Money (That's What I Want)
Money (That's What I Want) ( English , money [That's what I want] ') is one of 1959 by the title Barrett Strong sung rhythm-and-blues songs , which later by numerous cover versions became famous.
History of origin
On January 12, 1959, Berry Gordy Jr. founded the independent record label Tamla Records , now he was looking for talent. He first found Marv Johnson , who also brought out the first single in the Tamla catalog. 18-year-old Barrett Strong played the piano, but he could only sing average. He was introduced by Jackie Wilson to the label's founder, Berry Gordy, who had composed a few hits for Wilson from 1957. Strong's first single for the new Tamla Records label was Let's Rock / Do the Very Best You Can (Tamla 54022) in April 1959 , the fourth single in the label's catalog. It remained without any response.
In August 1959, Berry Gordy was improvising on the piano in a newly built home recording studio of "Hitsville USA" (later Motown Recording Studios (Detroit) ) in a garage when he asked the listening Barrett Strong and Janie Bradford: "Come on, think Something that everyone needs! ”-“ Money! ”answered Bradford. A text emerged spontaneously and Barrett Strong, who played the piano better than Gordy, sat down at the piano. The cast also consisted of a white guitarist named Eugene Grew, Eddie Holland took over the tambourine (and acted as the sound engineer ), James Jamerson played bass, Joe Hunter (piano) and Benny Benjamin operated a tom-tom . The core of what would later become the Funk Brothers came together for the first time with Jamerson, Hunter and Benjamin .
The text deals with the protagonist's greed for money and provides a cynical perspective on romances and finances. His girlfriend's love excites him a lot, but he can't pay bills with love. The infectious rhythm was based on a boogie-woogie piano riff .
Publication and Success
From the point of time it was a little inappropriate to release a song that addresses the need for money in the middle of the Payola scandal. But success should dispel the concerns. Money (That's What I Want) / Oh I Apologize (Tamla 54027) was first released in August 1959 as the eighth single on the Tamla label. After the airplay on the Detroit radio station WCHB by disc jockey Larry Dixon, there was such great demand that Gordy licensed the rights to his sister Gwen Gordy and her label Anna Records . The Anna Records label had a better distribution system and released the single again on December 10, 1959 (Anna 1111). After an ad in Billboard magazine from 4 January 1960, the single reached on 25 January 1960 in the rhythm & blues charts , where it climbed to number two; it reached number 23 in the pop charts. The song remained Strong's only hit as an artist.
Strong released four more singles at Tamla, namely You Know What To Do / Yes, No, Maybe So (June 1960; 54029), I'm Gonna Cry / Whirl Wind (September 1960), You Got What It Takes / Money and Me (February 1961; 54035) and Misery / Two Wrongs Don't Make a Right (June 1961; 54043); so he had sung a total of six singles at Tamla. In January 1962 he changed to the role of copywriter and from June 1966 he was part of the successful Whitfield / Strong team of authors.
Cover versions
At least 67 cover versions are known. The title (I Need Some) Money by the Miracles is a different composition by Gordy / Robinson in Doo-Wop style (End 1029; July 1958), because it cannot be a cover version in chronological terms. Jerry Lee Lewis was apparently the first to pick up the song (recorded on September 21, 1961 on Sun Records , Nashville), the Searchers put it as the B-side on the German single Süß ist sie (Sugar and Spice) / Liebe (released on September 15 , 1961 ) January 1964).
Beatles
The Beatles first played the song at Decca rehearsals on January 1, 1962, after hearing the original single in Brian Epstein's Liverpool NEMS record store. In the Abbey Road Studios they needed a total of seven takes for the recording on July 18, 1963 , on July 30, music producer George Martin added his piano playing and on September 30, 1963 the stereo mixing was completed. The Beatles version was released on November 22, 1963 on the LP With the Beatles .
Other versions
The Rolling Stones recorded their version on January 17, 1964 for their first EP You Better Move on (Decca DFE 8560), followed by the Rattles (LP Liverpool Beat vol. 1 ; 1964) and the Kingsmen (March 1964; US-16 ), Etta James sang the track live at the New Era Club in Nashville (September 27 and 28, 1964), and Waylon Jennings recorded it on December 3, 1964. This was followed by The Liverbirds (LP Star Club Show vol. 4 ; January 1965), Everly Brothers (recorded on June 7, 1965 by United Recording ), John Lee Hooker (LP It Serve You Right to Suffer ; November 23, 1965), Supremes (April 26, 1966) or Led Zeppelin (live from the Frankfurter Festhalle ; June 30, 1980). John Lennon played the track in 1969 when he performed with the Plastic Ono Band at the Toronto Rock and Roll Revival, and it was recorded on Live Peace in Toronto in 1969 .
The song also appeared in the film Animal House (premiered July 27, 1978). The Flying Lizards delivered a minimalist cover with their rap (July 1979; GB-5). Boyz II Men released it on their LP Motown: A Journey Through Hitsville USA (November 2007). In addition, Money (That's What I Want) was published by Pearl Jam , The Smashing Pumpkins , The Blues Brothers , The Doors , The Sonics and The BossHoss .
Awards
The song received a BMI award and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame .