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Tamla T 54035 (A), February 1961
b/w You Got What It Takes
(Written by Smokey Robinson, Berry Gordy, Janie Bradford and Robert Bateman)
Since his smash hit Money (That’s What I Want) a year and a half earlier, Barrett Strong had endured two flop singles in Yes, No, Maybe So and Whirlwind, both of which had failed to chart.
There’s understandably more than a hint of desperation, therefore, surrounding this release. Virtually Motown’s entire A-list songwriting corps of the time was drafted in to craft Strong a hit, including Hitsville receptionist and Money co-writer Janie Bradford, while the title is a misleading attempt to cash in on the success of Barrett’s one and only hit, albeit eighteen months too late.
I say it’s misleading because Money And Me doesn’t really have much in common with Money; actually, in terms of structure at least, it’s much more like the Isley Brothers’ version of Twist And Shout, except that that record didn’t exist yet (indeed, the Top Notes’ original hadn’t even been released by the time Money And Me came out).
There’s also an incongruous Sixties Caribbean feel to it, complete with irritating “popcorn” percussion, which doesn’t seem to fit either the song or Strong’s vocal style and would have been better left out.
Lyrically, it’s actually the complete opposite of the naked venal greed of Money, as Strong’s narrator describes how he managed to piss his fortune away, and delivers a cautionary tale about the evils of filthy lucre and the pitfalls of getting what you wish for. It seems to be intended as a gentle bit of comedy, but Strong delivers it deadpan and without flair so that it falls flat on its arse, preachy and unfunny. Unusual for all that songwriting talent to miss the mark so comprehensively; a case of too many cooks, perhaps.
Ironically, if Motown had released this a year later, it might have done better on the charts, spurred on by the success of Twist And Shout; instead, as was fast becoming Strong’s regular fate, it went nowhere. Strong would be granted one final Motown single, but by now it must have been obvious to all concerned that his days as a top chart act and potential superstar were over.
MOTOWN JUNKIES VERDICT
(I’ve had MY say, now it’s your turn. Agree? Disagree? Leave a comment, or click the thumbs at the bottom there. Dissent is encouraged!)
You’re reading Motown Junkies, an attempt to review every Motown A- and B-side ever released. Click on the “previous” and “next” buttons below to go back and forth through the catalogue, or visit the Master Index for a full list of reviews so far.
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Barrett Strong “You Got What It Takes” |
Motown Junkies 
“Strong delivers it deadpan and without flair so that it falls flat on its arse, preachy and unfunny.” Great line Mr. Nixon! This song title is sooooo misleading! I just knew I was about to hear a fiery & raw song just like “Money” but sadly this does fall flat. To put it in today’s terms this song was lame. (lol)
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Money and Me is ridiculous but for some reason it something about it really interest me either because its supposed to be a follow up or the fact that Barrett didnt like it that much either lol.I’d probably give it a 4/10
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Well put. I like the premise that he’s now matured past the shallow, misogynistic, materialistic mindset of the previous hit, but it falls flat because of the lack of hooks in the song itself, and the weak rhythmic flow of the lyrics. I think the real answer to “Money” is “First I Look at the Purse” (and the “pre-answer” is the original 1940s Slim Gaillard song “Romance without Finance” (is a nuisance … so baby … give up that gold) – with the young Charlie Parker on sax, no less.
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(I wish comments could be edited) – I was wrong about Slim Gaillard – sorry – it’s really Tiny Grimes who released the original Romance without Finance featuring Charlie Parker. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yK9f6s0r07M
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