Best Jonathan and Julia Pretus Podcasts (2025)

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#74 - Julia with Jude Southerland Kessler 1:12:56

13d ago1:12:56

1:12:56

One of the best things about the White Album is seeing so many different sides of each Beatle. To close out the first disc, we get a rare glimpse of the really vulnerable and sensitive John, a side we really haven't seen laid bare prior to this. It's a gorgeous track, lead by an almost hypnotic finger picking pattern, with a single note, bare lead …

1
#75 - Get Back with Robert Rodriguez & Jerry Hammack 1:33:50

1M ago1:33:50

1:33:50

Ever seen an artist create a global smash hit from the moment of inception through each and every moment of rehearsal and refinement to recording, live premier, and continued real time performances 60 years later? With "Get Back," now you have. Pulling this out of the ether during the 1969 Twickenham sessions, this seedling turns into a fantastic p…

1
#76 - Slow Down with guests Blotto Beatles 1:31:07

2M ago1:31:07

1:31:07

Maybe it's just me, but I've got a real sweet spot for when, in the midst of all the chaos of exploding into the world's biggest band and becoming the greatest songwriters alive, the Beatles blow off steam by pulling out a song from their garage band days. "Slow Down," written by New Orleanian Larry Williams (protege to Little Richard and Lloyd Pri…

1
#77 - Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds with Jason Kruppa 1:17:33

3M ago1:17:33

1:17:33

Did you guys know the Beatles did drugs? IT'S RIGHT THERE IN THE TITLE, MAN, LSDDDDDDDD! Inspired by a drawing done by his son Julian, John's "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" is arguably the most psychedelic of Beatles psychedelic songs. But that trippiness overshadows brilliantly musical performances and inventive production. It's one of the high p…

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#78 - Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown) with author Sara Schmidt 1:00:27

4M ago1:00:27

1:00:27

**Disclaimer: First show of the new year, and yeah, I know, I blew it, but I own up to it! The integrity of the list remains!** The fabs sure loved writing songs about their relationships on vacation. As we discussed one of Paul's recently ("For No One"), now it's John's turn. John's ode to infidelity and arson turned into one of the most sublime s…

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#79 - Taxman with Vinyl Benjy 1:14:52

4M ago1:14:52

1:14:52

What do George Harrison and Big Worm from the movie Friday have in common? Messing with their money is like messing with their emotions. But Big Perm, I mean Big Worm, doesn't write banging rock tunes about it. George's "Taxman," the lead off track on Revolver, finds the guitarist squaring off against the greedy hand of the man for taking 98% (NINE…

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#80 - For No One with Duncan Driver 1:20:07

5M ago1:20:07

1:20:07

Everyone knows that couple...everytime you go on holiday, they seem to get into a fight about SOMETHING. Then everyone's walking on eggshells, trying not to be awkward, not picking sides, just wanting to enjoy their nice vacation, but instead having to deal with someone else's drama. That seems to be a continuing theme with Paul McCartney and Jane …

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#81 - Hey Jude with James Campion (author, "Sing A Sad Song: The Emotional Currency of Hey Jude") 1:27:11

5M ago1:27:11

1:27:11

Note: PLS LISTEN BEFORE LIGHTING YOUR TORCHES AND GATHERING YOUR PITCHFORKS! Written as a way to show sympathy and encouragement to young Julian Lennon in the face of his parents' divorce, "Hey Jude" is obviously one of the high water marks of modern popular music. It's a brilliantly composed song with a powerhouse vocal from Paul, showcasing his a…

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#82 - Dig A Pony with guest Nicholas Dayton (songwriter/producer, Sesame Street) 1:40:41

6M ago1:40:41

1:40:41

John came into the Get Back project only one fully formed new song, "All I Want Is You," later re-named as "Dig A Pony." After a possibly initial ambivalent reaction, the band tightened it up as the first song recorded in their own Apple Studios. It eventually found it's true home on the rooftop of Apple on a cold January day, where the band nailed…

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#83 - You've Got To Hide Your Love Away with Steven Page 1:18:11

6M ago1:18:11

1:18:11

Thousands of words have been written about Bob Dylan's influence on the Beatles. Despite all those words, one need look no further than "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away" from the Help! album. Taking the folk trademark of heavily strummed 6 and 12 string acoustic and nylon string guitars, minimal instrumentation, the song finds John delivering (up…

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#84 - Old Brown Shoe with guest Sean Nelson 1:48:11

