Marvin Gaye's What's Going On

Cover Art of "What's Going On".

Marvin Gaye was an American songwriter and musician (played mostly drums and piano) that “helped to popularize the Motown Sound by the late 60’s”  (Moss, 2009).  Gaye’s exceptional music productions and songwriting skills made him obtain a reputation of an exceptional solo artist. After the death of his friend Tammi Terrell due to a brain tumor, Gaye entered to a great depression.  Another reason that helped Gaye’s depression were the racial, political, and social problems going on around the world in the late 60’s.  Also, he used to receive letters from his brother that was serving in the Vietnam War.  

After the song “What’s Going On” was recorded, Motown Records denied to publish it, because of is political content.  This song was protesting against racism but mostly against war.  There is a part of the song where it says, “You see, war is not the answer”, clearly stating his position against the war in Vietnam.  Although the song was looked as a protest song, Marvin Gaye did not looked at it the same way.  Gaye told to the Four Tops (a quartet from Motown Records) once: “It’s a love song, about love and understanding.  I’m not protesting, I want to know what’s going on” (Edmonds, 2001).

What’s Going On was recorded in one of the Motown’s Studio, but it did not possessed “the Motown Sound”.  Instead, Gaye used instrumentation and musical arrangement different from Motown’s formula.  Gaye used a cardboard box with a pair of drumsticks to create a more “hollow percussion sound” (Moss, 2009) in some of the songs.  Also, instead of using the usual three back-up singers Motown often required (that was a crucial part of the Motown Sound), Gaye used a background chorus to support his lead vocals as he walked around the recording room with the microphone in his hand, trying to capture the best sound possible in each part of the room.

There were two major obstacles for Gaye to record and release “What’s Going On”.  After the dead of his friend Terrell, Gaye entered into a depression, negating him into writing, recording, and performing songs.  After he listened to the earlier version of the song “What’s Going On” he felt the song reflected his mood and attitude at the moment.  After recording another version of the song, where Gaye obtained total creative control was when they decided to record the album.  After the album was done (1970), Motown did not want it to release it, because it was “too weird to release it” (Moss, 2009) and for its political content.  In response, Gaye denied to work with Motown until they release the song. One year later Motown released it.  

In my opinion “What’s Going On” was a risky, but intelligent move by Marvin Gaye and Motown Records.  This album was the first album released by Motown without  “the Motown Sound”.  I said it was an intelligent move, because the album was a proof of Gaye’s true creativity.  One of my supports to this statement is that the song “What’s Going On” was ranked number 4 on Rolling Stone’s list of the “500 Greatest Songs of All Time”. Also, this album posses a strong message to wake up society from hatred and at the same time gives you the sense of hope and love. 


 

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