The Onion Song - Wikipedia The Onion Song This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( February 2016 ) `` The Onion Song '' Single by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell from the album Easy B - side `` California Soul '' Released October 1969 ( U.K. ) ; March 20, 1970 ( U.S. ) Recorded 1969, Detroit Genre Soul, pop Label Tamla Songwriter ( s ) Ashford & Simpson Producer ( s ) Ashford & Simpson `` The Onion Song '' was a hit for soul singers Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell in 1969. It reached the top ten overseas, and was a more modest hit in the U.S. The song, which reflected social consciousness, 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. Terrell died, aged 24, just prior to the song 's release as a single in the U.S. In the U.S., `` The Onion Song peaked at No. 18 on the soul singles chart and No. 50 on the Billboard Hot 100 Credits All vocals by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell / Valerie Simpson All instrumentation by The Funk Brothers External links Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics References Jump up ^ Whitburn, Joel ( 2004 ). Top R&B / Hip - Hop Singles : 1942 - 2004. Record Research. p. 225. Marvin Gaye Studio albums The Soulful Moods of Marvin Gaye ( 1961 ) That Stubborn Kinda Fellow ( 1962 ) When I 'm Alone I Cry ( 1964 ) Hello Broadway ( 1964 ) How Sweet It Is to Be Loved by You ( 1965 ) A Tribute to the Great Nat `` King '' Cole ( 1965 ) Moods of Marvin Gaye ( 1966 ) In the Groove / I Heard It Through the Grapevine ! ( 1968 ) M.P.G. ( 1969 ) That 's the Way Love Is ( 1970 ) What 's Going On ( 1971 ) Trouble Man ( 1972 ) Let 's Get It On ( 1973 ) I Want You ( 1976 ) Here, My Dear ( 1978 ) In Our Lifetime ( 1981 ) Midnight Love ( 1982 ) Posthumous albums Dream of a Lifetime ( 1985 ) Romantically Yours ( 1986 ) Vulnerable ( 1997 ) Duet albums Together ( with Mary Wells, 1964 ) Take Two ( with Kim Weston, 1966 ) United ( with Tammi Terrell, 1967 ) You 're All I Need ( with Tammi Terrell, 1968 ) Easy ( with Tammi Terrell, 1969 ) Diana & Marvin ( with Diana Ross, 1973 ) Compilations Greatest Hits ( 1964 ) Greatest Hits, Vol. 2 ( 1967 ) Marvin Gaye and His Girls ( 1969 ) Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell 's Greatest Hits ( 1970 ) Super Hits ( 1970 ) Anthology ( 1974 ) Marvin Gaye 's Greatest Hits ( 1976 ) Motown Remembers Marvin Gaye : Never Before Released Masters ( 1986 ) The Marvin Gaye Collection ( 1990 ) The Norman Whitfield Sessions ( 1994 ) Love Starved Heart : Rare and Unreleased ( 1994 ) The Very Best of Marvin Gaye ( 1994 ) The Master ( 1961 -- 1984 ) ( 1995 ) Marvin Gaye : The Love Songs ( 2000 ) The Complete Duets ( 2001 ) The Very Best of Marvin Gaye ( 2001 ) Live albums Marvin Gaye Recorded Live on Stage ( 1963 ) Marvin Gaye Live ! ( 1974 ) Live at the London Palladium ( 1977 ) Marvin Gaye at the Copa ( 2005 ) Video albums Greatest Hits Live ( Live in Holland 1976 ) ( 2000 ) Live In Montreux 1980 ( 2003 ) The Real Thing : In Performance ( 1964 -- 1981 ) ( 2006 ) Live In Belgium 1981 ( 2006 ) US / UK Top Ten singles `` Pride and Joy '' `` How Sweet It Is ( To Be Loved by You ) '' `` I 'll Be Doggone '' `` Ai n't That Peculiar '' `` Your Precious Love '' `` If I Could Build My Whole World Around You '' `` Ai n't Nothing Like the Real Thing '' `` You 're All I Need to Get By '' `` I Heard It Through the Grapevine '' `` Too Busy Thinking About My Baby '' `` That 's the Way Love Is '' `` Abraham, Martin and John '' `` The Onion Song '' `` What 's Going On '' `` Mercy Mercy Me ( The Ecology ) '' `` Inner City Blues ( Make Me Wanna Holler ) '' `` Trouble Man '' `` Let 's Get It On '' `` You Are Everything '' `` Got to Give It Up '' `` Sexual Healing '' Family Marvin Gay Sr. ( father ) Alberta Gay ( mother ) Anna Gordy Gaye ( first wife ) Denise Gordy ( son 's birth mother ) Nona Gaye ( daughter ) Frankie Gaye ( brother ) Gordon Banks ( brother - in - law ) Related topics Discography Songs Albums Songs by Marvin Gaye Albums produced by Marvin Gaye Songs in memory Songs produced by Marvin Gaye Personal life Death Tributes Harvey Fuqua Tammi Terrell Leon Ware Marvin 's Room Marvin Is 60 : A Tribute Album Book Category Portal Marvin Gaye singles discography 1960s : ( Tamla ) 1961 `` Let Your Conscience Be Your Guide '' 1962 `` Sandman '' `` Soldier 's Plea '' `` Stubborn Kind of Fellow '' `` Hitch Hike '' 1963 `` Pride and Joy '' `` Can I Get a Witness '' 1964 `` You 're a Wonderful One '' `` Once Upon a Time '' `` What 's the Matter with You Baby '' `` Try It Baby '' `` Baby Do n't You Do It '' `` What Good Am I Without You '' `` How Sweet It Is ( To Be Loved by You ) '' 1965 `` I 'll Be Doggone '' `` Pretty Little Baby '' `` Ai n't That Peculiar '' 1966 `` One More Heartache '' `` Take This Heart of Mine '' `` Little Darling ( I Need You ) '' `` It Takes Two '' 1967 `` Ai n't No Mountain High Enough '' `` Your Unchanging Love '' `` Your Precious Love '' `` You '' `` If I Could Build My Whole World Around You '' / `` If This World Were Mine '' 1968 `` Ai n't Nothing Like the Real Thing '' `` You 're All I Need to Get By '' `` Chained '' `` Keep On Lovin ' Me Honey '' `` You Ai n't Livin ' till You 're Lovin ' '' `` His Eye Is on the Sparrow '' `` I Heard It Through the Grapevine '' 1969 `` Good Lovin ' Ai n't Easy to Come By '' `` Too Busy Thinking About My Baby '' `` That 's the Way Love Is '' `` Abraham, Martin and John '' `` What You Gave Me '' `` How Can I Forget '' 1970s : ( Tamla ) 1970 `` Gonna Give Her All the Love I 've Got '' `` The Onion Song '' `` California Soul '' `` The End of Our Road '' 1971 `` What 's Going On '' `` Mercy Mercy Me ( The Ecology ) '' `` Inner City Blues ( Make Me Wanna Holler ) '' `` Save the Children '' 1972 `` You 're the Man '' `` Trouble Man '' `` I Want to Come Home for Christmas '' 1973 `` Let 's Get It On '' `` You 're a Special Part of Me '' `` Stop, Look, Listen ( To Your Heart ) '' `` Come Get to This '' `` You Sure Love to Ball '' `` My Mistake ( Was to Love You ) '' `` Do n't Knock My Love '' `` You Are Everything '' `` Distant Lover '' 1976 `` I Want You '' `` After the Dance '' `` Since I Had You '' 1977 `` Got to Give It Up '' 1978 `` Pops, We Love You ( A Tribute to Father ) '' 1979 `` A Funky Space Reincarnation '' `` Anger '' `` Ego Tripping Out '' 1980s : ( Tamla / Columbia ) 1981 `` Praise '' `` Heavy Love Affair '' 1982 `` Sexual Healing '' `` My Love Is Waiting '' `` ' Til Tomorrow '' `` Joy '' Posthumous 1985 `` Sanctified Lady '' `` It 's Madness '' `` Just Like '' 1986 `` The World Is Rated X '' 1991 `` My Last Chance '' `` Lucky, Lucky Me '' 1995 `` This Love Starved Heart Of Mine ( It 's Killing Me ) '' `` Music '' 2005 `` Let 's Get It On ( The M.P.G. Groove Remix ) '' 2015 `` Where Are We Going '' Book Category Portal This 1970s single -- related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Onion_Song&oldid=704434558 '' Categories : 1969 singles 1970 singles Marvin Gaye songs Tammi Terrell songs Songs written by Valerie Simpson Songs written by Nickolas Ashford Vocal duets Motown singles Song recordings produced by Ashford & Simpson 1969 songs 1970s single stubs Hidden categories : Articles needing additional references from February 2016 All articles needing additional references All stub articles Talk About Wikipedia Add links This page was last edited on 11 February 2016, at 15 : 59. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. 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Question: who sang the world is like a great big onion
Answer: Marvin Gaye