Under the Hood: The Origin of “Money (That’s What I Want)”

The Beatles were not as blues-oriented as some of their British Invasion contemporaries, but they did have a taste for American R&B. Take this cut from their very first LP.

Yes, the classic “Money (That’s What I Want).” That song was written by Mississippi vocalist Barrett Strong, born on this day in 1941. Strong co-wrote a number of Motown classics, including “I Heard it Through the Grapevine,” “Papa Was a Rolling Stone” and “Ball of Confusion.” But his only major hit as a vocalist was this 1960 recording – the original version of Money.