I get a lot of Marvin Gaye fans coming to the site, hopefully who aren’t disappointed by the brief mention of his time in Ostend in this article.
There’s a classic documentary about the soul legend’s time in Belgium, Ostend Terminal by Richard Olivier. As well as showing Marvin at peace and performing beautifully it documents his thoughts on Ostend, often to a backdrop of black and white footage of the town in its belle epoque heyday.
Marvin + Ostend = Sexual Healing
In perfectly describing the port as ‘a beat back, maybe two beats back’ from the cities he was accustomed to living in Gaye shows a talent for catching the spirit of a place.
You can find the full documentary here.
The Guardian’s David Stubbs also wrote an excellent piece about Gaye’s time in Ostend in 2005.
Tom Hall: travel, London, other things 