Peak
3
Weeks
21
Score
3,940
Chart Year
1983
Gaye wrote this in Ostend, a resort town on the coast of Belgium. He went there in 1981 to relax and recover from his drug problems. He stayed for 18 months before returning to the US. The renown writer David Ritz gave Gaye the idea for this song. Gaye had a large collection of pornography, to the point that many of his friends felt he was addicted to porn. When he noticed the collection, Ritz told Gaye he needed some "Sexual Healing," and Marvin had him write some words which became the lyrics to the song. Ritz told Songwriter Universe: "As I was writing the lyric, I was trying to capture Marvin's voice and style as a singer. He said, 'That lyric sounds like me.' The lyric seemed to fit into his philosophical musings and his personal, emotional needs, so he could sing about it with complete honesty." Gaye had invited Ritz to Ostend to help write his biography - Divided Soul: The Life of Marvin Gaye. Ritz has also written biographies for Ray Charles, Buddy Guy, Aretha Franklin, B.B. King and Janet Jackson. David Ritz was not given a writing credit for this, but was thanked in the liner notes for inspiring the song title. This broke his friendship with Gaye, as Ritz sued for a songwriter credit. Co-composer Odell Brown, who was also Gaye's keyboard player, claimed he didn't have any knowledge of Ritz's contribution to the song title, let alone any lyrics. After Gaye died, Ritz won his case and got the credit, which now reads: Odell Brown/Marvin Gaye/David Ritz. Gaye had a lot of success writing very sexual songs and built a reputation as a ladies' man, but he was the son of a preacher and struggled with his religious values. This conflict tormented him for years and inspired the biography title Divided Soul: The Life of Marvin Gaye, by David Ritz. This was one of the first songs to use the Roland TR-808 drum machine, and the first mainstream hit to do so. Gaye and collaborator Gordon Banks programmed the machine, which was introduced in 1980 but hadn't appeared on a hit song until Afrika Bambaataa & The Soulsonic Force showed up with "Planet Rock" earlier in 1982. The 808 became a staple of the hip-hop sound, but R&B veered toward the Linn LM-1, which used real drum samples. When Gaye left Belgium and toured to support the Midnight Love album, he started using drugs again and became mentally unstable. He moved in with his parents and was shot and killed by his father after an argument on April 1, 1984 - the day before his 45th birthday. His father claimed he shot him in self-defense. This was the first single Gaye released after leaving Motown Records. He spent 20 tumultuous years with the label, which included disputes over royalties and his marriage to and divorce from Berry Gordy's sister, Anna. He recorded this album for CBS Records. This won the 1982 Grammy for Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male. The instrumental version also won for Best R&B Instrumental. DJ Max-A-Million did a remix of this song in 1995 that became very popular in dance clubs. Michael Bolton covered the song in 2000 for his Timeless: The Classics, Vol. 2 album. His version peaked at #28 on the US Adult Contemporary chart.
(Get up, get up, get up, get up) (Wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up) Oh, baby now let's get down tonight (ba-ba-ba, bum) Ooh baby, I'm hot just like an oven (heal me my darling, heal me my darling) I need some lovin' And baby, I can't hold it much longer (heal me my darling, heal me my darling) It's getting stronger and stronger When I get that feeling I want sexual healing Sexual healing, oh baby Makes me feel so fine Helps to relieve my mind Sexual healing baby, is good for me Sexual healing is something that's good for me Whenever blue teardrops are fallin' And my emotional stability is leaving me There is something I can do I can get on the telephone and call you up, baby And honey I know you'll be there to relieve me The love you give to me will free me If you don't know the thing you're dealing Oh I can tell you, darling, that it's sexual healing (Get up, get up, get up, get up) Let's make love tonight (Wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up) 'Cause you do it right Baby, I got sick this mornin' (heal me my darling, heal me my darling) A sea was stormin' inside of me Baby, I think I'm capsizin'(heal me my darling, heal me my darling) The waves are risin' and risin' And when I get that feeling I want sexual healing Sexual healing is good for me Makes me feel so fine, it's such a rush Helps to relieve the mind, and it's good for us Sexual healing, baby, it's good for me Sexual healing is something that's good for me Well, it's good for me and it's so good to me my baby, oh Come take control, just grab a hold Of my body and mind, soon we'll be making it, honey I'll be feeling fine You're my medicine, open up and let me in Darling, you're so great, I can't wait for you to operate (Heal me my darling) (Heal me my darling) I can't wait for you to operate When I get this feeling (heal me my darling) I need sexual healing Oh, when I get this feeling (heal me my darling) I need sexual healing I gotta have sexual healing, darling (heal me my darling) 'Cause I'm all alone I need Sexual healing, darling (heal me my darling) 'Til you come back home (heal me my darling) Please don't procrastinate It's not good to masturbate
| Week | Chart Date | Position | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oct 30, 1982 | 78 | 48 |
| 2 | Nov 6, 1982 | 68 | 58 |
| 3 | Nov 13, 1982 | 52 | 74 |
| 4 | Nov 20, 1982 | 19 | 107 |
| 5 | Nov 27, 1982 | 13 | 113 |
| 6 | Dec 4, 1982 | 12 | 114 |
| 7 | Dec 11, 1982 | 8 | 118 |
| 8 | Dec 18, 1982 | 8 | 118 |
| 9 | Dec 25, 1982 | 7 | 119 |
| 10 | Jan 1, 1983 | 7 | 119 |
| 11 | Jan 8, 1983 | 5 | 121 |
| 12 | Jan 15, 1983 | 5 | 121 |
| 13 | Jan 22, 1983 | 4 | 122 |
| 14 | Jan 29, 1983 | 3 | 123 |
| 15 | Feb 5, 1983 | 3 | 123 |
| 16 | Feb 12, 1983 | 3 | 123 |
| 17 | Feb 19, 1983 | 23 | 103 |
| 18 | Feb 26, 1983 | 29 | 97 |
| 19 | Mar 5, 1983 | 70 | 56 |
| 20 | Mar 12, 1983 | 89 | 37 |