You Really Got A Hold On Me: Introduction
“You Really Got A Hold On Me” is a cover song on the album “With The Beatles.” In fact, they recorded this song a few times, and some are on their other compilation albums. Although The Miracles had success with this track in America, Beatlemaniacs prefer The Beatles’ version. After all, the Fab Four were perfectionists!
In Detail
- Release Date: November 22, 1963 (UK), April 10, 1964 (US)
- Recorded: July 16, 1963
- Studio: EMI Studios, London
- Genre: Rhythm and blues
- Track Duration: 3:01
- Record Label: Parlophone
- Songwriter: Smokey Robinson
- Producer: George Martin
- Engineer: Norman Smith
Performers And Instruments
- John Lennon: the rhythm guitar, as well as the lead vocals
- George Harrison: the lead guitar, as well as the lead vocals
- Paul McCartney: his bass guitar, as well as the harmony vocals
- Ringo Starr: drums
- George Martin: piano
Where To Find “You Really Got A Hold On Me”
If you need the original version of this song, buy their 1963 album. However, other versions are available for collectors.
You Really Got A Hold On Me: Background
When Smokey Robinson and The Miracles released the original song in 1962, its title was You’ve Really Got A Hold On Me. Although there was just a slight difference in the title, The Beatles took the song and recreated a classic.
This song is very vocal, with John Lennon up front and George Harrison providing a glorious harmony. With Paul McCartney on backing vocals, “You Really Got A Hold On Me” has The Beatles’ stamp all over it. The track has a beautiful mix full of detail with great balance.
Recording Studio
On July 18, 1963, the band made several attempts to record the song for the “With The Beatles” album. This was the Fab Four’s second album, of course. In the end, The Beatles had 4 complete takes, and mono mixing took place on August 21, 1963. However, there was a stereo mix available as of October 29, 1963.
In the early sixties, The Beatles made plenty of appearances on BBC Radio with shows like “Pop Go The Beatles.” Obviously, we see a version from that show on the “Live At The BBC” album. But there is also a version on their Anthology 1 album, which they recorded in 1963 at the Karlaplansstudion (now Maximteatern), Stockholm, Sweden.
Take A Listen
So, let us move on to listen to the song in question. Press play to hear it, and then leave us a comment below. You can also use our Beatles Forum to interact with other fans.