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.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDnCZ7QfO3M
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.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9p-RS3yq8B0
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).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yxr71scIW1E
UPDATE II
Tommy Young, That’s How Strong My Love Is (1972). She sang this song over the music track in one take. Nice.