The song's signature guitar part is said to have originated from a Morse code-like radio sound effect, typically used before a news announcement, heard by Lamont Dozier. The single is rooted in proto- funk and rhythm and blues, compared to the Supremes' previous single, ' You Can't Hurry Love', which uses the call and response elements akin to gospel. 'You Keep Me Hangin' On' was originally recorded in 1966 by the Supremes for the Motown label. The Supremes original version Background The BBC ranked the Supremes' original song at number 78 on The Top 100 Digital Motown Chart, which ranks Motown releases by their all-time UK downloads and streams. In 1996, American country singer Reba McEntire's version reached number two on the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart. In the first 32 years of the Billboard Hot 100 rock era, 'You Keep Me Hangin' On' became one of six songs to reach number one by two different musical acts. English singer Kim Wilde covered 'You Keep Me Hangin' On' in 1986, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in June 1987.

American rock band Vanilla Fudge released a cover version in June of the following year, which reached number six on the Billboard Hot 100. It was first recorded in 1966 by American Motown girl group the Supremes, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100. Winner of 30 Public Relations awards.' You Keep Me Hangin' On' is a song written and composed by Holland–Dozier–Holland. Placed 2nd (1st among radio participants), 6th, 10th (twice), and 21st in the five competitions.Īwarded 14 gold & platinum records and an international sales award from various record companies. Placed as a winner in five Active Industry Research Contemporary Hit Radio 'Pick the Hits' competitions from 1983 through 1987. Beeman Dissertation Award for Outstanding Research in Communications and Marketing for Higher Education Advancement and was the 2008 Leo and Margaret Goodman-Malamuth Outstanding Dissertation Award for Research in Higher Education Administration. Graduate of Marshall University, West Virginia University, Southern New Hampshire University, Kentucky Christian University and Mountain State University.ĭissertation on institutional rebranding (see ) was the 2009 international winner of the Alice L. The Spencer Davis Group: Can't Get Enough of ItĪssociate Provost and Professor of Mass Communication at Alderson Broaddus University and an adjunct faculty member at Southern New Hampshire University.Janus Records: Baby Take Me In Your Arms.Janus Records: Hey Gyp (Dig The Slowness).The tune was authored by Motown staff writers Eddie Holland, Lamont Dozier, and Eddie Holland who composed numerous hit records for Barry Gordy’s enterprise. Vanilla Fudge’s first release of the single was probably positioned too close to The Supremes’ version for it to be taken seriously.īy 1968, enough time had elapsed and Vanilla Fudge’s heavy sound was much more palatable to the record buying public. The Supremes released their version in October 1966 and it skyrocketed up both the Hot 100 and the R&B charts to the top position on both. We tried to slow down the song and put the emotion the song should have into it with the hurtin’ kind of feeling the song should have. “You Keep Me Hangin’ On” lyrically was a hurtin’ kind of song, and when The Supremes did it, it was like a happy song. We were all looking for songs that were hits and could be slowed down with emotion put into them. In 1966, when I joined the band, there was a thing going around the New York area and Long Island that was basically slowing songs down, making production numbers out of them, and putting emotion into them. While it seems unusual for a psychedelic band like Vanilla Fudge would record this tune as their first single, but drummer Carmine Appice explains the rationale:

Vanilla fudge keep me hangin on