How Marv Gaye's 'What's Gog On' Changed the Sound of R&B Forever - Variety

Contents:

•  WHO IS JASON WARRR THE FOUR NTTANT AMERIN IDOL GOLN TICKET MARV GAYE SONG DN
• MARV GAYE'S 10 GREATT SONGS EVER, RANKED
• MARV GAYE’S ‘WHAT’S GOG ON’ GETS 50TH ANNIVERSARY DIGAL REISSUE
• 50 YEARS AFTER MARV GAYE ASKED, ‘WHAT’S GOG ON?’ AMERI STILL SEARCHG FOR AN ANSWER
• 50 THGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT MARV GAYE'S WHAT'S GOG ON
• DEVON GILFILLIAN TO COVER MARV GAYE’S ‘WHAT’S GOG ON’ WH JASON ISBELL, GRACE POTTER
• HOW MARV GAYE’S ‘WHAT’S GOG ON’ CHANGED THE SOUND OF R&B FOREVER
• JANIS GAYE WAS MARV GAYE’S ME — SHE ‘SAW MY SOUL,’ HE SAID — AND SO MUCH MORE
• HOW A 1979 BOXG MATCH BEME THE FIGHT OF MARV GAYE’S LIFE

 WHO IS JASON WARRR THE FOUR NTTANT AMERIN IDOL GOLN TICKET MARV GAYE SONG DN

For his 'Idol' dn, he went wh Marv Gaye's "What's Gog On" and even though Lnel Richie had his skepticism about Warrr dog enough jtice to the song bee of s plexi, he along wh judg Katy Perry and Le Bryan were on their feet by the end of the performance. Taken far too soon, Marv Gaye's mic took on var styl, om upliftg duets to heartbreakg ballads to socially-nsc 've taken his 10 very bt songs for the ultimate Marv Gaye troductn:.

Wrten by the famo Holland–Dozier–Holland tr at Motown, this gave Marv Gaye his biggt h at the time song's tle was spired by one of Jackie Gleason's signature tchphras: "How Sweet It Is! Released on Motown's Tamla label 1966, this duet between Marv and Kim Wton scrib var thgs life - such as dreams, love and wish - beg far better wh two people stead of more: The tragic story of Marv Gaye and the untimely ath of a soul legendIn 1990, Rod Stewart and Ta Turner teamed up for a ver versn, takg to number five the UK.

Origally by Dn, this song was a tribute to four inic Amerins who were assassated: Abraham Lln, Mart Luther Kg Jr, John F Kennedy and Robert Gaye vered the song 1970, and was one of his first experiments socially-nsc mic, a year before his What's Gog On? Songwrers Ashford & Simpson scribed this song as their 'goln egg' which got them their first Motown Sprgfield wanted to rerd first, but the duo turned her down so that they uld secure Motown, and land wh Marv and Tammi Terrell, who sred a big h wh their origal more: Tammi Terrell - The tragic life story of a Motown sger and how Marv Gaye never got over her athThree years later, Diana Ross achieved her first solo US number one wh a ver versn g a different arrangement.

MARV GAYE'S 10 GREATT SONGS EVER, RANKED

Album, this song is one of mic's most poignant anthems regardg the was a ln-seller, and was later vered by Robert Palmer 1990 as part of a medley wh Gaye's song 'I Want You'. The tle track of his 1973 album, beme Marv's biggt h and one of his sgature wh Ed Townsend, was origally nceived as a relig song after Townsend had recently fished rehab, before Gaye transformed to an emotnal plea about love and sexual liberatn. This song was -wrten by Renaldo 'Obie' Benson, Al Cleveland, and Marv Gaye, and produced by Gaye marked Gaye's parture om the Motown Sound of his prev output, towards more personal more: The Story of...

However, is Marv Gaye's versn om 1968 that beme the most inic, spe the fact that Motown chief Berry Gordy was not nvced would be a h at more: Marv Gaye's isolated vols om 'I Heard Through the Grapeve' will give you tglIt beme a h for a send time 1985, after s e the inic Levi's advert featurg a certa Nick Kamen at a lndrette. 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 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.

MARV GAYE’S ‘WHAT’S GOG ON’ GETS 50TH ANNIVERSARY DIGAL REISSUE

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. In a recent terview for a new CNN documentary about Gaye’s work, tled “What’s Gog On: Marv Gaye’s Anthem for the Ag, ” the Grammy-nomated artist and activist relled redisverg the album jt before headg to a prott Nashville last summer. Wh progrs, 100 years we'll look back on the rerd as an album that broke down barriers and beme the blueprt on how to live harmonly wh each other and our, though, let's take a closer look at the makg of Gaye's masterpiece as the album reach s mid-life surround by a world still crisis.

50 YEARS AFTER MARV GAYE ASKED, ‘WHAT’S GOG ON?’ AMERI STILL SEARCHG FOR AN ANSWER

The boss at Motown thought Gaye was jeopardizg his reer wh this albumIn the fall of 1970, Gaye was so exced about the prott album he had md — and the song "What's Gog On" that he'd jt fished — that he tracked down the head of Motown Rerds, Berry Gordy, who was on vatn the Bahamas, to tell him the ia.

