Just heard "What's Going On" for the first time.

[FatherOfTheMan Sr101]

Amazing. Listened the whole way in one sitting, it's one of the best i've ever heard.

A pet sounds like experience here. Get this album if you haven't already.

[The Dumb Angel]

I absolutely love What's Going On! It's such a lush, laid back album.
As for Marvin Gaye, he is without a doubt one of my favorite singers of all time. His voice is something else!

[alf wiedersehen]

One of my top 5 albums.

It's like a hazy, wonderful dream.

[pixletwin]

Definitely in my top 20. Good stuff.

[Pinder's Gone To Kokomo And Back Again]

My vote for greatest album of all-time!

[Summertime Blooz]

That album is magical. One thing I always wondered though is why What's Going On doesn't bleed or blend right into the following track What's Happening Brother because it sounds to me like that was the original intent and all of the other tracks on that side are gapless. I'm guessing it was Berry Gordy's handiwork. He hated the album and shelved it for a year or so before finally agreeing to release it.

[Lonely Summer]

Gordy even admitted it in a documentary I saw some years back; he said "I believed he was going to destroy his career with that album". For once, Berry was wrong. One of the best albums ever. This was an album Marvin felt he HAD to do.

[rn57]

Definitely in my list of the dozen greatest albums of all.  You always hear something new when listening to it.

[Ron]

Amazing. Listened the whole way in one sitting, it's one of the best i've ever heard.

A pet sounds like experience here. Get this album if you haven't already.

If you've never heard the story about James Jamerson and the title track, it's pretty good.

James Jamerson was basically the best bass player that ever lived, he played on most of the early Motown stuff, and played everything with 1 finger.  He was incredibly creative, but was also basically a drunk.

So he kept screwing around and got fired by Motown.  The day Marvin Gaye turned up to record the title track, "What's Going On".... he walked in and noticed James wasn't there.  He insisted he wanted James Jamerson to play bass on the track, so they explained to him what happened, and eventually a couple guy went around to try and find James to hire him for the day.

So James shows up about half lit, and is complaining that he doesn't have a stool to sit on.  He liked to sit on a tall stool that made his knee a certain height that he rested the bass on.  They'd thrown away the stool after he was fired.

So James says "f*** it, I can play it on the floor", lays down in the middle of the studio with the bass on his chest, and plays "What's Going On" laying on his back, half drunk, in the middle of the studio floor. 

Listen to the song, and check out the bass line.  It'll blow you away.

[Gabo]

i'm not a big fan of What's Goin' On. It's lush and I really like a few songs, but a lot of it is just well produced fluff. Let's Get It On is a lot worse in that regard and is one of my least favorite albums I own

[guitarfool2002]

That is a terrific James Jamerson story. For me, that now ranks next to the sad story of him at the Motown 25th TV special (the one where Michael Jackson moonwalked into the stratosphere of pop culture) as indicative of the lesser-told truth of how Motown handled all of those studio pros who made them a fortune. The Funk Brothers movie kinda/sorta glossed over some of it in order to end on a triumphant high note, but the way Gordy and others treated them could be awful.

What's Goin On may stand as the last and perhaps the finest example of what that studio band could do, and how the vision and sheer off-the-charts talent of someone like Marvin Gaye - himself dealing constantly with personal demons and conflicts which eventually cost him his life - could create magic in a recording studio. It's one of the last gasps of the old Motown sound, and instead of a gasp it went out with an atomic blast. After that, Motown's sound was still viable and at times stunning but it wasn't the same magic that produced all those singles and Marvin Gaye's ultimate album.

If you're fortunate to hear studio tracks from the sessions, you'll hear in raw form just how much of a groove this group of players had when they were playing together, how each of them brought a unique sound and personality to the mix, and just how talented and how passionate of a singer Marvin Gaye could be.

You hear those vocals - and compare them to the kind of nit-picking and micro-managing that shows like American Idol and the other "Got Talent" types have foisted on young vocalists trying to figure out how to be successful and deliver a great vocal performance - it's on nearly every vocal phrase Marvin sang. And go back to his duets with Kim Weston and the late-great Tammi Terrell, and it's simply magical. That's what a classic vocal sounds like. You can't coach that into someone on live television, you know? 

