Marvin Gaye

 

Artist:  Marvin Gaye

Birth Name:  Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr.

Born:  April 2, 1939.  Washington, D.C. USA

Died:  April 1, 1984 (Aged 44).  Los Angeles, California, USA

Genre:  R&B, Soul, Gospel, Funk, Progressive Soul, Psychedelic Soul, Smooth Soul, Pop-Soul, Quiet Storm, Motown

Occupation:  Singer, Songwriter

Instruments:  Vocals, Keyboards, Drums

Marvin Gaye was an American Singer and Songwriter.  He helped to  shape the sound of Motown in the 1960s, first as a in-house session player and later as a solo artist with a string of success, earning him the nicknames "Prince Of Motown" and "Prince Of Soul".  His big hits include "Ain't That Peculiar", "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)", and "I Heard It Through The Grapevine".  He also recorded duets with Mary Wells, Diana Ross, Tammi Terrell, and Kim Weston.  He won his first two Grammy Awards on the album Midnight Love.

Title:  What's Going On (50th Anniversary Edition Double Vinyl) (2022)

Genre:  R&B, Soul, Gospel, Funk, Progressive Soul, Psychedelic Soul, Smooth Soul, Pop-Soul, Quiet Storm, Motown

Label:   Motown Records

Rating:  *****

Format:  LP

Tracks:

LP 1:

Side 1:

 1.  What's Going On (4:00)

 2.  What's Happening Brother (2:37)

 3.  Flyin' High (In The Friendly Sky) (3:40)

 4.  Save The Children (4:06)

 5.  God Is Love (1:44)

 6.  Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology) (3:03)

Side 2:

 1.  Right On (7:13)

 2.  Wholy Holy (3;06)

 3.  Inner City Blues (Mae Me Wanna Holler) (5:30)

LP 2:

Side 3:

 1.  What's Going On (Stripped Version) (3:57)

 2.  What's Going On (Mix 1/No Strings or Horns) (3:54)

 3.  What's Going On (Rhythm 'N' Strings Instrumental Mix) (3:50)

 4.  Symphony (Demo Version) (2:49)

Side 4:  Original Mono Singles:

 1.  What's Going On (3:54)

 2.  God Is Love (2:51)

 3.  Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology) (2:30)

 4.  Sad Tomorrows (2:22)

 5.  Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler) (2:58)

 6.  Wholy Holy (3;09)

Personnel:

Marvin Gaye:  All Lead Vocals

Detroit Symphony Orchestra:

David Van De Pitte:  Conductor

Background Vocals:

Marvin Gaye

The Andantes (Jackie Hicks, Marlene Barrow, Louvain Demps)

Mel Farr, Charlie Sanders, Lem Barney Of The Detroit Lions

Dave Bing Of The Detroit Pistons

Bobby Rogers Of The Miracles

Elgie Stover

Kenneth Stover

Strings, Woodwinds And Brass:

Gordon Staples, Zinovi Bistritzky, Beatriz Budinzky, Richard Margitza, Virginia Halfmann, Felix Riesnick, Alvin Score Lillian Downs, James Waring:  Violins

Edouard Kesner, Meyer Shapiro, David Ireland, Nathan Gordon:  Violas

Italo Babini, Thaddeus Markiewicz, Edward Korkigan:  Cellos

Max Janowsky:  Double Bass

Carole Crosby:  Harp

Dayna Handwick:  William Perich:  Flutes

Larry Nozero, Angelo Carlisi, George Benson, Tate Houston:  Saxophones

John Trudell Maurice Davis:  Trumpets

Nilesh Pawar:  Oboe

Carl Raetz:  Trombone

The Funk Brothers:  Instrumentation, Spoken Interlude ("What's Going On") and solo Horns

Eli Fountain:  Alto Saxophone on "What's Going On"

Wild Bill Moore:  Tenor Saxophone on "Mercy Mercy Me"

Marvin Gaye:  Piano, Mellotron on "Mercy Mercy Me", Box Drum on "What's Going On"

Johnny Griffith:  Celeste, Additional Keyboards

Earl Van Dyke:  Additional Keyboards

Jack Brokensha:  Vibraphone, Percussion

Joe Messina, Robert White:  Electric Guitars

James Jamerson:  Bass on "What's Going On", "What's Happening Brother", "Flyin' High", "Save The Children", "God Is Love", "Sad Tomorrow"

Bob Babbitt:  Bass on "Mercy Mercy Me","Right On", "Wholy Holy", "Inner Cit Blues"

Chet Forest:  Drums

Jack Ashford:  Tambourine, Percussion

Eddie "Bongo" Brown:  Bongos, Congas

Earl DeRouen". Bongos, Congas on "Right On"

Bobbye Hall:  Bongos on "Inner City Blues"

What's Going On is the eleventh studio album by Marvin Gaye, originally released on May 21, 1971 by Tamla, remastered and reissued on April 1, 2022 by Motown Records.  The album reached No. 1 on US Billboard Top Soul Albums Chart (1971).  50th Anniversary Edition in Double LP 180 Gram Vinyl.