7M ago1:48:11

1:48:11

Upon rejoining the band following his departure in the Get Back sessions, George pulled his more serious material, most of which would end up on All Things Must Pass. Along with his blusey and lightweight "For You Blue," he also brought in a stomping little piano song he wrote during the sessions, "Old Brown Shoe." It wouldn't find a home for a few…

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#85 - One After 909 with BC The Beatles 1:17:21

9M ago1:17:21

1:17:21

As a songwriter, I could never imagine at this point in my life, putting out song a wrote at 16 or 17. I don't ever want anyone to hear that. But then again, I'm not the Beatles, who were able to resurrect one of the earliest songs in their repertoire, from well before they were even The Beatles. Though the song was in their early setlists for a lo…

1
#86 - Baby's In Black with Andy Nicholes (co-host 2Legs Podcast) 1:16:06

10M ago1:16:06

1:16:06

Though the Lennon & McCartney songwriting team found it harder and harder to truly write songs together from scratch as they got busier and busier, with "Baby's In Black," they were able to get "nose-to-nose" and write something truly different from what was expected at the time. A 3/4 time waltz with a melancholy lyric (possibly inspired by Astrid…

1
#87 - You Never Give Me Your Money with Tom Hunyady (co-host, 2Legs and Talk More Talk podcasts) 1:29:29

10M ago1:29:29

1:29:29

In many ways, Paul McCartney is the ultimate storyteller. He's got an unparalleled ability to craft characters and a situations that are so vivid, you can't easily tell when he's hiding his own feelings and life stories in them. So when we writes a song where he's totally upfront about a situation, no story, no characters, you can bet it's somethin…

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#88 - No Reply with guest Jeff Slate (musician, journalist) 1:25:58

11M ago1:25:58

1:25:58

The journey of "No Reply" is a curious one. A song John seemed to not think much of, and originally offered to another Brian Epstein-managed artist, it also was possibly slated to be the final song recorded for A Hard Day's Night. If not for Ringo's tonsillitis, who knows what would've happened with it. After spending some time with it though, and …

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#89 - Lady Madonna with Davis Rogan (pianist, host DJ Davis' Tasting Notes)) 1:10:41

11M ago1:10:41

1:10:41

After spending a year and half out firmly planted in psychedelia, The Beatles returned to Earth at the beginning of 1968 with "Lady Madonna," a Paul-penned tune that pays tribute to the strength of women, a topic he mines throughout his career. The song also serves an homage to New Orleans' piano legend and rock and roll trail blazer Fats Domino, a…

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#90 - The Inner Light with Caitlin Larkin (DJ, Sirius XM The Beatles Channel) 1:19:16

11M ago1:19:16

1:19:16

There seems to be somewhat of a misconception of The Beatles having a really big "Indian period." In reality, there's only 3 songs that really fit that bill, and the 3rd a final one, "The Inner Light," may be the most open hearted and enlightened one. After being inspired/challenged by a scholar he met on the David Frost show, George took lyrics fr…

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#91 - Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except Me and My Monkey with guest Brian Marchese (host, Where's That Sound Coming From?) 1:47:57

12M ago1:47:57

1:47:57

The longest titled song in the Beatles' catalogue is also one that maybe flies a bit below the radar. Buried on side 3 of the White album, "Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except Me and My Monkey" is one of the heaviest rockers in the back half of their career. Inspired by the Maharishi, and also possibly by a growing drug issue, John leads the b…

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BONUS! A Let It Be Podcast Roundtable Chat 1:53:58

12M ago1:53:58

1:53:58

After decades of hiding in the Apple vaults, the Beatles' 1970 film Let It Be is finally out! Lovingly restored thanks to Peter Jackson's team, the documentary directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg finally gets it place in the sun. What better way to celebrate than with Beatle pals!?!? We were thrilled as could be to join our pals from the Blotto Beatle…

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#92 - If I Needed Someone with Ethan Alexanian (host, Fans on the Run) 1:13:53

12M ago1:13:53

1:13:53

Imagine the feeling you'd get when the band that was the inspiration for YOUR band put out a song and told everyone YOUR band inspired that song? Probably a pretty amazing feeling. That's exactly what happened when The Beatles released the George Harrison-penned "If I Needed Someone" on Rubber Soul in December 1965. George was quick to give credit …

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#93 - Honey Pie with Dr. Christine Feldman-Barrett, author (A Women's History of the Beatles, The Life, Death, and Afterlife of the Record Store) 1:09:54

