Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. What's Going On - Marvin Gaye, David Van dePitte, Lawrence Miles, Joe Atkinson, James Green, Art Stewart
2. What's Happening Brother - Art Stewart, James Green, Joe Atkinson, Lawrence Miles, Marvin Gaye
3. Flyin' High (In The Friendly Sky) - Art Stewart, James Green, Joe Atkinson, Lawrence Miles, Marvin Gaye
4. Save The Children - Art Stewart, James Green, Joe Atkinson, Lawrence Miles, Marvin Gaye
5. God Is Love - Marvin Gaye, Lawrence Miles, Joe Atkinson, James Green, Art Stewart, David Van dePitte
6. Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology) - Marvin Gaye, Lawrence Miles, Joe Atkinson, James Green, Art Stewart, David Van Depitte
7. Right On - Art Stewart, James Green, Joe Atkinson, Lawrence Miles, Marvin Gaye
8. Wholy Holy - Art Stewart, James Green, Joe Atkinson, Lawrence Miles, Marvin Gaye
9. Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler) - Art Stewart, James Green, Joe Atkinson, Lawrence Miles, Marvin Gaye
10. What's Going On - David Joseph Van De Pitte, David Van dePitte, Marvin Gaye, Orchestra, Steve Smith
11. What's Happening Brother - David Joseph Van De Pitte, David Van dePitte, Marvin Gaye, Orchestra, Steve Smith
12. Flyin' High (In The Friendly Sky) - David Van dePitte, Marvin Gaye, Steve Smith, David Joseph Van De Pitte, Orchestra
13. Save The Children - David Joseph Van De Pitte, David Van dePitte, Marvin Gaye, Orchestra, Steve Smith
14. God Is Love - David Joseph Van De Pitte, David Van dePitte, Marvin Gaye, Orchestra, Steve Smith
15. Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology) - David Joseph Van De Pitte, David Van dePitte, Marvin Gaye, Orchestra, Steve Smith
16. Right On - David Joseph Van De Pitte, David Van dePitte, Marvin Gaye, Orchestra, Steve Smith
17. Wholy Holy - David Joseph Van De Pitte, David Van dePitte, Marvin Gaye, Orchestra, Steve Smith
18. Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler) - David Joseph Van De Pitte, Marvin Gaye, Orchestra, Steve Smith
19. What's Going On - David Van dePitte, Kevin Reeves, Marvin Gaye, David Joseph Van De Pitte, Orchestra

Disc 2:

1. Sixties Medley: That's The Way Love Is / You - Harry Weinger, Maurice King, Suha Gur, Orchestra, Marvin Gaye
2. Right On - Harry Weinger, Maurice King, Suha Gur, Orchestra, Marvin Gaye
3. Wholy Holy - Harry Weinger, Maurice King, Suha Gur, Orchestra, Marvin Gaye
4. Inner City Blues (Makes Me Wanna Holler) - Harry Weinger, Maurice King, Suha Gur, Orchestra, Marvin Gaye
5. What's Going On - Harry Weinger, Maurice King, Suha Gur, Orchestra, Marvin Gaye
6. What's Happening Brother - Harry Weinger, Maurice King, Suha Gur, Orchestra, Marvin Gaye
7. Flyin' High (In The Friendly Sky) - Harry Weinger, Maurice King, Suha Gur, Orchestra, Marvin Gaye
8. Save The Children - Harry Weinger, Marvin Gaye, Suha Gur, Maurice King, David Van dePitte
9. God Is Love - Harry Weinger, Maurice King, Suha Gur, Orchestra, Marvin Gaye
10. Stage Dialogue - Live At Kennedy Center - Maurice King, Suha Gur, Marvin Gaye
11. Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler) - Marvin Gaye, Maurice King
12. What's Going On - Harry Weinger, Maurice King, Suha Gur, Orchestra, Marvin Gaye
13. What's Going On - Marvin Gaye, Steve Smith, David Van dePitte
14. God Is Love - Marvin Gaye, Steve Smith, David Van dePitte
15. Sad Tomorrows - Marvin Gaye
16. Head Title (aka Distant Lover) - Marvin Gaye, Steve Smith, David Van dePitte

