59 years ago today, Marvin Gaye finished recording "I Heard It Through the Grapevine," one of the hottest singles in Motown history, for his then upcoming album In the Groove. Written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong for Gaye, Motown executive Barry Gordy declined to release it at the time. Whitfield and Strong then recorded and released it with Gladys Knight & the Pips as a single, where it went to number one on the Billboard R&B Singles chart and number two on the Billboard Pop Singles char, allowing the songwriters to push harder for the release of Gaye's original recordings, which proved even more successful. WATCH a great live version of the song from Montreux... (1967)
