The Beatles, featuring Smokey Robinson

Two weeks ago, I wrote about the Paul McCartney concert at Fenway Park. And all of those great tunes got me thinking about my first introduction to the Beatles. And then that ended up getting me thinking upon Smokey Robinson and his connection to the Beatles. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

I don’t remember many moments from my first five years of life, but I do remember the first time I heard the Beatles. I was in my final year of preschool, and had become intrigued by the term “rock n’ roll.” Though I really had no idea what the term meant, those words connoted something exciting, something unknown, something very different from the jazz and classical that my parents played around the house. I remember pestering one of my preschool teachers to sing rock n’ roll songs for me. She happily complied, and even taught me to sing “Hit the Road Jack” and other tunes that have since escaped my memory.

One night, I went home to my parents and asked them to play me some rock n’ roll. My Dad opened up the CD drawer, searched briefly, and pulled out a disc. I clearly remember reacting to the cover: a black-and-white image of four very pale faces, and the words “with the beatles” in the upper-left corner. Who were those pale guys with their faces half-shadowed beneath those goofy haircuts? My Dad popped the CD in the player, and I waited, my mind free of any sort of expectation.

From the opening back-and-forth vocal interplay of “It Won’t Be Long” (Yea yea yea yea yea yea) I was hooked. I clearly knew nothing about music at the time, but what really got me was the emotionality, the sense of urgency, that was clearly communicated through the voices of Lennon and McCartney. It seemed that if the Beatles didn’t get the anonymous girl in question, the world would end. And that was exciting. I can’t say for sure, but I’d like to think that I listened through “With the Beatles” several times that night.

One of the unquestionable highlights of “With the Beatles” is “You Really Got a Hold on Me,” a cover of the 1962 Smokey Robinson hit. It is John Lennon at his best—his songwriting may have improved as the Beatles progressed, but his most impressive and most fervent vocal performances come on early tracks such as “You Really Got a Hold on me.” Lennon’s characteristic irony is nowhere to be found (for better or for worse)—his heart is on his sleeve.

The Beatles – You Really Got a Hold on Me (YSI) (filesavr)

It turns out, unsurprisingly, that John Lennon was a big fan of Smokey Robinson. One of Lennon’s favorite tracks was the lesser-known “I’ve Been Good to You.” You won’t find it on the Miracles’ greatest hits compilations, but it’s a pretty influential track—it was part of the inspiration behind “Sexy Sadie.” The influence is clear if you listen to the lyrics. “I’ve Been Good to You” opens: “Look what you’ve done, you’ve made a fool out of someone,” while “Sexy Sadie” opens: “Sexy Sadie, what have you done? You’ve made a fool of everyone.”

Smokey Robinson & the Miracles – I’ve Been Good to You (YSI) (filesavr)
The Beatles – Sexy Sadie (YSI) (filesavr)

Two very different tracks, but the lyrical connection is clear. Hard to blame Lennon for digging Smokey. What a smooth voice.