The Originals: Songs The Beatles Covered: “You Really Got A Hold On Me”- Smokey Robinson and The Miracles. The Beatles were big fans of Smokey Robinson. Smokey Robinson wrote this song in 1962. He was on a trip to New York City and heard Sam Cooke’s “Bring It On Home To Me”- and wrote “You Really Got A Hold On Me”- under the influence of Cooke’s hit. It was originally a b-side to a song called “Happy Landing” but Dee Jay’s liked the b-side better and started playing “You Really Got A Hold On Me” and it went on to make it into the Top 10- peaking at #8 and becoming Smokey Robinson and The Miracles second million seller single. In early 1963 The Beatles acquired an imported copy of the single and liked it so much they started playing it in concerts- and then covered it in late 1963 when they recorded it for their second album With The Beatles. Smokey liked The Beatles cover with John Lennon and George Harrison singing lead.
I know this is sacrilegious but…I at least like the Beatles version just as well or more as the Smokey version. Two different styles but their voices on this make it for me.
I think this is one of the better Beatles covers… the two best being- Twist And Shout and Money…
Those are the better ones…I like Bad Boy also…a little raw but it’s pretty good.