Even among the many tall bushes with out quantity within the Motown songbook, “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” stands like a mighty redwood. So it’s unusual to assume what an unsure historical past the Norman Whitfield/Barrett Sturdy composition had, the way it was rejected twice in its infancy, and the way the primary hit model of it was eclipsed only a yr later by the Marvin Gaye interpretation everyone knows as a worldwide traditional.
The track had first been recorded at Motown, in the summertime of 1966, by the Miracles, however their model wasn’t even launched. Early within the new yr, Gaye recorded a brand new association, however once more, it stayed within the Hitsville vaults. Producer Whitfield then turned to Gladys Knight and the Pips, with nice success.
Their uptempo rendition, infused as ever with Gladys’ invigorating, gospel-soul supply, charted in October 1967, going to No.1 on the R&B chart and No.2 on the Scorching 100. Different Motown acts together with the Temptations and Bobby Taylor additionally reduce the tune, however Whitfield was nonetheless decided to make it successful for Gaye.
In the summertime of 1968, now that it was a identified track and Marvin was on the lookout for materials for his new In The Groove album, a brand new try at “Grapevine” made extra sense. He and Whitfield collaborated on the brooding, intense model, and when radio station WVON in Chicago began enjoying it as an album observe, the telephones went loopy. Berry Gordy was persuaded to launch it as a single, and historical past was written.
“I Heard It Through The Grapevine,” launched on October 30 as Tamla 54176, crashed onto the Scorching 100 on November 23 at a sky-high No.34, the best new entry of the week. Simply three weeks later, on the December 14 chart, it was the nation’s No.1, on its approach to turning into Motown’s biggest-selling single ever to that time. In March 1969, the track hit No.1 within the UK, and 45 years later, reaffirmed its place within the hearts of British followers by being voted The Nation’s Favorite Motown Music in a 2014 ITV particular of the identical identify.
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Among the many numerous different variations of “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” which have emphasised the track’s towering sturdiness, the epic 11-minute model by Creedence Clearwater Revival, on their 1970 album Cosmo’s Manufacturing unit, belatedly turned their closing Billboard Scorching 100 chart entry in 1976. Then in 1981, a rendition by Eighties synth-soul star Roger turned not solely his debut hit however an R&B chart No.1 for 2 weeks.
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