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Gladys Knight & The Pips – ‘I Heard It Through the Grapevine’

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‘I Heard It Through the Grapevine’ was written by songwriters Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong in 1966 and was recorded by several artists signed to Berry Gordy’s Motown label.

The first version of the song was recorded by The Miracles, although it was rejected for release by Gordy, later appearing on their 1968 album Special Occasion. It was next recorded by Smokey Robinson, but again rejected by Gordy. In 1967 Marvin Gaye’s version was recorded but was once again rejected. This alternative, up-tempo version of the song was then recorded for Gladys Knight and The Pips in 1967, largely as a reaction to the success Aretha Franklin had with ‘Respect’ on the rival Stax record label. The song has a very busy, complex bassline from bassist James Jamerson, one that is a fantastic insight into his innovative playing style.

Be sure to hit the Download Resources button above in order to download the PDF transcription for this piece (available to subscribers only). The transcription is available WITH TAB and WITHOUT. Please note that a backing track is NOT included with this course. The track used in the play-along can be purchased from www.karaoke-version.co.uk.

This course contains the following videos, each of which can be selected from the video player above:

1. ‘I Heard It Through the Grapevine’ Play-Through

This video is a play-through of the song, performed on a Fender Custom Shop ’67 Precision. The bass was strung with flatwound strings with a high action, for an authentic Jamerson sound. The tone control was rolled most of the way off.

2. Overview

In this video I’ll be providing some background information on the song and talking about how you can achieve an effective Jamerson-style tone.

3. Intro Section

In this video I’ll be demonstrating the simple line from the song’s four bar Intro section. This lesson covers bars 1 – 4.

4. 1st Verse

This lesson covers the first Verse section of the song, which features a bassline that is harmonically simple, but rhythmically challenging. This lesson covers bars 5 – 12.

5. Bridge #1

In this lesson we’ll be working through the four-bar Bridge section that separates the Verse from the Chorus. This is a challenging section, and one that also introduces some important elements from the forthcoming Chorus bassline. This lesson covers bars 13 – 16.

6. Chorus #1

This lesson dissects the bassline from the first Chorus of the song. The majority of this section is built around a repeating two-bar chord progression, which is underpinned by an inventive line from Jamerson. Although many of the essential ingredients are repeated, there is a lot of variation in this line. This lesson covers bars 17 – 36.

7. Bridge #2

In this lesson we’ll be working through the second Bridge section. This part is similar to the earlier Bridge, but with some variations. This lesson covers bars 37 – 40.

8. Chorus #2

This lesson covers the second Chorus section of the song. Again, the line here is based on that from the first Chorus, but with many variations. This lesson covers bars 41 – 52.

9. Sax Solo

In this lesson we’ll be working through the six-bar Sax Solo section. Jamerson plays a complex, syncopated line over a single chord throughout this part of the song, which is one of the more difficult parts to learn. This lesson covers bars 53 – 58.

10. Middle 8

In this lesson we’ll be working through the Middle 8 of this song, which is based on the repeating two-bar chord structure that was used in earlier Chorus sections. Many elements of the bassline used here are variations on earlier parts. This lesson covers bars 59 – 66.

11. Bridge #3

This lesson covers the third and final Bridge section, in bars 67 – 70.