Heard It Through the Grapevine

My conclusion from this search is that nobody can touch Marvin Gaye's performance. No other cover comes close to his intensity, his urgency, no one else's "...and I'm just about to lose my mind" is so thrilling. Supposedly Gaye's hard-driving producer brought out that urgent tone by pushing him to record the song on a scale higher than his comfortable vocal range.

If you are only interested in the ultimate version, read no farther than this:
I Heard It Through the Grapevine - Marvin Gaye (1967)



Nevertheless, some of the other versions out there have redeeming qualities. Here are my picks - the historic, the original, and Amy Winehouse:

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The historic - best known versions:

Gladys Knight & the Pips - ther first version to be released as a single, before Marvin Gaye's.

Credence Clearwater Revival

Claymation commercial for California raisins

Michael Jackson also wanted to be a raisin...

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My favorites - the artists interpreting in their own character:

Elton John live

Fantasia Barrino on American Idol

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Some well-made versions and sung with lots of feeling, just not original:

Fairport Convention

Funk Brothers & Ben Harper

Michael McDonald

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And Amy Winehouse... well, she just can't be ignored.

Amy Winehouse and Paul Weller on the Jools Holland show

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For those who read this far, here is Marvin Gaye jamming in Japan.