The classic Marvin Gaye line that was created by mistake: “You goof exquisitely”
There’s no denying that Marvin Gaye‘s 1971 masterpiece What’s Going On, is one of the most crucial albums of all time.
Over half a century on, Gaye’s musings over the troubled state of society still ring true. Concerns over plunging into immoral conflict, economic strife, and an overarching concern for climate destruction to resolve these problems feel worryingly on the nose, considering Gaye wrote this record without the slightest hint of how society would look today.
But that was his genius. His ability to address feelings that seemed so universal and confronting, but deliver them in a way that felt nuanced, fresh and instantly relatable. That was never more obvious than it was on the title track of What’s Going On. It wasn’t a question but a statement, providing the listener with a birds-eye view of modernity in ‘71.
There was so much intent with what Gaye was doing, from those lyrics all the way to the arrangements. But in reality, greatness was achieved by approaching it with a distinct lack of intent. For instance, iconic bassist James Jamerson actually laid down the bassline for the title track while literally lying down on the floor, blind drunk.
“I heard a story about how he was playing on stage in a club once, and Marvin Gaye arrived and physically dragged him off the come and play on his record in the studio,” Paul McCartney once said.
“Jamerson was so steaming drunk that he played all the basslines lying down. I’ve tried doing it myself… And it’s just about impossible.”
Paul McCartney
McCartney is a pretty trustworthy source when it comes to rock and roll anecdotes, and his admission that the bassline was too tricky to play just goes to prove how brilliant this piece of music was. But, Jamerson’s part wasn’t the only conjured up under inebriation.
The moment that kicked off the entire record was one of playful spontaneity. In the early stages of jamming, Gaye and his band were basking in the haze of marijuana when saxophonist Eli Fontaine decided to loosely throw a sax line into the air both as a means of warming up and making his bandmates laugh.
Gaye took note, realising that within that sax line was the basis of his iconic song. The tapes were rolling, and before he knew it, ‘What’s Going On’ was beginning to form. When Fontaine insisted it was nothing more than a joke, Gaye responded, “Well, you goof exquisitely. Thank you.”
Both Jamerson and Fontaine’s anecdotes seem like a paradox to the song. Gaye’s deeply serious anti-war and pro-community sentiment needed respect, which neither Jamerson nor Fontaine seemingly provided as they stumbled into sonic greatness.
But a closer look at it actually emboldens that meaning. The freedom they had in their attitude was one that Gaye was aspiring the whole world to adopt, as it fought through the murky waters of societal destruction. Liberation and agency were all that the people wanted, and by laying down music without any limitations, both Jamerson and Fontaine proved what that could look like.