Bettg on 30 days of What's Gog OnAfter Gordy had been proven wrong about the succs of the sgle "What's Gog On, " he drove to Gaye's hoe to ask for the full album. This irked Gaye, bee Gordy had actively tried to stop the song om beg Gordy knew that one sure-fire way to get mic out of Gaye was to make a bet wh the sger. 'What's Gog On' almost beme a song for vol group the OrigalsIn mid-1970, after workg on the song wh lyricist Al Cleveland, Benson fally had a chance to play for Gaye after trackg him down on a golf urse.

The album hered a new look for GayeTo separate himself om the fishg-school look of other Motown artists, Gaye changed his image while rerdg this album. Many of his fans pied his fashn sense, but Gaye later admted to bgrapher David Rz that he wore them to ver up a growg bald spot on the top of his head, and was tickled to see people wear them to look Gaye, wearg his signature toque. Unlike most producers, Gaye sat down the Snakep wh the micians, leadg the rhythm sectn and playg piano stead of producg om behd the glass the Snakep, where What's Gog On was rerd.

50 THGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT MARV GAYE'S WHAT'S GOG ON

The end of 'The Sound of Young Ameri'Both the ont and rear ver shots for the album were taken the backyard of the hoe where Gaye and his wife were livg wh their son, Marv III. In the image on the rear of the album, Gaye is surround by a swg set and toys piled up agast a wall, echog one of the album's central songs, "Save the Children.

DEVON GILFILLIAN TO COVER MARV GAYE’S ‘WHAT’S GOG ON’ WH JASON ISBELL, GRACE POTTER

Gaye went heavy on percsn players, g Eddie Brown (Gaye's former valet) and Earl Derouen on ngas and bongos, Jack Brokensha on vib and Jack Ashford on tamboure. Jam Jamerson rerd his bass l while layg flat on his backThe story go that Gaye knew he wanted Motown ssn man and key Funk Brother Jam Jamerson to play bass on the rhythm tracks, so he followed Jamerson down to a lol Detro blu club where the bassist was playg the band. Gaye axed him offstage and back to the stud, but Jamerson was so toxited he kept fallg off his stool durg the rerdg, so he lay flat on his back to lay down the bass riffs that were wrten out for him by arranger David Van DePte.

HOW MARV GAYE’S ‘WHAT’S GOG ON’ CHANGED THE SOUND OF R&B FOREVER

Ward was gettg a one-dience-member Marv Gaye ncert but says that she was so by gettg the lyrics down rrectly that she didn't have time to enjoy Gaye sgg jt for her.

JANIS GAYE WAS MARV GAYE’S ME — SHE ‘SAW MY SOUL,’ HE SAID — AND SO MUCH MORE

Gaye was a nervo performer at the bt of tim, but on his namake day, four years sce his last performance, sred, stoned and wh a hired band of unr-rehearsed micians, Gaye panicked and accintally started wh "Right On, " the album's first song on the send si, playg the album back to ont.

SmokeThis album was the product of many wrers, among them Anna Gordy, Obie Benson, Al Cleveland, Elgie Stover, Jam Nyx and Earl Derouen, but Gaye always claimed there was one wrer on the album who didn't receive an album cred: Smokey Robson. Those vol loops were a happy accintAnother signature sound on the album was the layerg of Gaye's vols, his abily to back his own voice and harmonize wh himself over and over. The three had bee close iends, and 1970 Farr and Barney both helped nvce Gaye that "What's Gog On" was the perfect song for him to sg, bolsterg the early argument om Benson.

Their voic n be heard the vol chatter at the begng of the song and, even wh ltle vol talent between them, Gaye asked the pair to sg backg vols on the whole song. Buried the mix of "What's Gog On" you n hear Gaye beatg on a rdboard box to accentuate the percsn of the ngas and the dmmg of big-band tubthumper Chet Fort. 'Father, father, we don't need to late'The lyric "Father, father, we don't need to late" "What's Gog On" speaks both to God and Gaye's own father, Marv Gay Sr.

HOW A 1979 BOXG MATCH BEME THE FIGHT OF MARV GAYE’S LIFE

'What's Happeng Brother'The song "What's Happeng Brother" me directly out of a nversatn between Gaye and his younger brother, Frankie, who had been to Vietnam and pleted a three-year tour of duty. Marv Gaye, the sportsmanIn sprg 1970, jt before the song "What's Gog On" dropped his lap, Gaye wanted nothg more than to be a profsnal football player.

'The Curse Out Man'The songs "Fly' High ( the Friendly Sky)" and "God is Love" were wrten by Gaye, his wife, Anna, and his nfidante Elgie Stover, who was nicknamed "the curse out man" at Motown. On the album's next track, "Save the Children, " Gaye shows his two other distct voic: his macho-man style of sgg, ed on his early R&B hs, and Gaye the preacher, his reasoned, level-head spoken-word ratnal voice (which is the ma voice you hear on the track). " Motown legend tells that was performed by sax player Thomas "Beans" Bowl, who was lled to the stud by Gaye a scramble the middle of the night to perform — but the tth is very flute on the song was played by a teenage girl named Dayna Hartwick.

Most of the Motown producers found his "growlg" sax style out of date, but a late-night ssn Gaye paid Wild Bill $500 out of his own pocket to play his tenor sax across the whole album.