Marvin Gaye's first album to present him as a producer and to credit Motown's in-house studio band, the iconic session musicians known as the Funk Brothers.

"What's Going On" is a concept album with its narrative, established by the songs, being told from the point of view of a Vietnam veteran returning to his home country to witness hatred, suffering, and injustice.

The album was an immediate commercial and critical success making Gaye the first male solo artist to place three top ten singles on the Hot 100 from one album. In 2020, it was ranked number one on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

MUSICIANS

• Composer, Drums/Percussion, Piano, Liner Notes, Primary Artist, Producer, Vocals: Marvin Gaye
• Vocals (Background): The Andantes, Mel Farr, Bobby Rogers, Elgie Stover, Lem Barney
• Bass: James Jamerson / Bob Babbitt
• Tambourine, Percussion: Jack Ashford
• Vibraphone, Percussion: Jack Brokensha
• Celeste: Johnny Griffith
• Drums: Chet Forest
• Bongos, Congas: Eddie "Bongo" Brown, Earl DeRouen
• Guitar: Joe Messina / Robert White
• Solo Work: Eli Fountain (Alto Saxophone), William "Wild Bill" Moore (Tenor Saxophone)
• Saxophones: Larry Nozero, George Benson, Angelo Carlisi, Tate Houston
• Trumpets: John Trudell, Maurice Davis
• Trombone: Carl Raetz
• Violins: Gordon Staples, Zinovi Bistritzky, Beatriz Budinszky, Richard Margitza, Virgnia Halfmann, Felix Resnick, Alvin Score, Lillian Downs, James Waring
• Violas: Edouard Kesner, Meyer Shapiro, David Ireland, Nathan Gordon
• Cellos: Italo Babini, Thaddeus Markiewicz, Edward Korkigan
• Harp: Carole Crosby
• String Bass: Max Janowsky

SIDE A 

• What's Going On
• What's Happening Brother
• Flyin' High (In The Friendly Sky)
• Save The Children
• God Is Love
• Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)
   

SIDE B 

• Right On
• Wholy Holy
• Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)
   

RECORDED TO TAPE

• Date of Recording: June 1, 1970 - May 5, 1971
• Original Release Date: May 21, 1971
• Location: Hitsville Studios and Studio B, Detroit, MI, and
  Sound Factory, Los Angeles, CA
• Original Tape Number: Tamla TS310
• Balance Engineer: Günter Hermanns
• Recording Producer: 
  Produced by Marvin Gaye
  Arranged and Conducted by David Van dePitte
  Recorded by Steve Smith, Ken Sands, Cal Harris, Bob Olhsson, Joe Atkinson, James Green and Sam Ross (Detroit), and Lawrence Miles & Art Stewart (Los Angeles)
  Mixed by: Lawrence Miles at Motown Studios (Hitsville West), Los Angeles, CA, May 6, 1971
   

Booklet Content List

• A MINOLTA EP415Z copy of the recording information
• A Cyanotype of Marvin Gaye and Robert White after an original photograph courtesy of Motown Records Archives, from a different session
• Polaroid of microscopic view of the real groove
• A Risograph after an original photo of the Supersense Living Room studio. Photographer: Ákos Burg, 2021
• "How to caress" by Florian "Doc" Kaps. An info sheet about the Supersense master records and how to care for them
• "Project Mastercut" by Florian "Doc" Kaps. An introduction to the Mastercut Editions
• Cutting engineer notes, Supersense, Vienna 2023