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You've Really Got a Hold on Me

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"You've Really Got a Hold on Me" is a song written by Smokey Robinson, which became a 1962 Top 10 hit single for the Miracles. One of the Miracles' most covered tunes, this million-selling song received a 1998 Grammy Hall of Fame Award. It has also been selected as one of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. It was recorded by the Beatles for their second album, With the Beatles (1963). Many other musicians also recorded versions.

"You've Really Got a Hold on Me"
Single by the Miracles
from the album The Fabulous Miracles
A-side"Happy Landing"
ReleasedNovember 9, 1962 (1962-11-09)
RecordedOctober 16, 1962
StudioHitsville USA (Studio A), Detroit, Michigan
GenreSoul
Length2:58
LabelTamla
Songwriter(s)Smokey Robinson
Producer(s)Smokey Robinson
The Miracles singles chronology
"I'll Try Something New"
(1962) 		"You've Really Got a Hold on Me"
(1962) 		"A Love She Can Count On"
(1963)
Official audio
"You've Really Got a Hold on Me" on YouTube

Composition and recording

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"You've Really Got a Hold On Me" was written by Smokey Robinson while in New York in 1962 on business for Motown; he heard Sam Cooke's "Bring It On Home to Me", which was in the charts at the time, and—influenced by it—wrote the song in his hotel room.[1]

The song was recorded in Motown's Studio A on October 16, 1962, with Robinson on lead vocals, and Miracles' second tenor Bobby Rogers on harmony co-lead. Robinson was the producer, and he had Eddie Willis and Miracle Marv Tarplin share the guitar parts.[1]

Originally a B-side

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The song was released on the Tamla label on November 9, 1962, as the B-side of "Happy Landing". "Happy Landing" reached some regional charts; however, "Hold On Me" ultimately performed better.[2] With "You've Really Got a Hold on Me" as the A side, the single reached the Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 Pop chart, peaking at number eight, and was a number one smash on the Billboard R&B singles chart during the winter of 1962–63.[3] Cash Box described it as "a pulsating beat-ballad romancer that the artists carve out in emotion-packed fashion" and said "could be a real big dual-mart, pop-r&b sales item."[4] Cash Box also praised the "captivating instrumental assist."[4]

The Miracles' original version was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1998. It was also the group's second single to sell over a million copies, after "Shop Around".[5] The song was included on the album The Fabulous Miracles over three months after its release.

Personnel

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The Miracles

Charts

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Chart performance for "You've Really Got a Hold on Me"
Chart (1962–1963) Peak
position
US Billboard Hot 100[6] 8
US Billboard Hot R&B Sides[7] 1

The Beatles version

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"You Really Got a Hold on Me"
 
Sheet music cover
Song by the Beatles
from the album With the Beatles
ReleasedNovember 22, 1963 (1963-11-22) (UK)
RecordedJuly 18, 1963
StudioEMI, London
GenreR&B
Length3:01
LabelParlophone
Songwriter(s)Smokey Robinson
Producer(s)George Martin

"You Really Got a Hold on Me" was the first song recorded for the Beatles' second British album, With the Beatles, and was included on their third US album, The Beatles' Second Album. It features John Lennon and George Harrison on lead vocals with Paul McCartney on harmony vocals.[8]

The Beatles recorded the song on July 18, 1963. This session took place while Please Please Me was still at number one in the album charts four months after its release, and in the midst of a rigorous touring schedule that also had to include BBC sessions for radio and television. It was completed in seven takes, four of which were complete. The group then recorded four edit pieces. The final version was an edit of takes 7, 10 and 11.[9]

The Beatles also recorded "You Really Got a Hold on Me" on four occasions for BBC radio in 1963. One of these, from July 30, 1963[10] was included on the Live at the BBC collection. A live version recorded in Stockholm, Sweden, in October 1963 was released in 1995 on Anthology 1. The song was performed once again in 1969, during the Let It Be recording sessions, and featured in the 1970 documentary film, Let It Be.[11]

Personnel

Other versions

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"You've Really Got a Hold on Me" has been recorded several times since its release. A rendition by Eddie Money, recorded for his self-titled debut album, reached number 72 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in December 1978, and number 68 in Canada in January 1979.[12]

In 1984, a version by American country music artist Mickey Gilley peaked at number two on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, and number one on the Canadian RPM Country Tracks chart.[13][14]

References

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  1. ^ a b Dahl, Bill (2011). Motown: The Golden Years. Iola, Wisconsin: Krause Publications. p. 130. Retrieved 23 September 2012.[permanent dead link‍]
  2. ^ The Miracles–Depend On Me: The Early Albums liner notes, p. 12.
  3. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 404.
  4. ^ a b "CashBox Record Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. December 1, 1963. p. 10. Retrieved 2022-02-04.
  5. ^ Coryton, Demitri; Joseph Murrells. Hits Of The Sixties: The Million Sellers.
  6. ^ "The Miracles Chart History: Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved December 3, 2023.
  7. ^ "The Miracles Chart History: Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs". Billboard. Retrieved December 3, 2023.
  8. ^ a b c "With The Beatles". Albumlinernotes.com. Retrieved 2016-09-26.
  9. ^ Lewisohn, Mark (1988). The Beatles Recording Sessions. New York: Harmony Books. p. 34. ISBN 0-517-57066-1.
  10. ^ Lewisohn, Mark (1993). The Complete Beatles Chronicle. London: Pyramid Books. p. 117. ISBN 1-855-10021-5.
  11. ^ Lewisohn, Mark (1993). The Complete Beatles Chronicle. London: Pyramid Books. p. 311. ISBN 1-855-10021-5.
  12. ^ "RPM Top 100 Singles - January 20, 1979" (PDF).
  13. ^ "Hot Country Songs". Billboard. March 31, 1984.
  14. ^ "Country 50 Singles". RPM. April 14, 1984.
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