He wanted Berry Gordy (head of Motown Records) to have Marvin Gaye record "I Heard It Through the Grapevine". This was after Gordy had rejected the idea of recording it with Gaye, the Miracles, or the Isley Brothers. Whitfield gave the song to Gladys Knight and the Pips, who made it Motown's bestselling single at the time. Gordy then agreed to have Gaye record it, and Gaye's version remains Motown's biggest hit single.