Marvin Gaye - Let's Get it On

Let's Get It On was the twelfth studio album by American soul musician Marvin Gaye.  It was released on August 28, 1973, on Tamla Records, which I believe is a Motown imprint.  The version I bought, shown above, is in very bad condition, but still - since it's one of the most significant records ever made, I acquired it.  Recording sessions for the album took place during June 1970 to July 1973 at Hitsville U.S.A., (the nickname given to Motown's first headquarters, at 2648 West Grand Boulevard in Detroit, Michigan,), at Golden World Studio in Detroit, and at Hitsville West in Los Angeles.  Gaye's first venture into the funk genre and romance-themed music, Let's Get It On captures a blend of soul, doo-wop, and balladry.  This record is universally acclaimed for its sexually suggestive lyrics, and was cited by one writer as "one of the most sexually charged albums ever recorded."  Following the breakthrough success of his socially conscious, anti-war album What's Going On (1971), this album establish Marvin Gaye as an icon and furthered his mainstream appeal.  It spawned three singles, "Let's Get It On", "Come Get to This", and "You Sure Love to Ball," each attaining Billboard chart success.  Of course Let's Get It On became the most commercially successful album of Gaye's recording career, until Sexual Healing came out later on, and it further expanded his creative control during his tenure with Motown.  This album is regarded by many music writers and critics as a landmark recording in soul music.  It furthered funk music's popularity during the 1970s, and its smooth soul sound marked a change for his record label's previous success with the "Motown Sound" formula.  In 2003, the album was ranked number 165 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.  Welton (sic) Felder [as spelled on the jacket] and one of the greatest bassists ever James Jamerson both play on this historic record.