Marvin Gaye’s legacy of voice doubling

The doubling effect of Marvin’s Gaye's layered voice that is heard throughout the song was something that was done by accident, but created an innovative sound that was kept. The resultant was a chorus of scattered Marvin Gayes. This effect parallels the different perspective or thought that Gaye embodies. For instance in “God in Love”, he could question and answer himself. In “Save the Children”, his expressive tenor is laid down first, then on the other side are Marvin’s soft-spoken vocals. This brand of vocal effects went beyond straight singing that artists usually did, and portrayed a deeper emotion that the whole album needed. It also created an atmosphere of spirituality that was appropriate for Gaye’s reflective and spiritual songs. The layer upon layer dubbing that Gaye featured in his songs became a signature of Marvin’s that many artists would later emulate. It became common for artists to use this layering in the studios, to create a fuller sound of their vocals.