Gladys Knight & the Pips - I Heard It Through the Grapevine Lyrics (2025)

FAQs

Who originally sang "Heard It through the Grapevine"? ›

"I Heard It Through the Grapevine" is a song written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong for Motown Records in 1966. The first recording of the song to be released was produced by Whitfield for Gladys Knight & the Pips and released as a single in September 1967.

'I Heard It Through the Grapevine': How Marvin Gaye Claimed A Soul Classic. Only a year after Gladys Knight and the Pips took it to the top of the R&B chart, Marvin made 'I Heard It Through The Grapevine' his for keeps.

That song, 'I Heard It Through The Grapevine' was a smash hit for three artists – Gladys Knight & The Pips, Marvin Gaye, and Creedence Clearwater Revival – all within less than three years of each other. And I'm not even going to count the one by the California Raisins. This is mostly a Motown story.

This phrase "heard it on the grapevine" or "heard it though the grapevine" is a nice way of saying that one heard the information by means of gossip and rumor.

On December 2, 1967, that distinction was granted to the exciting Motown interpretation of “Grapevine” by Gladys Knight and the Pips. The first recording of the song, by the Miracles, was in the summer of 1966, but it wasn't even deemed worthy of release.

The song "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" has been recorded by various artists over the years, but one of the most famous and iconic versions is by Marvin Gaye. Marvin Gaye's rendition, released in 1968, is often considered one of the best and most definitive versions of the song.

The song basically has the same meaning—the singer heard it through the grapevine (a.k.a. some unofficial source) that his girl is about to break-up with him. Would have been nice if she would have given him a heads up instead of leaving him to get that bombshell through some back channel.

The act left Motown for a better deal with Buddah Records in 1973, and achieved even greater mainstream success that year with hits such as the Grammy-winning "Midnight Train to Georgia" (#1 on the pop and R&B chart), "I've Got to Use My Imagination", "The Way We Were/Try To Remember" and "Best Thing That Ever Happened ...

Knight was born on May 28, 1944, into a family that was part of Atlanta's growing Black middle class. She began her musical career at the age of four with a church recital, then toured and sang in southern churches with the Morris Brown College choir, an Atlanta gospel group, from 1950 to 1953.

People thought the wires and poles looked like the strings used to train vines so the telegraph lines became known as 'the grapevine'. During the American Civil War rumours were often spread via the telegraph lines.

Who sang and partially wrote I Heard It Through the Grapevine? ›

One of Marvin Gaye's most iconic hits, “I Heard It Through The Grapevine,” is a masterclass in conveying the devastation of heartbreak and betrayal. Originally recorded by Gladys Knight & the Pips in 1967, Gaye's 1968 version transformed the song into a raw, anguished cry for the truth.

Asha Bhosle, the iconic Indian singer, holds the title for the most recorded artist in music history. Surpassing her sister Lata Mangeshkar's previous record of 25,000 songs, Bhosle's remarkable career spans over seven decades.

"Proud Mary" is a song by American rock band Creedence Clearwater Revival, written by vocalist and lead guitarist John Fogerty. It was released as a single in January 1969 by Fantasy Records and on the band's second studio album, Bayou Country. The song became a major hit in the United States, peaking at No.

It is a common phrase that simply means 'to hear a rumor' or 'to hear or learn something through someone else'. The phrase dates back to the American Civil War. It references to when telegraph wires suspended from one tree to another, like a grapevine.

Marvin Gaye

Gaye's Motown songs include "Ain't That Peculiar", "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)", and "I Heard It Through the Grapevine". Gaye also recorded duets with Mary Wells, Kim Weston, Tammi Terrell, and Diana Ross.