The return of
Stuff I Like, an occasional lunchtime feature in which we discuss things that bring a smile and make my lights shine. For example, I like CNN’s special this weekend honoring the 50th Gawd anniversary of Marvin Gaye’s landmark LP,
What’s Goin’ On?,
an album that is a strong contender to be the greatest of its era, which has extended to the current moment. CNN did it justice with some fine talking heads, including Spike Lee, Nelson George, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, an assortment of other Motown veterans (Duke Fakir!), and Gaye’s sister, Zeola. And you get to hear the great Don Lemon sing, which is a piece of television history, as far as I’m concerned.
Marvin Gaye Lived in These Michigan Places, 1960s-1970s
Marvin Gaye was born on April 2, 1939 in Washington D.C.
During his high school years, he joined a few different singing groups, until he dropped out of school in 1956. He joined the Air Force, refused to follow orders, and was discharged.
He joined Harvey Fuqua in a revamped version of The Moonglows and recorded some tracks until the group split up in 1960. Now 21 years old, Marvin moved to Detroit. He became a session drummer and wound up performing at Motown Records owner Berry Gordy s house. Gordy was impressed with Marvin s drumming and singing, and soon he signed him to Motown s subsidiary label, Tamla Records.
Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums Podcast: How Marvin Gaye’s ‘What’s Going On’ Chronicled a Nation in Turmoil
In the new episode of our series on Amazon Music, the singer, his sister Zeola, superfan Spike Lee, and others break down how he went from R&B hitmaker to socially conscious prophet
By Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
In 1967, Marvin Gaye was the reigning prince of Motown, belting out chart-storming love anthems alongside duet partner Tammi Terrell. Three years later, he was locked in a tense stand-off with label president Berry Gordy over the direction of his art, one that would change the course of popular music and give way to an album that still sounds revolutionary 50 years after it was recorded.
The state of Michigan is saluting an ageless homegrown classic.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, in tandem with the Motown Museum, is officially recognizing Wednesday as “What’s Going On” Day on the 50th anniversary of Marvin Gaye’s groundbreaking, still-timely single.
The museum said the designation is a kickoff to a year of commemorative activities tied to the album of the same name, which was released four months after the single as Gaye embraced ambitious new sounds and a socially conscious direction.
A “special tribute” document signed by Whitmer and Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist calls “What’s Going On” an influential piece of soul music that inspired other artists to convey “their own feelings, concerns and messages.”
Start your preferred method of listening to music. Set it up to play the whole of the album. Turn off the phone. Press play. Sit down and listen without doing anything else.
It’s tempting to end this article here as I’m not sure anything that follows will do it justice. If nothing else though, I hope someone who has never heard the entire album will listen to it from beginning to end.
Lots of protest songs are specific to a time and place, but every now and again one transcends this: Sam Cooke’s A Change Is Gonna Come, Public Enemy’s Fight the Power, Aretha Franklin’s Respect. But in 1971 Motown released an album that was a game changer and is as relevant today as it was then.