1y ago1:09:54

1:09:54

Much has been discussed of Paul McCartney's love of what John Lennon called "granny music." The music of his parents' generation, British Music Hall, Vaudeville, Tin Pan Alley...you know the genre...the stuff Lennon loved to complain about when it came from Paul, but seemingly had no problem with his favorite group, Nilsson, whos stock and trade wa…

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#94 - Free As A Bird with Skylar Moody (Beatles content creator, journalist) 1:24:43

1y ago1:24:43

1:24:43

Some 25 years after the Beatles' break up, new music from the band emerged via a cosmic combination of technology and enduring love...and the career-spanning Anthology project. Using a solo John piano demo, the remaining Threetles completed "Free As A Bird," a stately and beautiful track, complete with the still gorgeous Beatle harmony, brilliant l…

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#95 - Savoy Truffle with Chris Carter (host, Breakfast with the Beatles) 1:16:06

1+ y ago1:16:06

1:16:06

After a few years of producing some fairly heady and serious musical output, George found himself wanting to lighten the load a bit in 1968. Not everything needed to be Within You Without You, inspiration didn't always have to be divine. It could come from anywhere, even your friends gross teeth. Thanks to his friend Eric (you know who)'s love of c…

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#96 - It Won't Be Long with Ken Womack (author, "Living the Beatles Legend, The Untold Story of Mal Evans") 1:20:44

1+ y ago1:20:44

1:20:44

Riding high on the success of a chart topping debut album and #1 singles, the Beatles were searching for what the next big hit would be. While "It Won't Be Long" didn't turn out to be that hit, it did provide a brilliantly urgent shot with which to start their sophomore album. It absolutely fires out of the speakers, grabbing the listener immediate…

1
#97 - Good Morning, Good Morning with Red Rockers 1:00:36

1+ y ago1:00:36

1:00:36

It can be tough to write songs when you're not out living real life experiences. After the Beatles stopped touring, John often found himself at home, bored and isolated from the social scenes he'd been in while on the road. But John could find inspiration in anything...posters, newspapers, even commercials. That's where he found inspiration for thi…

1
#98 Hello Goodbye with Debbie Davis (singer, musician) 1:23:58

1+ y ago1:23:58

1:23:58

1967 was arguably the top of the mountain for the Beatles. With the Sgt. Pepper album, they provided the soundtrack that encapsulated global consciousness, while also elevating themselves beyond just a mere pop band; they were artists of the highest order. It was also the beginning of the end, with the death of Brian Epstein kicking off a long seri…

1
#99 I Will with guest Mike Viola (singer, songwriter, producer) 1:14:13

1+ y ago1:14:13

1:14:13

We're into the top 100 songs in our rankings! We can't turn back now!! Paul McCartney seems to have a knack for making sure he finishes things. "Now and Then" is a good example; he saw something there worthwhile and though it took a couple of decades, he saw it through to completion. The same can be said for "I Will," a song for which he had a melo…

1
#100 I Should Have Known Better with Laurie Kaye 52:48

1+ y ago52:48

52:48

As Paul noted in the Get Back series, The Beatles seemed to excel when their backs were against a wall. They were certainly feeling the time crunch during a several week residency in Paris in early 64. They hadn't yet conquered America, but they were due to be there in a couple of weeks. They also had their first movie on the horizon, and they had …

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#101 - Every Little Thing with Joe Adragna, singer, songwriter (The Junior League, The Minus 5) 1:16:50

1+ y ago1:16:50

1:16:50

While the exact time and place of this song seems to have been lost to the fog of 80+ years of memories, Paul does remember that he wrote this song with the thought it might end up as the Beatles next single in 1964. It seemed to lack that certain Beatle magic singles required, but it found a home on the back half of Beatles For Sale, albeit a home…

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#103 You're Going to Lose That Girl & #102 Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise) with guest Mary Lasseigne 1:32:07

1+ y ago1:32:07

1:32:07

Been a long time since we did a two-fer episode! Here we go! The Beatles often seemed to turn in some of their best work when up against a deadline. A handful of songs that would make up most the Help! album seemed to come about in short order, as the band had to write and record a big majority of the album before leaving to film. "You're Going to …

