"He Was Really Sayin' Somethin' is a

soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun ''soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest attes ...

song written by

Motown Motown Records is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. It was founded by Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on June 7, 1958, and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau of ''moto ...

songwriters

Norman Whitfield Norman Jesse Whitfield (May 12, 1940 – September 16, 2008) was an American songwriter and producer, who worked with Berry Gordy's Motown labels during the 1960s.allmusic Biography/ref> He has been credited as one of the creators of the Motow ...

William "Mickey" Stevenson William "Mickey" Stevenson (born January 4, 1937) is an American former songwriter and record producer for the Motown group of labels from the early days of Berry Gordy's company until 1967. Life and career He was born William Stevenson and, a ...

, and

Edward Holland, Jr. Edward Holland Jr. (born October 30, 1939) is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. Holland was born in Detroit, Michigan, United States. Although he was an early Motown artist who recorded minor hit singles such as "Jamie", ...

1964 Events January * January 1 – The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland is dissolved. * January 5 - In the first meeting between leaders of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches since the fifteenth century, Pope Paul VI and Patriarch ...

. The song is notable in both a 1964 version by American Motown girl group

the Velvelettes The Velvelettes were an American singing girl group, signed to Motown in the 1960s. Their biggest chart success occurred in 1964, when Norman Whitfield produced "Needle in a Haystack", which peaked at number 45 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, an ...

, and a 1982 hit version (with the title altered to "Really Saying Something") by British girl group

Bananarama Bananarama are an English pop duo from London, formed as a trio in 1980 by friends Sara Dallin, Siobhan Fahey and Keren Woodward. Fahey left the group in 1988 and was replaced by Jacquie O'Sullivan until 1991, when the trio became a duo. Thei ...

Overview

Velvelettes version

The original version of the song was recorded by Motown group the Velvelettes in December 1964. An alternate version recorded in October/November had been discarded. Produced by Norman Whitfield, the Velvelettes' version was released on Motown's V.I.P. label on December 27, 1964, and was a minor hit for the group in early 1965. "He Was Really Sayin' Somethin'" peaked at number 64 on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100, and at number 21 on the then recently reinstated ''Billboard'' R&B Singles chart. The single was the second most successful release for the Velvelettes, a minor Motown act which never released a full-length album. "Throw a Farewell Kiss", composed by Whitfield and Holland and produced by Whitfield, had been recorded in October 1962 and was issued as the

B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record compan ...

of "He Was Really Sayin' Somethin'". Six years later, Whitfield had

the Temptations The Temptations are an American vocal group from Detroit, Michigan, who released a series of successful singles and albums with Motown Records during the 1960s and 1970s. The group's work with producer Norman Whitfield, beginning with the Top ...

record "Farewell Kiss" for their 1971 album '' Sky's the Limit''.

Bananarama version

In 1982, the British

girl group A girl group is a music act featuring several female singers who generally harmonize together. The term "girl group" is also used in a narrower sense in the United States to denote the wave of American female pop music singing groups, many of who ...

recorded a

cover version In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song release ...

of the song and released it as the first single from their debut album '' Deep Sea Skiving''.

Fun Boy Three Fun Boy Three were an English new wave pop Fun Boy Three Allmusic bio/ref> band, active from 1981 to 1983 and formed by singers Terry Hall, Neville Staple and Lynval Golding after they left the Specials. They released two albums and had seve ...

provided background vocals, having had a hit with Bananarama earlier in the year with another cover, "

T'ain't What You Do (It's the Way That You Do It) "Tain't What You Do (It's the Way That You Do It)" is a song written by jazz musicians Melvin "Sy" Oliver and James "Trummy" Young. It was first recorded in 1939 by Jimmie Lunceford, Harry James, and Ella Fitzgerald, and again the same year by Na ...

