Today's Black History Month illustration is of Marvin Gaye's 1971 concept album What's Going On. This album is considered one of the greatest albums of the 20th century and one of the landmark recordings in pop music history.
Here are five interesting facts about the legendary album:
1. What’s Going On was one of R&B’s first concept albums. The album is from the point of view of a Vietnam War veteran returning back to the US and seeing hatred and injustice.
2. The album uses a “song cycle.” Each song flows into each other, like one long single.
3. Marvin Gaye's lyrics discuss themes such as: the Vietnam War (What’s Happening Brother?), global warming and the natural world (Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)), and urban poverty and police violence (Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)).
4. Berry Gordy didn’t like “What’s Going On,” calling it “the worst thing I ever heard in my life.” Marvin Gaye went on strike until Gordy changed his mind. Here’s a clip of a live performance from 1972:
5. Marvin Gaye’s multi-layered vocals were actually an accident by the engineers, Steve Smith and Kenneth Sands.
They originally were going to listen to two vocal takes of “What’s Going On’ to figure out which one to use for the final version. Smith and Sands accidentally mixed the two lead vocals together, and Marvin Gaye loved the sound. He decided to use the approach for the album.
“What’s Going On” continues to be Marvin Gaye’s and one of Motown’s most important musical and social statements.
I’ll be back tomorrow with another illustration and story! #BHM #illustration
You can find my other BHM illustrations here:
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