1
Now & Then - a round table discussion from Ranking the Beatles, Blotto Beatles, & BC The Beatles 1:30:11

1+ y ago1:30:11

1:30:11

IT'S HERE!! New Beatles music in...2023!?!?! What a time to be a Beatles fan. After blowing our collective minds with the Get Back documentary in 2021, Peter Jackson and co. have again used their MAL software to allow separation of John's vocal and piano from his original demo, solving the issue that seemed to have stalled the completion of this so…

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#104 - You Know My Name (Look Up The Number) with Sam Whiles, host of "Paul or Nothing" 1:23:39

1+ y ago1:23:39

1:23:39

After what must have been a creatively exhausting few months creating Sgt. Pepper, The Beatles blew off steam by recording a track that was more in line with the Goon Show humor they grew up loving, filled with weird voices and sound effects, creating comedic environments and asides, purely for the enjoyment of doing something that appeased them. I…

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#105 - Across The Universe with Dan Wilson (guitarist) 1:23:36

1+ y ago1:23:36

1:23:36

Lots of songwriters point to the idea that the best songs are the ones that tend to find the you, letting the writer be the vessel or medium. Much like "Yesterday" did for Paul, "Across The Universe" seemed to come to John from within a dreamstate, appearing in his subconscious while lying in bed, almost pushing him to get up and go write down the …

1
#106 - Baby, It's You with Chuck Gunderson, author "Some Fun Tonight" 1:03:09

1+ y ago1:03:09

1:03:09

It almost seems a shame that the Beatles only ever recorded one Burt Bacharach song. There are arguably no finer melodicists in modern popular music than Bacharach and Lennon/McCartney. But "Baby, It's You" is the only song from his catalogue they ever laid to tape. Recorded for their first album and a product of their well documented love of girl-…

1
#107 - I Feel Fine with Laurence Juber (guitarist, composer, Wings) 1:18:42

1+ y ago1:18:42

1:18:42

At the end of what was probably the busiest year they'd ever have, the Beatles needed a single for the Christmas market in 1964. They needed to churn it out while also wrapping up work on their 4th album. John picked up a riff from a Bobby Parker song and wrote what he thought was "a lousy song" around it, but nevertheless, brought it to the band. …

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#108 - I've Got A Feeling with Julian Fulco Perron (singer, songwriter) 1:01:05

1+ y ago1:01:05

1:01:05

Though the Lennon/McCartney partnership really only existed in name by 1969, the two songwriters still knew who the best person was to help complete a half-written tune. As they'd done before on songs like "We Can Work It Out" and "A Day in the Life," each brought an unfinished piece they were able to stick together to make a whole with "I've Got A…

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#109 I'll Cry Instead with Phoebe Lorde of Another Kind of Mind 1:19:11

1+ y ago1:19:11

1:19:11

In early 1964, John was certainly on a hot streak as a songwriter. He had the lion's share of material on the band's 3rd album, the soundtrack to their film "A Hard Day's Night." He wrote the title song essentially on command. He was the main or sole writer on the majority of the album, and had the most lead vocals. In the film, he's presented as t…

1
#110 I Need You with guest Kit O'Toole (host of Talk More Talk & Toppermost of the Poppermost) 1:06:55

1+ y ago1:06:55

1:06:55

George Harrison's journey as a songwriter began later than his other bandmates. After delivering his first self-penned track for the band's 2nd album, he had to rely on a Lennon/McCartney song for the 3rd, and a Carl Perkins cover on the 4th. But by the time of the Help! album, he had 2 on the table, and found his abilities starting to really grow.…

1
#111 - Here, There, & Everywhere with Dave Depper (guitarist, Death Cab For Cutie) 1:06:16

1+ y ago1:06:16

1:06:16

The friendly creative rivalry between the Beatles and the Beach Boys arguably hit it's peak in 1966 when the bands released two albums that routinely top "best album ever" lists, the Beatles' Revolver and the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds. Lennon and McCartney had been inspiring Beach Boys mastermind Brian Wilson to up his songwriting, and vice versa. On …

1
#112 - Two of Us with guests Sodajerker (Brian O'Conner & Simon Barber, songwriters and hosts of Sodajerker on Songwriting) 1:39:15

2y ago1:39:15

1:39:15

One of the first songs The Beatles worked on for the Get Back sessions of 1969, Paul's "Two of Us" was inspired by his road trips to nowhere with his new love, Linda; piling in the car, picking a direction and getting lost, just for fun. When he brought it to the band, it was originally conceived as a fast, chugging rocker, with a dual harmony voca…

