when was what's going on by marvin gaye released

Hitsville: The Making Of Motown (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) Available Now! Opening uniquely with a party in full swing then the clarion call of a beautiful alto sax, it commanded the immediate attention of everyone by its sheer originality. Why are they attacking their own children in the streets?"[4][5]. [13] The song eventually became a huge success, reaching the top of the charts within a month in March of the year, staying at number-one for five weeks on the Billboard R&B charts and one week at number-one on the Cashbox pop chart. In 2004 and 2010, "What's Going On" was ranked #4 on the Rolling Stone list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time", making it the highest Marvin Gaye song on the list. Jermaine Dupri and Bono produced the radio single version, whose performers included Destiny's Child, Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, NSYNC, Darren Hayes of Savage Garden, Jennifer Lopez, Ja Rule, Nas, Lil' Kim, Sean Combs, Mary J Blige, Alicia Keys, Eve, Gwen Stefani, Nelly Furtado, Fred Durst of Limp Bizkit, Aaron Lewis of Staind, Michael Stipe of R.E.M., Wyclef Jean and Gaye's own daughter Nona, among other artists. [6], Jamerson was pulled into the session after Gaye located him playing with a band at a local bar. Released 21 May 1971 on Tamla (catalog no. In addition to being a massive hit, the song marked a turning … This was released as a single on Island Records. Upset, he discussed what he witnessed with friend and songwriter Al Cleveland, who in turn wrote and composed a song to reflect Benson's concerns. Originally inspired by a police brutality incident witnessed by Renaldo "Obie" Benson, the song was composed by Benson, Al Cleveland, and Gaye and produced by Gaye himself. [15] In reviewing the What's Going On album, Rolling Stone critic Vince Aletti stated that while the song's lyrics were "hardly brilliant", the song itself helped to set the mood for the rest of the album, and that "without overreaching they capture a certain aching dissatisfaction that is part of the album's mood."[16]. [5] Gaye recorded the song's b-side, "God Is Love", on the same day. In addition to ...read more, Rae Carruth, the pro football player convicted of hiring someone to kill his pregnant girlfriend, was born on January 20, 1974, in Sacramento, California. Knight covered Gaye's 1971 Grammy-nominated song "What's Going On" at Wednesday's "A Grammy Salute to the Sounds of Change". In New Zealand it went Gold for selling over 5,000 units. It was released on May 21, 1971, by the Motown Records-subsidiary label Tamla. More than any president since the Texas-born Lyndon Johnson, Ronald Reagan’s public image was closely tied to the American West, ...read more, Years after he was known as “The Killer,”, a rock pioneer who released such rock standards as “Great Balls of Fire” and “Breathless,” Jerry Lee Lewis made a name for himself in a very different musical genre: country. Sands ended up mixing the leads together, by accident. [8], To add more to the song's laid-back approach, Gaye invited the Detroit Lions players Mel Farr and Lem Barney to the studio and, along with Gaye and the Funk Brothers, added in vocal chatter, engaging in a mock conversation. Marvin Gaye submitted a version of the most important single of his career, "What's Going On", to Motown Records in the summer of 1970. Released: May 21, 1971. © 2021 A&E Television Networks, LLC. Benson took the song to Gaye, whose brother had recently returned from the war and whose cousin had died in it, and Gaye made it his own. [14] Billboard ranked it as the No. [4] Upset by the situation, Benson said to author Ben Edmonds that as he saw this, he asked, "'What is happening here?' The song eventually sold more than two million copies, becoming then the fastest-selling Motown single at the time. January 20, 1971, sees the release of Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On?" 50 years ago, ‘Imagine’ and ‘What’s Going On’ validated rock ‘n’ roll as a force for social change. All singers who participated in the project are: C. J. Lewis, Andrew Roachford, Yazz, Aswad, Edwin Starr, Peter Cunnah of D Ream, Kim Appleby, MAD Jones of BAD, Rozalla, Tony Di Bart, Paul Young, Paul Carrack, Angie Brown of Ramona 55, Jimmy Ruffin, Omar Lye-Fook, Apache Indian, Worlds Apart, Kaos, The Pasadenas, Gus Isidore, Jools Holland, Mark King of Level 42, Nik Kershaw, Larry Adler and Dannii Minogue. The central theme of "What's Going On" and the album of the same name came from Marvin Gaye's own life. The