Other Cover Versions and Samples
The song was first covered by Quincy Jones on the album, Smackwater Jack by Valerie Simpson in 1971. Two more covers that year were followed by Herbie Mann on the album, Push Push and The Undisputed Truth on their album, Face to Face With the Truth. Donny Hathaway covered the song on his acclaimed 1972 album, Live. Other covers during the song's initial decade came from the likes of Richie Havens and The Ohio Players. Other covers since then have been recorded by A Perfect Circle, Joe Cocker, Michael McDonald and Seal. Singer Chaka Khan performed a version of the song with The Funk Brothers on the documentary, Standing in the Shadows of Motown, in 2002. The performance resulted in a 2003 Grammy win for Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance.
In addition, the song has also been frequently sampled by the likes of artists such as The Jungle Brothers, Scarface, Digable Planets, Geto Boys, Big Daddy Kane, Keith Murray and Mos Def. R&B band Frankie Beverly & Maze interpolated the song's melody and vocal chatter for their tribute song to Gaye titled "Silky Soul". Hip-hop singer Speech scored a number-one hit in Japan with the song, "Like Marvin Said (What's Going On)", which also interpolated portions of the original song.
Read more about this topic: What's Going On (song)
Famous quotes containing the words cover, versions and/or samples:
“Though the whole wind
slash at your bark,
you are lifted up,
aye though it hiss
to cover you with froth.”
—Hilda Doolittle (1886–1961)
“The assumption must be that those who can see value only in tradition, or versions of it, deny man’s ability to adapt to changing circumstances.”
—Stephen Bayley (b. 1951)
“Good government cannot be found on the bargain-counter. We have seen samples of bargain-counter government in the past when low tax rates were secured by increasing the bonded debt for current expenses or refusing to keep our institutions up to the standard in repairs, extensions, equipment, and accommodations. I refuse, and the Republican Party refuses, to endorse that method of sham and shoddy economy.”
—Calvin Coolidge (1872–1933)