Question 1

True or false: The music video for 'Sexual Healing' was banned by MTV for being too sexually explicit.

Accepted Answer

False. MTV played the video regularly. The rumor likely stems from confusion with other banned videos; Gaye's clip was mild compared to later 80s content.

Question 2

True or false: The song was released in 1982 and instantly became Marvin Gaye's first number-one hit on the Billboard Hot 100.

Accepted Answer

False. Sexual Healing peaked at number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100, not number 1. It was not a number-one hit for Marvin Gaye.

Question 3

True or false: 'Sexual Healing' earned Marvin Gaye his first two Grammy Awards, including Best Male R&B Vocal Performance.

Accepted Answer

True. Despite decades of hits, Gaye had never won a Grammy until 1983, when 'Sexual Healing' won Best Male R&B Vocal Performance and Best R&B Instrumental.

Question 4

True or false: 'Sexual Healing' was written after Marvin Gaye's brother introduced Marvin Gaye to group therapy for sex addiction.

Accepted Answer

True. Gaye co-wrote the song with Odell Brown and David Ritz after attending therapy sessions for sex addiction, suggested by his brother Frankie.

Question 5

True or false: The song's success helped Marvin Gaye pay off the IRS and regain control of his finances after years of tax debt.

Accepted Answer

True. 'Sexual Healing' was a global hit, earning Gaye substantial income that he used to pay off his IRS debt and regain financial stability.

Question 6

True or false: Sexual Healing's iconic spoken-word intro was improvised by Gaye in the studio just before recording began.

Accepted Answer

True. According to producer Harvey Fuqua, Gaye spontaneously delivered the 'I want to give you all my love' monologue after feeling the groove, and they kept it.

Question 7

True or false: 'Sexual Healing' was originally written as a slow jazz ballad before being reworked into an upbeat dance track.

Accepted Answer

False. The song was always conceived as a mid-tempo funk-soul track. The demo already featured the signature groove and rhythm guitar part.

Question 8

True or false: Marvin Gaye recorded the vocals for 'Sexual Healing' in one single take without any overdubs.

Accepted Answer

False. Gaye was a perfectionist who recorded multiple takes and layers of vocals. The final version features carefully stacked harmonies and ad-libs.

Sexual Healing Trivia Questions