Rock History: Analyzing Six Classic Songs and Arrangements

Since I Don't Have You — The Skyliners

The arrangement by the Skyliners is very effective and fairly typical of 1950s music, in that there is a strong orchestral opening — dramatically drawing the listener into the mood of the song — for a few seconds. Suddenly the group's harmony comes blasting in, joining the orchestra, and musically signaling to listeners that this is a slow dance tune. This is doo-wop dance music at its finest, made for lovers who don't want to dance fast but love clinging to each other in a slow dance. The beat is strong but slow, and as the lead voice reaches high for emotional impact, other members of the group join in harmony by wordlessly "ahhhh-ing" along with the lead singer.

The arrangement is extremely friendly to the listener. As lead singer Jimmy Beaumont rockets to high notes, going into falsetto in the third stanza, the song reaches its most dramatic and lofty point. At the close of the song, Beaumont's passionate calling out — "Since I don't have… You-oh, You-oh, You-oh, You-oh…" — is joined by Janet Vogel, soaring even higher than Beaumont to a very high C, giving Beaumont's interpretation of the song even more energy and power.

This song was a hit, but before it had a chance, 13 major record labels turned the group down. Luckily, Capitol Records had the good judgment to record the tune. It was the first rock song to be accompanied by a full orchestra. It was a hit partly because of the strong melody and the doo-wop arrangement and orchestration, but also because the group — who were Caucasian — sounded to many listeners as though they had the soul of African-American musicians. They were in fact the first Caucasian group to reach the top of the R&B charts on Cashbox.

What's Going On — Marvin Gaye

The first thing that needs to be said about this song is that it was recorded in 1970–71, during the grueling, bloody, and deeply unpopular Vietnam War. The entire album of the same name was written from the perspective of a soldier returning from Vietnam. Gaye's brother had returned from the war and related his experiences in depth to his musically gifted brother Marvin. Gaye's wonderfully soulful voice was far sweeter than most protest songs of that era. Part of the appeal of this song was the wonderfully poignant message that Gaye's once-in-a-million golden voice projected. That he could take subjects like the repugnance of war, the violence visited upon protesters who saw the war as an evil misadventure, and the injustice suffered by people of color in the inner city — and turn them into a hit record that mesmerized listeners — was remarkable. The up-tempo beat, the background voices that seem to instantly echo Gaye's words, and the percussion charging forward (conga drums and snare drums) pushed the arrangement into uncharted territory in the music world.

As Gaye sings, "Father, father, we don't need to escalate — war is not the answer, for only love can conquer hate," the background singing isn't in precise sync with his enunciation of the lyrics. But that imperfection adds a sense of immediacy and spontaneity to the arrangement. Gaye was already a major star for Motown, with a string of pop records that had charted, and he was revered by fans and praised by critics. For a Motown star to release a protest song — so creatively produced and hauntingly repetitive with the question "what's going on?" sung over and over — was extraordinary for that time.

Gaye used his great voice to sing "ohhhh… ohhhh…" on the high notes, and he chose background vocals that soared and cried at the same time. Interestingly, he brought two of his National Football League friends from the Detroit Lions — Lem Barney and Mel Farr — to chime in with the spoken words "Right on! Right on!" and "Hey, what's happening, man!" This was a hit and will remain an iconic song — not only because it helps music lovers remember Marvin Gaye, who died far too young, but because it reflects artistically on a period in American history when the country was experiencing social upheaval, mistrust of leadership, and youthful rebellion.