What’s Going On

~ Release by Marvin Gaye (see all versions of this release, 47 available)

Tracklist

1▼12" Vinyl
#TitleRatingLength
A1What’s Going On
producer:
Marvin Gaye
mixer:
Lawrence Miles (on 1971-05-06)
instruments:
Detroit Symphony Orchestra (on 1971-05-06) and The Funk Brothers (on 1971-05-06)
percussion [box drum], piano and lead vocals:
Marvin Gaye (on 1971-05-06)
background vocals:
Lem Barney (on 1971-05-06), Mel Farr (on 1971-05-06) and Marvin Gaye (on 1971-05-06)
conductor:
David Van dePitte (on 1971-05-06)
phonographic copyright (℗) by:
Motown Records (not for label use; use “Motown” instead) (in 1971) and UMG Recordings, Inc. (operational headquarters of Universal Music Group, based in Santa Monica, USA; read annotations) (in 2020)
recorded at:
Hitsville (Motown Records) in Detroit, Michigan, United States (on 1971-05-06)
part of:
Helsingin Sanomat: 100 maailman parasta laulua (2022-1-15) (number: 4), Rolling Stone: 500 Greatest Songs of All Time (as at 2016-06-10) (number: 4), Rolling Stone: 500 Greatest Songs of All Time: 2021 edition (number: 6), Billboard: The 500 Best Pop Songs (as of October 2023) (number: 102) and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame – 500 Songs That Shaped Rock
recording of:
What’s Going On (on 1971-05-06)
lyricist and composer:
Renaldo Benson, Al Cleveland (songwriter 1930-1996) and Marvin Gaye
publisher:
EMI Songs Australia, FCG Music, Jobete Music Co., Inc., MG III Music, NMG Music, Sony/ATV Music Publishing Ltd. and Stone Agate Music Corp.
sub-publisher:
イーエムアイ音楽出版 フジパシフィック事業部 (EMI Music Publishing Japan, Fujipacific Division) (until 2021-06-30) and ソニー・ミュージックパブリッシング フジパシフィック事業部 (Sony Music Publishing (Japan) Inc., Fujipacific Division) (from 2021-07-01 to present)
recording of:
What’s Going On (Japanese version)
writer:
Renaldo Benson, Al Cleveland (songwriter 1930-1996) and Marvin Gaye
translator:
杉山清貴 (Kiyotaka Sugiyama)
translated version of:
What’s Going On
4.253:54
A2What’s Happening Brother
producer:
Marvin Gaye
mixer:
Lawrence Miles (, on 1971-05-06)
conductor:
David Van dePitte
recording of:
What’s Happening Brother
composer:
Marvin Gaye and James Nyx (R&B songwriter)
4.252:44
A3Flyin’ High (In the Friendly Sky)
producer:
Marvin Gaye
mixer:
Lawrence Miles (on 1971-05-06)
conductor:
David Van dePitte
recording of:
Flyin’ High (in the Friendly Sky)
composer:
Anna Gordy Gaye, Marvin Gaye and Elgie Stover
4.253:49
A4Save the Children
producer:
Marvin Gaye
mixer:
Lawrence Miles (, on 1971-05-06)
vocals:
Marvin Gaye
conductor:
David Van dePitte
recording of:
Save the Children
writer:
Renaldo Benson, Al Cleveland (songwriter 1930-1996) and Marvin Gaye
publisher:
EMI Music Publishing France, FCG Music, Jobete Music Co., Inc., MG III Music, NMG Music, Stone Agate Music Corp., イーエムアイ音楽出版 フジパシフィック事業部 (EMI Music Publishing Japan, Fujipacific Division) (until 2021-06-30) and ソニー・ミュージックパブリッシング フジパシフィック事業部 (Sony Music Publishing (Japan) Inc., Fujipacific Division) (from 2021-07-01 to present)
4.24:03
A5God Is Love
producer:
Marvin Gaye
mixer:
Lawrence Miles (, on 1971-05-06)
conductor:
David Van dePitte
recording of:
God Is Love (sometimes also titled “God Is My Friend”)
writer:
Anna Gordy Gaye, Marvin Gaye, James Nyx (R&B songwriter) and Elgie Stover
4.251:42
A6Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)
producer:
Marvin Gaye
mixer:
Lawrence Miles (, on 1971-05-06)
instruments:
The Funk Brothers (in 1971-03)
mellotron, piano and lead vocals:
Marvin Gaye (in 1971-03)
solo tenor saxophone:
Wild Bill Moore (jazz and R&B saxophonist) (in 1971-03)
background vocals:
The Andantes (in 1971-03) and Marvin Gaye (in 1971-03)
conductor:
David Van dePitte (in 1971-03)
arranger:
David Van dePitte
phonographic copyright (℗) by:
UMG Recordings, Inc. (operational headquarters of Universal Music Group, based in Santa Monica, USA; read annotations) (in 1971)
recorded at:
Hitsville (Motown Records) in Detroit, Michigan, United States (in 1971-03)
recording of:
Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology) (in 1971-03)
lyricist and composer:
Marvin Gaye
publisher:
Jobete Music (UK) Ltd., Jobete Music Co., Inc., イーエムアイ音楽出版 フジパシフィック事業部 (EMI Music Publishing Japan, Fujipacific Division) (until 2021-06-30) and ソニー・ミュージックパブリッシング フジパシフィック事業部 (Sony Music Publishing (Japan) Inc., Fujipacific Division) (from 2021-07-01 to present)
sub-publisher:
香港商百代音樂股份有限公司台灣分公司 (EMI Music Publishing (S E Asia) Ltd., Taiwan Branch)
4.73:15
B1Right On
producer:
Marvin Gaye
mixer:
Lawrence Miles (on 1971-05-06)
conductor:
David Van dePitte
recording of:
Right On
composer:
Earl DeRouen (percussionist, composer) and Marvin Gaye
4.27:31
B2Wholy Holy
producer:
Marvin Gaye
mixer:
Lawrence Miles (, on 1971-05-06)
conductor:
David Van dePitte
recording of:
Wholy Holy
composer:
Renaldo Benson, Al Cleveland (songwriter 1930-1996) and Marvin Gaye
4.53:08
B3Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)
producer:
Marvin Gaye
mixer:
Lawrence Miles (on 1971-05-06)
conductor:
David Van dePitte
arranger:
David Van dePitte
recording of:
Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)
composer:
Marvin Gaye and James Nyx (R&B songwriter)
publisher:
Jobete Music (UK) Ltd.
4.355:28

