- Money (That's What I Want)
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"Money (That's What I Want)" 
Single by Barrett Strong B-side Oh I Apologize Released August 1959 Format 45rpm, 78rpm Genre R&B Length 2:39 Label Tamla T-54027
Anna A-1111Writer(s) Janie Bradford/Berry Gordy Barrett Strong singles chronology "Let's Rock"
(1959)"Money (That's What I Want)"
(1959)"Yes, No Maybe So"
(1960)"Money (That's What I Want)" is a 1959 hit single by Barrett Strong for the Tamla label, distributed nationally on Anna Records. The song was written by Tamla founder Berry Gordy and Janie Bradford, and became the first hit record for Gordy's Motown enterprise.
Contents
Overview
Anna Records was operated by Gwen Gordy, Anna Gordy and Billy 'Roquel' 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 features Strong curtly demanding that money is what he needs, more than anything else. The single became Motown's first hit in June 1960, making it to #2 on the US R&B chart and #23 on the US pop chart. The song was listed as #288 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
Cover versions
Although the best known cover versions are probably those by The Beatles and The Flying Lizards, the song has been covered by a myriad of artists, with several of them reaching significant positions in a variety of charts - for example, The Kingsmen reached #16 on the Billboard Hot 100, and Bern Elliott and the Fenmen reached #14 on the UK singles chart.
The Flying Lizards' version has been used in many places, including the film soundtracks for The Wedding Singer, Empire Records, Charlie's Angels and Lord of War, and it has also been used in the television shows Nip/Tuck and Ashes To Ashes.
The following incomplete list is a random selection:[1]
The song was featured in the movie National Lampoon's Animal House in which it was performed by John Belushi. When the Blues Brothers band covered the song 18 years later on their Blues Brothers & Friends: LIVE! From Chicago's H.O.B album it was performed by John's brother James Belushi in the role of Brother Zee Blues along with Elwood Blues and Sam Moore.
Also, the song was used in the Beatles biopic Backbeat performed by a band composed of alt-rock musicians (including Soul Asylum's David Pirner, R.E.M.'s Mike Mills, and Nirvana's Dave Grohl). It was mimed in the film by the actors playing the Beatles.
"I Need Some Money"
"I Need Some Money" Single by John Lee Hooker from the album That's My Story B-side No More Doggin´ Released June 1960 Format 45 Recorded New York City
February 9, 1960Genre Blues Length 2:25 Label Riverside 438 Producer Orrin Keepnews "I Need Some Money," a song John Lee Hooker may have been performing live for some time previous to 1959, has lyrics that are similar to "Money (That's What I Want)". For example, even though the music is different, the first verses are:
"The best thing in life is free
But you can give it to the birds an' bees
I need some money, Need some money. Oh yeah, what I want"versus:
"The best things in life are free
But you can keep 'em for the birds and bees
Now give me money, (that's what I want) that's what I want."The question of which lyrics came first never seems to have been settled in any formal way; John Lee Hooker has full composition credits for "I Need Some Money", and it has been independently covered by other artists such as James Blood Ulmer and The Doors.
The Beatles' version
"Money (That's What I Want)" Song by The Beatles from the album With The Beatles Released November 22, 1963 Recorded July 18, 1963 Genre Beat Length 2:47 Label Parlophone Producer George Martin With The Beatles track listing 14 tracks - Side one
- "It Won't Be Long"
- "All I've Got to Do"
- "All My Loving"
- "Don't Bother Me"
- "Little Child"
- "Till There Was You"
- "Please Mister Postman"
- Side two
Music sample "Money (That's What I Want)"The Beatles recorded "Money (That's What I Want)" 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 United Kingdom album, With The Beatles.[10]
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. 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.[10]
Cultural references
- Chumbawamba borrowed the chorus of this song for their song "Snip Snip Snip". However, for legal reasons, this portion of their song had to be removed from the version released on the album Shhh. (The original version, which also samples a number of other money-related songs, can be found on their unreleased album Jesus H. Christ.)
- In the film This Is Spinal Tap, the band plays a parody song "Gimme Some Money" in a flashback to their skiffle days.
- The theme song for movie Rogue Trader.
- On Disney's D-TV, there was a music video playing the song along with money-related scenes from six short films: "The Klondike Kid" (1932), "Scrooge McDuck and Money" (1967), "The Delivery Boy" (1931), "Mickey's Nightmare" (1932), "Get Rich Quick" (1951) and "Plane Crazy" (1928).
- The 1990s cartoon, Tiny Toon Adventures, featured an episode where Montana Max, kid billionaire & antagonist on the show, sang the song & even had his own video to go along with it; the audio used, however, was the Barrett Strong version of the song.
- In the 1985 Miami Vice episode, "Made for Each Other", the original Barrett Strong version is played in the opening scene as the vice squad raid a warehouse where counterfeit money is printed.
- Used frequently in the 1994 Ted Danson film Getting Even with Dad.
- A portion of the Barrett Strong version is also used in the background of the 1987 civil-rights documentary Eyes on the Prize, in episode three, "Ain't Scared of Your Jails" (which deals with the 1960 lunch-counter sit-ins in Nashville, Tennessee, and the Freedom Riders).
- The song is used in the opening credits of the 2009 Mark Burnett television show Shark Tank.
- The song passes on the Empire Central Radio on the game Mafia II.
- The Flying Lizards' version appears in a 2011 TV commercial for Taco Bell.
Notes
- ^ Albums containing a track with the title: Money (That's What I Want), allmusic.com
- ^ Review, Train Ride to Hollywood, Bloodstone, Allmusic.com
- ^ Review, People Get Ready], The Chambers Brothers, Allmusic.com
- ^ Review, Acoustic Music to Suit Most Occasions, The Deighton Family, Allmusic.com
- ^ Review, Drums! Drums! A Go Go, Hal Blaine, artistdirect.com
- ^ Revenge of the Killer B's, Vol. 2, amazon.com
- ^ A 1983 live recording appears on the 2007 re-release of The Pretenders Learning to Crawl album.
- ^ Kingsize Taylor and the Dominoes, Liverpool Beat
- ^ David Britton, Kingsize Taylor — no pratt, interview with Kingsize Taylor, 1985
- ^ a b "Money (That's What I Want)". The Beatles Bible. http://www.beatlesbible.com/songs/money-thats-what-i-want/. Retrieved 2008-10-30.
References
- Lenny Carlson, "John Lee Hooker Vintage Blues Guitar", Mel Bay Publications, 1996.
Categories:- 1959 singles
- 1960 singles
- Motown singles
- Jerry Lee Lewis songs
- The Beatles songs
- The Searchers songs
- Songs produced by George Martin
- Songs written by Berry Gordy
- Songs written by Janie Bradford
- English-language songs
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