What's Going On Blog

Hello my name is Michael Kavanagh and on this Blog I will be talking about Marvin Gaye’s album, What’s Going On. 

Before this album Marvin released 10 albums, with countless songs and top ten hits.  Marvin Gaye has been described as a Sex Symbol of the 60’s and 70’s due to his way with words and his singing style and this is one of the main reasons Berry Gordy, his brother-in-law and one of Motown’s head, didn’t want Gaye putting out this album because he was afraid it would flop and mess up his musical reputation.

Marvin Gaye actually received the concept and some songs and lyrics from Renaldo “Obie” Benson of the four tops.  The song was not originally intended for Marvin, but the Four Tops however were not interested in it so ‘Obie’ tried to find someone that he thought was a match for it. He first stumbled on a famous folksinger in England; Joan Baez. She seems interested, said ‘Obie’ while playing her, a rough draft he had came up with, but fate had it that through separation he was never able to finish presenting to her and someone else would deliver ‘What’s Going On’. "Marvin was the perfect artist for it," Obie had stated. Obie was inspired to come up with the concept when he was on a tour stop in San Francisco and saw police beating up protestors and that was when he said, “What the going on, What the hell is going on?” Marvin also felt a connection to the topic because his brother, Frankie Gaye, had just returned home from the frontlines of war. And despite all the negative criticism it received from his label it received three Top Ten singles.

Marvin Gaye faced roadblocks when trying to release this album. His label at the time Motown Records did not feel that the album would do well due to the content of the songs.  They actually told him that they would not release the album and if not for Marvin telling them that unless they release his album, he would not record anymore songs for Motown it would not of been released.

The album was really nice. This album’s genre to me is Gospel/Soul because when listening to this album it touched me deep inside. Marvin Gaye also reminded me of Luthor Vandros. Even though I really like Marvin Gaye’s work I’ve never heard any of his material from What’s Going On, but I was very surprised because I really liked the sound of What’s Going On and I thought that the whole album had a particular feel to it and consistency that I feel you do not hear on modern day albums, as they as just I have always been a fan of Marvin Gaye since I heard his song Let’s Get It On. From a fan standpoint and just a human standpoint I’m very sad and upset that Marvin Gaye was murdered as it’s terrible news hearing that anybody has been murdered and I know there was much for to come for Marvin Gaye, musically, had he not been murdered.