You've Really Got a Hold on Me

"You Really Got a Hold on Me"
"You Really Got a Hold on Me"
	Sheet music cover
Song by the Beatles
from the album With the Beatles
Released	November 22, 1963 (UK)
Recorded	July 18, 1963
Studio	EMI, London
Genre	Rhythm and blues
Length	3:01
Label	Parlophone
Songwriter(s)	Smokey Robinson
Producer(s)	George Martin

"You've Really Got a Hold on Me"
"You've Really Got a Hold on Me"
Single by the Miracles
from the album The Fabulous Miracles
A-side	"Happy Landing"
Released	November 9, 1962
Recorded	October 16, 1962
Studio	Hitsville USA (Studio A), Detroit, Michigan
Genre	Soul
Length	3:02
Label	Tamla
Songwriter(s)	Smokey Robinson
Producer(s)	Smokey Robinson
The Miracles singles chronology

"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 English rock group the Beatles for their second album, With the Beatles (1963). Many other musicians also recorded versions.

Composition and recording[]

"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]

Releases and charts[]

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] 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".^[4] The song was included on the album The Fabulous Miracles over three months after its release.

Chart (1962-1963)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	8
U.S. Billboard Hot R&B Sides	1

Personnel[]

The Miracles

Smokey Robinson – lead vocal
Claudette Rogers Robinson – backing vocal
Pete Moore – backing vocal
Ronnie White – backing vocal
Bobby Rogers – co-lead vocal and backing vocal
Marv Tarplin – guitar
Other instruments by the Funk Brothers

The Beatles rendition[]

"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.^[5]

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.

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 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.

Personnel

John Lennon – rhythm guitar, lead vocals^[5]
George Harrison – lead guitar, lead vocals^[5]
Paul McCartney – bass guitar, harmony vocals
Ringo Starr – drums
George Martin – piano

Other versions[]

"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.^[6]

References[]

^ Jump up to: ^a ^b Bill Dahl (28 Feb 2011). Motown: The Golden Years. Krause Publications. p. 130. Retrieved 23 September 2012.
^ The Miracles–Depend On Me: The Early Albums liner notes, p. 12.
^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 404.
^ Coryton, Demitri; Joseph Murrells. Hits Of The Sixties: The Million Sellers.
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c "With The Beatles". Albumlinernotes.com. Retrieved 2016-09-26.
^ "RPM Top 100 Singles - January 20, 1979" (PDF).

[Dahl-1] Jump up to: ^a ^b Bill Dahl (28 Feb 2011). Motown: The Golden Years. Krause Publications. p. 130. Retrieved 23 September 2012.

[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.

[coryton-4] Coryton, Demitri; Joseph Murrells. Hits Of The Sixties: The Million Sellers.

[albumlinernotes.com-5] Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c "With The Beatles". Albumlinernotes.com. Retrieved 2016-09-26.

[6] "RPM Top 100 Singles - January 20, 1979" (PDF).

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show v t The Miracles (1955–1964) / Smokey Robinson & The Miracles (1965–1972) / The Miracles (1973–2011)
Smokey Robinson Ronnie White Pete Moore Bobby Rogers Claudette Robinson Marv Tarplin Billy Griffin Donald Griffin Carl Cotton Mark Scott Dave Finley Sydney Justin Alphonse Franklin Tee Turner
Studio albums	Hi... We're the Miracles (1961) Cookin' with the Miracles (1961) I'll Try Something New (1962) The Fabulous Miracles (1963) Christmas with The Miracles (1963) The Miracles Doin' Mickey's Monkey (1963) I Like It Like That (1964) Going to a Go-Go (1965) Away We a Go-Go (1966) Make It Happen (The Tears of a Clown) (1967) Special Occasion (1968) Time Out for Smokey Robinson & the Miracles (1969) Four in Blue (1969) What Love Has Joined Together (1970) A Pocket Full of Miracles (1970) (1970) One Dozen Roses (1971) Flying High Together (1972) Renaissance (1973) Do It Baby (1974) (1975) City of Angels (1975) (1976) (1977) (1978)
Live albums	The Miracles Recorded Live on Stage (1963) Smokey Robinson & the Miracles LIVE! (1969) Smokey Robinson & The Miracles: 1957–1972 (1972)
Compilations	Greatest Hits: From the Beginning (1965) Greatest Hits, Vol. 2 (1968) Anthology (1974) Anthology '86 (1986) Anthology: The Best of Smokey Robinson & The Miracles (1995) The Ultimate Collection (1998) Ooo Baby Baby: The Anthology (2002) Depend On Me: The Early Albums (2009)
Singles	"Bad Girl" "Way Over There" "Shop Around" "Everybody's Gotta Pay Some Dues" "What's So Good About Goodbye" "I've Been Good to You" "I'll Try Something New" "You've Really Got a Hold on Me"/"Happy Landing" "A Love She Can Count On" "Mickey's Monkey" "I Gotta Dance to Keep From Crying" "(You Can't Let the Boy Overpower) The Man in You" "I Like It Like That" "That's What Love Is Made Of" "Come On Do the Jerk" "Ooo Baby Baby" "The Tracks of My Tears" "A Fork in the Road" "My Girl Has Gone" "Going to a Go-Go" "Choosey Beggar" "Whole Lot of Shakin' in My Heart (Since I Met You)" "(Come 'Round Here) I'm the One You Need" "The Love I Saw in You Was Just a Mirage" "More Love" "I Second That Emotion" "If You Can Want" "Yester Love" "Special Occasion" "Baby, Baby Don't Cry" "Here I Go Again" "Doggone Right" "Abraham, Martin and John" "Point It Out" "The Tears of a Clown" "I Don't Blame You at All" "We've Come Too Far to End It Now" "Give Me Just Another Day" "Do It Baby" "Love Machine"
Videography	The Definitive Performances (1963–1987) (2006)
Related	Discography Cover versions of Miracles songs Awards and achievements The Miracles Sing Modern

show v t The Miracles singles discography
1950s	"Got a Job" (1958) "Your Love (Is All I Need)" (1958) "I Cry" (1958) "I Need a Change" (1959) "It" (1959) " Bad Girl" (1959) "The Feeling Is So Fine" (1959) / "(You Can) Depend on Me" (1959)
1960s	"Way Over There" (1960) "Shop Around" (1960) / "Who's Lovin' You" (1960) "Ain't It Baby" (1961) "Mighty Good Lovin'" (1961) / Broken Hearted" (1961) "Everybody's Gotta Pay Some Dues" (1961) "What's So Good About Goodbye" (1961) / "I've Been Good to You" (1961) "I'll Try Something New" (1962) "You've Really Got a Hold on Me" (1962) / "Happy Landing" (1962) "A Love She Can Count On" (1963) / "I Can Take a Hint" (1963) " Mickey's Monkey" (1963) "I Gotta Dance to Keep From Crying" (1963) "The Christmas Song" (1963) "(You Can't Let the Boy Overpower) The Man in You" (1964) "I Like It Like That" (1964) "That's What Love Is Made Of" (1964) "Come On Do the Jerk" (1964) "Ooo Baby Baby" (1965) "The Tracks of My Tears" (1965) / "A Fork in the Road" (1965) "My Girl Has Gone" (1965) "Going to a Go-Go" (1965) / "Choosey Beggar" (1965) "Whole Lot of Shakin' in My Heart (Since I Met You)" (1966) "(Come 'Round Here) I'm the One You Need" (1966) "The Love I Saw in You Was Just a Mirage" (1967) "More Love" (1967) "I Second That Emotion" (1967) "If You Can Want" (1968) "Yester Love" (1968) "Special Occasion" (1968) "Baby, Baby Don't Cry" (1969) "Here I Go Again" (1969) / "Doggone Right" (1969) "Abraham, Martin and John" (1969) "Point It Out" (1969) / "Darling Dear" (1969)
1970s	"Who's Gonna Take the Blame" (1970) "The Tears of a Clown" (1970) "I Don't Blame You at All" (1970) "Crazy About the La La" (1971) "Satisfaction" (1971) "We've Come Too Far to End It Now" (1972) "I Can't Stand to See You Cry" (1972) "Don't Let It End ('Til You Let It Begin)" (1973) "Give Me Just Another Day" (1973) "Do It Baby" (1974) "Don't Cha Love It" (1974) "Gemini" (1975) "Love Machine" (1975) "Night Life" (1976) "Spy for Brotherhood" (1977) "I Can Touch the Sky" (1977) "Mean Machine" (1978)

"You Really Got a Hold on Me"
Sheet music cover
Song by the Beatles
from the album With the Beatles
Released	November 22, 1963 (1963-11-22) (UK)
Recorded	July 18, 1963
Studio	EMI, London
Genre	Rhythm and blues
Length	3:01
Label	Parlophone
Songwriter(s)	Smokey Robinson
Producer(s)	George Martin