David Bales Great musicians set themselves apart by revolutionizing a facet of the music world. The ones that will go down in history are revered for their ability to create something unprecedented; to produce a sound that has never before been heard. For each of these musicians there is a defining work that marks their transition into this other realm. For Marvin Gaye it was his 1971 album What’s Going On, an album that bucked the stereotypical Motown trend and established him as a mainstay in music history. By 1971 Gaye had already achieved success under the watchful eye and direction of Motown producer Berry Gordy. Up to that point Gaye’s music had adhered to the manicured and polished style that was a trademark of the genre, but his 11th studio album certainly deviated from that norm. Instead of maintaining the charming innocence of traditional Motown music, What’s Going On reflected the tumult of Gaye’s personal life and the state of the world. Gaye’s vocals on the album are inevitably influenced by the depression that affected him while recording the album. He had recently lost his longtime duet partner and dear friend Tammi Terrell, who passed away after being diagnosed with a brain tumor at the age of 24, his marriage to Gordy’s sister, Anna, was quickly deteriorating, and he owed unpaid taxes to the IRS. Rather than creating a work that dragged on, however, Gaye managed to capture the melancholy that possessed so many Americans during the early 1970’s in the midst of the Vietnam War. Wanting to create an album that had a definite commentary on the war, civil rights, and the environment, Gaye said, “I was very much affected by letters my brother was sending me from Vietnam, as well as the social situation here at home. I realized that I had to put my own fantasies behind me if I wanted to write songs that would reach the souls of people. I wanted them to take a look at what was happening in the world.” While Gaye was not a typical activist of the 1960s and 70s, choosing to keep his distance from the riots and rallies, his pacifism allowed for the reflective and calm message that comes across in the song What’s Going On. This message is one that almost kept his timeless album from being made. When Gaye first showed the album’s opening and title track to Berry Gordy, he immediately rejected it. It could have been just because it was not in keeping with the Motown trend, or maybe Gordy thought that if this album was made it could begin the demise of Motown. Upon Gordy’s refusal to release his song, Gaye resolved that he would not produce any more music for the Motown label. He remained steadfast and after several months his label, which could not continue to release nothing from their biggest star, conceded. After seeing the success of his single they agreed to back his album. Just 10 days later, Gaye recorded What’s Going On with the help of The Funk Brothers - Motown’s main background band who had remained anonymous until Gaye credited them on this album. Once their biggest star had veered from the typical, oblivious path that their feel-good songs always took, Motown would never be the same. The music they produced was much more socially conscious and, while Motown stars still had great success, the record company lost much of its luster
and ultimately faded into obscurity. As famous as Marvin Gaye already was, What’s Going On provided the launching pad for him to truly become a superstar. He continued to produce groundbreaking music into the 70s and early 80s until he was shot and killed by his father in 1984. The incredible vocals on the album surprised even Gaye himself and were a revelation in singing for him. He later stated, “I felt like I'd finally learned to sing. I'd been studying the microphone for a dozen years, and I suddenly saw what I'd been doing wrong. I'd been singing too loud.” At the expense of the genre and company that built him up into a star, Marvin Gaye effectively transcended Motown with his album What’s Going On. He grew up from one of Berry Gordy’s pawns to one of the greatest artists of the century. His technique of including chatter from his friends that he obtained by simply letting the tapes roll and recording saxophonist Eli Fountain’s rehearsal exercises were unprecedented and yielded a unique sound. The saxophone solo that kicks off the album in the single, What’s Going On, was not a carefully calculated tune, but rather Fountain “goofing off.” In its musical composition, Gaye’s smooth, hypnotizing vocals, and his divergence from the Motown-sound that the public had grown accustomed to, What’s Going On changed the face of music and is unequivocally one of the most important albums of the twentieth century. Sources: http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/15679-whats-going-on-40th-anniversary-edition/ http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/500-greatest-albums-of-all-time-19691231/whats-goingon-marvin-gaye-19691231 Pictures: http://www.geardiary.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Marvin-Gaye-Whats-Going-On.jpg http://cdn.pigeonsandplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/marvingaye.jpg http://www.latimes.com/includes/projects/hollywood/portraits/marvin_gaye.jpg