Marvin Gaye: What's Going On

Marvin Gaye was a Motown singer who in the 1970’s self produced his album What’s Going On, which came to be one of the most influential albums of its time.  Before he released this album, Marvin Gaye’s sound and image was much like that of other Motown artists at the time.  There was a certain formula that all of them had and many of the ideas for songs were bounced around from artist to artist.  This produced a certain tone and vibe to Motown music that made it very recognizable.

There were many social and political events that inspired Gaye to take a new direction when creating What’s Going On.  His brother, Frankie, was one of his biggest influences.  Frankie had survived three years in the Vietnam war, and Marvin felt like he should be able to do something, but he didn’t know what.  His brother told him to fight with his music and not guns.  The recent deaths of Martin Luther King Jr. and Bobby Kennedy were also pushing matters during the time, and the fact that our government could put rockets into space but ignored the poverty stricken streets of Detroit infuriated him. 

There were some obstacles that Marvin Gaye faced when creating this album, and one of the biggest was the owner of the Motown record label, Berry Gordy.  When Gaye brought the album to Gordy, he said it was “one of the worst things he has ever heard in his entire life.”  It failed to pass quality control, and Gaye eventually had to wait it out, even trying to become a professional football player in his off time.  Finally, the album was released without Gordy knowing and became an instant success.

One characteristic that makes What’s Going On so unique is the fact that the subject matter is very meaningful and almost preaches the fact that change needed to take place in order for people to live in peace.  Another characteristic of this album is the accidental use of doubling the lead vocals.  After they heard the sound that was produced from doing this, it became a signature technique that was used to create the unique sound of Marvin Gaye’s vocals.

I thoroughly enjoy listening to What’s Going On, and you can really hear the strong message that this album carries with it.  The fact that new and inventive techniques were used while recording and mixing the album pays homage to the groundbreaking vision that Gaye was trying to achieve.  What’s Going On will remain in history as one of the most influential albums of the 1970’s.