady” with the late singer and producer Harvey Fuqua. Gaye told his ex-wife Jan that the song was inspired by his need to have a church girl as pure as his mother. But his soulful delivery and the funk-oriented production felt more carnal. The beat made people confirm their bodies on the dancefloor not deny them in the name of some Christian notion of chasteness. It was his first post-death hit and it grabbed the number two position on the R&B charts. Dream Of A Lifetime consoled Gaye’s fans who were still feeling the numbness caused by his unexpected and violent death.Â
There have been four studio albums since Gaye’s passing with the most recent being You’re The Man released in 2019. In 2015, Gaye’s estate famously sued Pharrell Williams and Robin Thicke for using “Got To Give It Up” in their song “Blurred Lines.” They won the case and received a $7.4 million dollar judgment. There have been several attempts to make a biopic about Gaye’s life and Dr.Dre was supposed to produce the last talked about project in 2018. Â
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