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#113 - Piggies with guest Andre Bohren (musician, The Walrus, 1000s of others) 1:24:15

2y ago1:24:15

1:24:15

By the time of the White Album, George Harrison had mellowed considerably, thanks in part to his immersion in meditation. His newfound enlightenment replacing the dour, bitter side that came out in earlier songs like "Don't Bother Me," or "Taxman." So it's interesting that this chilled out version of George would decide to pickup the abandoned-in-1…

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#114 - Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby with guest Felix Wohlleben (guitarist, The Walrus) 1:05:37

2y ago1:05:37

1:05:37

Though George was still a budding songwriter in 1964, deadlines and heavy workloads meant he didn't have anything ready for the band's 4th album. John and Paul didn't seem to have the time to write him something new either, so when the clock was ticking, the band reached back into their bag of beloved covers to find a spotlight for their lead guita…

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#115 - It's Only Love with guest David Pomerleau (bassist, The Walrus, Johnny Sketch & The Dirty Notes) 1:02:20

2y ago1:02:20

1:02:20

When you're cranking out 2 albums a year, plus singles, plus a movie, plus BBC sessions, plus tv appearance, AND touring, it can be a little difficult to crank out nothing but brilliance. While most of us hardcore Beatle fans are not quick to deride many songs in their catalog, the Beatles themselves certainly could be, and both John and Paul mince…

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#116 - Lovely Rita with guest Matt Hobbs (songwriter, creator of "Puppy Songs") 1:14:18

2y ago1:14:18

1:14:18

It takes a certain higher level of creativity to write a song based around the more mundane and every-day-type affairs. Obviously, that's something Paul McCartney has in spades, as he was able to turn an encounter with a meter maid into the Sgt. Pepper track "Lovely Rita." A bouncing song held down with a really funky groove from Ringo, a ridiculou…

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#117 - You Really Got A Hold On Me with guest Robert Dean (author) 1:11:02

2y ago1:11:02

1:11:02

The Beatles's love of Motown is no secret. They were HUGE fans. So it's no shock that their second album featured 3 different songs from the Motown catalog. In fact, the first song cut especially for the album was their powerful cover of Smokey Robinson's "You Really Got A Hold On Me." Now, even though a business deal between Brian Epstein and Moto…

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#118 - She Said She Said with guest Jon Auer (The Posies, Big Star) 1:32:28

2y ago1:32:28

1:32:28

If Revolver is the record where The Beatles remove any illusion to their drug use, "She Said She Said" may be one of the cornerstones of that moment. A song with origins from an evening of tripping on LSD in Los Angeles, it's a song that straddles a number of different lines. It rocks, but it's not rocking. It's psychedelic but not trippy. It's aut…

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#119 - I Call Your Name with guest Jude Kessler (author, "The John Lennon Series") 1:28:41

2y ago1:28:41

1:28:41

What was originally a song given away to fellow Liverpudlian singer Billy J. Kramer, "I Call Your Name" is claimed to be one of John's earliest song attempts, pre-dating the Beatles when he was first learning to play guitar. The song was spruced up with Paul for Kramer, but then reclaimed by the Beatles in early 1964 in consideration for songs for …

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#120 - All Together Now with guest Madeline Bocaro (author, "In Your Mind - The Infinite Universe of Yoko Ono") 50:30

2y ago50:30

50:30

After almost a half a year of intense work on the Sgt. Pepper album, it's hardly surprising that, though there was plenty of work to be done for future endeavors, the Beatles were looking to blow off some steam and take things a little bit lighter. "All Together Now," a song that even by Paul's own admission is pretty slight in the grand scheme of …

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#121 I'll Follow The Sun with guest Julie Elody 1:08:14

2y ago1:08:14

1:08:14

In the fall of 1964 as the Beatles began working on what would become their 4th album, Beatles for Sale, it was only a couple of months after their 3rd album hit stores. They'd been constantly touring, making their first feature film, recording BBC sessions, essentially going non-stop. Time for songwriting was becoming precious and hard to find, so…

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#122 - Please Mr. Postman with guests Blotto Beatles 1:20:38

2y ago1:20:38

1:20:38

The Beatles' love of r&b, Motown, and especially Smokey Robinson are no secret. They were such fans, their 2nd album, 1963's With The Beatles featured 3 motown covers, including "Please Mr. Postman," originally by the Marvellettes, and the first chart topping single for the Motown label. While it wasn't as big a hit in the UK, it was a hit with the…

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