So that hints that when Stevie had originally done it and Gladys Knight had joined Motown, that Gladys was probably the intended vocalist. Strangely enough between 1967 and 1973, I wonder what happened but Atlantic convinced Stevie to give the song to Aretha. Jerry Wexler changed it so it could fit Aretha and the rest is history.
[Edited 5/8/10 17:25pm]
[Edited 5/8/10 17:26pm]

Timmy, if you listen to what she says at the beginning of this song, it sounds as if Stevie wrote it with her in mind all along....

shorttrini said:

Good possibility. Not saying it's not true. Clearly it's an issue Gladys has I guess.

I actually remembered seeing this on TV a while back. I think Aretha won an award for ESSENCE or something and Stevie was honoring her, not too sure. But I think it's quite clear that Aretha looked back to her Detroit roots with her version. Stevie looked out for his fellow Detroit homegirl.

Timmy84 said:

There is just something about her version that just gets me every time. I feel the same way about, Marvin's version of "Heard it through the grapevine. Gladys' just seems blah to me.

shorttrini said:

I feel ya.

shorttrini said:

THIS^ song works as a duet.

shorttrini said:

That's how I feel about the original. I love both versions, but Stevie's touches me more. Aretha sounds like she fully expects ol' boy to come running back at any moment. Stevie sings it like he's hoping she comes back, but he doesn't really expect it. It's that vulnerability that gives it the edge for me. To put it another way, it's like Aretha is singing it to her ex-lover in hopes of getting him back while Stevie is singing it to himself pining for lost love. I like that melancholy feel a little better.

AlexdeParis said:

Yeah Stevie's more sad. Aretha's more hopeful lol

shorttrini said:

The funny part is the fact that Marvin's version is the REAL original, the way Norman like it. But Motown founder/CEO Berry Gordy wasn't convince that the track was a potential hit. So Norman was force to produce a upbeat version for Gladys Knight & The Pips to prove Berry wrong.

TonyVanDam said:

WOW! I didn't know that.

TonyVanDam said:

And after that he kept pushing for Marvin's to be released. When it finally did, it surpassed Gladys' version.

Sista Franklin's version.


Here's another version, it's a twofer.... one version is "acoustic".

Timmy84 said:

Gladys' version: #2 r&b #16 pop (I think)

Marvin's version: #1 r&b #3 pop

TonyVanDam said:

WRONG!

Gladys: #1 R&B, #2 pop
Marvin's: #1 R&B, #1 pop, #1 in the UK also

Gladys' version sold two million, Marvin's four million.

Timmy84 said:

Marvin's was the biggest-selling Motown single of the decade.

TD3 said:

Thankies for findin' this TD3....

Timmy84 said:

Gladys' version did NOT rank that high on the pop charts. Where are the sources?

AlexdeParis said:

Did The Beatles have that record BEFORE Marvin broke it?

TonyVanDam said:

Are you high?

Billboard's Joel Whitburn confirmed that number. Hell you can google it on Google if you want.
[Edited 5/9/10 2:30am]
[Edited 5/9/10 2:44am]

TonyVanDam said:

Well Motown didn't count their sales BEFORE 1977. These sales were documented though. They DID say it was the biggest-selling Motown recording of the sixties. No one else was selling like the Beatles except Motown.

That's the first time I seen this: #16 pop?! #3 pop?!

Where did you get YOUR source?

Getting back on subject, Aretha's version of "Until You Come Back to Me" DID go #1 R&B and #3 pop.

Tony, I suggest you check this link:
http://books.google.com/b...68&f=false

This is from a BILLBOARD 1968 archive, now look at the POP SINGLES section, look at where Gladys' "Grapevine" is at. Don't look like it peaked at no damn #16 to me. See if you get off your ass researching tin foil shit and do Motown research, you won't look confused.

THAT WEEK that I gave you the link on, it was #9, but look at what it was about 2 weeks prior (#2)!!!!
[Edited 5/9/10 2:52am]
[Edited 5/9/10 2:53am]

Pop charts showed you what week it was, R&B charts didn't/don't do that, they just showed you where it would be last week.

Alright. JANUARY 6, 1968:

http://books.google.com/b...&q&f=false

#1 R&B for Gladys... scroll down...

It was #4 on the POP CHARTS that week!

OK, lemme find an earlier article...

http://books.google.com/b...&q&f=false

DECEMBER 30, 1967 - IT PEAKS AT #2!!!! HOT 100/POP! Now tell me where you get #16 NUMBER!

According to Billboard, on December 16, 1967, "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" (Gladys' version) peaked at number two on the Hot 100. It hit number-one on the R&B chart in January 1968.

On December 14, 1968, Marvin Gaye's version of "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" peaked at number one on the HOT 100:

http://books.google.com/b...&q&f=false

And here's an article from the same damn page:

MOTOWN SWEEPS TOP 3 SPOTS ON HOT 100

NEW YORK - The Motown Record Corp. took over the singles sweepstakes this week scoring on Billboard's Hot 100 chart with the top three positions and a total of five discs in the top 20.

Leading the takeover is Marvin Gaye's "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" on Tamla...

You can read the rest of the article but the LINKS ARE THE PUDDING. Now you can say it was hard to read but if so, GET GLASSES or a MICROSCOPE.

Don't be talking to me about no Motown, I'll cut ya.

TonyVanDam said:

Since the Beatles didn't record for Motown, no.