Otis Redding, That’s How Strong My Love Is (1965)

The most famous version, and a great one:

My favorite version: The Creation, That’s How Strong My Love Is (1966). The Creation perform live on the German TV show Beat Beat Beat.

The original version, nicely done by O.V. Wright, That’s How Strong My Love Is (1964).

Here is a nice version by the Rolling Stones, on the Ready Steady Go show, in 1965.

Our standard: “If you are going to cover a song, rip it apart a bit and make it your own.” Otis did it, taking the song farther down the soulful road it was on. The Creation took it to a different place, making it a rock song, but still with soulful singing. The Stones version is closer to the Otis Version, with saxophone, but still Stonesy.

A great song can withstand a lot of “ripping apart.”

UPDATE:

Bryan Ferry, That’s How Strong My Love Is (1978).

UPDATE II

Tommy Young, That’s How Strong My Love Is (1972). She sang this song over the music track in one take. Nice.