Song Clearance Sheet
5 sources citedI Heard It Through the Grapevine
Soul1960s112BPM
C majKey
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The verdict
Documented Sampling History
Confirmed songwriters of record (Norman Whitfield & Barrett Strong), no formal legal dispute found — the Gladys Knight / Marvin Gaye disagreement over the instrumental track is presented as a documented, unresolved dispute, not settled either way.
Quick Facts
Released1967
AlbumEverybody Needs Love
GenreSoul, R&B, Funk
LabelSoul / Motown Records
ProducerNorman Whitfield
Recorded atHitsville U.S.A., Detroit
More infoWikipedia → · Discogs →
Who you need to ask
The songwriters of record — Norman Whitfield & Barrett Strong
Wikipedia → · checked Jul 2026
The current administrator — Not confirmed — Motown/Tamla/Soul; needs a Songview/Discogs lookup
Unknown · checked Jul 2026
Has it been reused?
One of the most-covered/sampled soul records ever (Marvin Gaye; CCR); part of this catalogue’s Whitfield/Strong thread.
Do they allow reuse?
No standalone policy found; confirmed songwriters of record and no formal legal dispute.
Related Songs
Same album, answer records, and songs worth knowing about
Whitfield reused its vocal-strain technique here (this batch)
Same Whitfield/Strong writers (already in this catalogue)
Same Whitfield/Strong writers (already in this catalogue)
Who Owns It
Licenses explained →The two permissions you need, and who holds them
The song itself (the writing)Norman Whitfield & Barrett Strong
A remarkable double-rejection historySmokey Robinson & the Miracles cut it first (Aug 1966); Gordy rejected it. Whitfield then cut a version with Marvin Gaye (early 1967); Gordy rejected that too. Frustrated, Whitfield recorded it with Gladys Knight & the Pips (June 1967) — Gordy finally released this one, a #1 R&B / #2 pop hit. Even then Gordy held back Gaye’s earlier version until a Chicago DJ played it heavily, forcing its single release in Oct 1968.
The Knight / Gaye disagreement (unresolved)Gladys Knight was reportedly displeased that Gaye’s version overtook hers, and has claimed Gaye’s was recorded over an instrumental track Whitfield had originally prepared for a Pips song — an allegation Gaye directly denied. Presented here as a real, documented disagreement between two artists, NOT resolved either way.
The recording (current administrator)Not confirmed
Receipts
Every public mention of terms, policy, or past deals we've found
A unique chart distinction
Because of both versions’ success, the song was uniquely both the first and last #1 R&B single of 1968 — Knight’s topped the chart the first week of January, Gaye’s the last week of December. Creedence Clearwater Revival also had a hit with an extended cover.
Classic Song of the Day · read it →
Can You Use It for Free?
How to check PD →Is it public domain?No
Sample History
—
Times sampled
Both the first and last #1 R&B single of 1968
Covers
—
First flip
Big names who used itMarvin Gaye · CCR
Who to Contact
GV
Whitfield & Strong (Motown)
The confirmed songwriters of record
What they'll chargeNobody's shared numbers yet
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References
Every source cited on this page — 5 in total
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Page history · 2 updates
Jul 2026Page created — full research (Research Queue Batch 17/18)
Jul 2026BPM/Key pending the automated GetSongBPM/Deezer pass