Something's Got a Hold on Me

"Something's Got a Hold on Me" is a song by American singer Etta James. The song was written by James, Leroy Kirkland and Pearl Woods, while production was handled by Leonard and Phil Chess. It was released in 1962 as the third single from her 1962 self-titled album as a 7" vinyl disc. Musically, "Something's Got a Hold on Me" is an R&B track with elements of soul, blues and gospel. Upon its release, the single was an R&B hit, peaking at number four on the Billboard Hot R&B Sides chart.[1]

"Something's Got a Hold on Me"
One of side-A labels of the US single
Single by Etta James
from the album Etta James
B-side"Waiting for Charlie to Come Home"
Released1962
Genre
Length2:48
LabelArgo
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Etta James singles chronology
"Seven Day Fool"
(1961)		 "Something's Got a Hold on Me"
(1962)		 "Stop the Wedding"
(1962)

"Something's Got a Hold on Me" has been covered and sampled by various contemporary artists. Pretty Lights sampled the song on his 2006 album Taking Up Your Precious Time. In 2010, American singer-songwriter Christina Aguilera recorded a cover version of the song on the soundtrack Burlesque. In 2011, the track was sampled on two hits: "Levels" by Swedish DJ Avicii, which in turn was sampled on "Good Feeling" by American rapper Flo Rida. Australian recording artist Jessica Mauboy also covered "Something's Got a Hold on Me" in 2013 and released it as a single.

Background and composition
Etta James (pictured in 1990) recorded the song in 1962 and co-wrote it with Leroy Kirkland and Pearl Woods.

"Something's Got a Hold on Me" was written by Etta James, Leroy Kirkland and Pearl Woods, while it was produced by two founders of the Chess Records, Leonard and Phil Chess.[2] The song was released as the third single from James' 1962 self-titled studio album.[2] It was served as a 7" vinyl disc with the other song, "Waiting for Charlie to Come Home", as the B-side in the United States.[3] Later, the track was included on the singer's 1963 compilation album Etta James Top Ten.[4] The live version of "Something's Got a Hold on Me" also appeared on Etta James' first live album, Etta James Rocks the House (1964).[5] In 1992, the song was a part of her greatest hits album, My Greatest Songs.[6]

"Something's Got a Hold on Me" is an R&B track[7] with elements of soul, blues,[8] and gospel.[9] The song lasts for a duration of 2:48 (two minutes and 48 seconds).[3] According to the sheet music published by EMI Music Publishing, "Something's Got a Hold on Me" was composed in the key of G minor and set as the moderate tempo of 72 beats per minute with a "strong beat".[8] James' vocals in the song span on nearly one and a half octaves, from the low-note of D4 to the high-note of G5.[8]

Live performances

On September 27, 1963, Etta James first performed "Something's Got a Hold on Me" at the New Era Club in Nashville, Tennessee; later the performance was recorded and was included on her first live album Etta James Rocks the House.[5] During a "King-led all-star concert" which was held at the Ebony Theater, Los Angeles, California in 1987, James performed the song again with American blues musician B.B. King.[10] There, the singer sang the track with backing guitar played by King.[10] That performance was released as a CD and home video entitled "A Night of Blistering Blues".[10]

Track listing
  • US 7" single[3]
  1. "Something's Got a Hold on Me" – 2:48
  2. "Waiting for Charlie to Come Home" – 2:08

Reception

Jay Lustig of New Jersey On-Line called "Something's Got a Hold on Me" a "scintillating" track.[10] Upon its release, "Something's Got a Hold on Me" was an R&B hit, peaking at number four on the Hot R&B Sides chart, a music chart which was published by American music magazine Billboard and now is the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.[7] The single also charted on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at number 37.[11]

Charts (1962) Peak
position
US Billboard Hot 100[11] 37
US Hot R&B Sides (Billboard)[7] 4

