Mercy Mercy Me

Marvin Gaye recorded the single in March 1971 at Hitsville U.S.A. Studio A in Detroit as part of the What's Going On sessions. The track features Gaye with the Funk Brothers, with Wild Bill Moore on tenor saxophone and string arrangements associated with Paul Riser and David Van De Pitte. Released as the second single from What's Going On, it became a major crossover hit and one of the album’s defining statements. It matched the title track’s breakthrough by bringing Gaye’s environmental message into the pop Top 5 and the R&B summit. The song became one of Marvin Gaye’s signature recordings and one of the best-known early popular songs about ecological crisis. It has remained a staple of classic soul radio and a lasting reference point for socially conscious pop.