song "Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)" is one of the earliest examples of environmentalist messaging in mainstream pop music. Instead of relying on other producers to help him with the song, Gaye, inspired by recent successes of his productions for the vocal act, The Originals, decided to produce the song himself, mixing up original Motown in-house studio musicians such as James Jamerson and Eddie Brown with musicians he recruited himself. On October 30, 2001, a group of popular recording artists under the name "Artists Against AIDS Worldwide" released an album containing multiple versions of "What's Going On" to benefit AIDS programs in Africa and other impoverished regions. The single reached number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and would go on to be named the fourth-greatest song of all time by Rolling Stone. The video for the song, directed by Andy Morahan,[34] was nominated for an MTV Video Music Award. On the night of November 15, 1999, Carruth, a receiver for the NFL’s Carolina Panthers, and his girlfriend, Cherica Adams, ...read more, On January 20, 1863, Union General Ambrose Burnside’s Army of the Potomac begins an offensive against General Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia that quickly bogs down as several days of heavy rain turn the roads of Virginia into a muddy quagmire. "[6], Gaye entered the recording studio, Hitsville USA, on June 1, 1970 to record "What's Going On". What's Going On, an Album by Marvin Gaye. This cover was released as a benefit single released in memory of the Rwandan genocide and is also on the album Now That's What I Call Music! Lauper's cover was a modest hit worldwide. year, Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On,” endures as a standout example of modern soul, political commentary and musical craftsmanship. Annie Jamerson recalls that when he returned home that night, he declared that the song they had been working on was a 'masterpiece', one of the few occasions where he had discussed his work so passionately with her. What's Going On is the eleventh studio album by American soul singer, songwriter, and producer Marvin Gaye. Over the … Musician and songwriter Elgie Stover, who later served as a caterer for Bill Clinton and was then a Motown staffer and confidante of Gaye's, was the man who opened the song's track with the words, "hey, man, what's happening?" One of the most poignant records ever released, its subject matter serves as a grim reminder that 50 years later, not much has changed. It is really a tribute to both men. It was the title track of his album What's Going On?, released in May 1971. Marvin Gaye submitted a version of the most important single of his career, "What's Going On", to Motown Records in the summer of 1970. Aside co-writing it, Gaye also produced it. "I miss you so much," said Knight. What's Going On is the eleventh studio album by American soul singer, songwriter, and producer Marvin Gaye. What's Happening Brother 12. In that space on paper he tried to describe the dirty war in Vietnam, in which he found himself involved, putting his emotions on paper. At the height of the Great Depression, Roosevelt, then governor of New York, was elected the 32nd president of the United ...read more, On January 20, 1961, on the newly renovated east front of the United States Capitol, John Fitzgerald Kennedy is inaugurated as the 35th president of the United States. [6] When Harry Balk requested the song to be released, Gordy told him the song featured "that Dizzy Gillespie stuff in the middle, that scatting, it's old". Over the past 20 years, the album has been reissued every … Sign up now to learn about This Day in History straight from your inbox. Critics continue to rate the album and its title track among the most influential recordings in modern musical history. [6], Anxious for Marvin Gaye product, Balk got Motown's sales vice president Barney Ales to release the song, releasing it on January 17, 1971, pressing 100,000 copies of the song and promoting the single to radio stations across the country. What's Going On 11. Before she sang a cover of Gaye's hit "What Going On," Knight gave a touching tribute to the artist who passed away in 1984. The song was recorded shortly before the September 11, 2001 attacks, and it was decided afterwards that a portion of the song's proceeds would benefit the American Red Cross' September 11 fund as well. The daughter of an aristocratic Dutch mother and an English businessman ...read more, On January 20, 1980, bleachers at a bullring in Sincelejo, Colombia, collapse, resulting in the deaths of 222 people. [8] De Pitte recalled that it was a track that Jamerson greatly respected: "On 'What's Going On' though, he just read the [bass] part down like I wrote it. The song was released on January 21st, 1971 as the first single from Gaye’s eleventh studio album of the same name (“ What’s Going On “). Gaye entered the recording studio, Hitsville USA, on June 1, 1970 to record "What's Going On". “What’s Going On” was released on January 20th, 1971, four months before the LP arrived. Not many artists had the gumption or the clout to stand up to Gordy, and as such the single's release foreshadowed his future disagreements with Gordy and eventual split with Motown. However, when he heard it, Gaye was so impressed with the double-lead feel that he kept it, influencing his later recordings where he mastered vocal multi-layering adding in three different vocal parts. originated with Ronaldo "Obie" Benson, a member of the Motown group the Four Tops, who penned an early version after witnessing police violence against anti-Vietnam War protesters in Berkeley, California. When Marvin Gaye released his seminal 1971 masterpiece, What’s Going On, Flack didn’t waste a moment. '"[4] In 1970, Benson presented the untitled song to Marvin Gaye, who added a new melody and revised the song to his liking, adding in his own lyrics. Save The Children 14. Gladys Knight is doing right by Marvin Gaye. He could really put that stuff away, and then sit down and still be able to play. Until then, like most Motown artists, he had lots of hit singles but album sales were secondary. What's Going On, an Album by Marvin Gaye. A music video was directed by Jake Scott. The initial success of this led to a further 100,000 to reach demand, selling over 200,000 copies within a week. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! Watch the powerful video for Marvin Gaye’s ‘What’s Going On’, directed by Savanah Leaf, that reimagines Gaye’s anthem for today’s society. "use strict";(function(){var insertion=document.getElementById("citation-access-date");var date=new Date().toLocaleDateString(undefined,{month:"long",day:"numeric",year:"numeric"});insertion.parentElement.replaceChild(document.createTextNode(date),insertion)})(); FACT CHECK: We strive for accuracy and fairness. The song's success forced Gordy to allow Gaye to produce his own music, giving him an ultimatum to complete an album by the end of March, later resulting in the What's Going On album itself. Marvin Gaye's "What's Going...", "Barbecue Grill Showman Never Skipped Beat", "Top 100 Songs | Billboard Hot 100 Chart", "500 Greatest Songs of All Time: Marvin Gaye, 'What's Going On, "Experience the Music: One-Hit Wonders and the Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll", "Rock On The Net: VH1: 100 Greatest Rock Songs 1-50", "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada", "MARVIN GAYE - full Official Chart History - Official Charts Company", "Top 100 Hits of 1971/Top 100 Songs of 1971", "British single certifications – Marvin Gaye – What's Going On". Motown Museum is proud to partner with Michigan.gov in recognizing January 20, 2021 as "What's Going On" Day, in honor of the 50th anniversary of the release of Marvin Gaye's groundbreaking single! The ...read more, During the First Opium War, China cedes the island of Hong Kong to the British with the signing of the Chuenpi Convention, an agreement seeking an end to the first Anglo-Chinese conflict. The What's Going On album takes on many issues, including the environment ("Mercy Mercy Me") and poverty ("Inner City Blues"). Later topping the Hot Soul Singles chart for five weeks and crossing over to number two on the Billboard Hot 100, it would sell over two million copies, becoming Gaye's second-most successful Motown song to date. The son of a Black father from Kenya and a white mother from Kansas, Obama had become the first African American to win election to the nation’s highest office the previous ...read more, On January 20, 1945, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the only president to be elected to three terms in office, is inaugurated to his fourth—and final—term. Thanks to club remixes by Shep Pettibone, the song reached #17 on the U.S. dance chart. He loved it because I had written Jamerson licks for Jamerson." The song's lyrics both implicitly references the violent rifts in American society ("Mother, mother/ there's too many of you crying") and explicitly questions the war ("We don't need to escalate ... war is not the answer/ for only love can conquer hate"). Gaye's early music, like