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Marvin Gaye — I Heard It Through the Grapevine
Album: What's Going On
Avg rating:
8.5

Your rating:
Total ratings: 3719









Released: 1971
Length: 3:10
Plays (last 30 days): 0
Ooh, I bet you're wond'rin' how I knew
'bout your plans to make me blue
With some other guy you knew before
Between the two of us guys you know I love you more
It took me by surprise I must say
When I found out yesterday
Don'tcha know that I

Heard it through the grapevine
Not much longer would you be mine
Oh I heard it through the grapevine
Oh I'm just about to lose my mind
Honey, honey yeah
(Heard it through the grapevine)
(Not much longer would you be my baby, ooh, ooh, ooh)

I know a man ain't supposed to cry
But these tears I can't hold inside
Losin' you would end my life you see
'cause you mean that much to me
You could have told me yourself
That you love someone else
Instead I

Heard it through the grapevine
Not much longer would you be mine
Oh I heard it through the grapevine
And I'm just about to lose my mind
Honey, honey yeah
(Heard it through the grapevine)
(Not much longer would you be my baby, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh)



People say believe half of what you see
Son, and none of what you hear
But I can't help bein' confused
If it's true please tell me dear
Do you plan to let me go
For the other guy you loved before?
Don'tcha know I

Heard it through the grapevine
Not much longer would you be mine
Baby I heard it through the grapevine
Ooh I'm just about to lose my mind
Honey, honey yeah
(Heard it through the grapevine)
(Not much longer would you be my baby, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah)


Honey, honey, I know
That you're lettin' me go
Said I heard it through the grapevine

FADE
Heard it through the grapevine
Comments (252)add comment
I had this at 9. I must have been having a truly awful day. I promise to do better. For me this is a 10 every day of the year.  My chair agrees - we need a chair dancing emoji
OK, I know "to each there own," but how does someone out there give this a 1? That isn't a person I want to party with.
 waterwench21 wrote:

OK now I have to watch The Big Chill....



me too!! one of my favs.
Perfection!
OK now I have to watch The Big Chill....
chair dancing!
 Stratocaster wrote:

Really really good song. So good that I feel bad saying I like Creedence’s cover better.



I like the Gladys Knight version better...  and dont feel bad saying it lol
This song is so great that not even the California Raisins can kill it. 
 sqqqrly wrote:

All RP supporters should have a single `11` rating....for one song only.

This could be a reasonable choice!
I have actually gone back and down-rated several tunes, including this one. But only, ONLY because of songs like 'Strange Fruit' and 'Change is Gonna Come'. Those two, and a few others, transcend mere music. MG's 'Mercy Mercy Me' is in the running too. Up against those, this is still a solid 9.

But I like the idea of a single '11' rating.
c.

 Guelfling wrote:


Ok, but not as long as 10 is called Godlike 😇


11 would be called The God of Music
Millenials: "A classic 1970s R&B hit!"
 
Gen X: "Dancing raisins!"
I love the Flying Pickets' a capella cover, too. Wish I heard that here, too 😃
 sqqqrly wrote:


All RP supporters should have a single `11` rating....for one song only.

This could be a reasonable choice!


Ok, but not as long as 10 is called Godlike 😇
 Sloggydog wrote:

...I saw your status update online and I'm just about to lose my mind?


No, man, alot worse.than that, he just heard a rumour! He says "you should have told me yourself"... If it's true 😏
 nicknt wrote:

This song was recorded by MG in 1968 and is not included in What's Going On album released in 1971.




Very correct!!
GODLIKE!
Really really good song. So good that I feel bad saying I like Creedence’s cover better.
 covered by so many cuz it's so friggin zesty!
This song was recorded by MG in 1968 and is not included in What's Going On album released in 1971.
Why do I always reach for a box of raisins when I hear this song?
 MilesW wrote:

Where is/are grammarpolice? 


Where is/are the grammarpolice at? 
The harmonies on this are quite sophisticated!
Where's the dancing raisin emoji?
 jelgator wrote:
Where's the 11 button at?

 
Where is/are grammarpolice? 
this song evokes so much in so many , Vietnam , love and betrayal , unprotected sex ,big American cars , Harlem fires Camel cigarettes , baby liver with onions 
 jelgator wrote:
Where's the 11 button at?

 

All RP supporters should have a single `11` rating....for one song only.

This could be a reasonable choice!
 thewiseking wrote:
The Big Chill killed this
 
In a good way...
 bokey wrote:
What an incredible voice.
 
VOICE(S) Plural....2 b sure!! ✌️
Криденсы шикарно эту песню делают!
Where's the 11 button at?

The original was by Smokey Robinson & The Miracles  released on August 16, 1966.
Gladys did next then Marvin, then Credence C R and no doubt a lot of others 
 cob427uk1 wrote:
Timeless and has been there in my life for as long as I can remember and always will be. Classic is to small a word for this track.
 
Hard to believe anyone would down-vote this comment but, alas, someone out there has no chill. 
 Sloggydog wrote:

...I saw your status update online and I'm just about to lose my mind?
 

I've been on twitter and I've lost all good sense
Great backup singers! 
 Bat wrote:
Wrong album.  This song is not on "What's Going On".

Bat's right....from Wiki....

The Marvin Gaye version was placed on his 1968 album In the Groove, where it gained the attention of radio disc jockeys, and Motown founder Berry Gordy finally agreed to its release as a single in October 1968, when it went to the top of the Billboard Pop Singles chart for seven weeks from December 1968 to January 1969 and became for a time the biggest hit single on the Motown label (Tamla).


 On_The_Beach wrote:

Gotta love the CCR extended jam version.  : )
 

with Fogerty's awesome voice... been playing air guitar to the CCR version for damn near fifty years now   
Wrong album.  This song is not on "What's Going On".
I'd rate it a 7 or 8 but I don't want to hear it on my Favourites. Good song. Classic for sure. 
Ok, let's see ... Sucko Barfo? No; Marginal? Nah ... it's gotta be  GODLIKE!  An easy 10.
Great song, outstanding album. Easily 9ne of the top albums of the last or any century.
Timeless and has been there in my life for as long as I can remember and always will be. Classic is to small a word for this track.
 iloveradio wrote:

The sense of smell and memory are intimately linked in cerebral anatomy/physiology. I find also that great old music of my youth brings back great memories as well.

I remember how my feet smelled at age 5.  At the time, it was a revelation.
 

YOW!

Gimee,gimme,gimme!!!
 With you.

meauclaire wrote:
Got me a hankering for some raisins.

 

That voice!
 gjr wrote:
one of the TOP FIVE covers of all time:

Hendrix - watchtower
Sinatra - My Way  (or New York New york)
Aretha - Respect
Beatles - Twist and Shout
jeff buckley - hallelujah 

and this

any arguments?

ok, ok, ok, ok, i know thats six (or seven) so - any arguments??

 

 
That's what I would call quite a "popular choice"... but do you really think you have the overview to judge this? I think I don't - still there are so many I would prefer over some you mentioned. Just a few examples:

Willy DeVille - Spanish Harlem
Jeff Buckley - Lilac Wine
Bear McCreary - Watchtower (not better than Hendrix, but completely different - I think that in my top 50 list there would be about 20 Dylan covers, of course)
Johnny Cash - Mercy Seat
Nick Cave & Bad Seeds - The Singer
Joe Cocker - With a little help from my Friends
and even
Bollock Brothers - Faith Healer (though I don't like it as well as the original)

Think the list could reach a lot more than 100 titles before I would get to Aretha Franklin... but, well, that's personal taste. Any arguments?
 gjr wrote:
one of the TOP FIVE covers of all time:

Hendrix - watchtower
Sinatra - My Way  (or New York New york)
Aretha - Respect
Beatles - Twist and Shout
jeff buckley - hallelujah 

and this

any arguments?

ok, ok, ok, ok, i know thats six (or seven) so - any arguments??

 

 
That's what I would call quite a "popular choice"... but do you really think you have the overview to judge this? I think I don't - still there are so many I would prefer over most of what you mentioned. Just a few examples:

Willy DeVille - Spanish Harlem
Jeff Buckley - Lilac Wine
Bear McCreary - Watchtower (not better than Hendrix, but completely different - I think that in my top 50 list there would be about 20 Dylan covers, of course)
Johnny Cash - Mercy Seat
Nick Cave & Bad Seeds - The Singer
Joe Cocker - With a little Help from my Friends
Bollock Brothers - Faith Healer
David Byrne - I Don't Remember

Think the list could reach a lot more than 100 titles before I would get to Marvin Gaye or Aretha Franklin... but, well, that's personal taste. Any arguments?
 gjr wrote:
one of the TOP FIVE covers of all time:

Hendrix - watchtower
Sinatra - My Way  (or New York New york)
Aretha - Respect
Beatles - Twist and Shout
jeff buckley - hallelujah 

and this

any arguments?

ok, ok, ok, ok, i know thats six (or seven) so - any arguments??

