Name: What's Going On
Brand: Marvin Gaye

Bonus disc

Bonus disc: No

Catalogue number

4400640222

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Colour

Colour details

Discogs ID

Discs

Download code

Download code: No

Rough Trade Exclusive

Rough Trade Exclusive: No

Extended format

Extended format: No

Format detail

Format Music US

Limited edition

Release date

2012-09-17

Signed copies

Signed copies: No

Supplier US

Tax rate US

Sales:8.875

UPC / Barcode

044006402222

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1 / CD / Extended format: No / Rough Trade Exclusive: No / Signed copies: No

Artist

Marvin Gaye

Genre US

60s & 70s Soul & Funk

Label US

Motown

Essential

<a href="https://www.roughtrade.com/us/artist/sly-and-the-family-stone">Sly and the Family Stone</a> might have psychedelicized soul music, but <a href="https://www.roughtrade.com/us/artist/marvin-gaye">Marvin Gaye</a> personalized it.

Although the powers-that-were Motown didn't even want to release the record, the unexpected success of What's Going On, issued in 1971, inspired <a href="https://www.roughtrade.com/us/artist/stevie-wonder">Stevie Wonder</a>, <a href="https://www.roughtrade.com/us/artist/curtis-mayfield">Curtis Mayfield</a>, and just about every other black artist on the planet to take greater responsibility for their music and its meaning. <a href="https://www.roughtrade.com/us/artist/marvin-gaye">Gaye </a>co-wrote the songs and produced the album, flavouring it with layer upon layer of his own multi-tracked vocals, oceans of hand percussion, strings, flutes, and jazzy horn solos. spacey and loose as a spliff-fueled sunday afternoon jam in the park, the nine songs all played like a hit single. The title track - inspired by his brother's return from the Vietnam war - and the obvious social commentary of Inner City Blues (Make me Wanna Holler) and Mercy Mercy Me (the Ecology) actually were hit singles. Two other tracks (Wholly Holy and Save the Children) would inspire hit covers by <a href="https://www.roughtrade.com/us/artist/aretha-franklin">Aretha Franklin</a> and <a href="https://www.roughtrade.com/us/artist/diana-ross">Diana Ross</a>, respectively. Nevertheless, What's Going On sounds as fresh today as it did the week that it came out.

<a href="https://www.roughtrade.com/us/music/what-s-going-on-0a0b4685-70c1-4304-918e-42ddb3cfdc7a">LP available here.</a>

What's Going On

Music US