Black History Month: What's Going On - Marvin Gaye

Today's Black History Month illustration is of Marvin Gaye's 1971 concept album What's Going On. This album is considered one of the greatest albums of the 20th century and one of the landmark recordings in pop music history.

Here are five interesting facts about the legendary album:

1. What’s Going On was one of R&B’s first concept albums. The album is from the point of view of a Vietnam War veteran returning back to the US and seeing hatred and injustice.

2. The album uses a “song cycle.” Each song flows into each other, like one long single.

3. Marvin Gaye's lyrics discuss themes such as: the Vietnam War (What’s Happening Brother?), global warming and the natural world (Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)), and urban poverty and police violence (Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)).

4. Berry Gordy didn’t like “What’s Going On,” calling it “the worst thing I ever heard in my life.” Marvin Gaye went on strike until Gordy changed his mind.

5. Marvin Gaye’s multi-layered vocals were actually an accident by the engineers, Steve Smith and Kenneth Sands. They originally were going to listen to two vocal takes of “What’s Going On’ to figure out which one to use for the final version. Smith and Sands accidentally mixed the two lead vocals together, and Marvin Gaye loved the sound. He decided to use the approach for the rest of the album.

“What’s Going On” continues to be Marvin Gaye’s and one of Motown’s most important musical and social statements.

My illustration of Marvin Gaye is available as an art print here.

I’ll be back tomorrow with another illustration and story!
-Alleanna

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Further watching and listening:

Live Performance: What’s Going On (1972) (6 mins)

Isolated Bass Track: What's Going On - James Jamerson (4 mins)

Documentary: Marvin Gaye What's Going On - PBS (53 mins)

Behind the Scenes: Unpacking the Tracks: Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On" with Motown's Harry Weinger and Questlove - The Kennedy Center (16 mins) 

Sources:

Tips from the Top: The Making of Marvin Gaye’s ‘What’s Going On’

At the end of the ’60s, multi-talented

BMI.comDave Simons

https://www.npr.org/2000/08/07/1080444/npr-100-whats-going-on

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/marvin-gayes-whats-going-relevant-today-it-was-1971-180977750/