Belgium (Brussels Morning) – Marvin Gaye’s long-lost demo tapes found in Belgium after 40 years spark legal debates over ownership. Negotiations are underway to release 66 unreleased recordings.
Discussion has begun over the right of demo tapes reportedly left by the late soul legend to his Belgian keepers while he was living there in the early 80s. It’s been 40 years to the day since Marvin Gaye passed away in Los Angeles – shot dead by his father after Gaye strolled in to break up an argument between his father and his mother – a day before his 45th birthday.
Now, a compilation of unreleased Marvin Gaye recordings has been excavated in Belgium after more than 40 years. The tapes have 66 demos of unknown and earlier unheard songs that the soul singer behind sensations like ‘What’s Going On’, ‘Let’s Get It On’ and the duet ‘Ain’t No Mountain’ with Tammi Terrell, registered while in the country in the early ’80s. He departed the tapes with Charles Dumoulin, a musician who boarded Gaye during his time in Belgium.
The Dumoulin family is now functioning with a lawyer to figure out what to accomplish with the tapes, as well as what is probably a highly valuable collection of stage.
“They belong to (the family) because they were left in Belgium 42 years ago,” Alex’s costumes and notebooks which were also uncovered alongside the tapes. Trappeniers, lawyer and business partner of the Dumoulin family, told BBC. “Marvin presented it to them and stated, ‘Do whatever you want with it’ and he never came back. That’s important.”
A Belgian law that says any property in one’s custody, even if it’s stolen, becomes yours after 30 years. However, that does not unfold to intellectual property. This indicates that the Dumoulin family could end up as the proprietors of the physical tapes, without the right to broadcast the songs. That right may instead belong to Gaye’s beneficiaries in the US.
The Dumoulin family is expecting to reach some kind of settlement with Gaye’s estate to release the music. “We can open a time tablet here and share the music of Marvin with the world,” Trappeniers stated. “It’s very clear. He’s very present.”
“I think we both benefit, the family of Marvin and the collection in the hands of (Dumolin’s heirs),” Trappeniers persisted. “If we put our hands together and find the right people in the world, the Mark Ronsons or the Bruno Mars…. I’m not here to make recommendations but to say OK, let’s listen to this and let’s make the next album.”
Lawyers describing the Marvin Gaye estate have been made familiar with the existence of the tapes, although it’s opaque if they are looking to negotiate. Gaye had a strong connection to Belgium, as he repositioned there in 1981, seeking refuge from personal struggles, a vigorous cocaine addiction, and wishing to revive his career. The “Prince of Motown” transferred to the coastal city of Ostend, and it was during this time that he documented one of his biggest hits: ‘Sexual Healing’.
Ostend even pitched a statue of Gaye to celebrate his time in the city.
Ain’t no mountain high
Ain’t no valley low,
Ain’t no Belgian hideaway wide enough, baby…
The discovery of Marvin Gaye’s long-lost demo tapes in Belgium after 40 years sparks legal discussions over ownership and potential release. With 66 unreleased recordings, including earlier unheard songs, the Dumoulin family, who housed Gaye during his time in Belgium, navigates the legal complexities. While Belgian law may grant them physical ownership, intellectual property rights may rest with Gaye’s US beneficiaries. Negotiations between the Dumoulin family and Gaye’s estate are underway, aiming to share Gaye’s music with the world. This discovery not only commemorates Gaye’s legacy but also offers a glimpse into his creative process during a pivotal period in his life and career.
