Marvin Gaye - What's Going On
All lead vocals by Marvin Gaye
Produced by Marvin Gaye
Members of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra Conducted and Arranged by David Van De Pitte
Background vocals:
Marvin Gaye
The Andantes (Jackie Hicks, Marlene Barrow, and Louvain Demps)
Mel Farr, Charlie Sanders and Lem Barney of the Detroit Lions
Dave Bing of the Detroit Pistons
Bobby Rogers of The Miracles
Elgie Stover
Kenneth Stover
Strings, Woodwinds and Brass
Gordon Staples, Zinovi Bistritzky, Beatriz Budinzky, Richard Margitza, Virginia Halfmann, Felix Resnick, Alvin Score, Lillian Downs, James Waring – violins
Edouard Kesner, Meyer Shapiro, David Ireland, Nathan Gordon – violas
Italo Babini, Thaddeus Markiewicz, Edward Korkigan – cellos
Max Janowsky – double bass
Carole Crosby – harp
Dayna Hardwick, William Perich – flutes
Larry Nozero, Angelo Carlisi, George Benson, Tate Houston – saxophones
John Trudell, Maurice Davis – trumpets
Nilesh Pawar – oboe
Carl Raetz – trombone
The Funk Brothers – Instrumentation, spoken interlude ("What's Going On") and Solo Horns
Eli Fountain – alto saxophone "What's Going On"
Wild Bill Moore – tenor saxophone "Mercy Mercy Me"
Marvin Gaye – piano, Mellotron ("Mercy Mercy Me"), box drum ("What's Going On")
Johnny Griffith – celeste, additional keyboards
Earl Van Dyke – additional keyboards
Jack Brokensha – vibraphone, percussion
Joe Messina, Robert White – electric guitars
James Jamerson – bass guitar "What's Going On", "What's Happening Brother", "Flyin' High", "Save the Children", "God Is Love", and the b-side "Sad Tomorrows"
Bob Babbitt – bass guitar "Mercy Mercy Me", "Right On", "Wholy Holy" and "Inner City Blues"
Chet Forest – drums
Jack Ashford – tambourine, percussion
Eddie "Bongo" Brown – bongos, congas
Earl DeRouen – bongos and congas "Right On"
Bobbye Hall – bongos "Inner City Blues"[44]
Katherine Marking – graphic design
Alana Coghlan – graphic design
John Matousek – mastering
Vic Anesini – Digital Remastering
James Hendin – Photography
Curtis McNair – Art Direction
Produced by Marvin Gaye
Members of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra Conducted and Arranged by David Van De Pitte
Background vocals:
Marvin Gaye
The Andantes (Jackie Hicks, Marlene Barrow, and Louvain Demps)
Mel Farr, Charlie Sanders and Lem Barney of the Detroit Lions
Dave Bing of the Detroit Pistons
Bobby Rogers of The Miracles
Elgie Stover
Kenneth Stover
Strings, Woodwinds and Brass
Gordon Staples, Zinovi Bistritzky, Beatriz Budinzky, Richard Margitza, Virginia Halfmann, Felix Resnick, Alvin Score, Lillian Downs, James Waring – violins
Edouard Kesner, Meyer Shapiro, David Ireland, Nathan Gordon – violas
Italo Babini, Thaddeus Markiewicz, Edward Korkigan – cellos
Max Janowsky – double bass
Carole Crosby – harp
Dayna Hardwick, William Perich – flutes
Larry Nozero, Angelo Carlisi, George Benson, Tate Houston – saxophones
John Trudell, Maurice Davis – trumpets
Nilesh Pawar – oboe
Carl Raetz – trombone
The Funk Brothers – Instrumentation, spoken interlude ("What's Going On") and Solo Horns
Eli Fountain – alto saxophone "What's Going On"
Wild Bill Moore – tenor saxophone "Mercy Mercy Me"
Marvin Gaye – piano, Mellotron ("Mercy Mercy Me"), box drum ("What's Going On")
Johnny Griffith – celeste, additional keyboards
Earl Van Dyke – additional keyboards
Jack Brokensha – vibraphone, percussion
Joe Messina, Robert White – electric guitars
James Jamerson – bass guitar "What's Going On", "What's Happening Brother", "Flyin' High", "Save the Children", "God Is Love", and the b-side "Sad Tomorrows"
Bob Babbitt – bass guitar "Mercy Mercy Me", "Right On", "Wholy Holy" and "Inner City Blues"
Chet Forest – drums
Jack Ashford – tambourine, percussion
Eddie "Bongo" Brown – bongos, congas
Earl DeRouen – bongos and congas "Right On"
Bobbye Hall – bongos "Inner City Blues"[44]
Katherine Marking – graphic design
Alana Coghlan – graphic design
John Matousek – mastering
Vic Anesini – Digital Remastering
James Hendin – Photography
Curtis McNair – Art Direction
1985 sample from Working Week: