| The Onion Song | |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell |
| Album: | Easy[1] |
| B-Side: | California Soul |
| Released: | October 1969 (U.K.); March 20, 1970 (U.S.) |
| Recorded: | 1969, Detroit |
| Label: | Tamla |
| Producer: | Ashford & Simpson |
| Prev Title: | What You Gave Me |
| Prev Year: | 1969 |
| Next Title: | California Soul |
| Next Year: | 1970 |
"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. "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]
The song's lyrics reflected social consciousness. 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.
Record World called the song "a groovy, bouncy tune."[4] Cash Box said it has a "brotherhood message with the rhythmic familiarity of past Marvin-Tammi hits."[5]
| Chart (1970) | Peak position | |
|---|---|---|
| UK Singles (The Official Charts Company)[6] | 9 | |
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 50 | |
| US Billboard Best Selling Soul Singles | 18 |
. Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Joel Whitburn . 2004 . Record Research . 225.