The Onion Song
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (February 2016) |
| "The Onion Song" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell | ||||
| from the album Easy[1] | ||||
| B-side | "California Soul" | |||
| Released | October 1969 (U.K.); March 20, 1970 (U.S.) | |||
| Recorded | 1969, Detroit | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Label | Tamla | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Ashford & Simpson | |||
| Producer(s) | Ashford & Simpson | |||
| Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Official audio | ||||
| "The Onion Song" on YouTube | ||||
"The Onion Song" was a hit for soul singers Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell in 1969.[2] It reached the top ten overseas, where it became Gaye & Terrell's biggest hit in the United Kingdom, entering the singles chart on 15 November 1969 and peaking at No.9 on 9 December.[2] "The Onion Song" was a more modest hit in the U.S. where it peaked at No. 18 on the soul singles chart and No. 50 on the Billboard Hot 100[3] Both the A-side and the B-side, "California Soul", were written by Ashford & Simpson.
Background
[edit]The song's lyrics reflect social consciousness, opening with the claim that: "The world is just a great big onion, And pain and fear are the spices that make you cry" and continuing with advice that: ".. the only way to get rid of this great big onion, Is to plant love seeds until it dies".[4]
Tammi Terrell died, aged 24, just prior to the song's release as a single in the U.S., and it became her and Gaye's last official single together.[citation needed]
Record World called the song "a groovy, bouncy tune."[5] Cash Box said it has a "brotherhood message with the rhythmic familiarity of past Marvin-Tammi hits."[6]
Chart performance
[edit]| Chart (1970) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles (The Official Charts Company)[7] | 9 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 50 |
| US Billboard Best Selling Soul Singles | 18 |
Credits
[edit]- All vocals by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell
- All instrumentation by The Funk Brothers
References
[edit]- ^ "www.allmusic.com". allmusic.com. Retrieved September 9, 2022.
- ^ a b "BBC Radio 2 - Sounds of the 60s with Tony Blackburn - Marvin Gaye". BBC.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 225.
- ^ https://www.musixmatch.com/lyrics/Marvin-Gaye-3/the-onion-song
- ^ "Single Reviews" (PDF). Record World. April 11, 1970. p. 14. Retrieved 2023-04-28.
- ^ "CashBox Record Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. April 11, 1970. p. 20. Retrieved 2023-04-19.
- ^ "officialcharts.com". officialcharts.com. Retrieved September 9, 2022.
 | This 1970s single–related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |