What's Going On

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What's Going On is an album by American soul singer Marvin Gaye. Released on May 21, 1971 (see 1971 in music), What's Going On reflected the beginning of a new trend in soul music. With introspective lyrics about drug abuse, poverty and the Vietnam War, the album was an immediate sensation and has endured as a classic of early-1970s soul. In worldwide critics/artists and public surveys it is constantly voted as one of the landmark recordings in pop music history and is considered to be one of the greatest albums ever made.

The first Marvin Gaye album produced solely by the artist himself, What's Going On is a unified album, consisting of nine songs (all of which but the first, the title track, are linked) from the point of view of a Vietnam War veteran returning to the country he had been fighting for, and seeing nothing but injustice, suffering and hatred. Gaye's brother, Frankie, had returned from three years of service in the Army in 1970. In addition, What's Going On is the first album which Motown Records' main studio band, The Funk Brothers, got an official credit.

History

"...And about this job of putting this son-of-a-gun together..."

Marvin Gaye had sunk into a deep depression after the death of his singing partner Tammi Terrell in March, 1970. Gaye refused to record and perform, and attempted a career in football with the Detroit Lions, but failed his tryouts. After the failed change in careers, Gaye came in contact with Al Clevland and the Four Tops' Renaldo "Obie" Benson, who were working on a politically conscious song called "What's Going On". Gaye helped Clevland and Benson complete the composition, and planned to produce it as a recording for Motown act The Originals. Clevland and Benson persuaded Gaye to record the song himself, and in June 1970 Gaye recorded "What's Going On" and his own composition, "God is Love".

When Gaye delivered the songs as the sides for his next 45 single, Motown head Berry Gordy refused to release them. He considered the record far too political and unfamiliar in sound to be commercially successful. Gaye stood his ground; he wanted to be able to express himself, and not Gordy's or Motown's version of himself, on record. Gordy eventually gave in, certain that the record would flop. "What's Going On" became Motown´s fastest selling single at that point, going to the No. 1 spot on the R&B charts for 5 straight weeks and No. 2 (three weeks) on the Pop listings behind only to the year's biggest-selling record "Joy To The World" by Three Dog Night. After this startling success Berry Gordy requested an entire accompaning album.

Gaye began recording the tracks that would eventually comprise his best-known work, the What's Going On album, handling all of his own production and some of his own songwriting. What's Going On was a politically-charged and deeply personal Motown album, notable for including elements of jazz and classical music. The record was among the first soul records to place emphasis on political and social concerns such as environmentalism, political corruption, drug abuse, and the Vietnam War.

Release and reaction

The critical and commercial success of the album was immediate and significant. What's Going On stayed on the Billboard Pop Album Charts for over a year and sold over two million copies until the end of 1972, making it Marvin Gaye's best-selling album to that date, until Gaye broke his own record with the release of Let's Get It On in the fall of 1973.

In addition, What's Going On received the highest ratings from several leading magazines and newspapers, including Time, Rolling Stone (who named it "Album of the Year"), The New York Times, and Billboard, who gave it the Billboard Trendsetter Award of 1971. It was ranked number six on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time in 2003, while its title song was ranked fourth on the magazine's 500 greatest singles of all time. A 1999 critics poll conducted by British newspaper Guardian/Observer named it the "Greatest Album Of the 20th Century".

In 1997, What's Going On was named the 17th greatest album of all time in a Music of the Millennium poll conducted by HMV, Channel 4, The Guardian and Classic FM. In 1998 Q magazine readers placed it at number 97, while in 2003 the TV network VH1 placed it at number 4. In 2003, it was one of 50 recordings chosen that year by the Library of Congress to be added to the National Recording Registry.

In the forthcoming years, many artists from different musical genres covered songs from the album, most notably live recordings by Aretha Franklin ("Wholly Holy" on Amazing Grace) and Donny Hathaway ("What's Going On" on Donny Hathaway Live) in 1972, among others.

Track listing

All songs produced by Marvin Gaye.

Side A

Side B

Known outtakes/alternate versions

All of the following outtakes/alternate versions of What's Going On tracks are available on the 2001 Deluxe Edition. The first two are also available as bonus tracks on the 2002 CD remaster.

The entire album was originally mixed in Detroit, with Marvin Gaye out of town and not present. This mix, dubbed "The Detroit Mix", was scrapped and redone. These mixes were later released on the 2001 double album Deluxe Edition of What's Going On, along with the original mono 45 mixes of the singles, along with a recording of one of Gaye's first live performances after three years away from the stage following Tammi Terrell's illness and death.

Personnel

• All lead vocals by Marvin Gaye
• Produced by Marvin Gaye
• Orchestra Conducted and Arranged by David Van De Pitte
• Background Voices:
  • Marvin Gaye
  • The Andantes (Jackie Hicks, Marlene Barrow, and Louvain Demps)
  • Mel Farr and Lem Barney of the Detroit Lions
  • Bobby Rogers
  • Elgie Stover
  • Kenneth Stover
• Instrumentation by The Funk Brothers
  • Marvin Gaye – piano, drums, keyboards
  • James Jamerson – bass guitar
  • Earl Van Dyke – piano
  • Bob Babbitt – bass guitar
  • Joe Messina – guitar
  • Robert White – guitar
  • Eli Fountain – alto saxophone
  • Wild Bill Moore – tenor saxophone
  • Chet Forest – drums
• Katherine Marking – graphic design
• Alana Coghlan – graphic design
• John Matousek – mastering
• Hendin – Photography
• Curtis McNair – Art Direction

Chart and singles history

Sample

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