Released 1985 | Label CBS Records | |
Writer(s) Marvin GayeGordon Banks | ||
"Sanctified Lady" is a song by American soul singer Marvin Gaye, released posthumously in 1985 by Columbia Records.
The title of the track was originally "Sanctified Pussy", a phrase which Gaye can be heard mumbling during certain parts while the chorus chants "sanctified lady". The song was one of several outtakes from the Midnight Love sessions and remained unfinished due to the singer's death in 1984 at the age of 44.
Guitarist and longtime collaborator Gordon Banks (Gaye's brother-in-law) helped to finish the track by adding a choir and an electronic beat throughout the song, plus a vocodered chant of the title at the beginning.
"Sanctified Lady" was issued as the first release from the singer's posthumous album Dream of a Lifetime, and despite the mumbling of Gaye's original title became a modest hit upon its release, reaching #2 on the US R&B singles chart.