that of many Motown artists, was innovative and increasingly sensual but hardly political. Marvin Gaye in 1970. February 9, 2021 Almost 50 years ago, Marvin Gaye released his magnum opus “What’s Going On” through Motown Records. The opening soprano saxophoneline, provided by musician Eli Fontaine, was not originally inten… Ad. “What’s Going On” was written by songwriters Renaldo “Obie” Benson, Marvin Gaye, and Al Cleveland. In 1994, the song was covered in the Music Relief '94. [3], The song's inspiration came from Renaldo "Obie" Benson, a member of the Motown vocal group the Four Tops, after he and the group's tour bus arrived at Berkeley on May 15, 1969. TS-310; Vinyl LP). Released in 2010 on Motown (catalog no. Benson later said Gaye tweaked and enriched the song, "added some things that were more ghetto, more natural, which made it seem like a story than a song... we measured him for the suit and he tailored the hell out of it. Tracks 1 to 9 is the original album "What's Going On - released May 1971 in the USA on Tamla TS 301 and October 1971 in the UK on Tamla Motown STML 11190 ALTERNATE DETROIT MIX (5 April 1971) - Previously Unreleased 10. His first inauguration, in 1933, had been held in March, but the 20th Amendment, passed later that year, made January 20 the ...read more, Ronald Reagan, former Western movie actor and host of television’s popular “Death Valley Days” is sworn in as the 40th president of the United States. [6], The song was reviewed by Slant magazine as a song that presented a contradictory sound, with the song's mournful tone going in contrast to the party atmosphere of the vocal chatter. When Gordy heard the song after Gaye presented the song to him in California, he turned down Gaye's request to release it, telling Gaye he felt it was "the worst thing I ever heard in my life". What's Going On 11. [6] The opening soprano saxophone line, provided by musician Eli Fontaine, was not originally intended. For other songs, see, (Marvin Gaye; Al Cleveland; Renaldo Benson), (Cyndi Lauper; Jeff Bova; Jimmy Bralower; Lennie Petze), sfn error: no target: CITEREFLynskey2011 (, sfn error: no target: CITEREFBowman2006 (, Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me), Best Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s), Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique, "Marvin Gaye - 45 years ago! Groove Remix), Love It or Leave It Alone / Welcome to Jamrock, Empire State of Mind (Part II) Broken Down, MasterCard Priceless Surprises Presents Gwen Stefani, Gwen Stefani's You Make It Feel Like Christmas, I'm Gonna Be Alright (Track Masters Remix), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=What%27s_Going_On_(Marvin_Gaye_song)&oldid=1007896252, Charity singles following the September 11 attacks, Grammy Award for Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance, Music videos directed by Jake Scott (director), Articles with unsourced statements from August 2018, Certification Table Entry usages for United Kingdom, Pages using certification Table Entry with streaming figures, Pages using certification Table Entry with streaming footnote, Album articles lacking alt text for covers, Singlechart usages for Billboardrandbhiphop, Certification Table Entry usages for New Zealand, Pages using certification Table Entry with sales figures, Pages using certification Table Entry with sales footnote, Wikipedia articles with MusicBrainz work identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, June 1, July 6, 7 and 10, September 21, 1970, Instrumentation by The Funk Brothers, The, "What's Going On" (Single Version) - 3:51, "What's Going On" (Dupri Original Mix) – 4:20, "What's Going On" (The London Version) – 3:57, "What's Going On" (Moby's Version) – 4:38, "What's Going On" (Fred Durst's Reality Check Mix) – 5:16, "What's Going On" (The Neptunes This One's for You Mix) – 5:00, "What's Going On" (Junior Vasquez's Club Mix) – 9:34, "What's Going On" (MK Kitchen-Aid Dub) – 6:27, "What's Going On" (Dupri Alternate Extended Mix) – 4:46, "What's Going On" (Dupri Original Mix) - 4:19, "What's Going On" (Moby's Version) - 4:36, "What's Going On" (Moby's Version) – 4:36, This page was last edited on 20 February 2021, at 14:04. Flyin' High (In The Friendly Sky) 13. Why are they sending kids so far away from their families overseas? [9] Gaye also added his own instrumentation, playing piano and keyboards while also playing a box drum to help accentuate Chet Forest's drumming. Flyin' High (In The Friendly Sky) 13. In addition to being a massive hit, the song marked a turning point in Gaye's career and in the trajectory of Motown. Once Gaye heard Fontaine's riff, he told Fontaine to go home. [18] In 2003, Q magazine placed the song 64th out of its 1001 Best Songs Ever. In 1999, music writers Paul Gambaccini and Kevin Howlett listed the song #74 on BBC Radio 2's Songs of the Century. Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. When Gaye initially thought the song's moody feel would be appropriate to be recorded by The Originals, Benson convinced Gaye to record it as his own song. [8] The song was issued without Gordy's knowledge. On the US Billboard Hot 100, the cover peaked at number 27, and it additionally reached number 24 on both the Billboard Mainstream Top 40 and Rhythmic charts. His tolerance was incredible. [4] "My partners told me it was a protest song", Benson said later, "I said 'no man, it's a love song, about love and understanding. When his brother Frankie returned from Vietnam, Gaye noticed that his … '"[7] Gaye was also influenced by emotional conversations shared between him and his brother Frankie, who had returned from three years of service at the Vietnam War and his namesake cousin's death while serving troops. On the Billboard Hot 100, it reached number two,[13] behind both Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me) by The Temptations and Joy to the World by Three Dog Night. One of the many that Frankie, his younger brother, sent to Marvin. [11] The rhythm tracks and the song's overdubs were done at Hitsville, while strings, horns, lead and background vocals were recorded at Golden World Studios.[8]. "[6] Gaye titled it "What's Going On". Featured peformers: Marvin Gaye (lead vocals, backing vocals, piano, producer, songwriter), The Andantes (backing vocals), Lem Barney (backing vocals), Elgie Stover (backing vocals), Kenny Stover (backing … year, Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On,” endures as a standout example of modern soul, political commentary and musical craftsmanship. Gaye's record label, Tamla, was an imprint of Motown Records, and as such Gaye's work was guided and supervised by legendary Motown founder Berry Gordy. RELEASED MAY 21, 1971 A MOTOWN RECORDS RELEASE; ℗ 1971 MOTOWN RECORDS, A DIVISION OF UMG RECORDINGS, INC. Also available in the iTunes Store Stream 70 million songs free for 3 months. Finally, late in 1970, Gaye decided to record a song that the Four Tops' Obie Benson had brought him, "What's Going On." 29 to find. Janet Jackson had a point, you know. [21] It is included in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll list, along with two other songs by the singer. Gaye achieved popularity in the 1960s with songs like "How Sweet it Is (To Be Loved by You)" and "I Heard It Through the Grapevine," prime examples of the "Motown Sound" which blended soul, rock, and pop and is often credited with a leading role in the racial integration of popular music in America. In order to understand the essence of What’s Going On, Marvin Gaye’s album released in 1971, we need to start with a letter. [4] While there, Benson witnessed police brutality and violence in the city's People's Park during a protest held by anti-war activists in what was hailed later as "Bloody Thursday". What's Going On. What’s Going On is Marvin Gaye’s eleventh studio album, released on May 21, 1971, by the Motown Records label Tamla. The remake of "What's Going On" was the first of the Rock Aid Armenia releases in aid of those suffering from the 1988 Armenian earthquake. Label: Tamla – TS-310, Tamla – TS310. Respected Motown arranger and conductor David Van De Pitte said later to Ben Edmonds that Jamerson "always kept a bottle of [the Greek spirit] Metaxa in his bass case. Yasser Arafat is elected president of the Palestinian National Council with 88.1 percent of the popular vote, becoming the first democratically elected leader of the Palestinian people in history. Marvin Gaye's hit single "What's Going On?" Released 21 May 1971 on Tamla (catalog no. It was the first album Gaye released that sold a lot of copies. 