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“Distant Lover“ is the sixth song issued on singer Marvin Gaye's 1973 album, Let's Get It On and was later issued as a live recording in 1974. The live version of the song was Gaye's most successful single during the three-year gap between Let's Get It On and his following 1976 album, I Want You. Marvin composed the melody of the song with songwriter Sandra Greene during a 1970 recording session while Gaye was finishing edits of his song, “What's Going On“. Recorded on November 3, 1970, Gaye first recorded a rough version simply titled “Head Title“. Later in the same recording sessions, with help from his sister-in-law, Gwen Gordy Fuqua, Gaye composed more lyrics and gave it its title, “Distant Lover“. Gaye would rework the song several times during the 1970 recording sessions. In the “Head Title“ version, Gaye began singing his lyrics “right off the top of my head“ and performed in a rasp-influenced growl. Two mixes of the
