 Whitfield wanted Gordy to release Gaye 's " Grapevine " as a single , but Gordy didn 't want to release another version after the Pips had already made a hit out of it . In September 1968 , Whitfield added " Grapevine " to Gaye 's new album In the Groove . On release " Grapevine " became a radio hit and , according to Gordy himself , " The DJs played it so much off the album that we had to release it as a single " . So Gaye 's version was released as a single on October 30 , 1968 . Gaye 's " I Heard It Through the Grapevine " eventually outsold the Pips ' , and until The Jackson 5 's " I 'll Be There " 20 months later , was the biggest hit single of all time on the Motown label . It stayed at the top of the Billboard Pop Singles chart for seven weeks , from December 14 , 1968 to January 25 , 1969 . Gaye 's " Grapevine " also held number one on the R & B chart during the same seven weeks , and stayed at number one in the United Kingdom for three weeks starting on March 26 , 1969 . The label was pleased with the success , although Gaye , depressed because of issues such as the illness of singing partner Tammi Terrell ( which would kill her less than a year later ) , was quoted as saying that his success " didn 't seem real " and that he " didn 't deserve it " . 
