What’s Going On – Great Lakes Brass

Liner notes

The Inspiration

Great Lakes Brass and Title Track present a Harvest Gathering edition of What’s Going On with a magical parade of Earthwork friends and guest stars. This one-of-a-kind performance is inspired by Marvin Gaye’s landmark protest album from the Vietnam era of 1971, as well as Dirty Dozen Brass Band re-imagined version, published in 2006, in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and the associated socio-political unrest.

What’s Going On is an epic example of the intersection of artistry and activism. It posed big questions about society and its moment in time, through Marvin’s unique lens.

It represented a pivot for Marvin Gaye as an artist, as he chose to express himself and his point of view, rather than to solely entertain. A shock to the Motown machine, Marvin had to fight against his label and his family for this poignant song cycle to be heard, and it’s social relevance lives on today; impossible to deny.

Culturally, and musically, we were further inspired by Dirty Dozen Brass Band’s triumphant redux. They made bold, remarkable choices in their interpretation.

They moved the music through a brass band format, featuring guest artists who made personal adaptations that ranged from subtle nuance, to broad lyrical updates. Dirty Dozen showed that it was possible, and GLB strives to live up to their example. We present our version, adapted to our instrumentation, our collection of talented Michigan artists, and we reflect on our moment in time. All of this is culminating LIVE at the irreplaceable Earthwork Harvest Gathering at Earthwork Farm in Lake City, Michigan on September 15, 2023 at 10 pm on the Cedar Stage.

The vision

For the Great Lakes Brass edition of What’s Going On, we are drawing from Marvin Gaye’s original, and interpretations by Dirty Dozen, Aretha Franklin and other artists. We’ve shaped our influence into a fresh interpretation, rather than recreating previous versions with specificity.

Our project is intended as a respectful homage, and forward-looking, collaborative creation. We’re leaning into the compelling writing and performances that exist; while listening to their heartfelt encouragement to question, learn, and lend our voices to the current, local, and pressing movements of equity, peace, and justice.

The performance is anchored and arranged by Great Lakes Brass, with guest artists joining on each song. Artists are encouraged to adapt the arrangement to themselves and their creative point of view.

Great Lakes Brass

Guest Stars

Exec. Producer – What’s Going On: Fred Bueltmann
Arrangements: Fred, Jared, & Scott

What now?

We hope this moment of bringing people, song, and ideas together was enjoyable or meaningful to y’all in some way or another. Here’s to moving forward with kindness, love and empathy, while also channeling the energy and courage to ask big questions , and listen for answers small or large, — even if they haven’t arrived just yet.

If you’d like to dig into more perspective on the the album, we share some of the writings we found compelling at the bottom of this page.

Peace.

What’s going on? That’s going on.

Seth Bernard
Encouragement and Inspiration
A. Billi Free
Vocals | What’s Going On & Inner City Blues
Rachael Davis
Vocals | What’s Happening My Brother & Inner City Blues
Crystal Woodward Turner
Vocals | Flyin’ High& Inner City Blues
Terrence “Trademark” Massey
Trumpet | Flyin’ High
Maggie Heeren
Vocals | Save the Children
Adam Danis
Vocals | Save the Children
Rachel Marco-Havens
Vocals | God is Love
Dutcher Snedeker
Organ | God is Love
Noble Julz Hamilton
Vocals | God is Love
Hannah Laine
Vocals | Wholy Holy
Nate Heymoss
Guitar | Wholy Holy
Peter Madcat Ruth
Harmonica | Inner City Blues

The Songs

Side One

What's Going On

Written by Al Cleveland, Marvin Gaye & Renaldo Benson
Arranged for Great Lakes Brass by Jarad Selner
Featuring A. Billi Free

Mother, mother
There’s too many of you crying
Brother, brother, brother
There’s far too many of you dying
You know we’ve got to find a way

To bring some lovin’ here today, yeah
Father, father
We don’t need to escalate
You see, war is not the answer
For only love can conquer hate
You know we’ve got to find a way
To bring some lovin’ here today
Picket lines and picket signs
Don’t punish me with brutality
Talk to me
So you can see

Oh, what’s going on (What’s going on)
What’s going on (What’s going on)
What’s going on (What’s going on)
What’s going on (What’s going on)

Right on, baby
Right on, baby
Right on

Mother, mother
Everybody thinks we’re wrong
Oh, but who are they to judge us
Simply ’cause our hair is long
Oh, you know we’ve got to find a way
To bring some understanding here today
Picket lines and picket signs
Don’t punish me with brutality
Come on talk to me
So you can see

What’s going on (What’s going on)
Yeah, what’s going on (What’s going on)
Tell me what’s going on (What’s going on)
I’ll tell you, what’s going on (What’s going on)

