The verdict
Cleared After Dispute
David Ritz’s songwriting-credit suit — dropped in 1983 for insufficient evidence, refiled after Gaye’s 1984 death — settled on the day of trial, decided by Ritz’s own audio recording of the session (Gaye on tape: “We wrote a great song together”); Ritz received credit and royalties. The extent of his creative contribution remains genuinely disputed among direct witnesses (Ritz, Odell Brown, Frankie Gaye), and is presented as unresolved.
Quick Facts
Released1982
AlbumMidnight Love
GenreSoul, R&B, Funk
LabelColumbia / CBS Records
ProducerMarvin Gaye
Recorded atOstend, Belgium
More infoWikipedia → · Discogs →
Who you need to ask
The songwriters of record — Marvin Gaye, Odell Brown & (since settlement) David Ritz
Wikipedia → · checked Jul 2026
The current administrator — Not confirmed — Columbia/CBS; needs a Songview/Discogs lookup
Unknown · checked Jul 2026
Has it been reused?
A settled songwriting-credit dispute (decided by Ritz’s own tape of the session); the extent of Ritz’s contribution remains genuinely disputed among direct witnesses, presented as unresolved.
Do they allow reuse?
No standalone policy found; confirmed songwriters of record.
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Who Owns It
Licenses explained →The two permissions you need, and who holds them
The song itself (the writing)Marvin Gaye, Odell Brown & (since the settlement) David Ritz
A genuinely disputed authorship account (unresolved)There is real disagreement among those close to Gaye about the extent of David Ritz’s creative contribution beyond suggesting the title. Ritz has claimed he wrote a full poem, based on the title, that became most of the actual lyrics; co-writer Odell Brown has stated he never even met Ritz and assumed he was just there for an interview; Gaye’s brother Frankie gave yet another, different account in his memoir. Presented as a real, documented, unresolved disagreement between multiple direct witnesses — not settled either way.
The dramatic taped evidence that settled the suitGaye told Ritz he couldn’t be formally credited due to a contractual conflict with his prior label but promised eventual compensation; when that never came, Ritz sued for $15 million for partial songwriting credit. The case was dropped in 1983 for insufficient evidence, but after Gaye’s 1984 death Ritz refiled against the estate. Ritz had recorded all his conversations with Gaye in Ostend for biography research — including Gaye saying on tape, “We wrote a great song together.” That evidence proved decisive, and the parties settled on the very day the case was set for trial; Ritz was awarded songwriting credit and began receiving royalties.
The recording (current administrator)Not confirmed
Receipts
Every public mention of terms, policy, or past deals we've found
How the title was born
Gaye and keyboardist Odell Brown had built a reggae-tinged instrumental in Ostend, Belgium; per Ritz’s account, on arriving to interview Gaye for his biography and seeing a pornographic comic book lying around, Ritz suggested Gaye needed “sexual healing,” inspiring the title. No lyrics reproduced.
American Songwriter · read it →
Can You Use It for Free?
How to check PD →Is it public domain?No
Sample History
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Times sampled
A settled credit dispute, decided by a session tape
Covers
—
First flip
Who to Contact
SX
Marvin Gaye, Odell Brown & David Ritz (Columbia)
The confirmed songwriters of record
What they'll chargeNobody's shared numbers yet
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References
Every source cited on this page — 4 in total
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Page history · 2 updates
Jul 2026Page created — full research (Research Queue Batch 24)
Jul 2026BPM/Key pending the automated GetSongBPM/Deezer pass