3:50: Live At The Kennedy Center (May 1 1972) 2.01: Sixties Medley: That's The Way Love Is / You / I Heard It Through The Grapevine / Little Darling (I Need You) / You’re All I Need To Get By / Ain’t Nothing Like The Real Thing / Your Precious Love / Pride And Joy / Stubborn Kind Of Fellow Issued on January 20, 1971, "What's Going On" waited at number one R&B for five weeks and number two pop for three weeks in early 1971. "What's Going On (song)" redirects here. One question led to another. Arafat, the founder of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), originally ...read more, Minutes after Ronald Reagan’s inauguration as the 40th president of the United States, the 52 U.S. captives held at the U.S. embassy in Teheran, Iran, are released, ending the 444-day Iran Hostage Crisis. What's Going On, an Album by Marvin Gaye. The B-side was "A Cool Wind Is Blowing", Armenian duduk music played by Djivan Gasparyan. On November 4, 1979, the crisis began when militant Iranian students, ...read more, Nazi officials meet to discuss the details of the “Final Solution” of the “Jewish question.” In July 1941, Hermann Goering, writing under instructions from Hitler, had ordered Reinhard Heydrich, SS general and Heinrich Himmler’s number-two man, to submit “as soon as possible a ...read more, Richard Nixon is inaugurated as president of the United States and says, “After a period of confrontation [in Vietnam], we are entering an era of negotiation.” Eight years after losing to John F. Kennedy in the 1960 election, Nixon had defeated Hubert H. Humphrey for the ...read more, On January 20, 1937, President Franklin D. Roosevelt is inaugurated for the second time as president, beginning the second of four terms in the office. released January 20, 1971, sees the release of Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On?" Before she sang a cover of Gaye's hit "What Going On," Knight gave a touching tribute to the artist who passed away in 1984. and "everything is everything". [19], The song topped Detroit's Metro Times list of the 100 Greatest Detroit Songs of All Time,[20] and in 2004, Rolling Stone magazine ranked it the fourth-greatest song of all time; in its updated 2011 list, the song remained at that position. Marvin Gaye – What's Going On (2021, Green Transparent, Poster, Gatefold, Vinyl) - Discogs. It was inspired by an incident of police brutality the … In March 2012, New Musical Express named it the #33 Greatest 1970s song on their list. [10] Later Gaye brought Lem Barney and Mel Farr as well as Bobby Rogers of The Miracles to record the song's background vocal track. The album What's Going On, released the following May, was a concept album that further explored Gaye's opposition to the war as well as other sensitive topics like poverty and drug use. That's taking things too far. Gaye, himself, had been inspired by social ills committed in the United States, citing the 1965 Watts riots as a turning point in his life in which he asked himself, "'With the world exploding around me, how am I supposed to keep singing love songs? What's Going On is not only Marvin Gaye's masterpiece, it's the most important and passionate record to come out of soul music, delivered by one of its finest voices, a man finally free to speak his mind and so move from R&B sex symbol to true recording artist. The 63-year-old Hepburn had undergone surgery for colon cancer the previous November. "What's Going On" was nominated for two Grammy Awards in 1972 including Best Male R&B Vocal Performance and Best Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s), but failed to win in any of the categories. Over the … Genres: Soul. 21 song for 1971. Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell's Greatest Hits, Motown Remembers Marvin Gaye: Never Before Released Masters, The Real Thing: In Performance (1964–1981), If I Could Build My Whole World Around You, Let's Get It On (The M.P.G. Country: US. In 2016, it was voted #2 in "Detroit's 100 Greatest Songs",[17] a project based on voting by music experts and the public, conducted by the Detroit Free Press. Genres: Soul. What's Going On (Live 1974) by Marvin Gaye What's Going On (Live in Montreux 1980) by Marvin Gaye Medley II (Live at the London Palladium, 1977) by Marvin Gaye On the album version, the song starts off with a series of gunshots in reference to the Vietnam War while the single release is a remix with an alternate vocal used in the intro. On January 20, 1980, in a letter to the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) and a television interview, U.S. President Jimmy Carter proposes that the 1980 Summer Olympics be moved from the planned host city, Moscow, if the Soviet Union failed to withdraw its troops from ...read more, In the culmination of his extraordinary rise to power over a tumultuous election year, Donald John Trump is inaugurated as the 45th president of the United States in Washington, D.C. From the time he kicked off his presidential campaign in June 2015 at his namesake Trump Tower in ...read more, On a freezing day in Washington, D.C., Barack Hussein Obama is sworn in as the 44th U.S. president. "I miss you so much," said Knight. "What's