Money (That's What I Want)

"Money (That's What I Want)"
Single by Barrett Strong
B-side "Oh I Apologize"
Released August 1959
Format
  • 45rpm
  • 78rpm
Genre Rhythm and blues
Length 2:39
Label
Writer(s)
Barrett Strong singles chronology
"Let's Rock"
(1959)		 "Money (That's What I Want)"
(1959/1960)		 "Yes, No Maybe So"
(1960)

"Money (That's What I Want)" is a song written by Tamla founder Berry Gordy and Janie Bradford that became the first hit record for Gordy's Motown enterprise. The song was recorded in 1959 by Barrett Strong for the Tamla label, distributed nationally on Anna Records. It went on to be covered by many artists, including the Beatles in 1963 and the Flying Lizards in 1979.

Overview

The song was originally recorded by Barrett Strong and released on Tamla in August 1959.[1] Anna Records was operated by Gwen Gordy, Anna Gordy and Roquel "Billy" Davis. Gwen and Anna's brother Berry Gordy had just established his Tamla label (soon Motown would follow) and licensed the song to the Anna label in 1960, which was distributed nationwide by Chicago-based Chess Records in order to meet demand; the Tamla record was a resounding success in the Midwest. The song has Strong curtly insisting that money is what he needs, more than anything else. In the US, the single became Motown's first hit in June 1960, making it to number 2 on the Hot R&B Sides chart and number 23 on the Billboard Hot 100.[2] The song was listed as number 288 on Rolling Stone's "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". Greil Marcus has pointed out that "Money" was the only song that brought Strong's name near the top of the national music charts, "but that one time has kept him on the radio all his life."[3]

Piano and lead vocals were supplied by Barrett. Guitar on the track was played by Eugene Grew.[4]

Virtually all of the records issued were 45s, the 10-inch 78 format, issued by Anna, is described as "extremely rare".[5]

Writing credits dispute

Singer Barrett Strong claims that he co-wrote the song with Berry Gordy and Janie Bradford. His name was removed from the copyright registration three years after the song was written, restored in 1987 when the copyright was renewed, and then excised again the following year. Gordy has stated that Strong's name was only included because of a clerical error.[4]

Personnel

The Beatles version

"Money (That's What I Want)"
Single by The Beatles
from the album With the Beatles
A-side "Please Mr. Postman" (Japan)
Released November 22, 1963
Recorded July 18, 1963
Length 2:47
Label Parlophone
Producer(s) George Martin
Music sample
"Money (That's What I Want)"

Recording

The Beatles recorded "Money" in seven takes on July 18, 1963, with their usual lineup. A series of piano overdubs was later added by producer George Martin. The song was released in November 1963 as the final track on their second UK album, With the Beatles.[6]

According to George Harrison, the group discovered Strong's version in Brian Epstein's NEMS record store (though not a hit in the UK, it had been issued on London Records in 1960). They had previously performed it during their audition at Decca Records on January 1, 1962, with Pete Best still on drums at the time. They also recorded it six times for BBC radio. A live version, taped at a concert date in Stockholm, Sweden in October 1963, was included on Anthology 1.[6]

Personnel

The Flying Lizards version

"Money"
Single by The Flying Lizards
from the album The Flying Lizards
B-side "Money B"
Released 13 July 1979
Genre New wave[7]
Length 2:31
Label Virgin
Producer(s) David Cunningham
Certification Silver (BPI)[8]

In July 1979 British band the Flying Lizards released a new wave version of the song. An unexpected hit,[9] this version peaked at number 5 in the UK chart and at number 50 on the Billboard Hot 100. It also peaked at number 22 on the US dance charts.

Chart performance

Weekly charts

Chart (1979–80) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[10] 11
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[11] 23
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[12] 28
Belgium (VRT Top 30 Flanders)[13] 22
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[14] 7
France (IFOP)[15] 39
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[16] 33
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[17] 37
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[18] 5
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[19] 5
US Billboard Hot 100[20] 50
US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play[20] 22
US Cash Box[21] 34

Year-end charts

Chart (1980) Position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[22] 71
Canada (RPM Top Singles)[23] 59
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[24] 32

Other versions

The song has been covered by many artists, with several of the versions appearing in a variety of charts. For example, the Kingsmen reached number 16 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 6 in the US R&B charts in 1964,[25][26] Jennell Hawkins hit number 17 in the R&B charts with her recording in 1962.[27] Jr. Walker & the All Stars reached number 52 on the Hot 100 and number 35 on the R&B charts in 1966[28] and Bern Elliott and the Fenmen reached number 14 on the UK Singles Chart in November 1963.[29] It was included as the third track on Jerry Lee Lewis' 1964 UK-only release Live at the Star Club, Hamburg, a record often cited as the greatest rock and roll record ever recorded.[30][31]

