‘You Keep Me Hangin' On’ is a song written and composed by Holland–Dozier–Holland. It was first recorded in 1966 by American Motown group the Supremes, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100.
American rock band Vanilla Fudge released a cover version in June the following year, which reached number six on the Billboard Hot 100. In the first 32 years of the Billboard Hot 100 rock era, ‘You Keep Me Hangin' On’ became one of the six songs to reach number one by two different musical acts.
Vanilla Fudge's 1967 psychedelic rock remake of ‘You Keep Me Hanging On’ reached number six on the Billboard Hot 100 chart a year after the release of the Supremes' recording. While the edited version released on the 45 RPM single was under three minutes long, the album version was 7:26 minutes long. The recording, done in one take, was Vanilla Fudge's first single.
Possibly the most notable performance of the song came on The Ed Sullivan Show in January 1968. The quartet’s energy is palpable, with their brilliance made very clear. It is also here that the excellence of Carmine Appice’s heavy drumming is brought into complete focus, with his famous stick twirls adding an extra element of theatre. Appice is now recognized as one of the most influential drummers of all time, and it’s thanks to moments such as this.
Vanilla Fudge drummer Carmine Appice talked about the band's decision to cover the song in a 2014 interview:
“That was Mark and Timmy. We used to slow songs down and listen to the lyrics and try to emulate what the lyrics were dictating. That one was a hurtin' song; it had a lot of emotion in it. "People Get Ready" was like a Gospel thing. "Eleanor Rigby" was sort of eerie and church-like ... like a horror movie kind of thing. If you listen to "Hangin' On" fast... by the Supremes, it sounds very happy, but the lyrics aren't happy at all. If you lived through that situation, the lyrics are definitely not happy.”
Label – AtcoSongwriters – Holland-Dozier-Holland
Producers – Brian Holland Lamont Dozier
SONG LYRICS
[Chorus: Mark Stein with Vince Martell, Tim Bogert & Carmine Appice]Set me free, why don't you babe?
Get out my life, why don't you babe? (Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh)
You really don't want me
You just keep me hangin' on
You really don't need me
You just keep me hangin' on
[Verse 1: Mark Stein]
Why do you keep comin' around
Playing with my heart?
Why don't you get out of my life
And let me try to make a new start?
Let me get over you
The way you've gotten over me
[Chorus: Mark Stein with Vince Martell, Tim Bogert & Carmine Appice]
Set me free, why don't you babe?
Get out my life, why don't you babe? (Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh)
You really don't want me
You just keep me hangin' on
You really don't need me
You just keep me hangin' on
[Verse 2: Mark Stein]
You said, when we broke up
You just wanna be friends
But how can we still be friends
When seeing you only breaks my heart again?
And there ain't nothing I can do about it
(Give it to me)
[Bridge: Mark Stein with Vince Martell, Tim Bogert & Carmine Appice]
You know I need love
(Set me free, why don't you babe?)
Talkin' 'bout love
(Get out my life, why don't you babe?) (Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh)
You really don't want me
You just keep me hangin' on
You really don't need me
You just keep me hangin' on
[Refrain: Mark Stein, Tim Bogert & Carmine Appice]
Get out my life, why don't you babe? (Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh)
Get out my life, why don't you babe? (Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh)
Get out my life, why don't you babe? (Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh)
Get out my life, why don't you babe? (Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh)
[Outro: Mark Stein]
(Hey!)
(Come on to me, yeah!)
(Come on)