". The 1982 single became the second consecutive top-five hit for both Bananarama and Fun Boy Three, peaking at number five in the

UK singles chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

. It also received heavy play on the then-young

MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...

network in America. "Really Saying Something" was both groups' second chart entry in Australia, peaking at number seventy-four. The B-side, "Give Us Back Our Cheap Fares", has been issued on CD for the first time on the 2007 UK reissue of '' Deep Sea Skiving'' as one of five bonus tracks. It also became the group's first single to chart in America but only became a minor hit peaking at #108. The song was revived in

2005 File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; "Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris was discovered in ...

by Solasso, who

remix A remix (or reorchestration) is a piece of media which has been altered or contorted from its original state by adding, removing, or changing pieces of the item. A song, piece of artwork, book, video, poem, or photograph can all be remixes. The o ...

ed the song and released it as a

bootleg Bootleg or bootlegging most often refers to: * Bootleg recording, an audio or video recording released unofficially * Rum-running, the illegal business of transporting and trading in alcoholic beverages, hence: ** Moonshine, or illicitly made ...

remix. It was later included on Bananarama's album ''

Drama Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has been ...

''.

Buffalo G version

The Irish

Buffalo G released a rap cover version of the song in 2000, reaching the top 20 in both the Irish and UK charts.

Shakespears Sister version

In late February 2011, Siobhan Fahey's current project,

Shakespears Sister Shakespears Sister is an alternative pop and rock musical duo based in the United Kingdom that was formed in 1988 by singer-songwriter Siobhan Fahey, a former member of Bananarama. Shakespears Sister was initially a solo act, but became a duo ...

announced that they were releasing their own version of "Really Saying Something", as a special anniversary single, celebrating 30 years since Bananarama recorded their first single. The single was available exclusively on Shakespears Sister's web site as a digital download and a limited edition

CD single A CD single (sometimes abbreviated to CDS) is a music single in the form of a compact disc. The standard in the Red Book for the term ''CD single'' is an 8 cm (3-inch) CD (or Mini CD). It now refers to any single recorded onto a CD of any si ...

. Copies of the CD single are no longer in production, and it is now one of Shakespears Sister's rarest collectibles to date. Fahey produced the single with her designer Anthony Walton, in an attempt to promote her forthcoming live releases.

Track listing

*;CD single / Digital download #"Really Saying Something" — 2:36 #"A Loaded Gun" — 4:15 *;2013 digital download #"Really Saying Something" — 2:36 #"A Loaded Gun" — 4:15 #"A Loaded Gun" (Early Version)

Releases

; UK 7" single NANA1 #"Really Saying Something" 2:41 #"Give Us Back Our Cheap Fares" 2:44 ; US 7" single LD201 #"Really Saying Something" (US Version) 3:44 #"Give Us Back Our Cheap Fares" 2:44 ; UK 12" vinyl NANX1 #"Really Saying Something" (Extended Mix) 5:40 #:Remixed by Fun Boy Three #"Give Us Back Our Cheap Fares" (Extended Version) 4:25 ; UK 12" vinyl - stickered limited edition NANX1 #"Really Saying Something" (Extended Mix) 5:40 #:Remixed by Fun Boy Three #"Aie A Mwana" (Extended Version) 5:46 ; US 12" vinyl LLD101 #"Really Saying Something" (Extended US Version) 7:50 #"Aie A Mwana" (Extended US Version) 6:46 #"Aie A Mwana" (Dub Mix) 4:38 ; German 12" vinyl 6400 606 #"Really Saying Something" (Extended Mix) 5:40 #"Give Us Back Our Cheap Fares" (Extended Version) 4:25 ; 2005 versions #"Really Saying Something" (Solasso Mix) 5:58 Taken from the album ''Drama'' #"Really Saying Something" (Solasso Radio Edit) #"Really Saying Something" (Solasso Dirty Dub) 5:58 #"Really Saying Something" (Hardino Radio Edit) #"Really Saying Something" (Hardino Remix) 6:20 #"Really Saying Something" (DJ Bomba & Soulseekerz Remix) 6:37 #"Really Saying Something" (Kenny Hayes Sunshine Funk Remix) 5:34 #"Really Saying Something" (Giresse Breakbeat Remix) 5:21 #"Really Saying Something" (Shanghai Surprise Radio Edit) 3:21 #"Really Saying Something" (Shanghai Surprise Club Mix) 6:44

Charts

Velvelettes version

Bananarama version

Buffalo G version

References

{{authority control 1964 songs 1965 singles 1982 singles Bananarama songs Fun Boy Three songs Motown singles London Records singles Songs written by Norman Whitfield Songs written by Eddie Holland Songs written by William "Mickey" Stevenson