I Heard It Throug the Grapevine

Gladys Knight & the Pips recorded the song on June 17, 1967 at Hitsville U.S.A. Studio A in Detroit with Norman Whitfield producing and the Funk Brothers supplying the instrumental track. Gladys Knight sang lead, with Merald Knight, William Guest, and Edward Patten on backing vocals. Released in 1967 on Motown's Soul label, the single became the first issued version of Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong's song. It reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Billboard R&B chart, becoming Motown's biggest-selling single to that point. The recording became a career breakthrough for Gladys Knight & the Pips and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2018. Its success also opened the way for Marvin Gaye's later version, making the song one of Motown's most durable standards.