Rare Earth – Get Ready

This song was written by Smokey Robinson. The Temptations took the song to #29 in the Billboard 100 in 1966. Rare Earth took a 3-minute version of the song edited down from 21 minutes to #4 in the Billboard 100 in 1970.

The song was on their album Get Ready that peaked at #12 in 1970. When they started to record this album they ran out of material so they recorded a 21-minute version of this song to fill up space. The album wasn’t going anywhere until the edited version of the single was released and then it took off.

From Songfacts

Rare Earth recorded an unusual version of this song that stretched over 21 minutes and took up the entire second side of their first Motown album, which was issued in the fall of 1969. This version was based on Rare Earth’s live version of the song, where every member of the band would get a solo. In 1970,

Motown released a 3-minute edit as a single, which peaked at #4 in the Billboard 100 in 1970. The song also did well on R&B stations, even though some DJs refused to play it when they found out the group wasn’t black – they were one of the first white groups signed to Motown.

This was written by Smokey Robinson, who was the main songwriter for The Temptations. In the Motown stable, The Temptations were considered the premier group, and there was a lot of competition among the songwriters to have their compositions recorded by the band. When this song underperformed on the charts, Motown chief Berry Gordy gave the next Temptations single, “Ain’t Too Proud To Beg,” to Norman Whitfield, and he became their primary writer.

 

Get Ready

Never met a girl could make me feel the way that you do
You’re alright
Whenever I’m asked what makes a my dreams real
I tell ’em you do
You’re outta’ sight

Well twiddley dee, twiddley dum
Look out baby ’cause here I come

I’m bringing you a love that’s true
Get ready, get ready
Start makin’ love to you
Get ready, get ready
Get ready, ’cause here I come
Get ready, ’cause here I come

You wanna’ play hide and seek with love, let me remind you
You’re alright
Lovin’ you’re gonna’ miss, and the time it takes to find you
You’re outta’ sight
Well fee fi, fo fo fum
Look out baby, ’cause here I come

I’m bringing you a love that’s true
Get ready, get ready
Start makin’ love to you
Get ready, get ready
Get ready, ’cause here I come
Get ready, ’cause here I come

Baby all my freedoms should you want me to I think i’ll understand
You’re alright
Hope I get to you before they do, ’cause that’s how I planned it
You’re outta’ sight

Well twiddley dee, twiddley dum
Look out baby ’cause here I come

I’m bringing you a love that’s true
Get ready, get ready
Start makin’ love to you
Get ready, get ready
Get ready, ’cause here I come

Author: Badfinger (Max)

Power Pop fan, Baseball, Beatles, old movies, and tv show fan. Also anything to do with pop culture in the 60s and 70s... I'm also a songwriter, bass and guitar player.

22 thoughts on “Rare Earth – Get Ready”

    1. I only had two… I’ve been swamped at work and working late…I’ll probably just have one or two a day for a while… I have to read blogs at night mostly now. I’ll get a few minutes where I sneak in through the day.

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      1. The Ike & Tina Turner one got deleted. The title showed up at the bottom of the Rare Earth post, but when I clicked on it it said it no longer existed. Sorry work is keeping you busy.

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    1. I do like both versions. I’ve had more Tempatations so I gave it to Rare Earth…I learned something about the Temptations. For a man…if you break up with your girlfriend… you want a temptations record, tape, or cd….many of their songs are for it. lol

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      6. We have a small town and we use to drive up and down…back and forth…it took less than 5 minutes…but we had fun… and yes they still do it.

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