I Heard It Through the Grapevine

[laughs]

Um, this is the same album that has the, the hit, um, Heard It Through the Grapevine, the cover from Marvin Gaye.

Oh, yes.

Yeah.

The first, Gladys Knight and the Pips.

I heard it through the grapevine.

That was released as a single in 1967 and actually was the biggest selling Motown hit up to that time.

Written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong.

The Miracles did actually record it in 1966, but never released it till 68 on their LP.

And Marvin Gaye, of course.

he recorded it in 67 did not release it until 68 on his lp and it was only at that point when the dj started picking it up of course the marvin gaye version became really really popular but this was the original single that i'm going to play gladys knight and the pips i heard it through the grapevine That will be followed by a tune written by Holland Dozier and Holland and Sylvia Moy.

In 1966, they wrote it for the Supremes, who put it on their 1966 LP, Supremes A Go-Go, This Old Heart of Mine.

So if you guys have not seen Summer of Soul, which I'm sure most of you have, but it just bears repeating.

And not just those two guys, it's, you know, Gladys Knight does I Heard It Through the Grapevine, Nina Simone's on there, Chambers Brothers, Fifth Dimension, all these great Black artists and groups from the late 60s.

Yep.

Tremendous.

During his 22-year recording career, Gay had six top 10 albums on the Billboard Pop Album Chart.

He also amassed 18 top 10 hits on the Hot 100, including I Heard It Through the Grapevine, Let's Get It On, and Got to Give It Up, all which went number one.

Now what's interesting is it is mentioned Earl Sebastian, who produced the album, the MTV special, and most of the project's music videos, described his contributions as a labor of love.

He's quoted as saying, Marvin's work was influential in that he could include important things while keeping it all music-based.

Number 60 on the regular Billboard charts.

It had their version of I Heard It Through the Grapevine, which I believe was the original version of the song before Marvin Gaye got it.

And also Take Me in Your Arms and Love Me.

In 1967, the Supremes released their Greatest Hits album.

So I'm sure like all of your guests, well, I know like most of your guests, there's always like, it could be a top three for every category, but we'll go straight in.

So, um, I went for Heard It Through the Grapevine, Marvin Gaye version.

Yeah.

Um, yeah, the reason being, it's just that build-up from the [drum noise] It just like starts with this groove pulse, and then it just introduces all these different things.

And it creeps in as well.

Yeah, it does, yeah

... it's got a really kind of, sort of creepy feel to it, Heard It Through the Grapevine.

Um-