As a child, mician Devon Gilfillian remembers his father, a profsnal weddg sger, harmonizg wh Marv Gaye’s inic “What’s Gog On” album their livg room. While the groove of the mic was palpable, the lyrics were lost on a young Gilfillian.
Contents:
- MARV GAYE’S ‘WHAT’S GOG ON’ GETS 50TH ANNIVERSARY DIGAL REISSUE
- THE STORY OF MARV GAYE'S 'WHAT'S GOG ON'
- 50 YEARS LATER, WHY MARV GAYE'S SEMAL ALBUM 'WHAT'S GOG ON' ENDUR
- 50 THGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT MARV GAYE'S WHAT'S GOG ON
- 50 YEARS AFTER MARV GAYE ASKED, ‘WHAT’S GOG ON?’ AMERI STILL SEARCHG FOR AN ANSWER
MARV GAYE’S ‘WHAT’S GOG ON’ GETS 50TH ANNIVERSARY DIGAL REISSUE
Motown/UMe marks the 50th anniversary of Marv Gaye’s "What’s Gog On" sgle wh an all-enpassg digal reissue of the 1971 LP. * marvin gay whats going on *
Motown/UMe has marked the 50th anniversary of Marv Gaye’s sgle release for “What’s Gog On” — the tle track om Rollg Stone’s Greatt Album of All Time — wh an all-enpassg digal reissue of the 1971 LP out now on streamg servic. To honor the sgle’s 50th birthday, Motown/UMe grouped together all that bon mic for the digal release dubbed What’s Gog On: Deluxe Edn/50th Anniversary, which ntas the origal album pl 12 bon tracks cludg sgle versns, mos and more, the “Detro Mix” of the album and the llectn of “Funky Natn” stmentals om Gaye’s post-What’s Gog On rerdg ssns.
THE STORY OF MARV GAYE'S 'WHAT'S GOG ON'
Marv Gaye's classic faced the forc shapg Amerin culture at the begng of the '70s. * marvin gay whats going on *
“The Detro Mix” of What’s Gog On, Gaye’s origal versn of the album before ncelg and reworkg Los Angel, prevly featured on the 30th anniversary reissue of the album 2001. “Funky Natn: The Detro Instmentals, ” a seri of jams Gaye laid down the rerdg ssns after releasg What’s Gog On, was clud the 40th anniversary reissue. “Through the regnn of What’s Gog On Day, we hope to brg awarens to Marv Gaye’s profound words as his timels mic remas our hearts and mds and ntu spirg generatns to e.
The central theme of "What's Gog On" and the album of the same name me om Marv Gaye's own life. When his brother Frankie returned om Vietnam, Gaye noticed that his outlook had changed.
His album beme an ternnected sue, a gallery of songs reflectg the state of the unn as Gaye saw , om neglected ghettos to the thrivg muny church, to the abed environment. " The label sat on for months, until Gaye threatened he'd never rerd there aga.
50 YEARS LATER, WHY MARV GAYE'S SEMAL ALBUM 'WHAT'S GOG ON' ENDUR
Five s later, we're still to "What's Gog On." That's bee them om Gaye's album reflect some of the most signifint challeng and divisns we face as a society today. * marvin gay whats going on *
Gaye relished the visibily, but hr knew that the real triumph was the way he transformed vexg social problems to an implorg emotnal appeal.
50 THGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT MARV GAYE'S WHAT'S GOG ON
On May 21, Marv Gaye's 1971 album hs the half-century mark — and 's as timely as 's ever been. * marvin gay whats going on *
11:08Download AudCopy the below to embed the WBUR d player on your seRumeMarv Gaye performs on stage at De Doelen, Rotterdam, Netherlands, July of 1980. Fd that d Marv Gaye's rerd "What's Gog On" me out 1971, unemployment was at a high of 6%, people were prottg police btaly, and Amerins were angry over the Vietnam War. “Motown was not a pany that was built on any kd of personal statements, ” says Nelson Gee, a mic journalist, thor and cultural cric who terviewed Gaye durg the sger-songwrer’s the 1970s, Motown Rerds was known for s “superb productn le, ” which clud the stud band, The Funk Brothers, Gee says.
”“That kd of polil, social, personal work was not a signature of the pany, ” Gee a tour stop Berkeley, California, Renaldo “Obie” Benson of Motown giant the Four Tops was spired to wre “What’s Gog On” after wnsg a scuffle between police and monstrators at an anti-Vietnam War Benson brought the song to him, Gaye was reluctant to rerd .
At this pot his reer, Gaye was famo for his pop duets and love ballads, such as “A't No Mounta High Enough” wh Tammi Terrell and “I Heard It Through the Grapeve. ”Gaye thought the song was better sued for a band lled The Origals, but he agreed to rerd himself after Benson allowed him to rewre some parts of . One of the most notable chang Gaye ma was the fal versn of the song, there was no qutn mark the song illtrat the challeng society durg the 1960s — “spirualy, brotherhood, the onens of man” — and speaks to what Gaye thks are solutns, Gee explas.
50 YEARS AFTER MARV GAYE ASKED, ‘WHAT’S GOG ON?’ AMERI STILL SEARCHG FOR AN ANSWER
”When “What’s Gog On” me out January of 1971, was an stant h, and Gordy sisted Gaye rerd an entire album to back up the sgle. ”Gaye Captured A ‘Sense Of Confn And Sadns’The send song on the album, “What's Happeng Brother” was wrten for Gaye's brother, Frankie, who had jt returned om a tour Vietnam and was stgglg to fd a 1971, the Amerin people were learng through the Pentagon Papers how the U. 4 on the Billboard pop sgl chart and even had a rare appearance for Gaye on the adult ntemporary sound of that song has an “herent spirual dimensn” that embrac many tradns om European and Black church, Gee says.
”Marv Gaye's rerd "What's Gog On" me out around this time 50 years ago.
(Gems/Redferns)‘A Betiful Piece Of Art’In the followg years after the album was released, Gaye stggled wh prsn and dg abe, survivg a suici attempt 1979. When Gee terviewed him March of 1983, Gaye was a visibly broken was g back to the U.