Access to the Message

Song 497: This week on the playlist you can hear I Heard It Through the Grapevine by Creedence Clearwater Revival, written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong, and you can find a YouTube video of it by clicking on the title. When the Marvin Gaye version of this tune hit the airwaves in late 1968, I liked the way it sounded, but I had to have one of my HS buddies explain the grapevine thing because I had previously never heard the phrase. By the time the CCR cut came along a couple of years later, I clearly understood the message, and the track became one of many compelling reasons to have Cosmo's Factory spinning on the turntable. Hearing it that often, I soon figured out how to play the piece on guitar, and over time, I evolved my own model, embellishing the Creedence take with some original riffs, mainly for personal amusement, since I rarely do covers when performing on stage. People say believe half of what you see, some and none of what you hear, but I would say that when you hear this recording come around, you can believe all of its 11 minutes plus - I know that I certainly do!