MOTOWN SET TO SHOWCASE `VULNERABLE' SIDE OF GAYE.

Byline: Marilyn Beck & Stacy Jenel Smith

Motown has designated a late July debut for ``The Vulnerable Sessions'' - the album of jazz standards recorded by the late, legendary Marvin Gaye.

The album, which Gaye began recording in 1967, was the troubled singer's cherished project, the one he said he loved the most. It also appeared destined for myth status after his death 12 years ago - until the masters were discovered in a Motown vault. Five of the seven songs on the album have never been released.As fans of Gaye's may already know, he longed to be a crooner for years. In fact, he talked about his desire to be ``the black Frank Sinatra.'' However, Motown pushed Gaye - hard - to stick with r&b and pop.

Gaye was dissatisfied with his earliest efforts with the album he called ``the ballads.'' Back in the late '60s, he didn't have much experience with the vocal stylings required, nor was he used to working with an orchestra. He also felt he lacked the emotional experiences needed to sing the songs with conviction. So, he put them away, and recorded such renowned pieces as ``What's Going On,'' ``Trouble Man'' and ``Let's Get It On.''

Gaye went through a divorce from his first wife, and suffered through a stormy relationship with the next. He worked on the songs some more.

``I never gave up on the ballads,'' he told biographer David Ritz. ``I went back from time to time, but it was only when I was struggling with (second wife) Jan that the songs finally made sense. The pain in my heart corresponded to the pain in the lyrics.''

The album includes Gaye's renditions of ``The Shadow of Your Smile,'' ``Why Did I Choose You,'' ``She Needs Me,'' ``Funny, Not Much,'' ``I Won't Cry Anymore,'' and ``I Wish I Didn't Love You So.''

The industry eye: A Sept. 23 production start has been set - finally - for ``Contact'' starring Jodie Foster, with Robert Zemeckis directing. There's been a lot of speculation around town as to when the Oscar-winning Zemeckis, who hasn't directed a movie since ``Forrest Gump,'' would roll up his sleeves and get back behind the camera. Zemeckis' involvement with ``Contact'' began last year, when he agreed, after George Miller left over creative differences, to develop - i.e. rewrite the script of - the Carl Sagan sci-fi thriller about an astronomer who connects with extra-terrestrial life forms. It remained unknown for months whether Zemeckis would direct the project. Now it's definite.

A winner: We reported the other day that Cybill Shepherd had completed a successful singing gig in London. Now we can tell you that on the strength of that gig she's been invited to take over as Norma Desmond in ``Sunset Boulevard'' in London. She'll have to turn down the invite because of ``Cybill'' shooting - but you'd better believe she was thrilled to have been asked. Anyone who knows Cybill knows she's been trying to prove herself as a singer for decades.

Win some, lose some: Producer Diane English is more than just a little bit disappointed her ``The Lawyers'' series has not made it onto CBS' fall lineup. ``I really don't know how to do any better than that,'' said the ``Murphy Brown'' creator, whom we phoned for reaction to CBS' fall lineup announcement. ``It's got a spectacular cast,'' she added of the show about a high-profile law firm, which stars Alan King and Peter Gallagher. English wants us to know she's not giving up on ``The Lawyers.'' She says she hopes the series will be picked up by CBS for midseason, but noted, ``They've got to let us know in two weeks, and if the word is no, we'll take it to another network. Our No. 1 priority is finding a home for the show.''