 

 
Metallica-Am I Evil
 thewiseking wrote:
The Big Chill killed this

 
Only if you let it.......

Thank you Marwin Gaye for

I Heard It Through the Grapevine

To me its 9 - Outstanding


that will never get old ! so groovy and good !!! wow :)
The Big Chill killed this
 gjr wrote:
one of the TOP FIVE covers of all time:

Hendrix - watchtower
Sinatra - My Way  (or New York New york)
Aretha - Respect
Beatles - Twist and Shout
jeff buckley - hallelujah 

and this

any arguments?

ok, ok, ok, ok, i know thats six (or seven) so - any arguments??

 

 
I prefer John Cale's version of "Hallelujah", and Gladys Knight's version of this is really good.
He's concentraying on she
she is the essence of thee.
 Grammarcop wrote:
I saw Marvin Gaye play hockey once. True story.

With skates on ice. Yup.

 
Miles Davis was goalie?
 Skydog wrote:
if you need a hit, record this song
Gaye, Gladys Knight and Creedance all had number 1's with it
for good reason
 
Gotta love the CCR extended jam version.  : )
love Marvin but this was rendered unlistenable by The Big Chill
fabulous birdsong from remarkable, memorable artists bringing moments alive  : )
 scrubbrush wrote:
I was thoroughly confused by the term "heard it through the grapevine" when i was 6 or 7...i remember my dad trying to explain this song to me... i can almost smell to food that was cooking that day. weird how music can trigger such graphic memories.

 
The sense of smell and memory are intimately linked in cerebral anatomy/physiology. I find also that great old music of my youth brings back great memories as well.
if you need a hit, record this song
Gaye, Gladys Knight and Creedance all had number 1's with it
for good reason 
 fredriley wrote:
I wonder how this would be rewritten in today's wired world, with Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and whatnot...?

 

I bet you're wonderin' how I knew
'Bout your plans to make me blue
With some other guy you knew before
Between the two of us guys
You know I loved you more
It took me by surprise I must say
When I found out yesterday
Don't you know that I SAW YOU ON A FAIL COMPILATION
Not much longer would you be mine
Oh I SAW IT ON A FAIL COMPILATION
Oh I'm just about to lose my mind

Honey, honey yeah
I SAW IT ON A FAIL COMPILATION
Not much longer would you be mine baby

etc,


add spam link of your choice.
 
 k-man wrote:

Great list. Can we expand to 10? If so, I think Talking Heads - Take me to the River might count as one.

 
I'd add

Johnny Cash -- Hurt 

I always have to stop what I'm doing to pay attention to his take on that one. 
 gjr wrote:
one of the TOP FIVE covers of all time:

Hendrix - watchtower
Sinatra - My Way  (or New York New york)
Aretha - Respect
Beatles - Twist and Shout
jeff buckley - hallelujah 

and this

any arguments?

ok, ok, ok, ok, i know thats six (or seven) so - any arguments??

 

 
Great list. Can we expand to 10? If so, I think Talking Heads - Take me to the River might count as one.
I was thoroughly confused by the term "heard it through the grapevine" when i was 6 or 7...i remember my dad trying to explain this song to me... i can almost smell to food that was cooking that day. weird how music can trigger such graphic memories.
Got me a hankering for some raisins.
 upgal wrote:
only an 8.6 average!   unbelievable.  

 
ahh the unclean multitude
only an 8.6 average!   unbelievable.  
I'm still enthralled by the insistence of Joe Messina's rhythm guitar.
I saw Marvin Gaye play hockey once. True story.

With skates on ice. Yup.
 Sloggydog wrote:

...I saw your status update online and I'm just about to lose my mind?

 
{#Clap}
 fredriley wrote:
I wonder how this would be rewritten in today's wired world, with Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and whatnot...?

 
...I saw your status update online and I'm just about to lose my mind?
I wonder how this would be rewritten in today's wired world, with Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and whatnot...?
Easily my favorite voice in all of Motown (sorry Smokey and Stevie).
I was just trimming the wife's moustache  when this came on, and I had forgotten just how good it was -  great lyric too. Legend
 LizK wrote:

Shut up.  Go away. Return to the Jurassic. Don't talk. You may talk again in 2018. {#Stupid}

Marvin was a musical genius.  How sad that he choose to destroy it with drugs.... {#Stupid}

 
I so agree
It's terrific you've been playing a lot of Marvin Gaye lately. His music is timeless. 
one of the TOP FIVE covers of all time:

Hendrix - watchtower
Sinatra - My Way  (or New York New york)
Aretha - Respect
Beatles - Twist and Shout
jeff buckley - hallelujah 

and this

any arguments?

ok, ok, ok, ok, i know thats six (or seven) so - any arguments??

 
 keller1 wrote:

My wife was telling me recently that she would listen to her transistor radio in bed late at night and remembers listening to stuff like this.  In particular, she remembered, of all things, Sally Go Round The Roses by (I think) the Jaynettes.

