Friday, September 07, 2012

Record #0108: What’s Going On / God Is Love – MARVIN GAYE


Tamla 54201 (original) USA, Jan. 20, 1971
Words & Music by:  Side AAl Cleveland, Marvin Gaye, Renaldo Benson; Side B – Marvin Gaye, Anna Gaye, Elgie Stover, James Nyx
Musicians: Marvin Gaye (lead & backing vocals, keyboards and percussion) and the Funk Brothers: James Jamerson (bass), Eli Fontaine (alto sax), Chet Forest (drums), Eddie Willis (guitar), Robert White (guitar), Jack Ashford (tambourine and percussion), Eddie Brown (congas). The Funk Brothers’ line-up on side B is probably different.
Recording sessions: Produced by Marvin Gaye at “Hitsville USA”, Detroit, MI, Jun. 10, 1970 (Side B date unknown)
Highest chart positions:  US #2, US R&B #1, UK -

The title song was originally given for Joan Baez to record, but she was not able to proceed as half of the lyrics were still missing at that point of time. The song got to Gaye’s hands and he added his own lyrics to hit and modified the song here and there. He initially thought that this moody song would be perfect for a group called “the Originals”, but Renaldo “Obie” Benson convinced Gaye that he should record it himself. And so he did.

Jamerson was playing at a local club just before the session, when Gaye asked him to join it. He was so drunk that he couldn’t sit up, so he played the bass line lying on the studio floor.

List price:  Very Good+ is $3, Near Mint is $6

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