[kwan_dk]

That album is incredible! So cohesive and beautiful, - even more so that Pet Sounds, imho. About 10 years ago a 2-CD deluxe edition came out with an alt. mix of the album, b-sides and a whole live concert comprising the whole album. Highly recommended to seek out. There's an especially nice instrumental mix of the title track, which is really cool to listen to. Knowing how record companies think there have probably been further expansive reissues since then with more goodies thrown in.

Some years ago I spent some time compiling a playlist with other soul artists from back then who channeled that What's Going On vibe in their own songs. It's always interesting to see how groundbreaking albums like that will inspire a lot of other acts to go for a similar sound. Here are a few of my favourites:

Four Tops - 'The Good Lord Knows'.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8uBOpG_DZXs
This song is interesting in that it is written AND sung by Four Top Renaldo Benson who co-wrote What's Going On, the song. Note the extremely What's Going On-ish bass line.
Honorary mention goes to another Four Tops song, 'When Tonight Meets Tomorrow', http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRQT8FEPzl8

J.R. Bailey - 'Just Me'n'You'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRk4rxrxaU4
The title track from an album which is, in many ways, a carbon copy of What's Going On. But I'll argue that it also holds up on it's own.

Donny Hathway - 'Love Love Love'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9Uydcm0CgQ
This song is also featured on the Bailey album in a slower and less slick version. I prefer Donny's take though...

Leon Ware - 'What's Your World'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgaXJIjG_XU
Those deep into Marvin Gaye will recognise Ware as his collaborator on the I Want You album.

But OK, let's face it. Some of these What's Going On knock-offs are so blatant, it almost hurts!  Here are five prime examples...

Barrett Strong - 'Surrender'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQ3EDTVm8uI

Eddie Robinson - 'You are Never Alone'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2SjCFX0Wz0

Leroy Hutson - 'Where Did Love Go?'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GuAA5R1PuB4

Mike James Kirkland - 'Where is the Soul of Man'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZVqk8Up5qI

 

[Pinder's Gone To Kokomo And Back Again]

That is a terrific James Jamerson story. For me, that now ranks next to the sad story of him at the Motown 25th TV special (the one where Michael Jackson moonwalked into the stratosphere of pop culture) as indicative of the lesser-told truth of how Motown handled all of those studio pros who made them a fortune. The Funk Brothers movie kinda/sorta glossed over some of it in order to end on a triumphant high note, but the way Gordy and others treated them could be awful.

What's Goin On may stand as the last and perhaps the finest example of what that studio band could do, and how the vision and sheer off-the-charts talent of someone like Marvin Gaye - himself dealing constantly with personal demons and conflicts which eventually cost him his life - could create magic in a recording studio. It's one of the last gasps of the old Motown sound, and instead of a gasp it went out with an atomic blast. After that, Motown's sound was still viable and at times stunning but it wasn't the same magic that produced all those singles and Marvin Gaye's ultimate album.

If you're fortunate to hear studio tracks from the sessions, you'll hear in raw form just how much of a groove this group of players had when they were playing together, how each of them brought a unique sound and personality to the mix, and just how talented and how passionate of a singer Marvin Gaye could be.

You hear those vocals - and compare them to the kind of nit-picking and micro-managing that shows like American Idol and the other "Got Talent" types have foisted on young vocalists trying to figure out how to be successful and deliver a great vocal performance - it's on nearly every vocal phrase Marvin sang. And go back to his duets with Kim Weston and the late-great Tammi Terrell, and it's simply magical. That's what a classic vocal sounds like. You can't coach that into someone on live television, you know? 

Great post!

Didn't Jamerson record the bass track for Inner City Blues laying down on his back on the studio floor??

[kwan_dk]

Didn't Jamerson record the bass track for Inner City Blues laying down on his back on the studio floor??

Can't answer that question but I do remember reading somwhere that Marvin Gaye used to lie down quite a lot when recording his vocals for the album...

