Name: What's Going On CD
Brand: Marvin Gaye

Bonus disc

Bonus disc: No

Catalogue number

640222

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Colour

Colour details

Discogs ID

Format multiplier

Download code

Download code: No

Rough Trade Exclusive

Rough Trade Exclusive: No

Extended format

Extended format: No

Format detail

Format Music GB

Limited edition

Release date

2010-02-04

Signed copies

Signed copies: No

Supplier GB

Universal

Tax rate GB

Standard:20

UPC / Barcode

44006402222

Total Cap

1 / CD / Extended format: No / Rough Trade Exclusive: No / Signed copies: No

Artist

Marvin Gaye

Genre GB

Funk / Soul

Label GB

Motown

Our curated collection of essential albums on vinyl, CD, and tape at Rough Trade.

Rough Trade Essential

Marvin Gaye was an American singer-songwriter and musician with a three-octave vocal range. He was born on April 2, 1939 in Washington, D.C., USA and tragically died on April 1, 1984 in Los Angeles, California, USA when he was shot by his father Marvin Gay Sr.
Gaye started his career as a member of The Moonglows in the late fifties. After the group disbanded in 1960, he embarked on a successful solo career and signed with the Tamla subsidiary of Motown Records.
Inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame in 1987 as a performer, Marvin Gaye is remembered for his incredible talent and contributions to music. He is also known as the brother of Frankie Gaye and the father of Nona Gaye.

The legendary Motown label was founded on January 12, 1959 and incorporated as Motown Recording Corporation on April 14, 1960 by Berry Gordy, Jr., who merged his two successful imprints, Tamla and Motown. It was one of the most successful independent record companies in history. Its stable of hit-making artists such as The Miracles, The Supremes, The Temptations and many others, along with a talented staff of musicians and songwriters, collectively created the "Motown Sound," a world famous hybrid of soul, doo-wop, rhythm & blues and pop. Its motto was "The Sound of Young America".

Motown remained independent until 1988 when MCA Records and private equity firm Boston Ventures teamed up to buy the label from Gordy for $61 million. It was bought again by PolyGram in 1993, becoming a part of the Universal Music Group after it purchased PolyGram in 1999. Within Universal, Motown was incorporated into various other subsidiaries including Universal Motown Records Group from 2000 to 2011 and later moved to Island Def Jam Music Group until both label groups were disbanded by UMG in 2014.

In January 2023 under Chivon Dean's new leadership as president and CEO, Motown has been divested from the Capitol Music Group while remaining under the Universal Music Group. Over its history, the Motown

Sly and the Family Stone might have psychedelicised soul music, but Marvin Gaye personalised it. Although the powers-that-were Motown didn't even want to release the record, the unexpected success of What's Going On, issued in 1971, inspired Stevie Wonder, Curtis Mayfield, and just about every other black artist on the planet to take greater responsibility for their music and its meaning.

Gaye co-wrote the songs and produced the album, flavouring it with layer upon layer of his own multi-tracked vocals, oceans of hand percussion, strings, flutes, and jazzy horn solos. spacey and loose as a spliff-fuelled Sunday afternoon jam in the park, the nine songs all played like a hit single. The title track - inspired by his brother's return from the Vietnam war - and the obvious social commentary of "Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)" and "Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)" actually were hit singles. Two other tracks ("Wholly Holy" and "Save The Children") would inspire hit covers by Aretha Franklin and Diana Ross, respectively.

Nevertheless, What's Going On sounds as fresh today as it did the week that it came out.

What's Going On CD

Music GB