Where Are We Going?
Marvin Gaye
The Very Best Of, 2001
This is a song that The Loop Professor put me onto a couple years back. It’s Marvin’s version of a song that was Donald Byrd’s Black Byrd album from 1973. It didn’t come out until this Best Of compilation from 2001. I never knew who’s song it was first until just now when I found this too-good-to-be true Q&A with the Mizell Brothers (the co-writers and producers of the song) that covers this at length. So, the story goes like this: Marvin put out “What’s Going On?” and blew everyone away but the expectation it created for his next record was more than he could handle. He shut down creatively and Motown started bringing in outside producers and songwriters to get things moving. Mizell Brothers did three songs with him that never came out (this was one but their favorite was actually another one called “Woman Of The World” that has never been released). Marvin eventually started working on the soundtrack to Trouble Man and the songs get shelved. With plans for a follow up clearly heading in a different direction, the Mizell Brothers recorded “Where Are We Going?” with Donald Byrd.
>> songs are available for two weeks [7.3 MB]
August 4th, 2007 at 8:43 pm
One of the first records I ever bought (back in high school) was Donald Byrd’s Black Byrd and “Where are we going” and “Sky High” became instant favorites. Thanks for info on the background on the song and the Marvin track!