Who knows why, but this song was stuck in my head as I woke up this morning. My favorite version is the one by Marvin Gaye, though it is good to also listen to Gladys Knight & the Pips', a close runner up in my book:
Marvin Gaye's has more of the emotion of a guy who has just had his heart broken, and really match the lyrics. Gladys Knight & the Pips' version it is harder to believe "Losing You Would End My Life You See" because she sounds more like she is ready to move past it and go out dancing. Angry and sad perhaps, but not broken. Marvin has a bit more of a soul feel, where as Gladys has a bit more gospel and maybe a touch of funk.
Neither of those two versions were the original recording though. They were 3rd and 4th (or 4th and 3rd depending on your point of view), both recorded and released in around the same time. The first version was by Smokey Robinson & the Miracles but was not released at the time. It was rerecorded and released in 1968. Click here to listen to it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Rv9ZA8GOIw This version has a more "oldies" kind of feel and is actually kind of between the other two stylistically I think, but perhaps without as much emotion as either the Gladys Knight & the Pips or Marvin Gaye versions.
Of course the real heroes here are the song writers, Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong, who not only wrote this song and several others for the likes of The Temptations, Marvin Gaye and others, but were truly two of the fathers of the "Motown Sound". Before this was released by any artist, they were asked to change the song by the CEO of Motown Records, Berry Gordy, because it was not strong enough and "horrible", but they refused. True artists and inspirations forever. (Hey, Berry, founder of Motown Records, couldn't be right 100% of the time.)
The Marvin Gaye MP3 may be purchased here… Marvin Gaye - I Heard It Through The Grapevine
