The Master 1961–1984

The Master (1961-1984) is a chronological box set album looking back at American R&B/soul legend Marvin Gaye's phenomenal 23-year recording career. Spanning four discs, the box set goes over all portions of Gaye's career with a repertoire that spanned doo-wop, R&B, soul, psychedelic soul and funk with a mixture of themes including dance songs, love ballads, duets, socially conscious material, sensual material and autobiographical revelations. The set includes rarities such as a recorded 1981 live track of Gaye and Gladys Knight & the Pips each singing their seminal hit "I Heard It Through the Grapevine", Gaye's famed 1983 performance of "The Star-Spangled Banner" at an NBA All-Star game and an a cappella performance of "The Lord's Prayer" taped during Gaye's exile in Belgium.
In 2006, Universal re-released the boxset as part of its Universal Earbook series, issuing it as a LP-sized hardback coffee table book.