Soul Music

In the early sixties, some of the best sounds were coming out of Motown; that is, great music was coming out of  Detroit. “You Really Got a Hold on Me” (aka “You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me”) by The Miracles is one such example. You can’t beat that for golden oldies music.

From the song, we learn that love is a crazy thing, and even when she treats him badly, he still loves her madly. This song, which was written by legendary singer/songwriter/producer Smokey Robinson is said to have been inspired by Sam Cooke’s song “Bring It on Home Me” where the singer wants the one who left him to return. “You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me” a hit for Robinson and The Miracles on the Tamla (Motown) label in 1962-63. The song was also the first track on their 1963 album The Fabulous Miracles. “You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me” went to #1 on the R&B chart and #8 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was originally released as the B-Side to “Happy Landing,” but “You’ve Really Got A Hold On Me” become more popular. It is on the list of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. There have been many covers, including one by The Beatles on their With the Beatles album and who also performed it in their movie Let It Be. Other covers included ones by The Supremes, The Temptations, The Zombies, the Jackson 5, Mickey Gilley, She & Him, and Phil Collins.

For this song, The Miracles included Smokey Robinson (lead vocal), Claudette Rogers Robinson (Smokey’s wife), Pete Moore, Ronnie White, and Bobby Rogers. The instrumentation included Marv Tarplin on guitar and The Funk Brothers, the session musicians who performed backup on many Motown recordings.

Here are the lyrics to “You Really Got a Hold on Me” by Smokey Robinson and The Miracles:

“I don’t like you but I love you
Seems that I’m always thinking of you
Though you treat me badly
I love you madly

You really got a hold on me
You really got a hold on me, baby

I don’t want you but I need you
Don’t want to kiss you but I need you
Though you do me wrong now
My love is strong now

You really got a hold on me
You really got a hold on me, baby

I love you and all I want you to do
Is just hold me, hold me
Hold me, hold me
Tighter, tighter
I want to leave you don’t want to stay here
Don’t want to spend another day here
Though I want to split now
I can quit now

You really got a hold on me
You really got a hold on me, baby

I love you and all I want you to do
Is just hold me, squeeze, hold me, hold me

You really got a hold on me
I said you really got a hold on me
You know you really got a hold on me
You know you really got a hold on me
I said you really got a hold on me
You know you really got a hold on me”

For more songs by Smokey Robinson and The Miracles: “Shop Around,” “Tracks of My Tears,” and “I Second that Emotion.”

If you are interested in purchasing Motown music, such as that by The Miracles, please consider this: Definitive Collection

For More Golden Oldies Music

The Daily Doo Wop Rec Room has daily featured doo wop music, rock and roll hits, R&B, or rockabilly songs that werewere hits during the first era of rock and roll (that is, from about 1952 until the British invasion in 1964). After a song is featured, it then goes into the juke box. You are welcome to listen to any of the 40+ selections there. Every weekend, there is a Golden Oldies Juke Box Saturday Night, and the juke box is full of song requests from the 1950s and 1960s.

Please click here for the Daily Doo Wop YouTube channel, to which you can subscribe. Thank you for stopping by The Daily Doo Wop. Hope you enjoyed “You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me” by The Miracles featuring Smokey Robinson.