Feelin' Bluesy

Gladys Knight & the Pips soon competed with other Motown acts (e.g. Marvin Gaye, the Temptations, Edwin Starr, Jimmy Ruffin) to cover Norman Whitfield's compositions. Their version of Kim Weston's "It Should Have Been Me" stands out, combining Knight's gritty tone with a glossy pop sound. In the early years, they recorded a series of tracks with writer/producer Ivy Joe Hunter that had an intense R&B feel; however, most were never released and still remain in Motown's archives.