The song was a staple for British beat bands, including the Searchers, the Undertakers, Kingsize Taylor and the Dominoes and the Rolling Stones.[32] It was also covered by Freddie and the Dreamers and John Lee Hooker.[33] The song was covered during live performances by the Doors and appears twice on their 2009 released album Live in New York, which covers four sets from January 1970.[34] It also appears on their live album Live in Vancouver 1970 and the bootleg album Boot Yer Butt: The Doors Bootlegs.[35][36]

References

  1. ↑ The Complete Motown Singles Vol. 1: 1959-61 (CD liner notes). New York: Hip-O Select/Motown/Universal Records.
  2. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942–2004. Record Research. p. 554.
  3. ↑ Marcus, Greil (2015). The History of Rock 'n' Roll in Ten Songs. New Haven: Yale University Press. p. 169.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Rohter, Larry (August 31, 2013). "For a Classic Motown Song About Money, Credit Is What He Wants". The New York Times. Retrieved September 3, 2013.
  5. ↑ "78 RPM". 45worlds. Retrieved July 16, 2015.
  6. 1 2 "Money (That's What I Want)". The Beatles Bible. Retrieved October 30, 2008.
  7. ↑ Cateforis, Theo (2011). Are We Not New Wave? : Modern Pop at the Turn of the 1980s. University of Michigan Press. p. 97. ISBN 0-472-03470-7.
  8. ↑ "Certified Awards". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved February 17, 2014.
  9. ↑ Deming, Mark. "The Flying Lizards – Artist Biography". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved February 17, 2014.
  10. ↑ "Forum – ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts – CHART POSITIONS PRE 1989". Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved February 17, 2014.
  11. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – The Flying Lizards – Money" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved February 17, 2014.
  12. ↑ "Ultratop.be – The Flying Lizards – Money" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved February 17, 2014.
  13. ↑ "Radio 2 Top 30 : 24 november 1979" (in Dutch). Top 30. Retrieved February 17, 2014.
  14. ↑ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 0141a." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved February 17, 2014.
  15. ↑ "InfoDisc : Tous les Titres par Artiste" (in French). InfoDisc. Select "Flying Lizards" from the artist drop-down menu. Retrieved February 17, 2014.
  16. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – The Flying Lizards - Money search results" (in Dutch) Dutch Top 40. Retrieved February 17, 2014.
  17. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – The Flying Lizards – Money" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved February 17, 2014.
  18. ↑ "Charts.org.nz – The Flying Lizards – Money". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved February 17, 2014.
  19. ↑ "Archive Chart: 1979-09-08" UK Singles Chart. Retrieved February 17, 2014.
  20. 1 2 "The Flying Lizards – Awards". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved February 17, 2014.
  21. ↑ CASH BOX Top 100 Singles – Week ending FEBRUARY 2, 1980 at the Wayback Machine (archived September 13, 2012). Cash Box magazine.
  22. ↑ "Forum – ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts – Top 100 End of Year AMR Charts – 1980s". Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved February 17, 2014.
  23. ↑ "Top Singles – Volume 34, No. 6, December 20, 1980". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved February 17, 2014.
  24. ↑ "End of Year Charts 1980". Recorded Music New Zealand. Retrieved January 3, 2016.
  25. ↑ Eder, Bruce. "The Kingsmen – The Best of the Kingsmen [Rhino]". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved January 9, 2016.
  26. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2006). The Billboard Book of Top 40 R&B and Hip Hop Hits. New York: Billboard Books. p. 322. ISBN 0-8230-8283-0.
  27. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2006). The Billboard Book of Top 40 R&B and Hip Hop Hits. New York: Billboard Books. ISBN 0-8230-8283-0.
  28. ↑ "Junior Walker – Awards". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved January 10, 2016.
  29. ↑ "Bern Elliott & the Fenmen". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 9, 2016.
  30. ↑ Christgau, Robert. "Jerry Lee Lewis: "Live" at the Star Club, Hamburg [Rhino, 1992]". Retrieved July 15, 2016.
  31. ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Jerry Lee Lewis – Live at the Star-Club, Hamburg". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved July 15, 2016.
  32. ↑ Leigh, Spencer (2015). Best of the Beatles: The sacking of Pete Best. McNidder and Grace Limited. ISBN 9780857161024.
  33. ↑ Webb, Robert (2012). "Money (That's What I Want)". 100 Greatest Cover Versions: The Ultimate Playlist. McNidder & Grace. pp. 200–01.
  34. ↑ Planer, Lindsay. "The Doors – Live in New York". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved January 17, 2016.
  35. ↑ Unterberger, Richie. "The Doors – Live in Vancouver 1970". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved January 19, 2016.
  36. ↑ Unterberger, Richie. "The Doors – Boot Yer Butt!". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved January 19, 2016.
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