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #5319 in Music
• Released on: 2001-03-19
• Number of discs: 2
• Formats: Box set, Double CD, Extra tracks, Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered
• Dimensions: .37 pounds
• Running time: 152 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Marvin Gaye's What's Going On may be the most powerful soul record ever made. In this Deluxe Edition, the original recording is embellished with an alternative Detroit Mix of the album, which is almost equally strong, and a previously unreleased recording of Gaye's live performance at the Kennedy Center in 1972. It also includes brilliant liner notes, including song lyrics and a mini-essay by Smokey Robinson, who calls What's Going On his favorite album of all time. The raw emotionality of the live disc further demonstrates Gaye's commitment to his own sentiments, and the feeling of longing and sadness that soaks the album. Gaye went into uncharted R&B territory on What's Going On: leaving love ballads behind, he explored social commentary from an intimate personal perspective. The world weighed heavy on his heart, and on this album he brings home the confusion of the Vietnam era, when America the Beautiful began to seem a little bit ugly. Armed with only his heart and his voice, Marvin Gaye took on Uncle Sam, and won many Americans over. --Lizz Mendez Berry

CD Description
Originally released in 1971, WHAT'S GOING ON remains a landmark album, one that redefined music with powerful, anthemicsongs that remain pertinent to this day. Up to that point, R&B albums were collections of singles, with secondary material rounding out the LPs. Marvin Gaye changed all this by releasing a concept album that went beyond the usual boy-meets-girl scenario, weaving together an aural collage of societal ills.
"Crime is increasing/Trigger-happy policing", from "Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)", is as potent a line today as it was over twenty years ago. With the countrystill divided over the Vietnam War, the title track became a rallying cry for peace. Layered with lush orchestrations, heavenly background vocals and traces of jazz in particular spots, WHAT'S GOING ON never sounds musically dated. The critical and commercial success of Marvin Gaye's opus also enabled other artists to break free from the creative shackles imposed by Motown, and experience more autonomy in the makingof their music.

Customer Reviews

Pure class
There's nothing new to say about the original album. This set is worth the additional purchase price to hear the original Detroit mix, which is a more raw version, arguably even more soulful, if that is possible.

I can take or leave the live material, personnally, but as a chronicle of the great man's abilities this set is essential for any MG fan

Marvellous Marvin Gaye, but for completists only..
Perhaps this re-issue should have been called the "What's Going On sessions and more" as the extra tracks consist a near box set status. If you are new to Marvin, i would suggest just buying the standard version and then a take a comfy position, sit back and relax.

The live section on cd 2 was recorded at the Kennedy Center in 1972 and is a delight, with Marvin's voice in tip top form. Also included are the A and B sides from the singles taken from the album plus a finished cut of the whole album presented for release.

This version was rejected (much like Glyn John's mix for the Beatles "Let it Be" Album) in favour of the final mix we all know and love. This is an interesting bit of curios but really should have not been released alongside the finished album. All in all though a great package for serious Marvin Gaye fans.

Deluxe package for the greatest album of all time
Normally re-mixes etc. ( or in the case of the original detroit mix - the "pre-mix" ) might be considered of marginal interest, but we are talking about the greatest album ever in my view - and to the many people who have loved this magnificent album and probably know every note backwards, this special edition will be fascinating .

Personally I'm slightly less keen on the live Washington set ( sometimes seems a bit limp compared with the studio album - with Marvin slowing some of the songs down to a snails pace ). But it's still interesting to hear the whole album performed live in a single set. Also the extra goodies, singles versions and sleeve notes make this a great package..

Actually, the original Detroit Mix highlights the superb playing of the group (especially bassist Jimmy Jamerson) more than the final mix which although superior has a more polished production feel with increased promiinence on Pitte's luscious string arrangements and the muliti-layered backging vocal tracks..

Fascinating, brilliant, 10 out of 10...