You've Really Got a Hold on Me

{{Infobox Single (1962} (1962) (1963) }}
 * Name = You've Really Got a Hold on Me
 * Cover =
 * Artist = The Miracles
 * from Album = The Fabulous Miracles
 * Released = November 1962
 * Format = 7" single
 * Recorded = Hitsville USA (Studio A); 1962
 * Genre = Soul
 * Length = 3:02
 * Label = Tamla T 54073
 * Writer = Smokey Robinson
 * Producer = Smokey Robinson
 * Chart position =
 * # 8 (US Pop Singles)
 * # 1 (US R&B Singles)
 * Last single = "I'll Try Something New"
 * This single = "You've Really Got a Hold on Me"
 * Next single = "A Love She Can Count On"

"You've Really Got a Hold on Me" is a 1962 Top 10 hit single by The Miracles from the album The Fabulous Miracles for the Tamla (Motown) label. One of the group's most covered tunes, this million-selling song is also a 1998 Grammy Hall of Fame inductee.

The Miracles' version
Written by Smokey Robinson and featuring Robinson on lead vocals, with Miracles second tenor Bobby Rogers on harmony co-lead, the song explores the feelings of a man so in love with a woman that he can't leave her despite the fact that she treats him badly. The song was a major hit for the Miracles, peaking at number-eight on the Billboard Hot 100 and at number-one on the R&B singles chart during the winter of 1962-63. The Miracles' original version is a 1998 Grammy Hall of Fame inductee. It was also the group's second single to sell over a million copies, after "Shop Around".

The song, one of the most famous of the early Motown era, has been covered extensively since its release, including a famous cover by The Beatles. The song was also covered by Percy Sledge, Mike and the Mechanics, Greg Lake, Little Caesar and the Consuls, The Zombies, The Small Faces, The Temptations, and The Supremes, among many others. It was recorded by Cyndi Lauper for her 2003 album At Last. It was also recorded by Bobby McFerrin in his debut album, released in 1982 by Elektra Musician. Zooey Deschanel and M.Ward covered the song for their project, She & Him. The Miracles can be seen performing the song live on stage at the legendary Apollo Theatre in New York (1963) on the Motown/Universal DVD release:Smokey Robinson & The Miracles: The Definitive Performances 1963-1987. This filmed performance,according to the DVD's liner notes, is the only known recorded live footage of the group with original Miracles member Claudette (Mrs.Smokey) Robinson. They also performed it live at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium the following year (1964) for the American International Pictures concert film, The T.A.M.I Show. It was also chosen for the soundtrack of the award-winning 1964 Ivan Dixon film, Nothing But a Man,and many others (see below). Smokey Robinson himself also performed a rewritten version of it on Sesame Street alongside a grabby feminine looking Muppet letter "U", with such lyrics as "U stands for uptight/That's how I'm feelin'/Bein' grabbed by a letter is/Unappealin'".

Soundtracks and Film Appearances


 * Nothing But a Man - 1964
 * The T.A.M.I Show - 1964
 * Strike! - 1998
 * Mermaids - 1990
 * Striptease - 1996
 * Alien Nation - 1998
 * More American Graffiti - 1979

Reference:Imdb.

Credits: The Miracles

 * Smokey Robinson – lead vocal
 * Claudette Rogers Robinson – backing vocal
 * Pete Moore – backing vocal
 * Ronnie White – backing vocal
 * Bobby Rogers – backing vocal and harmony co-lead vocal
 * Marv Tarplin – guitar


 * Other instruments by The Funk Brothers

The Beatles' version
"You Really Got a Hold on Me" [sic] was the first track recorded for The Beatles second LP With the Beatles, and features John Lennon on lead vocal with George Harrison on close harmony. The Beatles acquired an imported copy and included it in their repertoire early in 1963.

The Beatles recorded the song on 18 July 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.

The Beatles also recorded "You Really Got A Hold Of Me" on four occasions for BBC radio in 1963. One of these, from 30 July 1963, 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.

Beatles' version credits

 * John Lennon – lead vocal, rhythm guitar
 * George Harrison – lead guitar, lead vocal
 * Paul McCartney – bass, backing vocal
 * Ringo Starr – drums
 * George Martin – piano

Eddie Money version
"You Really Got a Hold on Me" is a song by American rock singer Eddie Money, from his 1977 album Eddie Money. It was released as a single in early 1979 and reached #72 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Cher and Gregg Allman version
"You've Really Got A Hold On Me" was released as the second single by Gregg Allman and Cher in 1977 for the album Two the Hard Way. The song did not chart.

Other versions
The indie folk duo She & Him recorded a version "You've Really Got a Hold on Me" for their 2008 debut album Volume One. Zooey Deschanel, as usual, sings lead, but M. Ward's vocals are featured more prominently than on most other songs on the album. The song was also featured as the last track on Thao Nguyen's 2008 album "We Brave Bee Stings and All".

Cultural references

 * "You've Really Got a Hold on Me" was once performed live on the "Scenes from a Barbecue" episode of the television series Roseanne (May 7, 1991). In the episode, Roseanne's friend Bonnie (played by actress and singer Bonnie Bramlett) sings the song during a Mother's Day backyard sing-a-long.