To one of the earlier commenters: yeah, radio really did used to be that good.

Times have changed, my friends.  This is how we all ended up at RP.



 

" SALLY GO ROUND THE ROSES "  great funky soul , years early, .one of my all time favs, i'm 65 or 1.3months if you count zombyhood......10+
 Highlowsel wrote:


True. He died by being shot by his father, twice.  Marvin was 44 years old at that time.  This shooting occurred after a violent argument.  But the autopsy showed Marvin had cocaine and PCP (popularly known as "angel dust" during the day) in his system at the time of his death.  Per the likes of Wiki it's said that his friends argued it was a form of suicide with Marvin provoking his father.  In any case Marvin, like any number of entertainers then and now, was no stranger to the drug culture.  Sad (and somewhat pathetic) on any number of levels.  Can you imagine what his father (and mother) have gone thru since?  Some say we're all just aging children wandering the paths of our lives.  We stumble our way into life, and oft-times stumble our way out.  This shows the proof of that. 

So it goes.

Highlow
American Net'Zen

 

It is refreshing to hear a comment like this here on RP.  Most RP comments about drugs glorify it.

All the cool kids listen to Motown


This was fine the first 3,500 times I heard it (probably happened within a week of scoring the LP) and will be MIGHTY FINE for the next 3,500 -- and may I grow old enough for that to happen.  Raisins notwithstanding
 mcullers wrote:


This song was ruined by raisins
 
Well I wouldnt say it was ruined but I hate that I cant hear this song without seeing those damn raisins...
 Proclivities wrote:

Marvin Gaye didn't die from drug abuse. 
Great tune.
 

True. He died by being shot by his father, twice.  Marvin was 44 years old at that time.  This shooting occurred after a violent argument.  But the autopsy showed Marvin had cocaine and PCP (popularly known as "angel dust" during the day) in his system at the time of his death.  Per the likes of Wiki it's said that his friends argued it was a form of suicide with Marvin provoking his father.  In any case Marvin, like any number of entertainers then and now, was no stranger to the drug culture.  Sad (and somewhat pathetic) on any number of levels.  Can you imagine what his father (and mother) have gone thru since?  Some say we're all just aging children wandering the paths of our lives.  We stumble our way into life, and oft-times stumble our way out.  This shows the proof of that. 

So it goes.

Highlow
American Net'Zen
 Proclivities wrote:

Marvin Gaye didn't die from drug abuse. 
Great tune.
 
Marvin had a serious drug problem. Great tune.
Prefer the CCR cover, but this is great too.


This song was ruined by raisins
 LizK wrote:

Shut up.  Go away. Return to the Jurassic. Don't talk. You may talk again in 2018{#Stupid}

Marvin was a musical genius.  How sad that he choose to destroy it with drugs.... {#Stupid}
 
Marvin Gaye didn't die from drug abuse. 
Great tune.
You must lose your mind to come to your senses. :-)
 fitzworld wrote:
This was fine the first 3,478 times I heard it, but it is waaaaaaay overexposed and should be cut from all playlists for a five year moratorium. Then, when we hear it again in 2017, we'll actually appreciate it.
 
Shut up.  Go away. Return to the Jurassic. Don't talk. You may talk again in 2018{#Stupid}

Marvin was a musical genius.  How sad that he choose to destroy it with drugs.... {#Stupid}
Play this anytime.

Maybe not his best, but among Marvin's best.

We need to be reminded.

w/love, bob
 stevematic wrote:
Motown at it's best
 
        {#Cheers}  {#Cheers} {#Cheers} {#Dancingbanana} {#Dancingbanana} {#Dancingbanana} {#Notworthy} {#Music}
This was fine the first 3,478 times I heard it, but it is waaaaaaay overexposed and should be cut from all playlists for a five year moratorium. Then, when we hear it again in 2017, we'll actually appreciate it.
 HearsayDave wrote:

That's awesome.  Long live the human DJ!