Cover versions and samples

"Something's Got a Hold on Me" has been covered on numerous occasions. Ike & Tina Turner covered the song in 1964; released on their album Live! The Ike & Tina Turner Show UK singer Elkie Brooks covered this in 1964 to critical acclaim. in January 1965. The Kingsmen released a cover version on The Kingsmen Volume II in 1965 and on Greatest Hits in 1966. The Belgian band Vaya Con Dios covered the track on their album Night Owls (1990).[12] On March 30, 2004, Natalie Cole performed "Something's Got a Hold on Me" at the Apollo Theater in New York City.[13] In 2010, American singer-songwriter Christina Aguilera also covered it for the soundtrack album Burlesque.[14] The version by Aguilera was met with favorable reviews from critics; a writer from Blogcritics wrote that "[the song] really digs in and makes them show stoppers" and "[it] suits her voice perfectly",[15] while Stephen Thomas Erlewine from Allmusic picked "Something's Got a Hold on Me" as one of the three best songs from the soundtrack.[16] Jools Holland, with Paloma Faith, recorded a version for his 2012 album, The Golden Age of Song. Australian R&B singer Jessica Mauboy recorded a cover version of the track and released it as a single exclusively in Australia in 2013.[17]

Doi-Oing was the first artist to sample "Something's Got a Hold on Me" in his 1991 song "Good Feeling".[18] In 2006, electronic music artist Pretty Lights sampled the song again in his track "Finally Moving" from the album Taking Up Your Precious Time.[19] In 2009, Dutch DJ Fedde Le Grand interpolated the song's intro on "Wild 'n Raw", with the vocals performed by Rob Birch of the Stereo MC's. In 2011, two smash hits sampled "Something's Got a Hold on Me": "Levels" by Swedish DJ Avicii and Flo Rida's "Good Feeling".[11][20]

Jessica Mauboy version
"Something's Got a Hold on Me"
Single by Jessica Mauboy
ReleasedFebruary 27, 2013 (2013-02-27)
Genre
Length3:26
LabelSony
Songwriter(s)
  • Etta James
  • Leroy Kirkland
  • Pearl Woods
Jessica Mauboy singles chronology
"Waltzing Matilda"
(2012)		 "Something's Got a Hold on Me"
(2013)		 "To the End of the Earth"
(2013)
In 2013, Jessica Mauboy covered the song and performed it for the 2013 NRL season.

"Something's Got a Hold on Me" was covered by Australian R&B singer Jessica Mauboy. It was released as a digital download single on 27 February 2013.[17]

Reception

"Something's Got a Hold on Me" by Jessica Mauboy received mainly positive reviews from music critics. Brad Stern of MTV Buzzworthy Brad Stern called Mauboy's version a "power-pop anthem".[21] Daisy Dumas of The Age was positive toward the track, noted it as a "sassy, pop-heavy spin on the Etta James classic".[22] Simone Ubaldi of Beat magazine described the cover as "grotesque dance pop bastardisation",[23] while a writer for radio station 96.5 Wave FM thought that it sounds impressive.[24] A writer for Take 40 Australia called it energetic,[25] while Fox Sports' Anthony Costa wrote that the song does not feel like "a potential rugby league anthem" but "it suits Mauboy's vocal talents".[26] "Something's Got a Hold on Me" won Single Release of the Year at the 2013 Deadly Awards.[27] The song entered the Australian ARIA Singles Chart at number 26 on March 11, 2013.[28] The following week, it fell down to number 50.[28]

Promotion

On 27 February 2013, the Australian Rugby League Commission released a television advertisement, which features Mauboy singing her version of "Something's Got a Hold on Me", as well as highlights from previous rugby league matches and fans playing rugby league in backyards, on beaches and running down streets.[29][30][31] That same day, Mauboy performed the song during the official launch for the 2013 NRL season, held at The Star Casino in Sydney.[30][32] NRL director of marketing and commercial operations Paul Kind said her version "is very contemporary" and "has a really broad appeal".[29][33] Mauboy is the second female artist (the first being Tina Turner) to be featured in a NRL theme song.[34] "Something's Got a Hold on Me" is also the first theme song in major Australian sport to feature an Indigenous Australian artist.[34]

Track listing
  • Digital download[17]
  1. "Something's Got a Hold on Me" – 3:26

