What’s goin’ on…

A “cover” by one of the men who wrote the song.

What’s Going On by Marvin Gaye in the album What’s Going On
WRITERS
Renaldo Benson, Al Cleveland, Marvin Gaye

“The song was co-written by Renaldo ‘Obie’ Benson, Al Cleveland, and Marvin Gaye, and produced by Gaye himself. The song marked Gaye’s departure from the Motown Sound of his previous output, towards more personal material.

It was the title track of his album What’s Going On?, released in May 1971.

The song’s inspiration came from Benson, a member of the Motown group the Four Tops, after their tour bus arrived at Berkeley on May 15, 1969.

https://youtu.be/p71IstoamoU?list=RDp71IstoamoU
The Four Tops Live Singing “Whats Going On”

While there, Benson witnessed police brutality and violence in the city’s People’s Park during a protest held by anti-war activists, in what was described later as ‘Bloody Thursday’.

Upset by the incident, Benson told author Ben Edmonds the he asked, ‘What is happening here?’. One question led to another. ‘Why are they sending kids so far away from their families overseas? Why are they attacking their own children in the streets?'”.

He later discussed what he witnessed with friend and songwriter Al Cleveland, who soon wrote and composed a song to reflect Benson’s worries.

Benson wanted to give the song to his group, but the other Four Tops turned it down.

In 1970, Benson gave the untitled song to Marvin Gaye, who added a new melody and changed the song and added his own lyrics.

Benson later said Gaye “added some things that were more ghetto, more natural, which made it seem like a story than a song… we measured him for the suit and he tailored the hell out of it.”

Gaye called it ‘What’s Going On’. He initially thought the song’s would be good for the group The Originals, Benson convinced Gaye to record it himself.”

https://youtu.be/o5TmORitlKk
Marvin Gaye – What’s Going On

Marvin Gaye was inspired by recent successes of his productions for The Originals, and decided to produce the song himself.

He brought in original Motown in-house studio musicians such as James Jamerson and Eddie Brown, with musicians he recruited himself.

The opening saxophone line, by musician Eli Fontaine, was not originally intended for the song. Once Gaye heard Fontaine’s riff, he told Fontaine to go home. When Fontaine protested that he was just “goofing around”, Gaye replied: “you goof off exquisitely, thank you.”

The laid-back atmosphere in the studio was helped by constant marijuana smoking by Gaye and the musicians.

Jamerson was brought in after Gaye saw him playing with a band at a local bar. Motown conductor David Van De Pitte said that Jamerson “always kept a bottle of [the Greek spirit] Metaxa in his bass case. He could really put that stuff away, and then sit down and still be able to play.”

https://youtu.be/fPkM8F0sjSw
Marvin Gaye What’s Going On Live 1972

“Father, father
We don’t need to escalate
You see, war is not the answer
For only love can conquer hate

You know we’ve got to find a way
To bring some lovin’ here today, oh oh oh

Picket lines and picket signs
Don’t punish me with brutality
Talk to me, so you can see
Oh, what’s going on
What’s going on
Yeah, what’s going on
Ah, what’s going on”

Source:
https://www.smoothradio.com/features/the-story-of/whats-going-on-marvin-gaye-meaning-facts-lyrics/

“When Gordy heard the song, he turned down Gaye’s request to release it, telling Gaye he felt it was “the worst thing I ever heard in my life”.

Gaye responded to this rejection by refusing to record anything else unless the song would be released, going on strike until Gordy saw sense.
Read more: The 25 greatest Motown songs, ranked

The song was released without Gordy’s knowledge, and it sold over 200,000 copies within a week.

It eventually became a huge success, reaching the top of the charts within a month, staying at number-one for five weeks on the Billboard R&B charts. On the main Billboard Hot 100, it reached number two.

It eventually sold over two million copies, becoming then the fastest-selling Motown single ever. It forced Gordy to allow Gaye to produce his own music, giving him an ultimatum to complete an album by the end of March, resulting in What’s Going On.”