 
And again!  Double awesome.

 nook wrote:

and this was followed by LZ's Trampled Underfoot.  who says Bill doesn't read the comments
 
That's awesome.  Long live the human DJ!

never get tired of this, but would love to hear other versions, like Gladys.
 passsion8 wrote:
Friggin' raisins done ruined the pure imagery of this song for me....
 
Naw, man; just listen to those backing vocals (hot ladies in silver sequin gowns and elbow-length gloves) and the string section (natty in their raving white dinner jackets) all swaying in synch ... THAT'S the imagery you should be channeling.
Wondeful song.  Stupid Drugs, stupid drugs, stupid drugs........
Only 2 versions I'm familiar with are this and CCR's.  I like them both.
 lemmoth wrote:


I like their version the best actually, more than Marvin's or Smokey & The Miracles' versions.  As long as it's not that 37-minute CCR version.

How about the Sunkist Raisin's version :-)
 
Gladys is smokin'! I'd like to hear more of her on RP.
it'd be killer except i always think about dancing grapes
 thediceareloaded wrote:
I dont get the joke........

 
tompoll wrote:

Their version has a different title:  "I HOID It Through the Grapevine"
 
 

HOID is what we hear.  Fogerty had a thingy with that vowel dipthong, or something.

I've been listening to RP for 5 or 6 years now.  I'm pretty judicious when handing out 10s, only 24 in all that time and three of those 24 go to Marvin Gaye.


Seventh grade football dance and my first kiss.  Thanks, Dana McDonald!


 jimbaca wrote:

How about Gladys & the Pips version?
 

I like their version the best actually, more than Marvin's or Smokey & The Miracles' versions.  As long as it's not that 37-minute CCR version.

How about the Sunkist Raisin's version :-)

I dont get the joke........

 
tompoll wrote:

Their version has a different title:  "I HOID It Through the Grapevine"
 


 thediceareloaded wrote:
I like the CCR-version more....
 
 
Their version has a different title:  "I HOID It Through the Grapevine"
 Zeito wrote:

Dumb stupid raisins.  I can't listen to this wonderful tune without picturing dancing raisins.  Uff, that was almost 25 years ago...


 

Myself, I always think of "The Big Chill" when I hear this song. I played that soundtrack half to death when I was in high school. Good memories of it, though - can't get sick of this tune!

10, fo sho. Not much room for debate here, imo.


See previous comment for Herbie Hancock - Cantaloupe Island
 nook wrote:

and this was followed by LZ's Trampled Underfoot.  who says Bill doesn't read the comments
 
Perfect! I too feel this poor, wonderful sweet tune needs a rest from all playlists for awhile.

Dumb stupid raisins.  I can't listen to this wonderful tune without picturing dancing raisins.  Uff, that was almost 25 years ago...



Marvin Gaye - Heard It Through The Grapevine. Live (1980)
"Marvin Gaye is an American legend. He was signed to the fledgling Motown label in 1961 by label founder Berry Gordy and scored a total of 39 US Top 40 singles for the label. This was recorded at the Montreux jazz festival in 1980; the full concert is available on the Eagle Vision DVD "Live at Montreux". "

 jimbaca wrote:


How about Gladys & the Pips version?
 

I like their version the best actually, more than Marvin's or Smokey & The Miracles' versions.  As long as it's not that 37-minute CCR version.
 jadewahoo wrote:

CKLW was the blood that ran through my veins as a young fella growing up on a farm in northern Ohio. I'm still contagious. Love Motown.

 


I was CKLW "Big 8" educated as well which established my life- long love of free form radio where anything goes...primarily commercials
this song is all the proof you need that music should NOT be commercialized EVER
 Papernapkin wrote:
It's a good song and Marvin's a good guy, but this song really needs a rest. It's really tired from people putting it in TV commercials and spinning it on oldies stations. Please, have a heart and stop playing this for a couple decades. I guarantee that when you do play it after a spell then it'll sound so sweet. Otherwise we just trample over it in our day-to-day comings and goings and the song is no longer special. Thanks from Marvin and me.
 
and this was followed by LZ's Trampled Underfoot.  who says Bill doesn't read the comments


 Papernapkin wrote:
It's a good song and Marvin's a good guy, but this song really needs a rest. It's really tired from people putting it in TV commercials and spinning it on oldies stations. Please, have a heart and stop playing this for a couple decades. I guarantee that when you do play it after a spell then it'll sound so sweet. Otherwise we just trample over it in our day-to-day comings and goings and the song is no longer special. Thanks from Marvin and me.
 
Couldn't have said it better myself.
NOT GAY! JUST MARVIN...
great Marvin!!