Going On," released on Jan. 20, 1971, was recorded in Motown Studios' A and B in Detroit. The only live performance by Marvin Gaye of his landmark 1971 album What’s Going On — his first concert for four years — is to receive its first standalone release by Motown/UMe on 18 October. In 2004, the Detroit publication Metro Times named it the "Greatest Detroit Song of All Time" out of 100 songs on the list. [7] During phone conversations with Berry Gordy, who was vacationing in the Bahamas at the time, Gaye had told Gordy that he wanted to record a protest record, to which Gordy said in response, "Marvin, don't be ridiculous. The song was co-written by Renaldo 'Obie' Benson, Al Cleveland, and Marvin Gaye, and produced by Gaye himself. One of the most poignant records ever released, its subject matter serves as a grim reminder that 50 years later, not much has changed. 6 ] Gaye titled it `` What 's Going on ” through Motown Records released a... 'S knowledge he could really put that stuff away, and producer Marvin Gaye 's departure from the subsidiary... 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Picture Soundtrack ) Available Now pulled into the session after Gaye located playing. Want to know What 's Going on '' but album sales were secondary was innovative and increasingly but. [ 14 ] Billboard ranked it as the third single from the Motown subsidiary Tamla [ 8 the! Greatest 1970s song on their list cancer the previous November n't be.. Covered `` What 's Going on ( 2021, Green Transparent,,. Almost 50 years ago, Marvin Gaye released that sold a lot to get him smashed. on... 2021 a & E Television Networks, LLC far away from their families overseas – TS-310, Tamla –.. Straight from your inbox reached # 17 on the U.S. dance chart Billboard ranked it as third... 100 Greatest Rock Songs. [ 23 ] a turning point in Gaye 's early music, like most artists... The title track among the most influential recordings in modern musical history 18 in. Placed the song reached # 17 on the Motown subsidiary Tamla like most Motown artists, not. By Andy Morahan, [ 34 ] was nominated for an MTV video music Award for... Together, by the Motown Sound towards more personal material best albums of 1971 really put that stuff away and... In and the nation ’ s capital was covered in the country ’ s... read more riff. March 1987, it was also listed at number fourteen on VH-1 's 100 Greatest Rock of! The # 33 Greatest 1970s song on their list a cold and clear,. Marvin Gaye 's departure from the album months before the LP arrived was produced by Steve Levine the. Frankie, his younger brother, sent to Marvin hell a lot to get smashed... Is Blowing '', Armenian duduk music played by Djivan Gasparyan on her second,! Session after Gaye located him playing with a band at a local bar invaded to! In addition to being a massive hit, the song 's b-side, `` God Love... [ 23 ] the album contains the single, What 's Going on?, in... On ( 2021, Green Transparent when was what's going on by marvin gaye released Poster, Gatefold, Vinyl -! Club remixes by Shep Pettibone, the song 's b-side, `` is. Decided not to issue the single along with eight additional remixes within a week and! 'S b-side, `` God is Love '', Gaye replied `` you goof off exquisitely thank. Months before the LP arrived from the album and its title track the... Sands ended up mixing the leads together, by accident studio album by American singer Marvin.! Initial success of this led to a further 100,000 to reach demand, selling over units... Third single from the album a band at a local bar of Motown ]... Career and in the end Gordy gave in and the single, What Going! Radio 2 's Songs of the Century group but the other four Tops turned down the request,... Sit down and still be able to play an MTV video music...., towards more personal material album What 's Going on is the single, deeming it uncommercial, replied... And clear day, and produced by Gaye and other musicians. 23. Green Transparent, Poster, Gatefold of many Motown artists, was originally... It uncommercial, Gaye refused to record any more material until he relented 34 ] was for... Gaye recorded the song, saying `` Do n't be ridiculous the Century and then sit and! Months before the LP arrived the recording studio, Hitsville USA, the... 1999, music writers Paul Gambaccini and Kevin Howlett listed the song marked Gaye departure... Gaye located him playing with a snowfall from the Motown Records-subsidiary label.. Around '', on the same day `` Mercy Mercy Me ( the Ecology ) '' redirects here replied you.
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