Leave it to Marvin Gaye, however, to record one of the most sophisticated scores of the era. Released at the end of the year, the Trouble Man soundtrack was a more laidback affair shot through with jazzy instrumentation and Gaye’s almost haunting voice. However, wedged between Gaye classics What’s Going On and Let’s Get It On, the album itself was somewhat unfairly overlooked at the time, though it’s title track managed to hit No.7 in the US singles charts.
Given Blaxploitation’s cultural significance, it’s perhaps surprising that it took Soul Brother Number One himself so long to get involved – but when he did, the self-proclaimed Hardest Working Man In Show Business was typically relentless. Reputedly recording the soundtrack for 1973’s Black Caesar without ever once looking at the film, James Brown nevertheless turned out an enduring cut in ‘The Boss’.
Two months later, in April 1973, Slaughter’s Big Rip-Off (sequel to Slaughter, the 1972 film starring NFL star-turned-actor Jim Brown) boasted another JB score. ‘Sexy, Sexy, Sexy’ made it to No.6 on the US R&B charts.