[FatherOfTheMan Sr101]

Awesome story! Wow, hard to believe, I just heard the bass and percussion only version. AMAZING.

[Ron]

If you're fortunate to hear studio tracks from the sessions, you'll hear in raw form just how much of a groove this group of players had when they were playing together, how each of them brought a unique sound and personality to the mix, and just how talented and how passionate of a singer Marvin Gaye could be.

You hear those vocals - and compare them to the kind of nit-picking and micro-managing that shows like American Idol and the other "Got Talent" types have foisted on young vocalists trying to figure out how to be successful and deliver a great vocal performance - it's on nearly every vocal phrase Marvin sang. And go back to his duets with Kim Weston and the late-great Tammi Terrell, and it's simply magical. That's what a classic vocal sounds like. You can't coach that into someone on live television, you know? 

I think you're getting at that the songs were perfectly imperfect, I've always thought that too, too many times people try to sterilze music into perfection but the best guys and gals sang or recorded naturally, which inherently has mistakes and flaws in it that adds a lot of character, ultimately making the song better.  Jazz guys of course do this all the time which is one of the reasons the funk brothers were so great.

[Loaf]

The album starts very strong and ends strong, and has many moments that seem to surpass sheer musical perfection, but there are still a few points where it drags.

[donald]

I think Jamerson's bass  is as much a part of the album as Marvin's voice.   On any song featuring James, Any record where he was featured, I fixate on the bass, it's a meld of melody and rhythm , that one finger bouncy pluck style was absolutely a high point of the Motown sound.   Totally  distinctive bass style.  made even weak Motown material sound good.

[Lonely Summer]

If you're fortunate to hear studio tracks from the sessions, you'll hear in raw form just how much of a groove this group of players had when they were playing together, how each of them brought a unique sound and personality to the mix, and just how talented and how passionate of a singer Marvin Gaye could be.

You hear those vocals - and compare them to the kind of nit-picking and micro-managing that shows like American Idol and the other "Got Talent" types have foisted on young vocalists trying to figure out how to be successful and deliver a great vocal performance - it's on nearly every vocal phrase Marvin sang. And go back to his duets with Kim Weston and the late-great Tammi Terrell, and it's simply magical. That's what a classic vocal sounds like. You can't coach that into someone on live television, you know? 

I think you're getting at that the songs were perfectly imperfect, I've always thought that too, too many times people try to sterilze music into perfection but the best guys and gals sang or recorded naturally, which inherently has mistakes and flaws in it that adds a lot of character, ultimately making the song better.  Jazz guys of course do this all the time which is one of the reasons the funk brothers were so great.

Kind of a sideways tangent here, but Elvis Presley was still recording his stuff live in the studio in the 70's, precisely for the reasons outlined above: he wanted the feel he got singing with the live band; didn't care if there were little mistakes here and there, the overall feel is what he was after. Pop music has lost that today, with everyone recording their parts separately, then autotuning the vocals to death.

[Ron]

Blame BREAD, they started that perfection sh*t. 

That's probably Jazz music's greatest quality, 'the feel'.  ... and all the Motown guys were Jazz guys anyways. 

[Lonely Summer]

Blame BREAD, they started that perfection sh*t. 

That's probably Jazz music's greatest quality, 'the feel'.  ... and all the Motown guys were Jazz guys anyways. 

But I like Bread... and not just the pretty ballads that they are known for, but the album tracks, too. The Griffin songs had much more of a rocking edge to them than the Gates ballads, and Jimmy was from Memphis, so he knew a thing or two about 'feel'. In fact, James Griffin may be the best white soul singer I have ever heard this side of Elvis.

[Ron]

I said that half heartedly and I of course love Bread like the rest of the world, but a lot of their stuff is sterelized to the point it sounds like they recorded it in a hospital.

[Lonely Summer]

I said that half heartedly and I of course love Bread like the rest of the world, but a lot of their stuff is sterelized to the point it sounds like they recorded it in a hospital.

Maybe they did, although personally it sent me to the dentist - the music was so sweet.