Right on, baby, right on
Right on, baby
Right on, baby, right on

What's Happening my Brother

Written by James Nyx & Marvin Gaye
Arranged for Great Lakes Brass by Fred Bueltmann
Featuring Rachael Davis

Hey baby, what’cha know good
I’m just gettin’ back, but you knew I would
War is hell, when will it end,
When will people start gettin’ together again
Are things really gettin’ better, like the newspaper said
What else is new my friend, besides what I read

Can’t find no work, can’t find no job my friend
Money is tighter than it’s ever been
Say man, I just don’t understand
What’s going on across this land
Ah what’s happening brother,
Oh ya, what’s happening my man

Are they still gettin’ down where we used to go and dance
Will our Tigers win the pennant,
do you think they have a chance
And tell me friend, how in the world have you been.
Tell me what’s out and I want to know what’s in.

What’s the deal man, what’s happening
What’s happening brother
Ah what’s happening brother
What’s happening my man
Ah what’s happening brother

What’s been shaken up and down the line
I want to know cause I’m slightly behind the time.

Flyin' High (in the Friendly Sky)

Written by Marvin Gaye, Anna Gaye & Elgie Stover
Arranged for Great Lakes Brass by Fred Bueltmann
Featuring Crystal Woodward-Turner

Flying high in the friendly sky
Flying high without ever leavin’ the ground, no
Rest of the folks are tired and weary
Oh Lord, and have laid their bodies down
Yeah-yeah, oh yeah
I go the place where danger awaits me
Oh Lord
And it’s bound to forsake me (ooh Lord)
So stupid minded
I can’t help it
Oh, so stupid minded
But I go crazy when I can’t find it
In the morning, I’ll be alright, my friend (oh Lord)
But soon the night will bring the pains
The pain, oh the pain
Flying high in the friendly sky, oh Lord
Without ever leaving the ground
Yeah-yeah
And I ain’t seen nothing but trouble baby
Nobody really understands, no no (help me, somebody)
And I go to the place where good feelin’ awaits me
Self-destruction’s in my hand
Oh Lord, so stupid minded (can you help me? Can you help?)
Oh Lord, I go crazy when I can’t find it (help me)
Well I know, I’m hooked, my friend (got to help me)
To the boy who makes slaves out of men (got to help me)
Oh-oh believe me
Flying high in a friendly sky
Oh baby, flyin’ high
Ooh-hoo

Ooh-hoo

Flyin’ high, in a friendly sky
Help Me Somebody (from Dirty Dozen version)

Save the Children

Written by Al Cleveland, Marvin Gaye & Renaldo Benson
Arranged for Great Lakes Brass by Jarad Selner
Featuring Maggie Heeran & Adam Danis

I just want to ask a question:
Who really cares, to save a world in despair?
Who really cares?
There’ll come a time (There’ll come a time)
When the world won’t be singing (When the world won’t be singing)

Flowers won’t grow (Flowers won’t grow, no)
Bells won’t be ringin’ (The bells won’t be ringin’)
Who really cares? (Who really cares?)
Who’s willing to try? (Who is willin’ to try?)

To save the world (To save the world)
That’s destined to die (That is destined to die)
When I look at the world (When I look at the world)
It fills me with sorrow (It fills me with sorrow)

Little children today (Children today)
Are really gonna suffer tomorrow (Really suffer tomorrow)
(Oh!) What a shame (What a shame)
Such a bad way to live (Such a bad way to live)
Oh, who is to blame? (Who is to blame?)

We can’t stop living (When we can’t stop living)
(Ohhh!) Live, (Live)
(Live for life) Live for life
(But let live everybody)
Live life for the children (Live life for the children!)
(Oh, for the Children!)
You see, let’s… (Oh!) let’s save the children (Oh)

Let’s…let’s save all the children
(Save the babies! Save the babies!)
(And if you want to love, you got to save the babies!)
(Oh you’ve got the feeling, you’ve got the feeling)
(You will save the babies! All of the children!)

God is Love

Written by Marvin Gaye, Anna Gaye, Elgie Stover & James Nyx
Arranged for Great Lakes Brass by Jarad Selner
Featuring Rachel Marco-Havens & Dutcher Snedeker

GLB’s Mother Earth Edition
(adaptation by Rachel Marco-Havens)

Oh don’t go and trample on our mother
She’s God and my friend

She made this world for us to live in, and gave us everything

And all we ask of us
is we give each other love.

Oh ya

Don’t go and trample on my mother
Cause God is my friend

She loves us whether or not we show it
And still gives us everything

And all we ask of us,
is we give each other love.
Oh ya

Love your mother,
Love your father,
Love your sister,
Love your brother,
(your brother!)