Credits

Release group

covers:What’s Going On by The Dirty Dozen Brass Band
What’s Going On by Devon Gilfillian (Singer songwriter)
included in:Volume Three: 1971–1981
part of:Rolling Stone: 500 Greatest Albums of All Time: 2020 edition (number: 1) (order: 1)
Rolling Stone: 500 Greatest Albums of All Time: 2023 edition (number: 1) (order: 1)
The Guardian 100 Best Albums Ever (number: 1) (order: 1)
15 Most Influential Albums… (… Not Recorded by the Beatles, Bob Dylan, Elvis or the Rolling Stones) (SPIN magazine, 2003‐04) (number: 4) (order: 4)
Rolling Stone: 500 Greatest Albums of All Time: 2003 edition (number: 6) (order: 6)
Rolling Stone: 500 Greatest Albums of All Time: 2012 edition (number: 6) (order: 6)
Prix Soul de l’Académie du Jazz (number: 1972) (order: 8)
Absolute Radio’s The 100 Collection (number: 11) (order: 11)
Apple Music: 100 Best Albums (number: 17) (order: 17)
Rolling Stone: The 50 Greatest Concept Albums of All Time (2022-10-12) (number: 19) (order: 19)
Pitchfork: The 100 Best Albums of the 1970s (number: 49) (order: 49)
Discothèque Idéale Qobuz / Qobuz Ideal Discography (order: 72)
1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die (2005 edition) (number: 207) (order: 207)
Discogs:https://www.discogs.com/master/66631 [info]
reviews:https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/n825 [info]
https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/pq9p [info]
other databases:https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/marvin_gaye/whats_going_on/ [info]
https://www.musik-sammler.de/album/64924/ [info]
Allmusic:https://www.allmusic.com/album/mw0000651085 [info]
Wikidata:Q901648 [info]