Listen to that voice. It’s irresistible.
Today’s feature is ‘You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me’ by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles.
‘You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me’ was written in a hotel room while Smokey was visiting New York City. In his role as Vice President of Motown, Robinson was negotiating a publishing deal for the label. Unfortunately, the discussions were not going well. Robinson wasn’t happy with the way things were going and he channeled his frustrations down in the form of a song. He wanted to write something that reflected his present mood and he didn’t mind if it came across as controversial. There is a certain significance to this approach because this tone was not typical of the era. It stood out.
Smokey Robinson is on record in stating that he was heavily influenced by Sam Cooke’s ‘Bring it On Home to Me’ when he began to compose ‘You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me’. This connection goes back to the ‘50s when Sam Cooke and The Soul Stirrers would perform at Smokey’s church. There are definite similarities to the arrangement. Where the song differs is the narrative. Where Sam Cooke appears as the male who did his partner wrong, Smokey is speaking to a partner who he reveres despite some apparent transgressions.
Play the songs together and you will hear the similarities in presentation, but then you get hit with Smokey’s line.
I don’t like you, but I love you”
Smokey Robinson
Smokey literally flips the narrative and the song takes off from there.
Was he truly speaking from the perspective of a jilted lover. I doubt it. That is just a theme that sold records in the early ‘60s. He was being mistreated by his publisher and he managed to tell the story in this timeless way.
Smokey Robinson and the Miracles recorded ‘You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me’ in October of 1962 with The Miracles. You can almost picture the scene at Hitsville U.S.A. Studios in Detroit. The song featured second tenor Bobby Rogers on co-lead while Claudette Rogers Robinson, Pete Moore and Ronnie White share the backing vocals. Eddie Willis and Marv Tarplin share guitar parts. ‘You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me’ goes to another level when the R&B legends The Funk Brothers take the stage.
When ‘You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me’ was released the folks at Motown felt that it would be best represented as the B-side to ‘Happy Landing’ but it didn’t take long before the people decided which song they preferred. Continuing with the Sam Cooke influence, ‘Happy Landing’ was also derived from the style of their mentor.
‘Happy Landing’ features Marv Tarplin on guitar. Peter Moore was unavailable for this recording because he was fulfilling his military service obligation. Once again, The Funk Brothers add their talents. With. ‘Happy Landing’ you get a song with a similar theme presented in a more upbeat way. It is easy to say Motown backed the wrong song but in terms of what was selling ‘Happy Landing’ was more reflective of the times.
In short, the DJs played it and people listened. The verdict came down firmly on the side of ‘You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me’.
Everything seems to flow from the piano introduction, and then as people turned their ear to the piece, Smokey drew them in with his voice.
Smokey was telling a story and people could relate. It was raw emotion. He was laying his soul to bare.
Just one example of how highly regarded Smokey Robinson and the Miracles were in this era. ‘You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me’ was taking the charts by storm during the early days of Motown and while they were touring in a music revue with The Supremes, Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye, it was Smokey who closed the show.
The bar had been raised.
The end result was a Top 10 single and a Billboard R&B #1.
‘You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me’ sold over one million copies. It was just the second Miracles hit to achieve this lofty number. Here is the first. Enjoy ‘Shop Around’ from 1960.
As much as ‘You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me’ stands on its own as a song, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles were catapulted to greater heights as a result of their association with The Beatles. The Fab Four opted to record the song on their second album; ‘With the Beatles’. This recording hit #1 on this day sixty years ago.
You can credit Motown President Berry Gordy with this wise business decision. He had the foresight to give The Beatles a deal on recording Motown tracks because he recognized the importance of the British market. ‘With the Beatles’ also featured the Barrett Strong hit ‘Money’
And ‘Please Mr. Postman’ by The Marvellettes.
This exposure was huge for Motown. Not only did these tracks help to launch The Beatles, but the exposure and positive association elevated the Motown sound. While none of these tracks were hits in the U.K., The Beatles as well as producer George Martin had their ears to the ground and they recognized the quality and potential of these recordings; especially in the early days when they were perfecting the song writing craft.
‘You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me’ has the distinction of being the first song The Beatles recorded for ‘With the Beatles’.
It features John Lennon and George Harrison on lead vocals and Paul McCartney on harmony. The song took seven takes. Four of them were completed right through. Four additional takes exist simply as edit pieces where a small portion of the song was captured. The final recording was spliced together based on take 7, 10 and 11.
The subtle title-change from ‘You’ to ‘You’ve’ is actually credited to The Beatles who noted that Smokey Robinson and Bobby Rogers are actually saying ‘You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me’ in The Miracles recording.
Here is Paul McCartney reflecting on The Beatles song selection back in the early days of the band.
A lot of our tracks may not have been ‘cool’. I think if we’d just been cool, we wouldn’t have made it how we did. But that was a great aspect of us. John would do ‘A Shot of Rhythm and Blues’ or ‘You Really Got a Hold on Me’ – you could call that cool.”
Paul McCartney
If it wasn’t cool at the time, then The Beatles definitely helped to make it the hip choice. Here you can enjoy four significant moments with The Beatles.
Here is the album version from ‘With the Beatles’.
This is the well-known recording ‘Live at the BBC’ for the show ‘Saturday Club’.
Then we go to a larger audience in Stockholm, Sweden. Listen as John introduces it.
I’d like to do a number by an American group called The Miracles.”
John Lennon
To many, this was an introduction to Smokey Robinson and The Miracles. Aligning with The Beatles was a wise decision by Berry Gordy, for sure, but it also helped The Beatles develop their delivery and identify song writing structures that sell.
This is also pre-album release.
Here is a rag tag effort from the ‘Let it Be’ sessions. The beauty of this recording is the keyboard backing provided by Billy Preston.
Before we move on to the cover versions let Smokey Robinson tell U how to get to ‘Sesame Street’. This is clever.
The cover versions of ‘You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me’ number well into the hundreds. I couldn’t just feature Smokey Robinson and the Miracles and The Beatles so I thought, maybe I could do a Top 10. It soon became apparent that reducing it to even ten was virtually impossible. This is why you are about to get a virtual ‘You Got a Hold’fest’’.
Keeping it in Motown, we will begin with The Supremes in 1964. This is a nice cover, but what else would we expect from this iconic act.
One year later we can feel The Beatles influence on The Zombies, but built right in there is a definite salute to Sam Cooke. This is from their debut album appropriately titled ‘Begin Here’.
Later in 1965 The Temptations stepped up to the microphone and delivered this stunning cover that puts their talent on full display. In Motown greatness begets greatness.
Still in 1965 Sonny and Cher take us to Los Angeles and we stand before the Wall of Sound’.
Percy Sledge stays very true to The Miracles in this strong cover.
Let’s head back to England with The Small Faces. They make it their own. Listen to Ian McLagan on the Hammond B3. What a treat. The vocals by Steve Marriott will blow your mind. In my opinion this is the best version. This is why Smokey wrote it. Listen to the emotion, the anguish. I can’t stop listening to this version.
Jackie DeShannon recorded ‘You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me’ on her 1968 album ‘Laurel Canyon’. This up-tempo recording is a good cover that becomes all the more intriguing when you realize that is Barry White on backing vocals.
Ted Tocks Covers is a big fan of Laura Nyro and this version of ‘You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me’ includes an interesting duet with Labelle. The layering of vocals is reminiscent of The Supremes. This is from her 1971 recording ‘Gonna Take a Miracle’
Now we take a trip to the Maritimes. Here is Shirley Eikhard who may be best known for writing ‘Something to Talk About’ which became a hit for Bonnie Raitt.
Sometimes perspective is everything. In 1976, Bonnie Bramlett released her album ‘Lady’s Choice’. It included this quality cover. The subject matter is appropriate based of her difficult relationship with Delaney
One year later Eddie Money recorded his debut album. This cover of ‘You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me’ put a firm stamp on what would become a solid career.
Off we go to the ‘80s and this 1982 recording by Bobby McFerrin who is perhaps best known for ‘Don’t Worry Be Happy’. This is a duet with Phoebe Snow. The interplay between the two is really strong. This needed to be shared.
In 1984, Michael Jackson released a compilation album called ‘Farewell My Summer Love’. In 1998, The Jackson 5 was included on an ‘Ultimate Rarities Collection #1 – Motown Sings Motown Treasures’. Here is the Michael Jackson version. The recording actually goes all the way back to 1973.
On more than one occasion Ted Tocks Covers has referred to the Cyndi Lauper album ‘At Last’ from 2003. Lauper literally reaches and grabs you with this cover. This is so good. She is talking to someone. I love this cover. Right up there with The Small Faces.
The huge names keep on coming. Rod Stewart has always been very open about how the voices of Motown influenced his career. In 2009 Stewart released a collection of cover songs called ‘Soulbook’. This is just a rock-solid cover by a legend.
Not to be outdone, but by no means was he trying to compete with Sir Rod, Phil Collins of Genesis fame released a collection of songs that influenced his life in music. It was appropriately entitled ‘Going Back’. You can feel the love.
Famously, at the 2014 Grammy Awards, Steven Tyler of Aerosmith was invited to present the Grammy Award for Record of the Year alongside one his mentors, Smokey Robinson. Caught up in the ‘sweet emotion’ of the moment Tyler serenaded Smokey. This is just fun…
Thanks Steven! That was beautiful.”
Smokey Robinson
It was definitely genuine.
Here is the resulting duet. Two generations of vocalists. Two very different styles. This is why I write Ted Tocks Covers.
To conclude, here is a surprise. Who knew KC and the Sunshine Band was still out there delivering new material in 2015? This is from ‘Feeling You! The 60s’. This feels like a good stepping off point.
Shake it!
The legacy of ‘You Really Got a Hold on Me’ has continued for decades. It was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame as a single in 1998. The legend goes on and on. Over sixty years of music magic.
Well over 20 versions of a Motown classic and I am not even close to being tired of this song.
That speaks volumes.
Thank you for indulging me.
Ted Tocks Covers 
When I was 11,and worshipped the Beatles, this song from (USA release) The Beatles Second Album was played multiple times per evening on my phonograph. The harmonies are imbedded in my psyche
I thought this was a Beatles original. Liner notes not in play, who reads the writer credits anyway at 11?
Then I learn later all my fab songs were from Motown. The Beatle’s success owes a lot to American Audiences embracing Detroit music
Yea Small Faces and Cyndy Lauper
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This was fun to write mostly due to the listening experience.
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