On May 21, 1971, “Tamla” label released “What’s Going On”, the eleventh Marvin Gaye studio album. It was recorded June –September 1970; March – May 1971, at “Hitsville U.S.A.”, “Golden World”, and “United Sound Studios” in Detroit and “The Sound Factory” in Hollywood, and was produced by Marvin Gaye. “What’s Going On” was an immediate success both commercially and critically, and is regarded as one of the most important albums in the music history. “Rolling Stone” magazine ranked it at number six on its list of the “500 Greatest Albums of All Time”. In 1985, readers of “NME” magazine voted “What’s Going On” the “Best Album of all Time”. “Guardian” ranked “What’s Going On at number one on its list of the “100 Best Albums Ever”.
Personnel:
- Marvin Gaye – lead and backing vocals, piano, mellotron, box drum
- The Detroit Symphony Orchestra conducted and arranged by David Van De Pitte
- The Funk Brothers – instrumentation
- Solo Horns – instrumentation
- Joe Messina, Robert White– electric guitars
- Jack Ashford– tambourine, percussion
- Earl Van Dyke– keyboards
- Johnny Griffith– celeste, keyboards
- Max Janowsky – double bass
- James Jamerson– bass guitar
- Bob Babbitt– bass guitar
- Chet Forest – drums
- Eddie “Bongo” Brown– bongos, congas
- Earl DeRouen – bongos, congas
- Bobbye Hall– bongos
- Jack Brokensha– vibraphone, percussion
- Larry Nozero, Angelo Carlisi, George Benson, Tate Houston– saxophone
- Eli Fontaine– alto saxophone
- Wild Bill Moore– tenor saxophone
- John Trudell, Maurice Davis – trumpet
- Nilesh Pawar – oboe
- Carl Raetz – trombone
- Dayna Hardwick, William Perich – flutes
- Gordon Staples, Zinovi Bistritzky, Beatriz Budinzky, Richard Margitza, Virginia Halfmann, Felix Resnick, Alvin Score, Lillian Downs, James Waring – violin
- Edouard Kesner, Meyer Shapiro, David Ireland, Nathan Gordon – viola
- Italo Babini, Thaddeus Markiewicz, Edward Korkigan – cello
- Carole Crosby – harp
- The Andantes – Jackie Hicks, Marlene Barrow, and Louvain Demps – backing vocals
- Mel Farr, Charlie Sandersand and Lem Barney of the Detroit Lions – backing vocals
- Dave Bingof, The Detroit Pistons, Bobby Rogersof , The Miracles, Elgie Stover, Kenneth Stover – backing vocals
- Curtis McNair – art direction
- Katherine Marking – design
- Alana Coghlan – design
- James Hendin – photography
Track listing:
- What’s Going On – Al Cleveland, Marvin Gaye, Renaldo “Obie” Benson
- What’s Happening Brother – Marvin Gaye, James Nyx Jr.
- Flyin’ High (In the Friendly Sky) – Marvin Gaye, Anna Gordy Gaye, Elgie Stover
- Save the Children – Al Cleveland, Renaldo “Obie” Benson, Marvin Gaye
- God is Love – Marvin Gaye, Anna Gordy Gaye, James Nyx Jr.
- Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology) – Marvin Gaye
- Right On – Earl DeRouen, Marvin Gaye
- Wholy Holy – Renaldo “Oboe” Benson, Al Cleveland, Marvin Gaye
- Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler) – Marvin Gaye, James Nyx Jr,
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