== Conception ==
In 1979, Marvin Gaye found himself at a professional and personal low ebb. Two years without a hit since "[[Got to Give It Up]]", he had released the commercially dismal [[Here, My Dear]], which then alienated critics and fans alike for the musician's take on his personal life including his troubling marriage to [[Anna Gordy Gaye|Anna Gordy]], which had ended in divorce a couple years before. Gaye married his longtime girlfriend Janis Hunter in October of 1977 but within two years, Hunter filed for [[legal separation]], later alleging Gaye had been [[mental abuse|mentally]] and [[domestic abuse|physically]] abusing her during their marriage. Hunter had been the inspiration behind Gaye's 1976 album, [[I Want You (Marvin Gaye album)|]]. That year, Gaye decided to reestablish his pop audience, first releasing a slightly autobiographical [[disco]] song he titled "[[Ego Tripping Out]]", in which he lyrically explained his larger-than-life ego and masked it with personal doubt ("turn the fear into energy/'cause the [[insufflation (medicine)|toot]] and the won't fulfill the need"). Gaye debuted the song while appearing on [[Dinah Shore]]'s [[Dinah & Friends]], with the performance later being featured on the [[DVD]], Marvin Gaye - The Real Thing: In Performance 1964-1981.
