Page "Marvin Gaye" Paragraph 20

Emboldened by its success, Gaye spent ten days recording the What's Going On album after Gordy gave him an ultimatum of completing the album by the end of that March.

Though the album's subject matter again led to Gordy advising to Gaye of its potential of damaging his core fan base, Motown issued the album that May.

The album became Gaye's first million-selling album and featured two more top-ten hits, " Mercy Mercy Me ( The Ecology )" and " Inner City Blues ".

The album became one of Motown's first autonomous works, without the help of Motown's staff producers.

Its themes and segue flow brought the concept album format to rhythm and blues music.

The album was later hailed as " the most important and passionate record to come out of soul music, delivered by one of its finest voices ".

Gaye won several music industry awards following the album's success including Billboard's Trendsetter of the Year while Rolling Stone named it the " Album of the Year ".

He won several NAACP Image Awards including Producer of the Year and Male Vocalist of the Year while the album won Album of the Year.

The " What's Going On " song was nominated for two Grammy Awards including Best Male R & B Vocal Performance.

Following a couple of performances, one at the Kennedy Center in his native Washington, and for a non-profit organization dedicated to end the plight of urban poverty, Gaye signed a $ 1 million new deal with Motown, making it the most lucrative deal by a black recording artist at the time.

Gaye first responded to the new contract with the soundtrack and subsequent score, Trouble Man, released in late 1972.