2/26/26 O&A NYC THROWBACK THURSDAY: Marvin Gaye -What’s Going On – Motown 25 Yesterday, Today, Forever

Marvin Gaye’s performance of What’s Going On at the Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever television special in 1983 is widely considered one of the most poignant moments in music history. Taped on March 25, 1983, at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium, the special celebrated the 25th anniversary of Motown Records. Gaye’s appearance was particularly significant as it was his final television performance before his death in 1984.

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4/29/17 O&A NYC MUSIC: Marvin Gaye- What’s Going On From Motown 25 (1983)

What’s Going On pleads for understanding. Marvin Gaye’s voice is markedly detached; a lonely, but passionate, voice in the crowd. The result of Gaye’s complex songwriting, combined with his abilities as a producer and an arranger was startlingly different from anything previously released by Motown.  Continue reading

9/22/16 O&A NYC THROWBACK THURSDAY: Marvin Gaye- What’s Going On At Motown 25 (1983)

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What’s Going On, the first Marvin Gaye album credited as being produced by Gaye, is a unified concept album consisting of nine songs, most of which lead into the next.  What’s Going On became Motown’s fastest selling single, the biggest hit of 1971. Continue reading

7/9/15 O&A Throwback Thursday: Marvin Gaye- What’s Going On

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Marvin Gaye Performs In Rotterdam

Marvin Gaye approached Berry Gordy What’s Going On, Gordy took a profound dislike to the song, calling it “the worst thing I ever heard in my life”. Gaye responded by going on strike from recording anything else for the label unless Gordy relented. Gordy also felt the song was too political for a  radio hit and too unusual compared for popular music, or commercially successful. Continue reading