Who Did It Better? I Heard It Through The Grapevine

Who Did It Better? 

I Heard It Through The Grapevine

Sometimes... the real battles are behind the scenes!

I Heard It Through The Grapevine is a true classic... but, to paraphrase George from Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?  - "oh, what a difficult birth it was!" 

Motown producer/writer Norman Whitfield came up with the idea for the song. The title was a turn of phrase he kept hearing people use in Chicago. Its roots go back to the days of slavery, when the grapevine - word of mouth - was the only way to get any news - sort of black folks' version of the telegram.

Whitfield took his ideas to Holland-Dozier-Holland, but the team did not want to share credit with an outside writer. So, this led to Whitfield hooking up with producer/writer Barrett Strong.

Now, there's a couple of things you need to understand about Motown. Back in the day, it was run like a factory. And nothing went to the production floor or was released to the public without the approval of The Quality Board, a group of Berry Gordy's most trusted producers, musicians, promoters and A&R men. And even if something did manage to get the board's approval, if Berry didn't like it? It didn't happen.

Initially, executives at Motown were concerned that the song was too bluesy and lacked hit potential. However, despite their initial skepticism, the song was slated to be recorded.

Reportedly, the Isley Brothers were actually the first group to record the song - but their recording either got lost or the session was merely scheduled, but never took place.

Therefore, the first finished for release version belongs to The Miracles. Recorded on August 16, 1966, their version would not see the light of day until it was slipped onto a 1968 album. The Miracles' version was not released as a single due to Berry Gordy's veto during Motown's weekly quality control meetings. Gordy told Whitfield and Strong that if they wanted the song to be considered for release they needed to create a stronger single.

The second version was recorded by Marvin Gaye on February 3rd, 8th, 13th, 15th, and April 10th of 1967. The reason it took so long was due to a disagreement between the producer and the singer. Whitfield wanted Gaye to perform the song in a higher key than his normal range, in order to bring a bit of gruffness to Gaye's vocals. Whitfield had used this technique with great success when working with The Temptations. After initially balking at the idea, Gaye acquiesced and went with it. As he explained to NME: "I simply took direction, as I felt the direction he was expounding was a proper one. Had I done it myself I would not have sung it at all like that, but y'see there are many benefits in just singing other people's material and taking directions. The job of interpreting is quite an important one, because when people are not able to express what is in their souls if there is an artist who can... then I think that is very valuable."

Although Gaye's version won the approval of The Quality Board, this version was also rejected by Gordy as a single. Gordy had another song in mind for Gaye's next single and he did not feel that Grapevine was in keeping with Gaye's romantic image.

Gaye's version was finally slipped onto an album and released in 1968. More on this later...

Whitfield knew that in order to keep the song alive, he had to come up with a different approach. After hearing Aretha Franklin's version of Respect, Whitfield rearranged Grapevine to include some of the funk elements of the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section. This arrangement was presented to Gladys Knight for consideration. It took two weeks for the Pips and Gladys to create a suitable vocal arrangement. What they ended up creating was a more up-tempo gospel/rock version.

Recorded and presented to The Quality Board in September of 1967, Gordy reluctantly accepted the new arrangement and Gladys Knight and The Pips' version was released as a single on September 28, 1967. Released on Motown's Soul label, and with very little promotion on the record company’s part, the single would reach #2 on the Billboard Pop Chart (Hot 100) thanks to relationships the group had built over the years with radio DJs throughout the country. Their version also reached #1 on the Billboard's R&B Chart on November 25, 1967, where it stayed for 6 weeks.

Less than a year later, in August of 1968, when Gaye's album with his version of Grapevine was released, radio DJs started playing his version of the song. Gordy was still reluctant to release Gaye's version as a single, especially in light of Gladys Knight and the Pips' success with the song. However, once E. Rodney Jones, the disc jockey at Chicago's WVON, started playing it on the air, Gordy had a change of heart and released it as a single on October 30th, 1968, It hit #1 in December, and remained there for 7 weeks in a row. In Britain, Gaye's version met with similar success, holding down the #1 spot for three weeks.

But the overwhelming success was lost on Gaye, who was heavily depressed at the time due to the failing health of his duet partner, Tammi Terrell. He felt that his success not only "didn't seem real", but he also felt he "didn't deserve it".

And Gaye was not the only one with qualms about the song's success...

Gladys Knight was not pleased that Gaye's version was released as a single and, ultimately, usurped her own. She later claimed that Gaye's version was recorded over an instrumental track Whitfield had prepared for a Pips' song, an allegation Gaye denied

A Side Note:

Creedence Clearwater Revival would record an 11 minute version in 1970. Edited and released as a single, their version would only go as high as #43 on the charts. Consensus is that the band's version would have done much better, however, John Fogerty, the band's leader and their label, Fantasy Records, were in the midst of a volatile dispute at the time, hindering promotion.