Don’t go and trample on my Mother
Shes god and my friend

And when we call on her for mercy
Be reciprocal my friend
(Oh, yes)

All we ask of us, (I know),
is we give each other love,
Oh ya

Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)

Written by Marvin Gaye
Arranged for Great Lakes Brass by Scott Dumas
Featuring Andrew Schrock – Vocals

Woah, ah, mercy, mercy meAh, things ain’t what they used to be
(ain’t what they used to be)

Where did all the blue skies go?Poison is the wind that blowsFrom the north and south and east

Woah mercy, mercy me, yeahAh, things ain’t what they used to be (ain’t what they used to be)

Oil wasted on the ocean and upon our seasFish full of mercury

Oh Jesus, yeah, mercy, mercy me, ah

Ah, things ain’t what they used to be (ain’t what they used to be)

Radiation underground and in the skyAnimals and birds who live nearby are dying

Hey, mercy, mercy me, ohHey, things ain’t what they used to be

What about this overcrowded land?How much more abuse from man can she stand?

SIDE TWO

Right on

Written by Earl DeRouen & Marvin Gaye
Arranged for Great Lakes Brass by Scott Dumas
Featuring Noble Julz Hamilton

Hey baby, that’s alright peopleI know that’s alrightEvery day, that’s alrightOh, when we love each otherI know that’s alrightOh, just feel it, feel itOh, everybody feel itGod knows that’s alright, yes

Some of us were born with money to spendSome of us were born for races to winSome of us are aware that it’s good for us to careSome of us feel the icy wind of poverty blowin’ in the air

For those of us who simply like to socializeFor those of us who tend the sickAnd heed the people’s cries

Let me say to you

Turn on, on, feel it, feelYeah, oh, oh, oh Lord, Lord, peopleAnd I say, right onHoney, right on

For those of us who live where peace is cravedFor those of us who live, where hatred is enslaved, alrightFor those of us who live a life, yeahSurrounded by good fortune and wealth, talk about it

For those of us who live a life, hey, hey, hey enjoyin’ ourselvesFor those of us who got drowned in the sea of happinessFor the soul that takes pride in his GodAnd himself and everything else

Love, love, sweet love, love, wonderful loveAh, true love, love, love for your brotherAnd love, love for GodLove, pure love

Ah true love can conquer hate every timeGive out some love and you’ll find peace sublimeAnd my darlin’, one more thingIf you let me, I will take you to live where love is king

Wholy Holy

Written by Renaldo Benson, Al Cleveland & Marvin Gaye
Arranged for Great Lakes Brass by Scott Dumas
Featuring Hannah Laine & Nate Heymoss

Wholly holy
Come together
Wholly holy
People, we all got to come together
‘Cause we need the strength, power and all the feeling

Wholly holy
Get together, one another
Wholly holy, wholly holy, wholly
We should believe in one another
the love we feel comes and goes,
but it always returns
And from the love in each other
we’ve got a lot to learn

Wholly holy
We can conquer hate (‘Cause we can) forever
We need each other
Wholly (Wholly holy, wholly holy)
We can rock the world’s foundation (Yes we can)
Everybody together, together and holy (Wholly holy, wholly)
Will holler love, love, love across the nation

Wholly holy
All together and holy (Wholly)
We proclaim love, our salvation

Inner City Blues
(Make me wanna holler)

Written by Marvin Gaye, James Nyx, Anna Gaye & Elgie Stover
Arranged for Great Lakes Brass by Fred Bueltmann
Featuring Andrew Schrock, Peter Madcat Ruth, A. Billi Free, Crystal Turner, Rachael Davis and the entire Harvest Gathering edition of Great Lakes Brass

Rockets, moon shots
Spend it on the have nots
Money, we make it
Fore we see it you take it

Oh, make me want to holler
The way they do my life (yeah)
Make me want to holler
The way they do my life
This ain’t livin’, this ain’t livin’
No, no baby, this ain’t livin’
No, no, no, no

Inflation no chance
To increase finance
Bills pile up sky high
Send that boy off to die
Oh, make me want to holler
The way they do my life

Yeah, make me want to holler
The way they do my life
Oh, baby
Dah, dah, dah
Dah, dah, dah

Hang-ups, let downs
Bad breaks, set backs
Natural fact is
Oh honey that I can’t pay my taxes

Oh, make me want to holler
And throw up both my hands
Yea, it make me want to holler
And throw up both my hands

Oh (ow) crime is (woo) increasing
Trigger happy policing
Panic is spreading
God knows where we’re heading

Oh, make me want to holler
They don’t understand

Mother, mother
Everybody thinks we’re wrong
Who are they to judge us

Simply cause we wear our hair long

Mother Mother…

Interesting reading:

Here’s a few articles with history, relevance, etc.: