How Smokey Robinson Felt When The Beatles Covered ‘You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me’
The Beatles‘ “You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me” was originally by Smokey Robinson’s band The Miracles. Robinson has no memory of hearing that cover for the first time. It left an impression on him anyway. Sveral other major artists recorded “You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me” as well.
Smokey Robinson said The Beatles’ ‘You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me’ always feels new
During a 2023 interview with Rolling Stone, Robinson was asked what it was like to hear The Beatles’ “You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me” for the first time. “I don’t recall the first time, but every time for me is the first time on that, man,” he replied. “It was just a joy.
“As a songwriter, man, I want people to record my songs,” he added. “I want people to sing my songs forever. I just got through talking about Beethoven and Chopin and those guys. I want to be like that, man. Five hundred years from now, I hope people are still listening and playing my music.” From a certain point of view, Robinson returned the favor, as he and The Miracles performed The Beatles’ “Yesterday” on The Ed Sullivan Show.
Smokey Robinson was ‘really close’ to 1 of The Beatles
Robinson discussed his relationships with the Fab Four. “I knew all of them,” he recalled. “And I still see Paul from time to time, though I haven’t seen Ringo in person in a long time. George and I were really close.
“The Miracles and I first met them in Liverpool on a tour,” Robinson added. “They were playing in a little dive club, and the promoter took us to see them after we did our own concert in town. That was before they were The Beatles. They hadn’t even broken ground over here yet.”
How ‘You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me’ performed on the charts
The Miracles’ “You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me” became one of their signature hits. It reached No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100, staying on the chart for 16 weeks. Their song appeared on the record The Fabulous Miracles. That album never charted on the Billboard 200, but that didn’t stop “You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me” from becoming a classic. Michael Jackson, Eddie Money, Mickey Gilley, and others put their own spins on the ballad.
The Beatles’ “You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me” was never a single, so it did not chart on the Billboard Hot 100. The Beatles’ “You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me” didn’t receive as much attention as some of their other covers, such as “Twist and Shout” or “Money (That’s What I Want).” The tune appeared on the Fab Four’s early album With the Beatles. That record climbed to No. 179 on the Billboard 200 for a single week. For context, With the Beatles was not heavily promoted in the United States.
The Beatles’ “You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me” was not a hit but it put a smile on Robinson’s face.