And now... Trivia time!

This is the only song that was a #1 R&B hit for three different artists. In addition to the Gladys Knight and the Pips and Marvin Gaye versions, Roger Troutman (who recorded under the moniker Roger) took it to the top of the R&B charts in 1981 with his electronically-enhanced version.

There are other versions of the song done by Motown artists - of note, The Temptations psychedelic 1969 version. But for the sake of this competition, we will limit ourselves to just the two that were released as singles in 1967 and 1968. (Though I will include all the other versions - because I am just so damned curious!

The Song: I Heard It Through The Grapevine

The Competitors:  Gladys Knight and The Pips vs. Marvin Gaye

I Heard It Through The Grapevine - 

Gladys Knight and The Pips

I Heard It Through The Grapevine - Marvin Gaye

I Heard It Through The Grapevine - The Miracles

I Heard It Through The Grapevine - 

Bobby Taylor and The Vancouvers

I Heard It Through The Grapevine - 

The Temptations

I Heard It Through The Grapevine - 

Creedence Clearwater Revival

(Single Edit)

I Heard It Through The Grapevine - Roger

(Single Edit)

Does anybody hear the Native American vibe that snakes its way throughout this song? It's a device that would serve a number of groups well, including Redbone, Paul Revere & The Raiders, and The Eagles.

Or is it just me?

So, this is a bit silly, isn't it. I mean... Marvin's version is burned into our collective subconscious thanks to its proliferation in the media generation after generation. Anything other than his version sounds thin and half-baked to, say the least. 

Marvin's vocals are absolutely masterful. And the arrangement perfectly compliments his every choice. Those back-up vocals? An act of subtle creation. You feel this man's pain. It haunts. 

Now, you know I love me some Gladys. She is one of a kind and that woman can sing like no other... to this day! But there s something rather naive sounding about the original recording she did with The Pips. Which is odd, considering Marvin's version was recorded before theirs. 

In comparison, Marvin's version sounds ultra-sophisticated. 

Here's the problem... Gladys' version has that trap set way up in the mix, and while I dig the simplicity of the piano as it allows Gladys to go full gospel, by the time we get to the breakdown... the drums sound like sticks and that whacky sax does not help. Not that I can't get behind it. I love call and response... however...

Marvin's version is simply in another league, as if recording equipment and studio technology were way more advanced at the time he recorded it when compared to the sound Gladys is working with. Which, as we all know... is impossible, since Gladys' version was recorded a good six months after Marvin's.

Now, The Miracles' version? The tempo seems all over the place and a tad pushed. And while Smokey sounds great, as usual, he doesn't seem too involved with the song... almost like he's going through the motions - getting from point A to Z as economically as possible. This version is all surface, featuring The Miracles, then, signature sound.

Bobby Taylor & The Vancouver's version was never really considered for single release, because they had based their version on the group's previous hit, and, once they heard Marvin's take on it, they felt they'd made the wrong choice. Personally, I kind of like it... I like his swagger... reminds me of early James Brown.

The Temptation's version comes from their relatively experimental psychedelic-influenced Cloud Nine album (1969). I love it because each group member has the opportunity to stretch out and strut their stuff and they do it in fine style. Quite frankly, I could listen to a much longer version of this... they all just keep bringing it.

While John Fogerty's vocals are dead-on and surprisingly soulful as hell, the bottom keeps dropping out of the recording... where's the damn bass? So, despite Fogerty's best efforts, the arrangement fails to carry or take him anywhere. And that cymbal crash just keeps killing the vibe for me. I understand the 11 minute version is an exercise in jamming and the group really gets into it. Me? I don't think I have the time...

Doesn't Roger's version sound like a novelty song? I remember him vividly. He was sort of a precursor to Prince's persona. Very sexy and out there. And his sound (he fronted the funk band Zapp) would be adopted by a number of other bands, in particular Cameo and Midnight Star. But this? I can't believe this made the charts much less hitting #1 R&B. Though, I must say, I do admire those punchy James Brown-inspired horns. Of course, in 1981, we were all still pretty much in awe of anything that sounded technical/mechanical... futuristic. So, yes, I guess I can believe we were enamored with this at the time.

The Verdict:

No surprise. It's Marvin, baby. Mmm hmm. He is so sexy.

Wish I could find me a Marvin. (But then, don't we all?)

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Well, that's it for this week. Quite a history lesson, huh? 

And now it's your turn. Leave your thoughts in the comment section. What did you think? I mean, about all the other versions... because... we are talking Marvin Gaye here. 

The man always was and always will be in a class all his own.

Thanks for reading.