Charts
Chart (2013) Peak
position
Australian Singles Chart[28] 26

References
  1. Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 290.
  2. James, Etta (1962). Etta James (Liner notes). Etta James. Argo Records.
  3. Something's Got a Hold on Me (US single, 7"). Etta James. United States: Argo Records. 1962.CS1 maint: others (link)
  4. James, Etta (1963). Etta James Top Ten (Liner notes). Etta James. Argo Records.
  5. James, Etta (1964). Etta James Rocks the House (Liner notes). Etta James. Argo Records.
  6. James, Etta (1992). My Greatest Songs (Liner notes). Etta James. MCA Records.
  7. "Etta James – Biography". Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 30, 2013.
  8. "Etta James – Something's Got a Hold on Me – Sheet Music". Musicnotes.com. EMI Music Publishing. Retrieved May 30, 2013.
  9. "Etta James Biography". Biography.com. Retrieved May 30, 2013.
  10. Lustig, Jay (May 26, 2011). "Song of the Day: 'Something's Got a Hold on Me', Etta James and B.B. King". New Jersey On-Line. Retrieved June 1, 2013.
  11. Caulfield, Keith (January 25, 2012). "Etta James Sales Jump 378% in Days After Her Death". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved June 1, 2013.
  12. Night Owls (Liner notes). Vaya Con Dios. Ariola Records. 1990.CS1 maint: others (link)
  13. Weber, Bruce (March 30, 2004). "Heat and Light Uptown - Benefit Salutes the Apollo with Songs and Goose Bumps". The New York Times. Retrieved June 1, 2013.
  14. Burlesque (Liner notes). Christina Aguilera. RCA Records. 2010.CS1 maint: others (link)
  15. "Music Review: Burlesque – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack". Blogcritics. December 13, 2010. Retrieved June 2, 2013.
  16. Thomas Erlewine, Stephen (November 22, 2010). "Burlesque – Original Soundtrack – Review". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved June 2, 2013.
  17. "Music – Something's Got a Hold on Me – Single by Jessica Mauboy". iTunes Store (Australia). Apple. Retrieved 15 March 2013.
  18. Good Feeling (Single). Doi-Oing. Northern Exposure. 1991.CS1 maint: others (link)
  19. Taking Up Your Precious Time (Liner notes). Pretty Lights. Pretty Lights Music. 2006.CS1 maint: others (link)
  20. Hyman, Dan (January 24, 2012). "Flo Rida and Avicii Remember Etta James". Rolling Stone. Retrieved June 2, 2013.
  21. Stern, Brad (6 March 2013). "Jessica Mauboy, Misha B, Amelia Lilly + More: 5 Must Hear Pop Songs of the Week". MTV Buzzworthy. MTV. Viacom. Retrieved March 15, 2013.
  22. Dumas, Daisy (March 2, 2013). "The company they keep". The Age. Fairfax Media. Retrieved March 15, 2013.
  23. Ubaldi, Simone (February 2013). "Jessica Mauboy: Something's Got a Hold on Me". Beat. Furst Media. Retrieved 15 March 2013.
  24. "Is the NRL on a winner with Jessica Mauboy?". 96.5 Wave FM. Grant Broadcasters Network. February 28, 2013. Archived from the original on March 15, 2013.
  25. "Jessica Mauboy Releases NRL Theme Song 'Something's Got a Hold on Me'". Take 40 Australia. MCM Entertainment. 27 February 2013. Retrieved 15 March 2013.
  26. Costa, Anthony (27 February 2013). "Branding expert says NRL TV campaign simply the best since Tina". Fox Sports (Australia). News Limited. Retrieved 15 March 2013.
  27. "Deadly Awards: List of winners". SBS. 11 September 2013. Retrieved 12 September 2013.
  28. "Jessica Mauboy – Something's Got a Hold on Me". ARIA Charts. Hung Medien. Retrieved 15 March 2013.
  29. Proszenko, Adrian (23 February 2013). "Mauboy gets hold of some soul for new league theme". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 15 March 2013.
  30. Otto, Tyson (27 February 2013). "Jessica Mauboy stars in new NRL advertising campaign". The Daily Telegraph. News Limited. Retrieved 15 March 2013.
  31. "Jessica Mauboy, the voice behind the NRL ad". Port Macquarie News. Fairfax Media. 27 February 2013. Retrieved 15 March 2013.
  32. Honeysett, Stuart; Read, Brent (28 February 2013). "Name and shame: CEO Dave Smith gaffes again as Jessica Mauboy rescues launch". The Australian. News Limited. Retrieved 15 March 2013.
  33. Hooper, James (24 February 2013). "Mauboy lends league a touch of soul". The Sunday Telegraph. News Limited. Retrieved 15 March 2013.
  34. "Rugby League has a hold on me". NRL.com. 27 February 2013. Archived from the original on 15 March 2013.
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