4

MarvinGaye,'What'sGoingOn'

Writers:Gaye,RenaldoBenson,AlCleveland
Producer:Gaye
Released:Feb.'71,Tamla
13weeks;No.2
"What'sGoingOn"isanexquisitepleaforpeaceonEarth,sungbyamanattheheightofcrisis.In
1970,MarvinGayewasMotown'stopmalevocalstar,yethewasfrustratedbytheassemblylinerolehe
playedonhisownhits.DevastatedbythelossofduetpartnerTammiTerrell,whodiedthatMarchaftera
threeyearbattlewithabraintumor,GayewasalsotrappedinaturbulentmarriagetoAnnaGordy,
MotownbossBerryGordy'ssister.Gayewastormented,too,byhisrelationshipwithhispuritanical
father,MarvinSr."IfIwasarguingforpeace,"GayetoldbiographerDavidRitz,"IknewI'dhavetofind
peaceinmyheart."
NotlongafterTerrell'spassing,RenaldoBensonoftheFourTopspresentedGayewithasonghehad
writtenwithMotownstafferAlCleveland.ButGayemadethesonghisown,overseeingthearrangement
andinvestingthetopicalreferencestowarandracialstrifewithprivateanguish.Motownsessioncrew
theFunkBrotherscutthestunning,jazzinflectedrhythmtrack(Gayejoinedinwithcardboardbox
percussion).ThenGayeinvokedhisownfamilyinmovingprayer:singingtohisyoungerbrother
Frankie,aVietnamveteran("Brother,brother,brother/There'sfartoomanyofyoudying"),andappealing
forcalmclosertohome("Father,father,father/Wedon'tneedtoescalate").
Initiallyrejectedasuncommercial,"What'sGoingOn"(withbackgroundvocalsbytwoplayersfromthe
DetroitLions)wasGaye'sfineststudioachievement,atimelessgiftofhealing.ButforGaye,thepeacehe
cravednevercame:OnApril1st,1984,hediedinafamilydisputeshotbyhisfather.

Appearson:What'sGoingOn(Tamla)
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The100GreatestArtistsofAllTime:MarvinGaye

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